Best NBA trade targets in 2024 offseason

15/04/2024 19:28

The 2024 regular season is over, so a number of NBA teams are already looking forward to the offseason to see how they can improve for next season. Normally, the NBA Draft would be a great way to add to your roster, but the 2024 draft class is considered weaker than normal. Additionally, a number of the best upcoming free agents have player/team options that mean they likely won’t actually hit the open market.

All of that means that the trade market might be active and could be one of the main ways talent is moved around this offseason. NBA trades are becoming more and more common, and it is especially more common for superstar players to demand a trade that gets them moved to a new team for a massive haul of draft picks and young players.

Last year’s offseason was arguably the biggest ever when it comes to offseason trades. Big-name players, including Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday, Deandre Ayton, John Collins, Dillon Brooks, Jordan Poole, Bradley Beal, Marcus Smart, Kristaps Porzingis, and Chris Paul were all moved during the offseason, and James Harden was traded not long after. Some of these NBA players were trade targets for a while, whereas others emerged as trade candidates out of nowhere.

It’ll be tough for the 2024 offseason to match that craziness, but there are sure to be some big trades this offseason, regardless. In this article, we decided to rank the top five best NBA trade targets who have been rumored to be on the trade block or seem like they have a legitimate chance of being moved this offseason.

5. Jakob Poeltl, Toronto Raptors

The center position is back and better than ever in the NBA, and that means teams need starting caliber centers that can guard elite big men like Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid. Jakob Poeltl has the size, strength, and rim-protection ability to hold his own against the NBA’s elite offensive centers.

While he lacks some as a scorer, play-finishing centers with the ability to protect the paint are in demand, and Jakob Poeltl seems like a prime candidate to be traded this offseason. Last offseason, Poeltl signed a four-year extension that can keep him in Toronto until 2027, but a lot can/has changed over the course of one season.

Since last offseason, the Raptors have gone into full rebuild mode, and that meant they traded a number of their best players in order to get younger and add draft capital. Toronto may view Poeltl as a building block to keep for the next era, but it would also make a lot of sense to trade the big man and add to their future.

The Raptors lost 19 of their last 21 games, so it has become clear that the roster as is will not be able to compete for the playoffs, and Poeltl would likely be their best trade chip this offseason. Additionally, it was reported last year that Poeltl did not want to be on a rebuilding team (via Adam Laskaris of dailyhive.com), meaning it wouldn’t come as a surprise if the center was to demand a trade this offseason. If he were to, he would be one of the best trade targets for center-needy NBA teams.

4. Jerami Grant, Portland Trail Blazers

Like the Raptors, the Trail Blazers are rebuilding, and trading veterans while adding to their young core would make sense. Jerami Grant could be a highly sought-after trade piece because of his versatility. The forward has experience as a role player and as the top dog, meaning he could fit on a number of different rosters around the league.

Grant is under contract with the Blazers until 2028, but he is 30 years old and probably doesn’t fit the post-Damian Lillard timeline in Portland.

Grant started his career as a defensive-minded athlete, but he has improved his offense every season. The Syracuse product averaged over 20 points per game on over 40% shooting from deep in each of the last two seasons in Portland, but he can take a back seat on a contender, as he did during his time with the Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder.

3. Dejounte Murray, Atlanta Hawks

The Dejounte Murray and Trae Young pairing hasn’t worked out as the team expected, and it means that one of the two may be moved eventually. The Hawks are in the NBA Play-In Tournament, and their performance there may dictate the course of action Atlanta takes with their talented backcourt.

The Hawks have made it known that they want to keep their duo intact for next season, but rumors were swirling that they were active in shopping Murray at the trade deadline. Murray’s defense was supposed to be a great compliment to Young’s offense, but the two’s fit together has been a little iffy. Both players are ball dominant and work best as a team’s lead guard, and Murray’s presence hasn’t fixed Atlanta’s defensive issues.

Young is a three-time All-Star and has even led the league in both points and assists before, so he would be more coveted than Murray if he were to become available. We think that Murray is the more realistic option to be moved, though, as the Hawks likely view Young as their star player going forward.

The Spurs were the team that drafted Murray in the first round back in 2016, and they are in desperate need of a point guard. Playmaking was a major issue for San Antonio this past season, and a reunion with Murray would make a lot of sense, but there would surely be other suitors for the guard if he were made available.

2. Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls

Bulls fans had high hopes for the big three that includes Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vucevic, but that core has only developed into a fringe playoff team during their time together in Chicago.

DeRozan is getting older and has a skillset that doesn’t perfectly fit with the times, and Vucevic has regressed in recent seasons. If Chicago were to blow it up, LaVine would likely net the team the biggest return, and he has actually been one of the biggest NBA trade targets for a while now.

Unfortunately, LaVine wasn’t able to showcase his skillset this season, which could hurt his value. Due to injuries, LaVine only played in 25 games this season, and his scoring numbers were the lowest they have been since his first season in Chicago (2017-18).

Still, LaVine has a rare blend of athleticism and shooting, and he might be the most realistic star to be moved this offseason. LaVine is only a season removed from averaging 24.8 points per game. He is one of the best dunkers in the NBA but is equally as gifted with the three-point shot. Some teams might be concerned by his down year, but a bounce-back seems inevitable for the two-time All-Star guard.

1. Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers

Donovan Mitchell is one of the best players in the NBA, but his future with the Cavaliers remains clouded. The team wants him around and intends to extend his contract, but the two sides have yet to come to terms on a deal, and a trade may be the best route if an extension becomes unrealistic.

Mitchell is under contract for next season, but he has a player option for the following year. That means the team is at risk of losing him for nothing in the relatively near future if they can’t agree to an extension, but it also means that the star would go for a massive trade package this offseason because he wouldn’t be just a rental.

Mitchell can score from anywhere on the court, and he is a truly pesky defender despite a lack of height. He has been a number-one option his entire career and is a true superstar. The Cavaliers don’t want to trade him, but if they were forced to they would be compensated nicely, and he would surely be the best NBA trade target if he were made available.

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