In most sports, a busy trading cycle is usually followed by an offseason. At any time, there are limited valuable players in the market. But the NBA has created an infinite feedback loop. The contract is so short, the situation changes so quickly, so many players want to be traded at any given time, so that the follow-up actions have generated more trading demand.
In the past two offseason, seven NBA All-Stars have changed teams, but in the next few days, two more may be traded by the team, and three more contracts will expire soon. Even after the changes in the past few months, there are many talented players in almost every position in the NBA trading area, so as the opening game is coming, let's take a look at the five most likely transactions this season.
1. james harden joined the 76 ers.
The deal between Harden and Ben Simmons has been discussed thousands of times. Harden may be the best shooting creator in this century besides James. In exchange for Simmons, who can't shoot, Harden, the best one-on-one offensive maker in NBA, the 76ers will be the first in the league on the offensive end. This will also create more space for joel embiid. This makes Philadelphia's already weak shooting more dangerous. It is not clear whether Harden is enough to make the 76ers popular, but at least, it will be the best version of Embiid in this team.
Less discussed is the Simmons part of the transaction. Although a 24-year-old nba player is almost always a good asset, his long-term health is better than most people think. No, john wall can't shoot with Simmons, but if Wall can stay healthy, he will be the target of the trade. What is really exciting is christian wood, who is the center that Simmons has never met in the 76ers. Last season, Wood made nearly five shots and hit more than 40% of the 3-pointers. Unlike Embiid, he is an active shooter. Last season, his pick-and-roll score reached 95% in the league. If you add three shooters of the same age, Simmons' infrastructure is almost the same as that of the letter brother. Harden makes the 76ers the best of themselves, but the Rockets can make Simmons the best of themselves. Few teams have this ability, which is why this deal is so attractive.
2. kevin love went to the Heat.
Is it a side effect of the big contract of love? Many teams' future salary space is locked. When renewing kevin love's salary contract looked as big as paul george's or Yanis Adetokunbo's, competitors were afraid of Love's contract, but now? The opportunity to sign a former superstar may be a valuable attempt, because you can get the remaining $90 million contract with low trading chips.
Miami Heat can stand out from these competitors. Last season, the Heat gave players who were not as good as Love more than 2,300 minutes. By replacing Kelly Olinic and Meyers Leonard with Love, the Heat not only diversified the half-court offense, but also added a much-needed passer to the team. Last season, the Heat scored 24 points in the fast break. Miami Heat's defense is enough to cover Love's defense. After two years, he will become a high-value expired contract, and the transaction value is super high. They can sell him in the next superstar deal (if he hasn't come yet). This simple fit will make a good team better and a bad team (intentionally) worse. The knight's point guard is not interested in Love's passing, which wastes the golden time of Love's remaining years and is a kind of harm to the whole basketball audience. It's time for him to leave Cleveland
3. aaron gordon joined the Celtics.
There have been rumors about aaron gordon's trading for a long time. Before the transaction, a general manager tried to guide Gordon to become a competitor. 202 1, he can finally realize his talent, which seems to be bigger than before. Because Jonathan Isaac will miss all the games this year, D.J. Augustine is now playing in the Bucks, and Orlando's playoff hopes are slim. If Magic doesn't trade Gordon now, he will probably leave as a free agent in 2022. Besides Gordon's own performance, it is also wrong to use magic on him. The clever team is drooling over aaron gordon. Just make him a full-time power forward for a team with good ball control and spacing. It shouldn't be as difficult as magic in Orlando.
In fact, many teams need him. The Brooklyn Nets need a power forward. Denver Nuggets can replace Jeremy Grant with him. But the Celtics' advantage comes from the special deal brought by Gordon Hayward's departure. Celtic can bear Gordon's salary without paying other players, which is a good start, because Magic is now considering reducing luxury tax. Celtic only need to add some other assets to have a trading framework. The lineups of Gordon, Jay Brown, Jayson Tatum, marcus smart and tristan thompson can almost be changed on the defensive end. Whether in Boston or not, the deal around Gordon will reach a fever pitch this season.
4. buddy hilde went to the Grizzlies.
Batty Hill defeated King's starting point guard Bogdanovic, but after Thales halliburton accidentally slipped to the position of 12 in the NBA draft, his competitive road was already very difficult. Halliburton performed well in the preseason, and his comprehensive competitiveness made him more suitable for Darren Fox in the long competition. Considering this reality and the unstable relationship between Hill and Wharton, the deal is still possible.
How about Memphis as the new owner of Hill? Grizzlies ranked 23rd in three-point shooting percentage and 24th in shooting times last season. Desmond Bain, Grayson Allen and Dillon Brooks have provided some potential for the internal promotion of the team, but the joining of Hilde will open such a large space for Jia Morant, and this huge financial investment will be very worthwhile. Winslow and Jalen Jackson Jr. can protect him on the defensive end, and Grizzlies have two additional draft picks to trade at any time in the first round of 20 19. Grizzlies have most of the young core lineup. The addition of a young player can consolidate their starting lineup in the next few years.
5. aldridge returned to the Trailblazers.
Yes, it's too sentimental. As far as basketball is concerned, it may be unwise. Cameron Anthony plays the role that Adric may play after returning to the Trailblazers. But, damn it, after 2020, 202 1 owes us some sadness. Aldridge's contract has expired. He plays for an uncompetitive Spurs team. This team should really start giving up shooting and playing time to young people. The Portland Trailblazers gave Rodney Hood a different contract, which was worth $100000 this season, but there was no guarantee to help the team run smoothly in the 20021-22 season. Kanter can be the rest of the salary garbage, and Portland's small players Affini Simmons and Nasir Little can fill the value quota.
Does this help Portland's already problematic defense? Of course not. But Aldridge, Lillard, mccollum and nurkic will challenge the NBA's best offense. If Portland thinks they can win the game on their own, if Portland thinks they can almost win on the field, then there is hope for the deal, and Lillard has given him his blessing.