NBA’s surplus of wings
Plenty of wings available at the trade deadline
By the time the NBA trade deadline arrives at 3 p.m. ET Thursday, at least a few general managers will be relaying the bad news to their owners.
“Well sir, we weren’t able to land that first-round pick for our expendable, talented wing player because it turns out there were quite a few of those to go around …”
From Tyreke Evans to Jamal Crawford, there is an excess of scorers and capable defenders that far exceeds the demand in this year’s market. As if that’s not bad enough, many executives believe Golden State’s dominance is depressing the market even further.
Call it the White Flag effect. Even with the Warriors’ recent struggles — three losses in their past four games after they fell to Oklahoma City on Tuesday night — it’s hard for general managers of playoff teams to part ways with precious first-rounders when the gap between them and the champs is so wide. And as one executive was quick to point out, the players on this list would have been traded already if those elusive first-round picks had already been put on the table.
Tyreke Evans (Memphis; 19.5 points, five rebounds, five assists per game; $3.2 million expiring contract)
The Grizzlies are expected to find a home for Evans, as evidenced by the fact that they sidelined him Wednesday as a way of protecting their asset. While Philadelphia, Boston, and Denver are known to be interested, there are, according to a person with knowledge of the situation, seven teams in the running in all. The person spoke to USA TODAY on the condition of anonymity because trade talks aren’t shared publicly.
Lou Williams (Clippers guard; 23.3 points, 5.3 assists per game; $7 million expiring contract)
Williams, one of the deadline’s biggest possible trade chips, agreed to a three-year deal with the Clippers on Wednesday. There’s a team option on the final year.
Marcus Smart (Boston guard; 10.1 points, 4.7 assists, 3.6 rebounds per game; $4.5 million expiring)
Smart has been out since Jan. 24 after punching a picture frame out of frustration, and he isn’t expected back until after the All-Star break. He’s a natural candidate to be moved both because of his skill set and his looming restricted free agency that will come at a significant cost.
Rodney Hood (Utah guard; 16.8 points, 2.9 rebounds per game; $2.3 million expiring)
Hood, like Smart, is nearing restricted free agency that might be too rich for his current team’s blood. But in today’s shooting-heavy game, his career-high mark of 39.7% from three-point range is tailor made for a contending team.
Avery Bradley (Clippers guard; 14.8 points per game; $8.8 million expiring)
The 27-year-old Bradley remains one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, someone whose rare ability to slow the Warriors’ Stephen Curry during his time with the Boston Celtics hasn’t been forgotten by league executives. He has struggled offensively this season, shooting 41.3%.
Marco Bellinelli (Atlanta guard; 11.4 points per game; $6.6 million expiring)
The 31-year-old was sidelined by his team Tuesday because the Hawks fully expect to trade him before the deadline. While no deal is done just yet, they are known to be mulling several reliable options.
Jordan Clarkson (Lakers guard; 14.5 points per game; $25.9 million combined in the next two seasons)
The Lakers are lacking leverage for two reasons:
1. The entire league knows they must move Clarkson as part of the plan to eventually create two maximum salary cap spaces for the likes of LeBron James and Paul George this summer, meaning there’s very little incentive to aid that cause.
2. Clarkson, while a good player, comes at a greater cost than most of his available peers. There are plenty of short-term options for teams that don’t see Clarkson as a possible building block.
Kent Bazemore (Hawks guard; 13.1 points, four rebounds, 3.6 assists per game; $37.3 million combined in the next two seasons, including a player option for the 2019-20 campaign)
Much like Clarkson, Bazemore is a good player who likely stays put because of the high price tag.
DeMarre Carroll (Brooklyn small forward; 13.2 points, 6.3 rebounds per game; $15.4 million owed next season)
The 30-year-old has been productive for the struggling Nets and could certainly help a contender. Oklahoma City, perhaps?
Jeremy Lamb (Charlotte guard; 13.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists per game; $7.4 million next season)
The Hornets are looking to shed all sorts of salary, and Lamb is just the kind of affordable scorer that contenders could use.
Other notable wing options
Stanley Johnson (Detroit small forward; 8.2 points, 3.8 rebounds per game; $3.9 million next season in the final year of his rookie deal).
Evan Fournier (Orlando small forward; 17.8 points per game; $51 million combined in the next three seasons, including a player option in 2020-21).
Courtney Lee (New York guard; 13.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists per game; $25 million combined in the next two seasons).
Jamal Crawford (Minnesota guard; 9.8 points per game; $4.5 million player option for next season)