Report: Chris Paul And DeMar DeRozan Are Among Some Of The Top Starters That Could Be Traded This Off-Season. What Other Players Need To Be Traded Away?

With the NBA season being roughly a month and a half away, some organizations have suggested that some of their rotational pieces are available for trade. Some of these players include Victor Oladipo, Julius Randle, and according to some sources, Russell Westbrook! However, there are so many more players across the NBA that need to get traded away if they want to either have more possessions or be in a position where they can win a championship. This article will focus on ten players that need to be traded the most!

Note: (some of these players are rumoured to be traded away while others are just trades that we believe should happen.)

10. Andrew Wiggins

During the 2019-20 NBA season, the Minnesota Timberwolves traded away Andrew Wiggins to the Warriors in exchange for D’Angelo Russell. This trade was by far the most exciting and unexpected, considering how rushed of a deal it was. However, Wiggins is currently in a position where he could help Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson go back to title contenders and have a role similar to what Harrison Barnes was in 2015. Unlike Barnes, Wiggins has the potential to become a 25 point per game scorer, and even though some people have either given up or lost hope in his production on the court, the reality is, Wiggins is only 25 years old! In NBA history, many players such as Steve Nash took years to develop into All-Stars or even Hall of Famers. If Wiggins can be placed in an organization where he can be the number one option, he could flourish and become a 23-26 point per game scorer. Furthermore, with the Warriors already having three max contracts in Klay Thompson, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, they could use the extra cap space as they do not need a player like Andrew Wiggins who is making 27 million dollars a season! 

9. Kevin Love 

In the last few seasons, Kevin Love has been one of the most talked-about players that need to be traded. With the Cleveland Cavaliers having a different direction of rebuilding rather than contending, a player like Kevin Love should not waste his skill and health on a team looking to make the lottery in many years to come. Although Love has stated that he loves playing for Cleveland, he would enjoy playing for a team like the Portland Trailblazers or the Miami Heat, where they are only a piece or two away from contending for a title. Considering that Love has already reached his peak and is entering the realm of father time, he needs to be traded quickly to help impact a team instead of wasting his talents in Cleveland. The only problem is, what organization should take on his contract and is he worth the risk?

8. Al Horford

In the 2019 off-season, one of the most shocking signings in free agency was Al Horford to the Philadelphia 76ers due to how clustered the offence would be with him. For most NBA fans, this signing was an indication that Philadelphia would be title contenders considering that they would have a front-court of Joel Embiid and Al Horford. However, as the season prolonged, this signing revealed that spacing the floor was an abstract concept for this team as it felt crowded in the paint with no shooters. Philadelphia felt the need to sign Horford to weaken the Boston Celtics, where Horford was named an All-Star and one of the best players in the Eastern Conference. Unfortunately for this season, Horford was a player who struggled on the floor and is still looking to discover his role in this team. With all these factors, Horford should be a primary center for a team rather than being a role player with no direction or idea of what exactly he needs to do. 

7. Derrick Rose 

In the last two seasons, Derrick Rose has not only resurrected himself as an elite player but is also regarded as one of the best sixth-men players in the NBA today! His 50 point game last season sparked interest in the league and, as a result, signed a two-year contract with the Detroit Pistons as a way to help him sustain his new playing style. At the beginning of the 2019-20 season, the Detroit Pistons were looked at to some people as a playoff contender with a solid point guard rotation of Reggie Jackson and Derrick Rose. However, with the Pistons trading away, both Reggie Jackson and Andre Drummond, Detroit, are currently in a position of rebuilding and should trade Derrick Rose this off-season to a team where he can make an impact. 

6. Nikola Vucevic

Like Al Horford, Vucevic re-signing with the Orlando Magic was something that most NBA fans didn’t expect. With the Magic still rebuilding for what it appears to be an eternity, Vucevic is currently in his prime where he can change a playoff-contending team into a title contender. However, with Vucevic receiving a max contract, it will be tough for an organization to trade for him, which would most likely indefinitely force the Magic to keep him. Orlando is a very confusing team as they tend to switch their direction every season of either contending for a playoff spot or becoming a lottery team. With the organization re-signing Nikola Vucevic, the Magic believes that they can go far in the playoffs with the roster they currently have. (If that doesn’t scream dysfunctional, I don’t know what does). Vucevic needs to be traded if he wants to have a slight chance of winning or even contending for an NBA championship. 

5. Jrue Holiday

With the New Orleans Pelicans trading Anthony Davis and entering a phase of rebuilding, Jrue Holiday needs to be traded away to a title contender or a solid playoff team. Even though Holiday has made a career for himself in New Orleans and has stamped himself as one of the greatest players to dawn a Pelicans jersey, his talents can be used elsewhere at this point in his career. With Holiday being arguably the best defender at his position, teams that focus on strictly offence could utilize a combo guard like Holiday, considering that he can shoot the ball while also guarding the best player on the court. Holiday can either help mentor this young Pelicans team or join a team like the Lakers, where he can demonstrate his scoring ability while also highlighting his greatest skill, which is his perimeter defence. 

4. DeMar DeRozan

Ever since the Toronto Raptors traded away DeMar DeRozan to the San Antonio Spurs, both the organization and DeMar have struggled to improve. Instead, they have been labelled as either a first-round exit or a darkhorse playoff team. Even though the Spurs did make the playoffs last season where they took the Denver Nuggets to seven games, that was the organization’s peak with DeRozen and should consider trading him away to a team that is not in the rebuilding phase. With Greg Popovich looking to retire from coaching basketball, the Spurs for the first time in 20 years are looking to rebuild hence why players like DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge need to be traded away. However, for DeRozen, he is looking to attain a new contract next season and has a player option that he will most likely accept. If the Spurs want to rebuild, they should trade away DeRozen as he would slow down their rebuilding process. 

3. Bradley Beal

In the last few months, teams like the Brooklyn Nets have sparked interest in trading for Bradley Beal to complete their potential big three. However, the rumours were quickly squashed as the Wizards stated that they are not interested in trading away their star player. However, franchises have proven that promises to players can disappear in a snap of a finger. From Blake Griffin to DeMar DeRozan, the Clippers and Raptors promised their stars that they are there for the long run but were later traded away in less than a season! For Washington, if they find a trade that is close to impossible to resist, the aspect of loyalty and willingness of a player to remain in their franchise will quickly diminish. Furthermore, Beal needs to be traded away as he is entering his prime and shouldn’t waste his talents on a team that is still deciding what direction they want to pursue. With John Wall returning to the NBA momentarily, some may argue that Beal should stay, but it all depends on if Wall can change his style of play and remain healthy. If those guidelines are not addressed, then Bradley Beal needs to be traded to a team with playoff aspirations. 

2. Russell Westbrook

With Russell Westbrook entering his 30’s, his chances of winning a championship are looking rather slim. From his contract situation to the way he plays basketball, Westbrook is heading to a path of some of the greatest players in NBA history never to win a title. However, when the Houston Rockets traded Chris Paul for Russell Westbrook, the NBA media went on a frenzy and felt that the Rockets could be a darkhorse team or an actual contender for the NBA championship. However, this has not been the case as the Rockets have struggled throughout the season due to being unable to find a way to have James Harden and Russell Westbrook coincide together. To make matters worse, the Rockets traded their primary center in Clint Capela and decided to play the ultimate version of small ball basketball. Even though the Rockets were winning games, rebounding the ball would become perpetually more difficult when entering the playoffs. Westbrook is in a weird situation and should consider requesting a trade as soon as possible if he genuinely cares about winning a championship. With the lack of draft picks and cap space, the Rockets in a few seasons will potentially become one of the worst teams in the NBA unless they can trade Russell Westbrook for some assets like a shooting center!

1. Joel Embiid

For the 2019-20 NBA season, the player who needs to be traded the most is Joel Embiid. Having two Philadelphia 76ers players on this list should indicate that this team is far from winning a championship as they need to decide which process they want to pursue. This season, Ben Simmons displayed incredible production when he was the first option for his team, which only means that Joel Embiid is slowing him down. If the 76ers can trade away Joel for some shooting assets that play similarly to Kris Middleton, then Al Horford doesn’t need to be traded as he could be the ideal center for Ben Simmons. The 76ers should trade Joel now while he is young and entering his prime before it is too late. Reality is, when Joel is the first option, he only plays 55-60 games out of the 82 games played. If he can be in a situation where he is the second option, he will remain healthier for a more extended period of time. The 76ers primary focus should be Ben Simmons and not Joel Embiid.