NBA Players Who Can Turn Pretenders to Contenders At The Trade Deadline

The Last Pieces of The Puzzle

• Many of basketball’s analysts, casuals, and best minds have most likely said that a team is “One guy away” or “One move away” at some point. These phrases are usually said when a team has successfully built a good to high level playoff team, but could use just one more roster addition to solidify their place as a contender or propel them to surefire contention. There are several different teams that could certainly fit this mold. Rather than analyzing these teams, I will be looking at the players that might be that final piece for some teams. 

Pascal Siakam/ Forward, Toronto Raptors

It’s no secret that the Toronto Raptors are looking to retool their roster right now. They let Fred Vanvleet walk this offseason, they traded O.G. Anunoby recently, and they have shopped around Pascal Siakam for months. Siakam is now the last player left over from the Raptors 2019 championship team, and Toronto is beginning a new era in Raptors basketball spearheaded by Scottie Barnes and a newly acquired young supporting cast. Siakam is the odd one out.

Siakam has been absolutely excellent this season, especially as of recent, despite his status being up in the air. Siakam averaged around 25-5-5 last month, and entered the new year with a bang. Siakam is probably the highest profile name being discussed in trade rumors right now, and rightfully so. Siakam is top 10 in the NBA in points in the paint, and one of the more dominant forces in the box that the association has to offer. His length and size prove to be a massive advantage on both ends, and teams looking for more size are going to be throwing their name in the Pascal sweepstakes. Get ready to hear his name a lot over the next two months.

Best Fits: Indiana Pacers, Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors

Dorian Finney-Smith/ Forward, Brooklyn Nets

Dorian Finney-Smith is one of the best two-way role players in the NBA. Finney-Smith doesn’t do anything that wows you offensively, but the guy has the innate ability to just fit in anywhere he goes. Great defense, great shooting splits, and a whole lot of hustle and heart. Dorian is the quintessential complimentary piece on a great team. He epitomizes the term 3 & D and his hard-nosed veteran presence is just the cherry on top. Any team in the NBA would want him on their team, and the Nets should have a lot of calls coming in about him. 

Best Fits: Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors

Tyus Jones/ Point Guard, Washington Wizards

Tyus Jones was known as one of the league's most dependable backup point guards, and has now made a seamless transition into a starting role. Tyus Jones can be best identified as an uber-efficient traditional playmaking guard. Jones makes his teammates better and can provide steady primary ball-handler minutes to lead any unit in basketball. The most impressive thing about Jones is his rising to the occasion in any role that he is given. Many people may have picked up on this in past seasons when the Grizzlies were still winning games with Tyus at the helm rather than Ja Morant due to unavailability. Now on the Wizards, Jones has played good basketball as a starter, but would probably be at his best back in a 6th-7th man role on a good team to show his true value.

Best Fits: Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks

Kelly Olynyk/ Center, Utah Jazz

There are just FIVE players in the NBA averaging a triple double per 100 possessions, Kelly Olynyk is one of them, and the other four made All-NBA teams last season. Full disclosure: I am not trying to make an All-NBA case for Kelly Olynyk, but merely trying to tell you how great he is playing this season. Olynyk has always been a high IQ rotational big every spot he has ended up in, but this season he is taking it to another level. In one of the lower minute-per-game tallies of his career, Kelly is as productive as ever, and forcing Coach Will Hardy to play him more even with Walker Kessler in house. Olynyk has acted as an offensive hub for Utah whenever he is on the court, averaging just under 5 assists a game. This number is fourth among centers. Kelly also shoots just under 40% from three, which also puts him in elite company for his position. Olynyk has filled up the stat sheet and has been a great two-way player all season long. He will prove to be a valuable asset in any role he is given, and will receive a lot of attention come deadline time. 

Best Fits: OKC Thunder, New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns

Alex Caruso/ Guard, Chicago Bulls

Alex Caruso is an absolute hound on defense. The guy is a First-Team All-Defense player, and deservedly so. At this point, we have come to expect that level of play from Alex Caruso on that end, but this season, he has upped his game elsewhere. Caruso is averaging career highs in points per game, field goal percentage, and three point percentage this season. His jumper has always been streaky, but now Caruso is shooting nearly 43% from three on the season on the highest volume of his career. This puts him among the league's best shooters. Not to mention, the guy is once again, in All-Defense discussions. Caruso’s value has been gradually increasing over his tenure in Chicago, and the Bulls will capitalize by trading him this deadline. 

Best Fits: Sacramento Kings, Phoenix Suns, Philadelphia 76ers, New Orleans Pelicans

Kyle Kuzma/ Forward, Washington Wizards

Kyle Kuzma’s statistical flourish in a Wizards jersey has taken another step forward this season. Kuzma is currently sporting career-highs in points per game, assists, and nearly every single efficiency metric there is. The more that I watch of him, the more I am convinced he can seriously contribute on a contending team again.  There are some turnover problems, but I see those shrinking in a lesser role, without marquee-man responsibilities and without being given complete carte blanche. Kuzma’s game has matured a ton over the years, and he has developed into an extremely complete three-level scorer and smarter offensive player since the last time most people saw him play (no one watches the Wizards). Kuzma’s game is ready for its next leap: producing at a high level on a good team. 

Best Fits: Sacramento Kings, Dallas Mavericks

Terry Rozier/ Guard, Charlotte Hornets

Terry Rozier is averaging just under 24 points per game. Many people attribute his success to shot chucking on a hideously bad team, and that may be partially true, but Terry is doing it pretty efficiently and at the highest volume of his career. Rozier’s main appeal is obviously his scoring. Terry is also head and shoulders above his usual assist output this season, averaging over 7 per game. Another detail that makes Rozier’s case different from other players with “empty numbers” is that he has already contributed at a high level on a winning team before with the Celtics. Terry is generating offense at an All-Star level pace, and it is being overlooked because of how bad Charlotte is. Terry’s offensive capabilities will make him one of the hottest names on the market. 

Best Fits: New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers

Lauri Markkanen/ Forward, Utah Jazz

Lauri Markkanen’s late blooming breakout has hard-launched his stardom to the NBA world. Lauri Markkanen was the NBA’s most improved player last season, and he has continued to build on the epic All-NBA-level campaign that he put together last season. Markkanen has averaged 25 points per game since joining the Jazz, and has done so while hovering around 50-40-90 shooting splits. Markkanen also became the first NBA player to ever net 200+ three pointers and dunk the ball 100+ times in one season in his first year with the Jazz. He has been nothing short of brilliant in Utah, and has garnered some serious attention on the trade market amidst Utah’s lackluster start to the season. Rumors have come out of the Jazz’s camp stating that they would only accept a deal on par with the packages that they received for Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, which were absolute hauls. However, I don’t see teams having a problem paying this price given the absolute roll he has been on for the past two seasons. 

Best Fits: OKC Thunder, Miami Heat, Atlanta Hawks, Sacramento Kings

Zach LaVine/ Wing, Chicago Bulls

One of the most potent scorers that the NBA has is now being shopped around to whoever wants him. Zach LaVine has been held out of games since November 28th due to right foot inflammation. Some have speculated that the Bulls are simply just trying to keep him healthy in order to trade him before the deadline. Others might just see this as another addition to his rather lengthy line of injuries over the course of his career. Regardless of that, for whatever reason, the narrative has shifted around LaVine over the last few seasons. Most might look at the $178 million guaranteed to him over the next four years and be skeptical. While I definitely think that is fair, I think we should judge just how good Zach is rather than how high the figure owed to him is. LaVine has averaged no less than around 25 a game every single year that he has been healthy in Chicago. He has also shot close to 50% from the field and 40% from three in that time. The man is a pure scorer and you should think of him as such, not as an empty numbers guy on middling teams. I, too, think the contract is a little pricey, but his value is low right now, and when he is healthy his production makes you feel a whole lot better about all the money you're paying him. 

Best Fits: Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers

Malcolm Brogdon/ Guard, Trail Blazers

The reigning Sixth Man of The Year has taken on the role of the savvy veteran in a young, inexperienced locker room. Malcolm Brogdon is one of the league’s premier plug-and-play guys. His point guard skills and playmaking chops paired with his size have allowed him to effectively play both guard positions his whole career, a combo-guard if you will. This positional fluidity has allowed him to seamlessly fit into every team he has been a part of, and this trend will continue at whatever his next stop may be. Brogdon is a capable scorer and shooter, plus he is as efficient as you can get, even hitting the 50-40-90 mark once in his career. Brogdon has over 40 playoff appearances in his career, and a lot of experience playing on good teams. He might not be the flashiest name on this list, but he is still a guy that can shake up the landscape of the league if traded to the right spot . 

Best Fits: Miami Heat, New Orleans Pelicans, New York Knicks

Jerami Grant/ Forward, Trail Blazers

Jerami Grant might be the league’s most neglected 20+ point per game scorer. Jerami Grant’s career really started to take off in his late twenties. Now aged 29, he seems to still be getting better and better by the year. Grant has always been a good defender, and very imposing on that end with his size and switchability. His size and fluidity would also always make life easier on the other end of the court. He always had the makings of a good role player or solid starter in the league, but in his last two stops he has been so much more. Grant has essentially improved his shooting every single year of his career, all leading up to his apex as a player, which is now. He shoots 42% from three and almost 50% from the field. He has managed to nearly double his three point percentage from his first few years in the NBA. With Grant’s combination of switchability on defense and shotmaking on offense, he has complimentary piece on a good team written all over him. 

Best Fits: Sacramento Kings, Dallas Mavericks

Omissions AND their best fits:

• DeMar DeRozan (I don’t see him getting moved this deadline)

• Royce O’Neal (Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat)

• Monte Morris (Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers)

• T.J. McConnell (Phoenix Suns, Minnesota Timberwolves)

• Bojan Bogdanovic (Orlando Magic, New Orleans Pelicans)

• Isaiah Stewart (OKC Thunder)