Someone mentioned this in the comments of another post and I thought it was an interesting idea to think about.
Last summer, the Bucks swapped NBA Champion Sam Merrill and some 2nd round picks for Allen, a young-ish player nearing the end of his rookie contract. The Grizzlies had a lot of backcourt players and not enough minutes for all of them, and as a result the Bucks were able to get a useful rotation player without mortgaging the future. Is it possible to make a similar move this summer?
Here is the criteria I'm thinking of:
- Outright tanking teams with too many developmental players and not enough minutes
- Rebuilding or retooling teams who are not ready to commit to role players/players that they don't see as foundational pieces
- Fringe playoff teams who are trying to make room in the rotation for players with more perceived upside (Memphis was in this category last summer, I think)
I'm avoiding regular rotation players on competitive teams unless there is a clear replacement on the roster, because I don't think a good team will surrender a rotation player without giving up a significant asset -- I'm thinking of players who could be acquired with 2nd round picks and matching salary (Hill, Vildoza, etc.). I'm also avoiding players who have gotten contract extensions/second contracts because that signals that their team went out of their way to keep them around and may not be in a hurry to get rid of them.
Here are some names I thought of:
- Chuma Okeke (Magic): Elite defender in college but it seems like injuries have prevented him from getting a foothold. No idea what Orlando's plans for him are, but they will almost definitely be adding to their already-crowded frontcourt in the draft and their may not be a role for Okeke. He has a very bizarre shooting motion that at times looks like a one-handed push shot but he's a good enough defender that maybe you take a chance on him becoming respectable from the corners. Obviously there's also a relationship between the two front offices already as well.
- Isaiah Roby (Thunder): Good defender on the wing, some good shooting numbers last year at a low volume. No idea what OKC is doing in general but I think Shai, Dort, and Giddey are the only foundational pieces there so maybe Roby is gettable.
- Oshae Brissett (Pacers): Another good defender on the wing with good shooting numbers at a low volume. Not sure what direction the Pacers are going in but I've heard them linked to Benedict Mathurin in the draft, and they may want to make some more room for him and Duarte. Then again, they may feel like they are close enough to the playoff picture that they don't want to lose talent. They've traded with the Bucks before so maybe that helps to get a deal done.
- Isaiah Joe (76ers): Good shooter who has never really gotten a consistent role on a team with a crowded backcourt rotation. Would be redundant with Allen on the team but in the event that Allen is moved, I wonder if this guy could be an option.
- John Konchar (Grizzlies): Mostly listing him because I think it would be very funny to keep getting the excess good players from Memphis. Konchar would probably be a rotation player on any playoff team this year but he was basically the 12th man on the Grizzlies bench. Not sure how highly they value him but he is a solid all-around player, good shooting numbers, great defensive rebounding numbers for a guard, and so on. Again, probably doesn't fill a need on the Bucks unless they also move Allen but he might actually be better than Allen so it could be a worthwhile upgrade.
Those are the names that came to mind for me. Who else is out there? Are there any other interesting "young veterans" out there who haven't quite gotten a foothold on the team who drafted them and may benefit from playing next to Giannis in a contract year?
