The unofficial start of the NBA trade season is upon us. December 15th has been circled on the calendar for every front office around the league because that is the date a large portion of players signed in free agency is eligible to be traded. Teams are preparing to make deals, as we have already seen some rumors floating around about players who may be available.
One of the players who are going to garner a lot of interest is Jakob Poeltl of the San Antonio Spurs. Poeltl is currently dealing with a right knee bone bruise that has already kept him sidelined for a week. He has yet to be cleared for contact, but his market shouldn’t be impacted too much.
San Antonio has a very high asking price on Poeltl, which isn’t too surprising. Still only 27 years old, Poeltl is one of the best defensive centers in the NBA given the rim protection and elite rebounding he provides. Offensively, the Utah product is efficient and you can run some offense through him given his developing playmaking skills.
If he were going to be traded, the Golden State Warriors make a lot of sense given their needs in the frontcourt. Ultimately, however, Poeltl will stay put. While no extension agreed upon before the season painted a picture of the sides not being on the same page, it could actually be the opposite.
Poeltl was limited to only a four-year, $58 million extension. A handshake deal could have been made since the Spurs have more than enough cap space to retain him in the summer. San Antonio also feels Poeltl is a great fit alongside Victor Wembanyama should they get lucky enough to win the NBA Draft Lottery.
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The other center that is a popular trade candidate is Myles Turner of the Indiana Pacers. Turner has been on the trade block for years as the Pacers contemplated breaking up their jumbo frontcourt. Had a foot injury not put his status in question during the 2021-22 season, Turner could have very well been on the move instead of Domantas Sabonis ahead of the 2022 NBA trade deadline.
The Texas big man is having a career season, averaging 16.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 2.2 blocks in 29.6 minutes per game. He benefits greatly from the addition of Tyrese Haliburton at the point guard spot, as he is shooting 55.5 percent from the field and 43.0 percent from 3-point range.
His value has only gone up during the season, as the Pacers can ask for even more in a trade package and he will land a nice contract in free agency. Indiana is 14-15 on the season, so they could go in either direction when it comes to parting ways with Turner or not.
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A strong argument could be made for either side, but with the limited center market, the Pacers could cash in with arguably the best asset. Having Jalen Smith and Isaiah Jackson on the roster already, there is depth to handle moving Turner, who will end up with the Toronto Raptors.
This deal with the Raptors will also include another player who has been involved in some trade rumors in OG Anunoby. Toronto is reportedly open to trading Anunoby or Gary Trent Jr., knowing that big raises could be on the horizon for both players and Fred VanVleet. Looking to address their need for a big man and help manage their money, they will swap Anunoby for Turner.
Those two players can be swapped one-for-one and the money works, but other pieces, such as draft compensation, could be included. Anunoby has the profile of the kind of two-way wing that teams want to build around, providing Indiana with a long-term option at the forward spot. He reportedly wasn’t happy about his role with the Raptors during the offseason but with the Pacers, he could be the No. 1 option.
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It wouldn’t be a trade article without mentioning the New York Knicks, who have made major adjustments to their rotation this season. Evan Fournier, Derrick Rose and Cam Reddish are currently on the outside looking in, as they are not currently in the mix for minutes as Tom Thibodeau has cut the rotation down to nine players and inserted young defensive dynamo Deuce McBride into the mix.
On more than one occasion there have been rumors of Reddish being available as he seeks a situation that will provide him with more consistent playing time. He could be used as a sweetener to move Fournier’s contract, and in that scenario, the Los Angeles Lakers make sense as a landing spot.
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Los Angeles needs as much shooting and defense as they can get and the Knicks duo provides both in spades. Fournier set a Knicks’ franchise record for 3-pointers made in a season during his first year with the team, while Reddish has shown he can be the top perimeter defender in a rotation. He is oozing with potential and being on a veteran-laden roster led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis could be exactly what he needs to realize that potential.
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