All the attention is on the big names, but there are some lesser-known players who could be nice acquisitions for a savvy general manager at the NBA trade deadline. We take a look at a few and reveal who might be interested.
This trade deadline cycle, everyone is sure to fixate on De’Aaron Fox and Jimmy Butler.
And while whatever transpires in those two respective sagas could very well alter the competitive landscape of the league, as we saw last season, acquiring sound role players can have a similar effect for the right time (see what the Dallas Mavericks did last season).
So, in honor of the players that are being forgotten by mainstream media, here are five non-star players to monitor ahead of this NBA trade deadline.
Lonzo Ball, Chicago Bulls
Do you know who the top four players in on/off net rating currently are (minimum 600 possessions played)?
Nikola Jokic (three-time MVP), Kawhi Leonard (two-time Finals MVP), some guy named Lonzo Ball, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (the player many people foresee being this year’s MVP).
That’s right, Ball – the guy who missed nearly three years and had three knee surgeries in that time – is in that kind of rarified air.
Part of the reason for this is that the Bulls are sorely lacking in competent two-way players. So, when they have one like Ball on the floor, it makes all the difference.
Ball’s blend of size, IQ, passing, shooting, and defense (1.3 D-DRIP, 91st percentile) make him the perfect role player to pair next to the stars you find on high-level teams.
Teams that should be interested: Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks and Minnesota Timberwolves
Collin Sexton, Utah Jazz
As a team that owns the second-worst record (10-35) and fourth-worst TRACR rating (minus-7.4), the Jazz don’t have too much to write home about. However, hidden in the fog of the mist at that is the 2024-25 Jazz season is Sexton, who continues to be a wonderful bonus to the Donovan Mitchell trade from 2022.
On the season, Sexton is averaging 23.3 points per 75 possessions (90th percentile) on 60.2% true shooting (74th percentile). Maintaining that type of efficiency on that high of scoring volume in a team context that’s as poor as the one that exists on the rebuilding Jazz is insanely impressive.
Now, just imagine what Sexton could do on a team that was built to win games in the present rather than the future. On the right team, Sexton could be a combo guard off the bench who bolsters teams with his three-level scoring (1.0 O-DRIP, 88th percentile) and frenetic defensive intensity.
Teams that should be interested: Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Lakers, Oklahoma City Thunder and Orlando Magic
Duop Reath, Portland Trail Blazers
A lot of eyes will be trained on the Blazers over the next week as buyers will try to see if they can pry Jerami Grant, Anfernee Simons, Robert Williams III, or Deni Avdija from them.
However, there is a player much cheaper than all of those guys who could probably be had for just one or two second round picks. Reath has been plagued with the curse of being buried behind three centers (Deandre Ayton, Donovan Clingan, and Williams) on the depth chart. As a result, when he does play, Reath only averages 5.7 minutes per game.
Because of this small sample size, we should throw out his numbers from this year and focus on his 2023-24 season. Last year, Reath averaged 35.9% from 3-point range on 7.5 3s per 75 possessions (81st percentile – remember, when it comes to spacing, shooting volume matters more than shooting efficiency), while also rejecting shots at a block rate that placed in the 78th percentile.
Finding that type of spacing and rim protection at the center spot is rare. And while Reath isn’t the perfect player (he wouldn’t be straddled on the bench if that was the case), he does make for a good/cheap (he’s on a minimum contract) backup big on a team looking for someone to fill 10-15 minutes a night.
Teams that should be interested: Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks and Sacramento Kings.
Corey Kispert, Washington Wizards
There are very few indisputable truisms in basketball, but if I had to make one definitive statement about the sport, it would be that you can never have enough shooting. I mean, how many times has a team lost a playoff series because its opponent could help off role players and load up on stars? It’s a tale as old as time.
That’s why teams need to make a house call to the Wizards about Kispert. This season has been a bit of a down year for the fourth-year wing (35.5% from 3), but he’s got a track record of being a marksmen extraordinaire (career 38.3% shooter). Besides, he’s been shooting it much better of late, hitting 39.8% of his 3s in the last two months (22 games).
Defenses can’t just try to run Kispert off the 3-point line with fly-by closeouts, either. Teams that try that tactic will be punished by Kispert’s swift, yet effective, drive game. He ranks in the 78th percentile in true shooting on drives (per NBA.com).
Kispert is in the last year of his rookie extension ($5.7 million cap hit). After that, his very reasonable four-year, $54 million deal kicks in. So, he’s got an easy salary to match. Then, he’s locked up for another handful of years at a fair rate. Any team in the market for shooting/spacing should consider investing in some Kispert stock.
Teams that should be interested: Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, Orlando Magic and Minnesota Timberwolves
Jae’Sean Tate, Houston Rockets
This one is kind of bizarre because at 32-14 with the fifth-best TRACR in the NBA, the Rockets are going to be buyers if they participate in the deadline festivities. However, if they do decide to throw their hat in the ring, chances are they will need a matching salary to make it happen.
Tate seems like the prime candidate to fill this role, especially when you consider that the team’s incredible depth has relegated him to the outskirts of the rotation (he’s only appeared in 27 of 47 games).
Part of the reason is he still can’t shoot (31.6% from 3), but Tate is a monster defender (0.9 D-DRIP, 85th percentile) who can be physical and get into the paint. When Tate was getting more opportunities last season, he was in the 84th percentile in true shooting on drives.
Of the five players we’ve identified, a Tate trade seems the least likely. But if it does happen, a team should use the opportunity to swoop in and pick him up.
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