Last year’s trade deadline was quite the adventure. Whether it was the James Harden-Ben Simmons swap or Sacramento shocking the NBA world by trading Tyrese Haliburton for Domantas Sabonis. Safe to say that chaos may ensue when February comes around. But in 2023, who could be on the trade market?
John Collins – Atlanta Hawks
Ever since the Hawks committed to competing, Collins’ role has diminished over time. This season, Collins’ numbers have dipped to either career lows or the lowest since his rookie campaign in 2018. His shot attempts, 2-point attempts, and free throw attempts are the lowest since his rookie season. Meanwhile, his 23.7% three-point percentage is the worst in his career, by a considerable margin. And with Clint Capela playing at center exclusively, Collins’ shots at the rim have been trending down for the last three years. This year, he is at 29.4% of his shots coming at the rim, the lowest of his career.
Collins has always been considered a tweener. While he has tons of athleticism and verticality, he is only 6’9 with a 6’11 wingspan. As a result, Collins at center is not a natural fit defensively, even though his 109.6 defensive rating suggests that he has improved on that end. Offensively, he has shown to be capable as a three-point shooter, as he has shot 36% on nearly three attempts per game in his career. However, his best trait is his athleticism. Ideally, he would be screen-setting and diving to the rim as much as possible. However, he has not had as much of an opportunity in Atlanta while playing on the perimeter.
Potential Fits: Phoenix, Miami, Utah
Kyle Kuzma – Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are in a weird, yet familiar position. They are 17-22 going into Friday, 11th in the Eastern Conference, and 0.5 games out of the play-in tournament. And with Bradley Beal dealing with injuries, Kyle Kuzma has become the leading shot-taker for the Wizards.
Despite taking nearly 18 shots per game, Kuzma is tying his career-high in true shooting percentage at 54.9%. He has been doing a lot of damage from within 3-10 feet. 27% of his shots are within that distance and he is shooting 50.5%, a career-best. He has also been doing more off the dribble in his two years in Washington. This year, 45% of his 2’s and 86% of his 3’s are assisted, both lower than his days with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Contractually, Kuzma has a $13 million player option for next season that he likely declines given his production. So, the hypothetical team that trades for him may have to spend a decent amount of money to hold on to him. However, the current tide is that the Wizards may want to hold on to Kyle Kuzma.
Potential Fits: Phoenix, Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas
Matisse Thybulle – Philadelphia 76ers
We know who Matisse Thybulle is as a player. He is excellent on defense and offensively, but he is essentially a non-factor because of his struggles as a shooter. On top of that, the Sixers tried trading Thybulle last offseason for Houston’s Eric Gordon.
The big issue for Thybulle is that he has not been seeing as many minutes. This season, Thybulle is only averaging 11.7 minutes per game, easily the lowest of his career. With the additions of De’Anthony Melton and Danuel House, Thybulle’s minutes have been cut down from the 25.5 he averaged in 2022.
Thybulle is on an expiring $4.3 million deal, so the Sixers will likely have to package his deal with other smaller contracts. In the Gordon scenario, the Sixers attempted to add Portland as a third team before trade negotiations ended. Along with Georges Niang and Furkan Korkmaz’s contracts, that creates around $12 million for a potential trade. With Thybulle being 25, he may still be young enough for a team to take a flyer on.
Potential Fits: Houston, Charlotte, Washington
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