Which NBA Stars Could Be on the Move This Offseason?
By: Spencer Young
Tags: Sports, NBA Offseason, Bradley Beal, Chris Paul, NBA

Chris Paul, G, Oklahoma City Thunder

17.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 6.8 assists; 48.9 FG%, 36.2 FG3%, 90.0 FT%

Before this season, the narratives surrounding Chris Paul reached an all-time low. Supposedly, he had the worst contract in the league, he was an injury-prone playoff disappointment, and no contender would possibly consider trading for him unless he renounced the final $44,211,146 on his deal.

But by the postponement of the 2020 season, Paul had a “renaissance” as the league’s best player in “clutch” situations all-season long (defined as the final 5 minutes of games within 5 points), while carrying a Thunder team to heights that not even the most optimistic of Thunder fans could have expected.

He took the spare parts of the disappointing era of Russell Westbrook and Paul George, and, along with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Danilo Gallinari from the L.A. Clippers, rejuvenated the Thunder.

Despite playing the second-least amount of minutes in his career, Paul outperformed his play from his last season in Houston, while raising his field-goal percentage by 8% and his three-point percentage by 0.4%. With the freedom to get back to his controlled, measured style of play, Paul shot 86.0% at the basket, 50.5% from 3–10 feet, 52.6% from 10–16 feet, and 52.0% from 16 feet to the 3PT-line, proving why he is the best efficient mid-range shooter of this generation.

Reportedly, the Knicks are interested in Paul for reasons which aren’t immediately clear. Perhaps they plan to use Paul as a magnet for other stars to join their team, but there is no indication that Paul would prefer to go to New York instead of staying in Oklahoma City. Ultimately, this deal comes down to whether or not Sam Presti values the remainder of Paul’s salary more than the untapped potential of Frank Ntilikina, Dennis Smith Jr., and/or Kevin Knox (unless NY somehow includes R.J. Barrett in a trade).

Miami was a reported destination for Paul when he was being shopped by Houston, and the fit remains clear. The fears of Paul and Jimmy Butler butting heads seem silly now that Butler has led the Heat to an upstart, surprising season. However, gaining Paul would mean Miami would lose many of the young players that they worked hard to develop, but more importantly, unless Paul opted-out of his current deal, Miami would lose their chance at Giannis Antetokounmpo. Because Giannis will likely sign an extension with the Bucks, however, acquiring Paul could be in the works for Miami this summer.

Dallas could try and take advantage of the rest of Paul’s productivity by flipping him for Tim Hardaway Jr., Jalen Brunson, Maxi Kleber, and draft assets. This trade only works if OKC wants to remain competitive in the short term with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Dennis Schroder — which seems likely given Sam Presti’s track record. For Dallas, Paul could be everything they need: another ball-handler to lessen the load off of Doncic, a shot-creator who is proven in the playoffs, and a playmaker to set up Kristaps Porzingis.

The only concerns with Paul are his injury history and his now recent history of not functioning well as an off-ball player, which may detract Dallas from trying to pull off a trade for him. For the right price, however, Paul could be the piece that swings the 2021 championship.

Potential Suitors:

New York Knicks (reported interest) for a combination of Frank Ntilikina, Dennis Smith Jr., and/or Kevin Knox, a salary filler (Julius Randle, Bobby Portis, and/or Taj Gibson), and draft picks

Miami Heat for Tyler Herro, Kendrick Nunn, Andre Iguodala, and Derrick Jones Jr. (sign-and-trade)

Dallas Mavericks for Tim Hardaway Jr. (if he opts-into his contract), Maxi Kleber, Jalen Brunson, and Draft Picks

Buddy Hield, G, Sacramento Kings

19.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists; 42.9 FG%, 39.5 FG3%, 85.5 FT%

Dating back to the training camp of this season, Buddy Hield’s relationship with coach Luke Walton, GM Vlade Divac, and owner Vivek Ranadive has been anything but amicable.

Even after signing a four-year, $86 million extension with up to $20 million in incentives, Hield was tense with the Kings — never clicking with Walton’s coaching and openly combatting with Divac while negotiating his contract extension.

So when Walton benched Hield in favor of Bogdan Bogdanović in January, the last straw might have been pulled in Hield’s tenure in Sacramento. Despite posting comparable stats on incredible efficiency (46.5/47.6/97.0 splits as a reserve) and the Kings playing better as a team since the lineup change, there has been no shortage of rumors of Hield’s displeasure.

Now, the Kings are in the position to renegotiate a contract with Bogdanović this offseason, and with the Kings’ struggles to win when Hield, Bogdanović, and De’Aaron Fox share the court, Hield may be the odd one out in Sacramento.

An intriguing destination for Hield is Atlanta, who need to surround Trae Young with offensive weapons and shooters. The off-ball scoring of Hield would fit right in with the Hawks’ system, and when Young is off the court, Hield could help carry the load offensively. There isn’t too much to lose here for Atlanta; if they feel they can compete for a playoff spot, then losing Kevin Huerter and DeAndre Hunter is not a major loss in exchange for Hield — particularly because the Hawks will have a strong draft selection for at least this season.

In Philadelphia, Hield could fix all of the Sixers’ woes on offense if he were traded there. Playing off of Ben Simmons would be very similar to playing off of De’Aaron Fox, and Joel Embiid’s screening ability and gravity would open up the floor more than ever for Hield and Tobias Harris. Philly would have to give up a lot of assets — but that is the price they pay for mismanaging their roster construction.

Denver is a suitor only if they become desperate after the 2020 Playoffs. While there is no doubt that Hield would thrive in the system of cutting and ball movement around Nikola Jokic, the loss of Will Barton and/or Gary Harris would hurt Denver’s perimeter defense. If Michael Malone started a lineup of Jamal Murray, Hield, Michael Porter Jr., Jerami Grant, and Jokic, he’d only have one above average, athletic defender in Grant — which is a recipe for disaster in the Western Conference.

Overall, Hield is an intriguing trade piece as one of the league’s premier shooters. His work ethic is almost folklore in Sacramento, and he has been a key part of successful stretches in Sacramento. The only concerns surrounding him are his average defense and his sour mood throughout the preseason this year — which created a media firestorm for the Kings.

Potential Suitors: