One Blockbuster Eastern Conference Trade You’d Like To See Before The Trade Deadline…
Saenz: PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, GET GORAN DRAGIC OFF THE MIAMI HEAT.
Morton: The Knicks giving up on trying to get Kevin Love for Melo and just sending him to Cleveland to get rid of him.
Polazzon: Jahlil Okafor to any team. The Philadelphia 76ers have fully embraced their motto in trusting the process and it is now clear that Joel “The Process” Embiid is the future star at the center spot in the City of Brotherly Love. With Ben Simmons soon to join an already crowded frontcourt featuring Embiid, Nerlens Noel and Dario Saric, Jahlil Okafor needs to be moved before his value decreases to the point where Philly doesn’t get a decent return for their former top 3 draft pick.
Despite his severe defensive flaws, Okafor is an extremely capable offensive center for any team in need of scoring and I’d like to see him moved before this trade deadline for a team that could potentially need a offensive center for a run at the playoffs (e.g. the New Orleans Pelicans, Charlotte Hornets)
McFee: Jimmy Butler to Portland. I already wrote this about in my most recent piece (Trade SZN Part 2), but the thought of pairing Lillard and Butler or (what I think would even better) McCollum and Butler should make even the casual NBA fan drool with excitement. Either of those backcourts would give Golden State and the Spurs nightmares for years. I think it would restore a competitive balance in the West in one move, and Portland would only have to give up one of their defensively-challenged guards and some draft picks to do so.
Gonzalez: I would genuinely like to see Okafor go. The whole situation just seems bad for both parties right now, and it would just be best for him to leave. I am not sure if this is what you consider a blockbuster, but he definitely isn’t a small ticket player.