Yahoo Sports Trade candidates who could benefit in a new situation
We are a month away from this year’s trade deadline and candidates to be moved are starting to emerge. There are several players who are having down years compared to previous seasons and could potentially benefit from a change of scenery. Some of these players are miscast in new situations while others have seen their roles reduced by big changes to their team’s roster. While some of these players haven’t been explicitly reported to be trade candidates, their respective teams are probably willing to listen to offers for them.
Here are some players who could benefit from being traded to a new team…
John Collins
(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
2022/23 stats: 13.2 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 1.3 bpg, 50.2 FG%, 23.7 3P%
2022/23 earnings: $23,500,000
John Collins remains one of the NBA’s biggest names who has been reported to be available for trade. He is having a down year but has also seen his usage drop significantly. He’s been available for trade since last offseason and has been linked to several teams like the Wizards and Jazz. He is owed an additional $78.5 million beyond this season, which seems like a lot with his current production but makes him an interesting buy-low candidate if he can get back to his previous form.
Caris LeVert
David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
2022/23 stats: 12.4 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.7 apg, 40.1 FG%, 35.7 3P%
2022/23 earnings: $18,796,296
Caris LeVert has seen his role with the Cavaliers slowly get reduced since the start of the season. Cleveland originally traded for him to help make a push for the playoffs last season but the arrival of Donovan Mitchell changed his outlook with the team. Right now he is needed with Cavs’ many injuries but the returns of Ricky Rubio and Dean Wade could make him superfluous. He has an $18.8 million expiring contract which shouldn’t be difficult for interested teams in need of scoring and secondary playmaking to acquire.
Eric Gordon
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
2022/23 stats: 11.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 1.9 3pg, 41.7 FG%, 36.0 3P%
2022/23 earnings: $19,568,360
Eric Gordon remains on the trade market for a third consecutive season as the Rockets remain adamant about acquiring an elusive first-round pick for him. That may be even less of a possibility than before as the 15-year veteran is slowly starting to show more signs of decline. He could be reinvigorated by a trade to a contending playoff team. He has a $19.6 million cap hit for this season and his $20.9 million salary for next season is completely non-guaranteed, effectively making him an expiring contract this year.
Patrick Beverley
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
2022/23 stats: 6.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.6 apg, 38.8 FG%, 32.7 3P%
2022/23 earnings: $13,000,000
Patrick Beverley has struggled with the Lakers seeing decreases in his efficiency and general counting stats. Los Angeles acquired him in hopes of making a playoff push but that possibility seems to be fading each day. His name has already been mentioned in trade rumors where the Lakers get an upgrade but it’s possible they end up selling him for assets. If their season continues to spiral, it would make sense for them to trade him to a competitive team for draft compensation.
Mo Bamba
Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports
2022/23 stats: 7.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 1.0 bpg, 50.3 FG%, 38.2 3P%
2022/23 earnings: $10,300,000
Mo Bamba was a player teams were hoping they could get last offseason after the Magic declined to tender him a qualifying offer. He surprisingly re-signed with them for two years, $20.6 million with a non-guaranteed $10.3 million salary for 2023-24. Orlando did this after coming to the conclusion that bringing him back as well as Gary Harris and Bol Bol was a better option than anyone they could’ve pursued with cap space. Bamba continues to play well but it’s possible he could thrive elsewhere. The Magic will likely listen to offers for him considering how deep their big man rotation is.
Josh Richardson
Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports
2022/23 stats: 10.6 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 3.0 apg, 42.3 FG%, 35.4 3P%
2022/23 earnings: $12,196,094
The Spurs acquired Josh Richardson last season primarily as salary filler with a draft pick from the Celtics. He’d been a good role player and solid veteran presence for the Spurs but isn’t a priority in their youth movement. The seven-year wing has been a bit of a journeyman the past few years and is still looking for a more permanent home. He has a $12.2 million expiring salary which shouldn’t be hard to move. He’s too good to become a buyout candidate so any interested team will have to make a real offer for him.
Devonte Graham
Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
2022/23 stats: 5.1 ppg, 2.1 apg, 1.2 3pg, 35.2 FG%, 33.8 3P%
2022/23 earnings: $11,550,000
The Pelicans acquired Devonte Graham to be part of their guard rotation but he has been overshadowed by the acquisition of CJ McCollum and the emergence of Jose Alvarado. He is still getting 15 minutes per night but he could be better served by a team that needs a scoring guard off the bench. He may be the least moveable player on this list due to the $12.1 million he’s owed next year and his $2.85 million partial guarantee for 2024-25. New Orleans could look to offload him soon to alleviate their upcoming luxury tax bill for next season.
You can follow Yossi Gozlan (@YossiGozlan) on Twitter.
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