Listen up: A bold move for every NBA team

Brooklyn: Hire Thibs

Injuries to Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant have made this season incomplete for the Nets, who canned Kenny Atkinson as coach in March. But the roster is still loaded. What they need is a premium head coach — someone who has a history of winning and who’s famous enough that he can stand up to the stars. As tempting as it is to bring in Mark Jackson and get him off national telecasts, the clear choice is Tom Thibodeau, a defensive genius who consistently overachieved with his Bulls teams. Just don’t let him make trades.

Charlotte: Rent that cap space 

After a surprisingly good season with a talent-poor roster, the Hornets will go into the offseason with a lot of cap space and a ton of needs outside of the power forward spot. Signing an expensive free agent to compete for the eight seed hardly makes sense. Instead, they should effectively rent their cap space by taking on more competitive teams’ high-priced players in exchange for picks. Specifically, see if the Nuggets would attach a first-round pick to get off the remaining $39 million owed to Gary Harris, and see if getting out of the playoff spotlight convinces his jumper to come back.  

Chicago: Trade LaVine 

The Bulls are clearing out their front office, and while getting rid of the NBA’s worst coach, Jim Boylen, is a likely next step, it’s not exactly a bold move. What is? Trading Zach LaVine, an undoubtedly talented shooting guard who’s still only 25. With two years left on his deal, he’s never going to have more trade value. The team and fans will miss his scoring and dunking, but they won’t miss his defense, which is deadly alongside fellow defensive sieve Lauri Markkanen.

Cleveland: End the Lovefest

The Cavaliers should have one primary goal this summer: Trade Kevin Love before he gets hurt again. His extension was a bad idea from the start, signed in a panic when LeBron left a second time, and Cleveland needs to escape from it however it can. He’s still a useful player — just not for a team that’s years away from contention, like the Cavs. Plus, at this point his best position is center, and the team already has Andre Drummond and Larry Nance making big money there. Trade him anywhere, for anything they can get back, because they’re losing 55 games next season with or without him. 

Dallas: Get a Raptor big

The Mavericks have the NBA’s most efficient offense in the second year of the Luka Doncic era -- he is one of the best players in the league at age 21. They could get space for a max contract in the 2020-21 offseason, but recent history shows they tend to strike out in their pursuit of superstars (see: Deron Williams, Dwight Howard, Kemba Walker, etc.). Instead of relying on owner Mark Cuban to recruit stars on his breaks from "Shark Tank," try for a sweet-shooting defensive big man like impending free agents Serge Ibaka or Marc Gasol of the Raptors. They might even take a shorter deal to play with Luka.  

Denver: Trade Porter Jr.

The Nuggets have one of the league’s best players in center Nikola Jokic, and around him, a good team that falls short of championship-contender level. They won’t be players in the free-agent market until 2022, so if they want to get Jokic a star teammate like Jrue Holiday or Bradley Beal, it has to be via trade. Whom should they deal? Exciting, talented and horribly injury-prone rookie Michael Porter Jr. His value might never be higher, and he’s the one piece on their roster who could be packaged with future picks to bring in an All-Star-level player.

Detroit: Roll the dice on Wiseman

It all depends on where the lottery shakes out, but more than anything, the Pistons need a star-level talent. There are not a lot of potential superstars in this draft, but the one most likely to fall to Detroit is 7-foot-1 big man James Wiseman, who played briefly for the University of Mempis. He’s inconsistent and raw, but the Pistons need to gamble on a young player. If he’s bad? At least they’ll accelerate the tank job and stop finishing eighth or ninth in the East every year!

Golden State: Trade for Smart

Steph Curry is 32, and the future is now for the Warriors. So instead of drafting a 19-year-old with potential, they should use this year's top pick (or one of their 2021 first-rounders), along with their $17.2 million trade exception, to get a veteran who could help right away. The dream candidate? Boston's Marcus Smart, who would immediately become their primary wing defender and who would feast on the open perimeter looks that come from playing with the Splash Brothers. Why would Boston make the move? To get under the luxury tax and to get Danny Ainge’s favorite thing in the world: future picks.

Houston: Sell team to Harden, Westbrook

Tilman Fertitta’s empire of restaurants and casinos is struggling so much that he’s offering 15 percent interest on loans. Houston desperately avoids the luxury tax every year, and Fertitta's companies are already saddled with billions in debt. But he specifically owes hundreds of millions to his starting backcourt of James Harden and Russell Westbrook. It’s time for the NBA to make a move like that by Mario Lemieux when he bought the Pittsburgh Penguins. Failing that, let Harden buy the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. and turn it into a chain of Forrest Gump-themed strip clubs. 

Indiana: Trade Turner

The Pacers are paying big money to Myles Turner and All-Star Domantas Sabonis, both excellent players. But they’re also both centers, and while Turner can shoot threes, it really limits the team’s spacing to play them together. And it's a big reason why Indiana is perpetually at the bottom of the league in three-pointers. Sabonis isn’t going anywhere, so it’s time to turn Turner — who’s really good! — into a wing player who fits the roster better.

Los Angeles Lakers: Reunite the Morris twins

As good as the Lakers have been this season, they have a chance to be even better, thanks to having all their salary cap exceptions. Whom should they add? They can strengthen their team and weaken their biggest rival by stealing Marcus Morris away from the Clippers for the mid-level. How do they do it? Bring back his twin brother, Markieff. The Lakers can use the defense and outside shooting, and if they have to face Milwaukee and the Lopezes in the Finals, they need to counter that twin energy somehow.

Los Angeles Clippers: Bring back Harrell

All season, there was talk about how the Clippers couldn’t afford to pay backup center Montrezl Harrell when he hit free agency due to concerns about payroll and the luxury tax. Then owner Steve Ballmer paid $400 million to buy the Forum, an arena where the Clippers are not even going to play. They have the money. Bring back Trez! 

Memphis: Trade for Beal

After a fantastic rookie season from Ja Morant that placed Memphis in the eight seed when the season was suspended, it’s probably tempting for the team to relax and be patient. But why wait when Morant is already awesome? Memphis lacks three-point shooting and has plenty of good young big men. Could rookie Brandon Clarke along with Dillon Brooks and multiple first-round picks be intriguing enough for Washington to give up Bradley Beal?

Miami: Get Danilo Gallinari

This one is unlikely to happen because Pat Riley is saving cap space for 2021 and Giannis Antetokounmpo. But free agent Gallinari would be a fantastic addition to the Heat’s offense. Miami has a ferocious defense and excellent outside shooting but could use a guy like Galinari, who can create his own shot and get to the line. And if Giannis decides to sign his supermax in Milwaukee, Gallo belongs in South Beach.

Milwaukee: Trade for Redick

The Bucks have been awesome this season, going 53-12, but their offense took a tiny step back in efficiency. Why? Not enough threes. They could absolutely use J.J. Redick, who has shot 45.2 percent from distance this season and is under contract for one more year. They can use the pick they got for Malcolm Brogdon to entice the Pelicans, who already have a logjam at the wing, plus an underused young player like D.J. Wilson or Sterling Brown.

Minnesota: Fire Ryan Saunders

Coach Saunders taking over his father, Flip’s, old job in Minnesota is a nice story, but it doesn’t translate to winning games in the NBA. The 33-year-old coach often looks like he’s in over his head, and the results simply haven’t been there in his year-plus running the team. He’ll probably be a fine head coach eventually, but after the trade for D’Angelo Russell, the Wolves want to win now. And there’s an excellent coach available named Kenny Atkinson who loves the fast, three-point-heavy style the Wolves are aiming toward — plus his teams actually play defense. 

New Orleans: Trade Holiday... if there’s a huge offer

Look, Jrue Holiday is a wonderful player, comfortable at anywhere from point guard to small forward, and he's a great veteran influence on his young team. But this year's tight free-agent market means that inevitably someone is going to make an overwhelming offer for Holiday, who’s a full decade older than Zion Williamson (19). And the trade return plus salary relief is going to be too tempting for New Orleans to turn down.

New York: Get JD & The Straight Shot to tour

The Knicks always make plans to clear cap space and land big free agents, who always reject them. Much of this is a result of the meddling by, and league-wide dislike for, amateur bluesman/owner James Dolan. The solution? Book his band, JD & The Straight Shot, on a year-long tour, so Dolan has to stay away from the team.  

Oklahoma City: Trade Chris Paul

CP3 was having a wonderful season in Oklahoma City, a surprise playoff-caliber team after losing Russell Westbrook, Paul George and Jerami Grant in the offseason. But this is about the ceiling for this incarnation of OKC, and Paul’s value will never be higher. Houston had to deal two first-round picks and two pick swaps to dump his contract, but Paul has been so good this season that the Thunder could actually get assets in return. But if they do have to attach a pick, they have 15 first-rounders in the next seven drafts.

Orlando: Trade Gordon

The Aaron Gordon experience in Orlando seems to have run its course, especially as the team continues to add long-armed athletic forwards with inconsistent outside shots. You know, Aaron Gordon types. Gordon can use a change of scenery, perhaps to Oklahoma City, where he’ll evoke memories of a college Blake Griffin. The Thunder love great athletes who struggle with their shots, so he’s a perfect fit –- as is Dennis Schroder as a backcourt partner to Markelle Fultz in Orlando. 

Philadelphia: Trade Embiid

Philadelphia has two transcendent young players who don’t particularly complement each other. They like to occupy the same point on the court, and they play at different speeds: Joel Embiid loves to post up, while Ben Simmons excels in transition. Why trade Embiid and not Simmons? Because Embiid has more trade value, and Simmons is the more versatile modern NBA player.

Phoenix: Get rid of the owner

The league should have intervened when Robert Sarver was ruining Steve Nash’s chance at a title by selling the Suns’ first-round picks for cash. But after 10 years of missing the playoffs, it’s time for Phoenix to get new ownership. Sarver sold his mansion late last year, so there’s hope he might get rid of another asset, but he’s clearly the biggest impediment to basketball success in Phoenix. Maybe Adam Silver can seize the franchise by eminent domain?

Portland: Trade McCollum

Damian Lillard has only so much time left in his prime, and C.J. McCollum is pretty clearly not the teammate who is going to take him to the Promised Land. Not that McCollum is bad. But he’s only 6-foot-3, which makes for a rough defensive backcourt, and he and the 6-foot-2 Lillard duplicate many of each other’s skills. The Trail Blazers are pretty set in the front court with Zach Collins and a returning Jusuf Nurkic, so if they could flip McCollum for one or more wing players who fit better, Dame would record a celebratory freestyle out of pure joy.

Sacramento: Sign-and-trade Bogdanovic

The Kings refused to deal Bogdan Bogdanovic at the deadline and even sacrificed some second-round picks to clear space to re-sign him. But signing him long term effectively commits the team to a core of Bogdan, De’Aaron Fox, Marvin Bagley, Harrison Barnes and Buddy Hield for the near future, and that group simply hasn’t been good so far. They could try to trade Hield as well, but they’d get a much bigger return for Bogdanovic — and this is a team that still needs much more talent. 

San Antonio: Name Hammon coach Pop’s successor

It’s been rough since Kawhi Leonard left San Antonio, but his departure also exposed some flaws in the bulletproof Spurs, from their player development to even the great coach Pop’s in-game decisions. The team lost a playoff series last season when it let the clock run out rather than foul Denver, and the late-game mistakes keep piling up. How do the Spurs change their bad mojo? Name the brilliant Becky Hammon as Pop’s heir apparent, making her the first female head coach of an NBA team. She can do the job, the pressure goes off Pop, and he can spend more time wine tasting and dreaming of veteran wings who love to shoot long twos.

Toronto: Bring everyone back

It’s bold to bring back Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol, and Fred VanVleet as well, but this Raptors team can use all of them. The internal development of Toronto continues to churn out useful players —Terence Davis looks like a star — and the defense continues to be relentless. Unless president of basketball ops Masai Ujiri knows something about Giannis Antetokounmpo and his desire to play in Toronto, he owes it to his guys to run it back one more time.

Utah: Trade Mitchell

The recent feud between Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell has led to a flurry of trade scenarios for Gobert, who becomes an unrestricted free agent next summer. But Gobert has demonstrated his excellence more than Mitchell, who was a first-time All-Star, but he’s quite short for a shooting guard (6-foot-1, albeit with extremely long arms) and has an average outside shot. Also, it’s Mitchell who is instigating the feud with Gobert! Cash in on Mitchell now before opponents realize he’s a career 35 percent shooter from three.

Washington: Sign-and-trade Bertans

Davis Bertans has had a wonderful season for the Wizards, shooting 42.4 percent on nearly nine threes per game. That was no fluke, as he shot nearly 43 percent for San Antonio in 2019. Why not keep him? Because the Wizards still have a giant talent deficit on their roster, and Bertans should be incredibly valuable to a contender. If they can get a first-round pick and a useful young player for Bertans, who will be 28 this fall, the Wizards should make like Bertans behind the arc and pull the trigger.