ESPN's NBA Insiders present eight trades they would like to see, involving six All-Stars and 13 teams, including several title contenders.
Lopez to Boston
Brooklyn Nets get: Amir Johnson, Tyler Zeller and a 2018 first-rounder
Boston Celtics get: Brook Lopez and Bojan Bogdanovic
Bradford Doolittle: There are basically four unicorn big men getting starter minutes in the league right now, guys who block about 4 percent of opponent shots while taking at least 30 percent of their shots from behind the arc: Lopez, Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis and Serge Ibaka. For the Celtics to be able to pair Lopez and Horford without inhibiting what Isaiah Thomas does might just be a tipping-point move for them.
The Nets would get one of their picks back, though not the 2017 pick, as I don't see the Celtics giving that one up. Brooklyn might want more than this, but the Celtics have the best collection of pieces to make a deal work. I liked Lopez for the C's last year, but now that he's making 3s, I love him for that team.
Houston loads up
Houston Rockets get: Taj Gibson from Chicago; Thabo Sefolosha from Atlanta
Chicago Bulls get: Jahlil Okafor from Philadelphia
Atlanta Hawks get: Nene from Houston; Robert Covington from Philadelphia
Philadelphia 76ers get: Nikola Mirotic from Chicago; Corey Brewer and Sam Dekker from Houston
Bradford Doolittle: The theme of my trades is to strengthen the challengers to Cleveland and Golden State in hopes of competitive conference finals this spring. With just the right bit of defense sprinkled into their rotation, I could see the Rockets emerging as the second-best team in the West. And who could resist watching a Rockets-Warriors conference final?
The Bulls need to shake things up and would get a developing player in Okafor for a couple of expiring contracts. The Hawks would get an upgrade at 3 in Covington and another backup big in Nene. The Sixers are the problem here, even though they reportedly want to move Okafor. They might need more than what's here, but I'm sure we could make it work.
Florida swap
Orlando Magic get: Goran Dragic, Josh McRoberts
Miami Heat get: Jeff Green, C.J. Watson, Mario Hezonja, Orlando's top-three-protected 2017 first-round pick, Sacramento's 2017 second-rounder
Tom Haberstroh: Despite a recent 13-game win streak, the Heat currently have a one-in-five chance of making the playoffs, which isn't enough to push the chips all in for a chance to get punted by Cleveland in the first round. Miami's front office -- now armed with analytics guru and former NBA champion Shane Battier -- should remember that the fairy-tale win streak was buttressed by the second-easiest 10-game stretch of any team's schedule, per BPI.
Build for the future and load up for the 2017 draft. The Heat have to find a trade partner with little patience for another youth movement and a desperate need at point guard. Enter the Magic. Frank Vogel gets a top-10 offensive point guard, a much-needed talent injection for a team that hasn't won more than 35 games in a season in the post-Dwight Howard era.
Butler to Boston
Boston Celtics get: Jimmy Butler and Cristiano Felicio
Chicago Bulls get: Jae Crowder, Amir Johnson and Brooklyn's 2017 first-rounder
Tom Haberstroh: Just get it done. The Celtics' motivation is obvious: acquire a top-10 player in his prime and go after the wounded Cavs. Butler is no doubt the gem of the trade deadline. When considering his defensive chops, Butler ranks second in Real Plus-Minus this season, and he's under contract through 2019-20. (The last year is a player option.)
So why would Chicago part with that? Because the No. 1 overall pick could be coming its way. This team could use a fresh start just like Sacramento did -- but the Bulls are not getting rid of their All-Star for 50 cents on the dollar. This would be a massive haul for a Bulls team hovering around .500 and in need of some new life.
Butler to Phoenix
Phoenix Suns get: Jimmy Butler
Chicago Bulls get: Two future first-rounders (from Miami), Dragan Bender and P.J. Tucker
Jeremias Engelmann: Given that Butler is one of the best players in the league (RPM rating of plus-6.8), a Butler trade would be a rebuilding move.
On the flip side, the Suns have an owner known to be impatient when it comes to winning and making the playoffs. Also, they have very good trade assets: two young power forwards who were lottery picks -- Bender and Marquese Chriss -- and two future first-rounders from the Heat, with one being entirely unprotected.
Cashing in these chips now would give the Suns an exciting backcourt of Eric Bledsoe, Devin Booker and Butler. The Bulls, on the other hand, would have lots of cap space next summer, plus the two future firsts from Miami.
Clips-Cavs megadeal
LA Clippers get: Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, Iman Shumpert, Cleveland's 2021 first-rounder
Cleveland Cavaliers get: Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and Jamal Crawford
Jeremias Engelmann: With Kevin Durant now playing for the Warriors, this year's NBA Finals are projected to be a lot less exciting. Given the Cavs' and Warriors' statistical profiles, if they met, the most likely outcome would be the Warriors winning in five games.
To avoid a beating and not waste one of LeBron James' last years at an elite level, the Cavs will have to make a move. Dealing for the NBA's best point guard would bump the Cavs up to (almost) Warriors level.
Griffin is a better fit with Paul, and Love fits better with DeAndre Jordan, so swapping the two power forwards also makes sense.
Why would the Clippers do it? Irving and Love are locked up significantly longer (until at least 2019, while Paul and Griffin can opt out of their contracts this summer), and Irving is seven years younger than Paul. The Clippers would take a hit in the short term but have a better long-term outlook thanks to an injection of youth and the future first-rounder.
Sweet Lou to Charlotte; Lakers get pick
Update: On Tuesday, the Lakers agreed to send Lou Williams to the Houston Rockets for Corey Brewer and a first-round pick, according to sources.
Charlotte Hornets get: Guard Lou Williams
Los Angeles Lakers get: Guard Ramon Sessions, Charlotte's 2018 first-round pick (lottery-protected)
Kevin Pelton: While a first-round pick is a lot to give up, Williams is an ideal fit in Charlotte. Even before backup point guard Sessions suffered a torn meniscus that will require surgery and sideline him four to six weeks, the Hornets were struggling to score with All-Star point guard Kemba Walker on the bench.
Williams has no trouble scoring. He scores efficiently, too: His .609 true shooting percentage is outstanding. Williams is big enough to play alongside Walker in certain matchups and under contract for 2017-18 at the bargain rate of $7 million -- less than the non-taxpayer midlevel exception will pay next year.
Read Kevin Pelton's full analysis on this potential deal here.
Bulls send Butler to Boston for two players, protected pick
Boston Celtics get: Forward Jimmy Butler
Chicago Bulls get: Guard Avery Bradley, forward Jaylen Brown and first-round-protected pick (originally belonging to Brooklyn)
Kevin Pelton: In my column on Tuesday, I explored the various ways that Boston and Chicago might agree on the value of Butler and the potential top pick in the draft, whose rights belong to Boston.
This might be the version of the trade that works for both sides.
For my full analysis, click here.