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          NBA trade deadline: Underrated prospects who could thrive with a trade

          Recently relegated to a bench role, Bulls center Wendell Carter Jr., the No. 7 pick in the 2018 NBA draft, could thrive in a new environment. AP
          • Mike SchmitzMar 23, 2021, 07:00 AM ET

          As ESPN's Zach Lowe outlined on Monday, this NBA trade deadline season might not be littered with blockbuster deals, but there are still trades to be made and players to be had. With that in mind, here are six prospects all under the age of 23 whom teams would be wise to target in a deal. All of them are recent first-round picks still on their rookie contracts who might benefit from a change in scenery that puts them in a more advantageous spot for their development.

          MORE: What our insiders think should happen at the deadline

          Wendell Carter Jr.

          6-foot-10 center | No. 7 pick in 2018 | 21.9 years old

          Carter has been relegated to a bench role over the past five games and hasn't made the Year 3 jump the Chicago Bulls hoped he would.

          In theory, Carter is the ideal center in today's NBA. On defense, he can guard away from the basket, offer some rim protection and rebound. On offense, he moves well as a dive man, can pass out of the short roll, can make an open jump shot and can beat a switch in the post. NBA scouts were enamored with how few holes Carter had in his game at Duke, and many thought of him as a better prospect than Sacramento Kings big man Marvin Bagley III, which has proven to be the case so far even with Carter's ups and downs.

          Yet Carter's production has been almost identical in each of his three seasons, and his inconsistencies in the aggression and confidence departments have been apparent on the court. But it's important to note that Carter has had dips in confidence and assertiveness since we first started evaluating him as a teenager. Always praised for his intangibles and approach to the game, Carter put so much pressure on himself to be perfect on the floor.

          That showed at times during his Duke career, and -- whether it's turning down open jumpers, not attacking a switch in the post or committing an avoidable foul -- we've seen some of these things come to light in the NBA. With all that said, Carter is still only 21 years old, despite having already played more than 3,000 NBA minutes.

          Blending in, making the right play and doing the little things defensively has clear value on a team hoping to make a deep playoff run. Carter's sometimes passive nature can be frustrating for a team that drafted him seventh overall and sits in the final play-in spot in the East. But for a well-established veteran group that is in dire need of his defensive versatility, rebounding and passing, Carter's strengths would be accentuated.

          Although he ranks 81st among 84 NBA centers in defensive real plus-minus so far this season, Carter has previously proven he's capable on that end of the floor. Among 31 high-volume pick-and-roll defenders, Carter actually ranks seventh in fewest points allowed per direct screen when he's the big defender. You also have to consider how much his quad injury has affected his play this season.

          The fact that he's 8-of-22 from distance and posting a career-best assist-to-turnover ratio are silver linings. Although he might never be comfortable being more than a fourth or fifth option offensively, I'm still bullish that Carter can eventually become an NBA starter on a playoff team. That's good value for a seventh overall pick. He could benefit a playoff team in need of help up front or a young team such as the Charlotte Hornets searching for a potential center of the future.

          Jarrett Culver

          6-foot-6 wing | No. 6 pick in 2019 | 22 years old

          It doesn't take an analytical deep dive to conclude that Culver has not been good through his first 84 NBA games. Among the 207 players to average more than 20 minutes per game last season, Culver finished 206th in true shooting percentage. His woeful efficiency has been the same this season, and Jaylen Nowell, who was drafted 37 spots after Culver in 2019 is outshining him under Chris Finch. With a new head coach in place in Minnesota and so much excitement around electric rookie guard Anthony Edwards and rookie wing Jaden McDaniels, Culver appears to be the odd man out.

          I never viewed Culver as a potential top-five pick leading up to the 2019 NBA draft and thought much of his production was a product of volume, role and situation at Texas Tech. But I still like Culver as a utility wing who can add value defensively. He's 6-foot-6, 200 pounds with a 6-foot-9 wingspan and can fill in the gaps offensively as a slasher, cutter, ball mover and secondary playmaker. Think Josh Hart, who was Culver's age when he was drafted as the 30th overall pick, and might be viewed differently if he'd entered the league with the expectations that come with being the No. 6 pick like Culver.

          When projecting Culver's next few years, it's important to remember that as recently as 2016 he was a three-star recruit without much buzz out of high school. He was a self-made player in a lot of ways at Texas Tech and was often praised for his work ethic and rate of improvement. Given that track record, you can't rule out the potential for future development in the right situation.

          As he irons out his wonky jumper (career 29% from 3, 49% from the free throw line), I'd be interested to see Culver in a Bruce Brown type of role on a competitive playoff team in which some of his strengths are more valued and his weaknesses less glaring. A change of scenery to a franchise in need of perimeter defense could help unlock his best attributes. Culver isn't the top-10 pick the Minnesota Timberwolves hoped for when they drafted him, and his salary ($12.5 million guaranteed through 2022) might make him less attractive to potential suitors, but there's still something there with the 22-year-old.

          Anfernee Simons

          6-foot-3 combo guard | No. 24 pick in 2018 | 21.7 years old

          If I'm a non-playoff team with a win-now veteran piece I could trade to the Portland Trail Blazers, I'd have my eye on Simons in return. With cornerstones Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum occupying the guard spots and Simons not quite the defender or decision-maker he needs to be to play a consistent role in important games, there's an opportunity for development-focused teams to take a swing on the young talent.

          Simons is still just 21 years old without a wealth of high-level basketball experience to his name. He came to the NBA straight out of IMG Academy in 2018 and played just 20 games as a rookie. Now halfway through his third season, he's just scratching the surface of what he could become.

          Simons is an explosive shot-maker with deep range off the catch and the ability to get shots off the bounce. He's one of only four players in the NBA shooting over 40% from 3 on at least 11 attempts per 40 minutes, joining McCollum, Stephen Curry and Wayne Ellington. It's not easy to find dunk contest winners who have Simons' range, a 6-foot-9 wingspan and a tight handle.

          Wired to score right now, Simons could thrive alongside a big playmaker with the potential to be groomed into more of a lead guard as his game matures. He lives off a lot of tough shots and can also stand to improve as a finisher, and he currently ranks dead last among guards in defensive real plus-minus. But if Simons can go to a team that can afford to play him 20 to 25 minutes a night while letting him learn the nuances of the point guard position on the fly, he has a chance to be more than just a bench bucket-getter in the future.

          Sekou Doumbouya

          6-foot-9 forward | No. 15 pick in 2019 | 20.2 years old

          Doumbouya started his career with a bang, averaging 14.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and shooting 41% from 3 in his first eight NBA starts last season, when he was the youngest player in the NBA. That stretch included a 16-point, 10-rebound showing in a win over the Golden State Warriors and 24 points in just 27 minutes in a win over the Boston Celtics. Doumbouya was making open shots and wreaking havoc in the open court while showing glimpses of defensive versatility. He seemed like a draft-day steal and one of the Detroit Pistons' future building blocks.

          Since then, however, Doumbouya's career has been in a downward spiral. His shooting touch abandoned him, and the questions that teams had before the draft about his lack of maturity and focus resurfaced. Doumbouya has struggled to carve out a consistent role on one of the worst teams in the NBA that is clearly playing for the development of its young players. Some of that is due to a mid-February concussion, but some of it is due to some downright horrendous possessions this season: air balls, blown defensive assignments, poor decisions. According to CleaningTheGlass.com, the Pistons have been considerably better on both ends of the floor when Doumbouya sits.

          This has long been the conundrum of Doumbouya since we first started evaluating him as a 16-year-old. He showed us glimpses in which he played with excellent energy, made open shots, created offense and flew around defensively, but he'd also have complete no-show games in which he looked out of shape and like he didn't want to be there. Doumbouya is at his best with a regimented routine, and the long layoff from the pandemic clearly didn't do him any favors.

          While Troy Weaver and his staff are building around youngsters, including Isaiah Stewart and Saddiq Bey, a player such as Doumbouya -- who was drafted before Weaver's brass arrived -- might not fit the new identity. But that doesn't mean a change of scenery can't turn around Doumbouya's career. He just turned 20 years old in December. He's still 6-foot-9 with a 9-foot standing reach. He has shooting potential at a highly coveted combo forward position. I'm not ready to give up on Doumbouya turning into a useful rotation player in the future. A trade to an organization with strong veterans and a clear development plan for Doumbouya could go a long way in unlocking the flashes of potential we saw during his rookie season.

          Goga Bitadze

          6-11 center | No. 18 pick in 2019 | 21.6 years old

          Should the Indiana Pacers opt to pursue a win-now veteran piece to surround Malcolm Brogdon, Caris LeVert, Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner in hopes of a playoff run, Bitadze is a player opposing front offices should inquire about.

          Like most young centers adjusting to the NBA, Bitadze has had issues on defense, specifically with the pick and roll, rebounding and playing without fouling. As was the case when we evaluated him extensively as a teenager in Europe, the speed of the game can catch up to him on both ends, which has surely played a role in his up-and-down minutes this season. He has battled injury issues in the past as well.

          I'm still intrigued by the 21-year-old's shot-blocking instincts and skill set. Although it's a small sample, Bitatdze is one of just three players in the NBA averaging over 4.0 blocks per 40 minutes, joining Turner and Robert Williams. He has great timing around the rim to go along with his 9-foot-3 standing reach.

          Bitadze also has the touch and mechanics to develop into a legitimate stretch-5, even if he's just 3-of-22 from distance this season. According to our database, he's a career 32.3% from 3 on 384 attempts, which bodes well for his future as a pick-and-pop center. He also holds some untapped potential as a facilitator out of short roll situations.

          As we've seen with a big like Brook Lopez, there's clear value in stretch centers who can protect the rim and understand how to defend in pick-and-roll drop situations. Bitadze is allowing more than 1.01 points per direct screen as the pick-and-roll big defender so far this season, according to Second Spectrum data, so he still has room to improve in that area. Realizing his stretch potential will also be key. But if he can get there in a few years, he'd be beneficial to a team like the New Orleans Pelicans, making star Zion Williamson even more dynamic.

          Romeo Langford

          6-6 wing | No. 14 pick in 2019 | 21.4 years old

          Langford remains a mystery of sorts to NBA evaluators given his myriad injuries and lack of production over the course of his brief career. One of the top players in his 2018 high school class, Langford played through a torn ligament in his right thumb for the majority of his freshman season at Indiana. He has been sidelined for this entire NBA season after undergoing wrist surgery in September.

          Given the laundry list of injuries (thumb, wrist, groin, knee, ankle), it's hard to fully gauge what type of NBA player Langford can become. He's also on a team in which its two best players (Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown) are wings, and who drafted two more (Aaron Nesmith and Payton Pritchard) in 2020.

          Langford shot just 43% from 2 and 21% from 3 in 416 total NBA minutes last season, but teams were high on him throughout the pre-draft process. They could potentially offer the Celtics a veteran to contribute to Boston's playoff push. Langford doesn't turn 22 until October and still has quite a bit of talent at his disposal.

          Langford's shaky shooting stroke has long been his kryptonite, but watching him knock down pull-up 3 after pull-up 3 against Jaren Jackson Jr. in high school makes you wonder how much of his shooting woes have been a product of thumb and wrist issues.

          An effortless right-hand driver who was one of the best wing finishers in college basketball at Indiana, Langford glides with the ball in his hands and has the makings of a bench scorer who also has the tools to defend multiple positions when fully engaged. Situational factors aside, I always projected Langford as more of a long-term prospect, and a non-playoff team with development minutes to spare would be wise to see if they can tap into the talent that made him a prep star in Indiana at such a young age.

          Mike Schmitz is an NBA draft expert and a contributor to DraftExpress.com, a private scouting and analytics service utilized by NBA, NCAA and international teams.