NBA Players Who Could Use a New Home Next Season

Which NBA players could use a change of scenery this offseason?

There’s little certainty on any front in the NBA as we roll through the 2020 offseason. The top of the lottery is anything but clear, a clouded free agency awaits, and, to top it off, we still don’t know when the 2020–21 season will begin. After pulling off a months-long bubble, the league faces another significant challenge.

Despite the uncertainty looming over the league, we should still see a fair amount of player movement in the coming weeks. Teams in the middle of the pack may pivot amid a crowded crop of title contenders, and the league’s top teams could look to make a splash before opening night. So which players could be moved to a new location before 2020–21? We at The Crossover broke down the most intriguing options.

Jrue Holiday, New Orleans Pelicans

This isn’t a matter of saving Holiday from a bad situation as the Pelicans look to turn the corner in the first year of the Stan Van Gundy era. Perhaps New Orleans isn’t a likely playoff team in 2020–21 considering the strength of the Western Conference, but there’s at least a baseline of respectability given the talent at play. So why usher Holiday out the door? New Orleans’s timeline should dictate a trade sooner than later.

Despite ownership’s presumed wishes to return to the postseason in 2021, the focus in New Orleans should be on building a sustainable future. Zion Williamson will be under team control for much of the next decade. Brandon Ingram should receive a max offer sheet this offseason. Holiday will be a free agent after 2021–22 assuming he opts into the final year of his deal, and, at that point, he’ll enter free agency at 32 years old. Committing additional years to the UCLA product seems to be a tenuous bet. If an enticing trade offer arises, dealing Holiday is the most prudent decision.

So where could Holiday land if New Orleans (rightfully) plays for the future? There are a considerable number of potential destinations. Brooklyn has been the most discussed home for Holiday, and it’s not hard to see the logic at play for a potential deal. Holiday would add an impactful defensive presence in the backcourt alongside Kyrie Irving, and he’s not a terribly ball-dominant guard. Recouping Caris LeVert and a couple of other pieces would mark a nice return, continuing New Orleans’s asset accumulation.

Holiday could also be a welcome addition for a number of teams out West, though the return packages aren’t quite as clear. Denver would love to pair Holiday with Jamal Murray, but is there a player outside of Michael Porter Jr.—who isn’t going anywhere—who could anchor the deal? Perhaps Phoenix could view Holiday as an upgrade to Ricky Rubio, though such a deal could complicate the Suns’ cap sheet. There may not be a perfect destination, but if Holiday is available, expect a relative bidding war for the 11-year veteran.

Buddy Hield, Sacramento Kings

All due respect to Buddy Hield’s considerable offensive talent, but his $94 million contract was at least a touch questionable when it was signed in October 2019. Nearly nine figures for a quality floor spacer doesn’t seem to be the most bankable path to contention, and with Bogdan Bogdanovic and Harrison Barnes also heavily featured in Sacramento’s offense, the wing was healthily stocked last season. Hield at times seemed superfluous, especially given his contract.

We won’t rush Hield out the door quite yet, especially if Bogdanovic finds a new team in free agency. But if the former Oklahoma Sooner is shopped, there could be a healthy market in play. Philadelphia is the most obvious option, and a deal involving Hield and Al Horford could make sense for both parties. Houston is also a potential suitor for Hield, as it eyes additional spacing around James Harden, though a pathway to a trade would be difficult if the Rockets can’t find a home for Eric Gordon. Regardless of the potential landing spot, it would be nice to see Hield in the postseason in 2021. His skills should shine somewhere other than Sacramento.

Aaron Gordon, Orlando Magic

It seems as though Orlando has been stuck in a rut for most of the last decade, and even back-to-back playoff appearances the last two seasons haven’t altered the franchise’s outlook. The Magic’s current ceiling is capped at a Round 1 exit, and, barring a true leap from Markelle Fultz, it’s hard to see any true route to progress in a crowded Eastern Conference. Perhaps a new decade will mark a new direction for the franchise.

Orlando’s greatest issue at the moment appears to be its glut of frontcourt players. Nikola Vucevic and Jonathan Isaac are currently the franchise pillars (though Isaac is out for 2020–21), and the pieces around them aren’t exactly complementary. The Magic’s hole at point guard remains glaring. They remain overstocked in the frontcourt, with Mo Bamba, Khem Birch and Al-Farouq Aminu often battling for minutes. The overcrowded middle seems to have stunted Aaron Gordon’s development. A new location could revive his career.

Gordon’s contract makes him quite the intriguing asset. He’s owed $18 million in 2020–21, and the number dips to just over $16 million in 2021–22. A team could conceivably take a gamble on Gordon, then use him as an expiring contract the next season if his shooting continues to dip. But perhaps a shaky 2019–20 doesn’t illustrate the full picture of Gordon’s potential. He can be a slashing menace in the right system, shining as a transition force and secondary playmaker. Brooklyn once again makes sense as a landing spot—potentially allowing for tantalizing small-ball lineups–and Gordon could be a sensible piece for the Warriors if they wish to flip Andrew Wiggins’s contract. Perhaps Orlando will look to stay put and ride with Gordon as Isaac misses 2020–21. Yet it may be smart to cash in on his value sooner than later. There could be a legitimate market in play for Gordon if the Magic are proactive ahead of next season.

Myles Turner, Indiana Pacers

Perhaps no team will enter 2020–21 in a more confusing spot than the Pacers. Indiana reached the playoffs for the fifth straight season last year, yet after a first-round exit, the team fired coach Nate McMillan. The Pacers now have a rookie coach and a roster that can’t quite compete in the East, and considering Victor Oladipo’s impending free agency, a relative roster makeover could begin soon. Parsing Indiana’s future remains difficult as we approach next season.

It’s tough to imagine Oladipo staying in Indiana past 2020–21. It’s also difficult to see the Pacers dealing him before the start of next season. Oladipo at his best is a legitimate All-NBA talent, though the small sample of results in 2019–20 after returning from injury wasn’t exactly encouraging. Indiana will be best served by keeping Oladipo for now, then hope his value rises in the early part of 2020–21. A strong start could pave the way to a solid haul in return as the franchise pivots into a new era.

The Oladipo conundrum isn’t the only question looming over the Pacers. Indiana currently sports an enticing Twin Towers look with Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner, yet considering the game’s evolution toward small ball and spacing, is this really the path to building a winner? Sabonis appears to be the franchise anchor, standing as one of the league’s most impressive interior scorers. Turner is more expendable, and he could have solid trade value across the league. Boston could very well swap Gordon Hayward for Turner and additional pieces, providing Indiana with another playmaker while eliminating the hole in the middle of its defense. Perhaps the Warriors could look to acquire Turner rather than gamble on James Wiseman. There’s no perfect course for Indiana at the moment, but a change in direction should be on the horizon.

John Collins, Atlanta Hawks

Atlanta’s forward was briefly shopped before last season’s trade deadline, and his spot with the Hawks is increasingly tenuous as Clint Capela enters the lineup in 2020–21. Collins is a solid-enough floor spacer, though he excels as a slasher and pick-and-roll partner alongside Trae Young. Will he really be able to play to his strengths with Capela clogging the middle? Add in Collins’s defensive deficiencies, and he seems a bit out of place in Atlanta.

There could be a healthy number of suitors should Collins hit the open market. He’d be a likely upgrade over Montrezl Harrell for the Clippers, and perhaps San Antonio could be interested in Collins as its next frontcourt anchor as it looks to unclog a crowded guard rotation. Collins’s combination of skill and youth makes him likely the most valuable trade chip on our list. Atlanta isn’t exactly rushing Collins out the door, though from a roster construction standpoint, dealing him could round out an incomplete roster.