NBA Rookies Who Could be Involved in Blockbuster Trades

As we near trade season, let’s take a look at a few rookies who could be on the move despite success with their newest teams.

The 2023 NBA Draft class has been exactly as advertised thus far: very, very good.

Seven-foot titans, dynamo guards, sharpshooters and everything in between, the class has it all. But that doesn’t necessarily make any rookies immune to impending trades.

At the end of the day, the NBA is a business, and any trade that could give franchises a shot at an NBA title will more than likely get done.

Here are a few NBA rookies who could be involved in blockbuster deals:

Jaime Jaquez Jr., Miami Heat

Former UCLA Bruin Jaime Jaquez Jr. has been one of the better NBA rookies this season, full stop. But sitting at sixth in the East, the Miami Heat probably aren’t where they want to be.

Despite Jaquez’ success, the Heat — with stars Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo — are still in search of a third star to create a trio. And only the trade market will offer that in the short term.

Jaquez has been great, but there's no question a proven NBA star would get the Heat quite a bit closer to a coveted NBA championship.

In order to get back to contention, Miami may need to push their chips in, and that would almost certainly mean giving up Jaquez.

Cason Wallace, OKC Thunder

Cason Wallace has been a revelation for Oklahoma City this season, boasting a near-70% true shooting percentage and providing patented defense, while moonlighting as a starter in the closing lineups, some nights.

But several league executives expect the OKC Thunder to make a big splash on the trade market this year. And in that case, most opposing team’s first ask will likely be Wallace, due to his success.

In all likelihood, OKC stands pat and rolls with its core. But if not, Wallace could be on the move.

Gradey Dick, Toronto Raptors

Former Kansas’ sharpshooter Gradey Dick has yet to find his NBA rhythm. And along those lines, the Raptors haven’t either.

They aren’t necessarily bad, but they aren’t good either. Perpetually toeing the line of mediocrity. And due to that, rival teams expect them to shake things up at the trade deadline.

Offloading Dick isn’t likely, as they’ll probably look to a youth movement surrounding Scottie Barnes. But seeing as things haven’t worked out so far, and he was always a slightly odd fit in the first place, he may be looked at as nice pot sweetener to get a blockbuster deal done that lands Toronto an elite young talent.

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