UPSYDE TUESDAY THOUGHTS - 3/23/2021

UPSYDE SPORTS PRESENTS:

TUESDAY THOUGHTS:

Throughout the season, situations change, players get hurt, record gets tainted, players asked to be moved, it's fluid. An article I write a week ago could mean nothing today.

I feel pretty confident about my list, but now it's time to start discussing the potential destinations.

KYLE LOWRY:
TORONTO RECEIVES: Goran Dragic, Kelly Olynyk, Precious Achiuwa, Future 1st Round Pick (Lottery Protected)
MIAMI RECEIVES: Kyle Lowry, [some expiring contract]
ANALYSIS: Honestly, I think he'll be the biggest name to move. The big question is where, but I feel like Miami has the most motivation and the best assets to put something together. They have future draft capital, they have young prospects in Herro and Achiuwa that could become available, and a 3-game losing streak might push them over. I think if we're deciding between Achiuwa and Herro, I think they'd prefer to keep Herro. Herro is able to do more, guard more positions, and Achiuwa is basically Bam-lite. For Toronto, they need a big of the future, and Achiuwa fits the bill. They have the flexibility to assess Dragic's value the rest of the year before choosing whether or not to exercise their team option. Olynyk is just a contract and likely won't be with the team long. All-in-all, both teams benefit. Not only does Miami instantly get an upgrade, they also prevent other teams in the East from acquiring him as well. The arms race continues.

AARON GORDON:
ORLANDO RECEIVES: Gary Harris, 2021 1st Round Pick (Unprotected)
DENVER RECEIVES: Aaron Gordon
ANALYSIS: This trade happens one of two ways. The most likely way is a clean swap, but it's very possible they might do a 2-for-1, trading Millsap or JaMychal Green and Will Barton. There might be some ticky tack contracts needed to be thrown in, but either option would likely require a pick. Orlando doesn't NEED to trade Gordon at the deadline, they could wait until the off-season, yet with many teams trying to build up their arsenal, they'll likely leak around the league to prop his value. Wherever he goes, he'll require either young assets or picks. For Denver, they are hoping they can get Jerami Grant bubble vibes from Gordon down the stretch. His athleticism and motor will hopefully be recharged in a new system, a winning system. In the one season that Gordon was on a playoff team, he averaged 15.2 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.2 SPG and shot 40% from beyond the arc - which would be pretty comparable to Grant in the Lakers series. Gordon is also still only 25, so it's possible he continues to improve. Don't sleep on other Western Conference teams making a play - Mavericks, Trail Blazers, Suns, and the two LA Teams will all try to make a deal.

VICTOR OLADIPO:
HOUSTON RECEIVES: Bogdan Bogdanavic, Cam Reddish
ATLANTA RECEIVES: Victor Oladipo
ANALYSIS: There are a few teams that have what it takes to get him, but I don't see any of them giving away top assets to secure a guy that will be a free agent this summer. Dallas will likely toy with the idea, but fall short, as he could be a target in the summer. Here's how it works for both sides - for Houston, they get a wing in his prime on a buy-low situation. With no stars on their team, it will be difficult to lure any of the tepid free agents to this team - this is confirmed by Oladipo's rejection of an extension. Houston also receives a young, versatile wing, that will help on both ends. The Hawks are the big winners though. They get a 2-way veteran that can help today and with his Bird rights, can be  the most aggressive contract. The Hawks are in the 5-seed right now in a competitive Eastern Conference, and Oladipo is a better option for them than Lonzo Ball.

EVAN FOURNIER:
ORLANDO RECEIVES: Elfrid Payton, Kevin Knox, Dallas 2021 1st Round Pick (Unprotected)
NEW YORK RECEIVES: Evan Fournier
ANALYSIS: A lot of the same rhetoric applies for Victor Oladipo - and honestly this trade package could probably be swapped, as the players offer similar skill sets. Fournier has been linked to New York and Boston, so I gave NY the nod. For Orlando, they get an expiring veteran guard to help mentor Fultz and Anthony the rest of the year, a tweener in Knox that never really panned out in NY, and a 1st round pick that could be as high as the late teens in a solid draft. For NY, they get a reliable 2-guard to improve on their weird rotation of Bullock and Burks, they open up minutes for their upside draft pick in Obi Toppin, and they gain more shooting in a fast paced offense. Austin Rivers might be involved in this trade as well, but Knox and the 1st would probably have to both be in this trade.

ANDRE DRUMMOND:
CLEVELAND RECEIVES: James Johnson, Tim Hardaway Jr., 2021 2nd Round Pick (Unprotected)
DALLAS RECEIVES: Andre Drummond
ANALYSIS - At this point, Cleveland would take a ham sandwich for Andre Drummond. For them, any assets they receive that are not glaringly negative, in combination with draft picks, will be a home run for them. They plan on buying him out, so for Dallas, giving up two expiring contracts for a guy they can evaluate before extending is a solid move. Drummond gives them an elite rebounder, an above average passer for a big, and a fast paced scoring big. Many analysts consider him an empty stat guy like Russell Westbrook, but nobody can deny when he's on his game, that he's really good. It's possible a trade to a winning situation might be exactly what Cleveland needs. It's possible Cleveland my try to target a young player like Green or Terry, yet I think they would rather just be free of having to pay him. At this point, Cleveland is trying to tank, so they likely want to also make sure whatever assets they get back, won't help them significantly win.

- Adam Safianow - NBA Analyst - Upsyde Sports [Copyright 2021]


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