NBA Trade Deadline: Five moves we would like to see

By Yaron Weitzman, Melissa Rohlin and Ric Bucher
Updated Feb. 8, 2023 11:51 p.m. ET

The NBA trade deadline is often when franchises choose to shoot for the stars or turn their attention to next season.

Our NBA panel — Yaron Weitzman and Ric Bucher — is here to outline what a handful of franchises should do in order to boost themselves into title contention, or, remain there.

BOSTON CELTICS 

Proposed trade: Mason Plumlee to the Celtics; Danilo Gallinari, Payton Pritchard and two second-round picks to the Hornets

Why it works for Boston: The Celtics really don't need much. They're one of the few teams set on the wing. They don't need help in the backcourt. They're not touching their starting lineup. The one thing this team could use is some frontcourt depth. Al Horford is, well, old, and Robert Williams III has a history of injuries that's a bit worrisome. So let's get them Mason Plumlee, who's averaging 12.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game, as an insurance policy that doesn't require them parting with any significant picks or pieces. 

Why it works for Charlotte: They're not going anywhere. The roster is a disaster. So why not flip Plumlee for a couple of future assets? That, at least, is how Charlotte should be approaching this deadline. — Yaron Weitzman

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS

Proposed trade: Shake Milton and the Charlotte Hornets' 2023 second-round pick (which the Sixers own) to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Naz Reid

Why it works for Philadelphia: Stop me if you've heard this before, but the Sixers desperately need a backup center. Here are this year's numbers: When Joel Embiid plays, the Sixers outscore opponents by 9.1 points per 100 possessions. When Embiid sits, they're outscored by 2.9. This has been a problem throughout the entire Embiid era, and neither Montrezl Harrell nor Paul Reed look like the answer. 

Reid isn't a good defender. At 6-foot-9, he's small for a center, and opponents shoot 64% at the rim with him in the vicinicty, according to NBA Advanced Stats. However, he's a skilled offensive player (averaging 20.6 points per 36 minutes) who could help keep the Sixers afloat in the 15 minutes Embiid sits every postseason game. 

Why it works for Minnesota: The Timberwolves like Reid. If he wasn't an unrestricted free agent this offseason, it's unlikely they'd give him up. But Reid's going to want to get paid and Minnesota might not have the space to give him what he wants. Flipping him for a steady off-the-bench guard like Milton (who also is in the last year of his current deal), and what will likely be the first pick of the draft's second round would be a good return.  — Yaron Weitzman

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS

Proposed trade: James Wiseman, Moses Moody, Patrick Baldwin Jr. and a future first-round pick to the Toronto Raptors for OG Anunoby 

Why it works for Golden State: Anunoby would bolster two major deficiencies for the Warriors: their 16th-ranked defense and their depth. He has the size, athleticism and toughness to defend the Luka Doncic and Kawhi Leonard, and shoots the 3 well enough to space the floor. The Warriors probably would be reluctant to include a pick, but word is Raptors team president Masai Ujiri is insisting on getting them in any deal he makes. He's worth the sales tax. One of the reasons the Warriors have blown late leads this year is they can't get stops down the stretch. That won't be a problem with Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, Draymond Green and Anunoby as four-fifths of their finishing lineup. 

Why it works for Toronto: The Raptors, meanwhile, get their future center and a Costco-rate replacement for Gary Trent Jr. if he goes elsewhere this summer.  — Ric Bucher

CHICAGO BULLS

Proposed trade: Zach LaVine to the Toronto Raptors for Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr.

Why it works for Chicago: VanVleet and Trent Jr. immediately shore up one of the Bulls' biggest weaknesses: 3-point shooting. VanVleet also gives them a bona fide starting point guard with a stellar assist-turnover ratio, and defensively, Chicago has the rim protection and screen setters that Toronto doesn't to enhance FVV's game. 

Why it works for Toronto: The Raptors get a box-office draw in the league's best dunker since Vince Carter, a dynamic offensive threat who should quicken their 26th-place pace, and they have him locked up for at least another three years, always a consideration with high-profile players north of the border. — Ric Bucher

LOS ANGELES LAKERS

The only move that can fix the Lakers is an organizational shift — accepting that the LeBron-AD duo has hit its expiration date. Those are their biggest assets, and it's time to move them. Trying to patch something around LeBron to be competitive, with what the Lakers have, is patching a flat tire with thin tread using a hand pump. They simply don't have the resources to get the kind of players needed to chase a title. James can still score with the best of them, but he's no longer a dynamic playmaker or defender. 

And what's the point? 

Let's say they could trade Davis and the first-round picks for more reliable, available, high IQ veterans to put around LeBron — how long does that last? One, two years? Does it guarantee another ring? It doesn't even guarantee getting out of the Western Conference. And then what do they have? A team built for a player who is irreplaceable. 

LeBron let it be known after he broke the record that he still thinks he can be part of a championship squad. I would agree. There's just not a way for the Lakers to be that squad. — Ric Bucher

Yaron Weitzman is an NBA writer for FOX Sports. He is the author of "Tanking to the Top: The Philadelphia 76ers and the Most Audacious Process in the History of Professional Sports." Follow him on Twitter @YaronWeitzman.

Ric Bucher is an NBA writer for FOX Sports. He previously wrote for Bleacher Report, ESPN The Magazine and The Washington Post and has written two books, "Rebound," on NBA forward Brian Grant’s battle with young onset Parkinson’s, and "Yao: A Life In Two Worlds." He also has a daily podcast, "On The Ball with Ric Bucher." Follow him on Twitter @RicBucher.

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