New aspirations for 30 fanbases, the prospect of a new group of breakout ballers, and a nightly highlight reel that will be difficult for your eyes to believe all accompany the beginning of a new NBA season.
Teams have spent the past few months adjusting their rosters, but the upcoming weeks may compel clubs to reconsider those choices. This season could be quite active on the trade front due to the relatively wide-open title race and the significant motivation to tank before what seems to be a stacked 2023 draft.
We’re breaking down and ranking each club’s top three trade assets based on their anticipated appeal to help set the tone for the upcoming #TradeSZN.
A couple of short observations before we begin. You won’t find elite superstars or recent blue-chip prospects who are unmistakably in charge of a rebuilding project because we are just looking at assets that have a chance of being traded this season. Additionally, since protections are unclear and various suitors may place different values on particular selections, we won’t specifically highlight any particular draft picks but rather just make a general mention of draft concerns.
3. Jalen Johnson
Atlanta hasn’t even begun to dangle this year’s first-round pick, AJ Griffin, but it might be open to negotiations regarding Johnson, the No. 20 pick from the previous year. As a rookie, he played for just 120 minutes, and he still has no certain path to the court. He’s only 20 years old, though, and possesses an interesting combination of handles and hops for a 6’9″, 220-pounder.
2. First-round pick
Even though the Hawks traded their 2023 first-round pick in the Dejounte Murray megadeal along with three other first-round picks, they are still free to do so. In order to win a championship, the front staff may be willing to give up another draft selection if Murray adjusts well to Atlanta, and this group appears capable of competing for a crown.
1. John Collins
Collins never leaves the gossip circle, which points to his allure as a target but a poor fit as a construction material.
The selling point is simple: He is a 6’9″ combo big who is athletic, 25 years old, and has averaged 20.5 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 1.2 three-pointers per 36 minutes in his career. He is a frontcourt defender with weaknesses, and he is neither a strong rim protector nor a lockdown stopper on perimeter switches.
If a high-end buyer believes Collins has third-star potential, it might make a generous offer to finally get the effervescent big man out of Atlanta.
