Desperation Trade Deadline Deals for NBA Playoff Hopefuls

With just a month until the 2024 NBA trade deadline, rumors are swirling and roster revamps could be in the cards.

While this time of year often gets us thinking about teams at the far ends of the competitive spectrum—contenders and tankers—it's the clubs in the middle that often get the trade momentum going first.

We're talking mainly about the teams that are on the periphery of the playoff picture, the ones that may only need a move or two to get themselves into more solid postseason position. These are often the most highly motivated wheelers and dealers, as the difference between a play-in spot and, say, a No. 5 seed could have huge repercussions.

Let's cook up some trades these playoff hopefuls should consider as the deadline approaches.

Trade Options:

• Indiana Pacers acquire Jae'Sean Tate from the Houston Rockets for Isaiah Jackson and a 2025 second-round pick
• Indiana Pacers acquire Tari Eason from the Houston Rockets for Bennedict Mathurin

Everybody's obsessed with sending Pascal Siakam to the Indiana Pacers. With rumors swirling for months and a report from Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN strongly hinting at Indy's interest in soon-to-be free-agent Toronto forwards, the connection is too strong to ignore.

And with OG Anunoby off the board, chatter linking Siakam to Indiana isn't going anywhere.

That said, the safer play involves ditching the star pursuit and targeting a cheaper, defense-first forward to balance out a roster that skews heavily toward the offensive side of the floor. A call to the Houston Rockets for Tari Eason or Jae'Sean Tate, for example, would be wise.

Eason is particularly valuable to Houston and has posted elite Defensive Estimated Plus/Minus figures in both of his pro seasons so far. He's a deflection machine who can guard multiple positions and create exactly the kind of chaos the run-and-gun Pacers need to get out on the break.

The Rockets need offensive juice, which the Pacers can spare, and Tate could step into a larger role in Eason's absence. For that matter, second-year forward Jabari Smith Jr. isn't that far away from logging 36 minutes per night as a two-way star.

We've got two options here, with the one-for-one swap of Mathurin for Eason looking the most tantalizing. Depending on which package the Rockets choose, they get either the backup center or backcourt shot-creator they need at the cost of a combo forward they can spare.

The Trade: Los Angeles Lakers acquire Bogdan Bogdanović from the Atlanta Hawks for Rui Hachimura, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick

Most Lakers fans would prefer Dejounte Murray as the backcourt acquisition from the Hawks, but with just their 2029 first-rounder to trade, it's hard to see the Lakers coming up with the best offer for Murray unless they include Austin Reaves.

Bogdanović is a career 38.6 percent three-point shooter who can play either guard spot, someone who could theoretically replace D'Angelo Russell if he's ultimately traded for wing depth. Hachimura shot it uncharacteristically well from deep in the 2023 postseason and has hit a respectable 36.8 percent of his treys this year. If his growth as a marksman is legit, maybe the Lakers would think twice about adding shooting at the guard spot when they already have it from a forward.

That said, other than his habit of missing time because of injury, Bogdanović would be a clear rotation upgrade in Los Angeles.

Atlanta could find itself in overhaul mode as the deadline approaches, with Murray, De'Andre Hunter and Clint Capela potentially joining Bogdanović on the block. Hachimura could slot in as a combo forward in Hunter's absence, while Christie and the pick give the notoriously tax-averse Hawks a pair of cheap and controllable assets.

The Trade: Sacramento Kings acquire Dorian Finney-Smith from the Brooklyn Nets for Davion Mitchell, Chris Duarte and a lottery-protected 2027 first-round pick (converts to two seconds if not conveyed)

If the Brooklyn Nets are still anchored to the idea of getting multiple first-rounders for Dorian Finney-Smith, they probably wouldn't entertain an offer headlined by former lottery picks (both of whom are already in their mid-20s) whose roles and production have diminished in every season of their careers.

But on the off chance Brooklyn believes Mitchell is a candidate to improve with a change of scenery, maybe there's something here.

The Kings desperately need versatile wing defense. Keegan Murray has grown significantly on that end, but Harrison Barnes is slipping as he gets deeper into his 30s, and Domantas Sabonis' limitations mean Sacramento needs players who can put out fires all over the floor.

Finney-Smith has hit over 39.0 percent of his triples in three of the last four years, and he's not so far removed from being the designated stopper on a Dallas Mavericks squad that reached the Western Conference Finals. He may not seem like a high-end acquisition, but he addresses the Kings' needs and has deep postseason experience.

The Trade: Atlanta Hawks acquire Pascal Siakam from the Toronto Raptors for De'Andre Hunter, Bogdan Bogdanović and Jalen Johnson

I'm not sure the Atlanta Hawks should be buyers at the deadline, but the combination of a stagnant roster and this year's major miss on high expectations could put the team in a mood to do something drastic.

Trading three rotation players on reasonable contracts for a theoretically ill-fitting star whose deal expires this summer would certainly qualify.

The Raptors showed they liked players over picks when they traded OG Anunoby for Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett, so maybe it's time to stop cobbling together matching salary and oodles of future firsts when constructing deals. Johnson, breaking out in his third season, would be the headliner here, based on the Raptors' preference for youth on the rise.

Bogdanović would slot in neatly as either a running mate for Quickley or a high-end sixth man, while Hunter and his $20 million salary could replace Siakam as a starter or function as flippable mid-tier salary in a future deal.

Atlanta's side of this is about consolidation and star-hunting. Siakam has made two All-NBA teams and could raise the Hawks' ceiling by giving them the star forward they've lacked (unless you're really into 2019-20 John Collins) throughout Trae Young's tenure. If a Dejounte Murray deal is imminent, maybe the Hawks should avoid moving Bogdanović—or insist on former Hawk Dennis Schröder coming back in the package with Siakam.

A starting five of Young, Murray, Saddiq Bey, Siakam and Clint Capela is probably more dangerous down the stretch than what Atlanta is trotting out at the moment. If the goal is finishing above the play-in, the Hawks need the top-end talent this deal delivers.

Siakam's potential max contract looms large here, and there's a great argument for Atlanta transacting with an eye on a teardown rather than a costly retooling. But if the Hawks are going for it, this is what a deal could look like for them.

The Trade: Orlando Magic acquire Malcolm Brogdon from the Portland Trail Blazers for Markelle Fultz and a protected 2025 first-round pick (via DEN)

If the Orlando Magic intend to secure their position as a top-six playoff team in the East, they simply have to get better on offense. Though their No. 21 scoring efficiency ranks higher this year than any season since 2019-20, that's more of a statement on just how ineffective the franchise's attack has been over the past decade or so.

Brogdon is a career 39.0 percent shooter from deep, and he's hitting 41.3 percent of his treys this season. That accuracy rate pairs with per-game averages of 15.4 points, 5.4 assists and just 1.4 turnovers to mark the 31-year-old vet as a clear upgrade over anyone who's started at the point for Orlando in the past couple of seasons.

Fultz has his supporters in Orlando, but he's played in just six games this season because of injury and topped out at just 31.0 percent from long distance in 2022-23. He doesn't offer enough spacing to offset the limited shooting in the Magic's top lineups.

Fultz's expiring deal should have some appeal to the rebuilding Blazers, but the draft capital is the key here. If the Magic can pile up several second-rounders instead of sending out a protected first, they should obviously do that. But a future first-rounder (with protections) from Denver could hit the sweet spot that satisfies Portland without costing Orlando too much. Brogdon's value is tricky to peg, but a late first-rounder and expiring salary feels about right.

Stats courtesy of NBA.com, Basketball Reference and Cleaning the Glass. Salary info via Spotrac. Accurate entering games played Jan. 8, 2024.

Grant Hughes covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter (@gt_hughes), and subscribe to the Hardwood Knocks podcast, where he appears with Bleacher Report's Dan Favale.