What motivates a trade?

[NYG]

I think one of the most important things we need to be mindful of when proposing a trade is what motivates a trade? Why even bother making a trade versus standing pat? I decided to look over the trades made during the 2022-23 season and the 2022 off-season and analyze the "Why?" for each team.

After researching this, it seems that there's 7 motivations to making a trade in real life:

1. Move Up/Down in the NBA Draft: This is a trade where only picks are involved. The motivation for the team moving up is to get a specific player on their draft board versus waiting to see if he falls. The motivation for the team moving down is they are indifferent about the draft board there and prefer the value over the specific player they could draft there. This simply aligns when one team wants a specific player that they think won't be there when they pick and another team with an earlier pick doesn't care for the draft board.

2. Star requested a trade: This really seems to be the only time a really good player gets traded. You don't trade high level talent in the NBA for picks/young players unless it's requested or you are blatantly rebuilding. Looking over real life trades, it appears teams are either blatantly trying to contend or blatantly trying to rebuild. The only reason a team not planning to blatantly rebuild trades a really good player is if it's requested.

3. Contending team trying to get better: This is simple. You're a good team, but you want to get better so as a result of the trade you have become a more talented team even if you had to sacrifice an undeveloped young player with a high ceiling or draft picks to do so. Contending doesn't mean in regards to how you're expected to finish, but more-so if you are trying to contend. For example, I don't I have the Pistons or Magic as competitive, but I have them as joining this group and leave the following group this off-season.

4. Rebuilding team trying to add assets: This is also simple. You're a bad team so you trade your good players for picks and young players. The one thing that surprised me is looking over the trades, there's very clearly rebuilding teams and contending teams. There's no gray area or "hybrid" approach. The Raptors will keep OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam (unless they request a trade / see above) or trade both. There isn't really any team that hasn't clearly established which they are in terms of trade patterns.

5. Get value from a fill-in involved in a previous trade: This is basically where you made a trade that had cap filler attached to what you really wanted. Instead of waiving the filler, you get something for the filler from another team in a follow-up trade.

6. Save money: This can be one of two reasons most likely. Either you are close to or above the tax and want to reduce the payroll or you have a specific player you want in free agency and you need to create the cap space. It seems those are the only real motivations for saving money in a trade.

7. Fill a need: This is different than trying to get better. This is more trying to get neutral from a talent perspective, but you give up talent where you have more of it for talent where you have less of it to balance your depth. The only neutral trades seem motivated by using depth to fill a need with a team that can do the same.

Literally these are the only 7 motivations I have as being the driving force behind a team deciding to make a trade. There's no other reason a team makes a trade so be mindful of that moving forward.

However, there were 3 outliers that don't apply to the rules above.

Outlier 1:
Kings acquire Kessler Edwards and cash ($2.58MM).
Nets acquire the draft rights to David Michineau.

I'm not sure I understand the motivation here for either team. Why not just stand pat? What's really gained here to go through the effort of completing a trade?

Outlier 2:
Rockets acquire Derrick Favors, Ty Jerome, Maurice Harkless, Theo Maledon, either the Thunder’s, Sixers’, or Mavericks’ 2026 second-round pick (whichever is second-most favorable), and cash ($6,363,000).
Thunder acquire David Nwaba, Sterling Brown, Trey Burke, and Marquese Chriss.

Again... I'm not sure I understand the motivation here for either team. Why not just stand pat? What's really gained here to go through the effort of completing a trade?

Outleir 3:
Sixers acquire De’Anthony Melton.
Grizzlies acquire Danny Green and the draft rights to David Roddy (No. 23 pick).

I get the motivation by Philly here (3. Contending team trying to get better), but why does Memphis give up a veteran for a pick when they're trying to contend? What's the motivation for Memphis to make this deal? If I recall last off-season correctly, the Grizzlies weren't in any imminent cap saving threat.

[Colbinii]

Outlier 1:
Kings acquire Kessler Edwards and cash ($2.58MM).
Nets acquire the draft rights to David Michineau.

I'm not sure I understand the motivation here for either team. Why not just stand pat? What's really gained here to go through the effort of completing a trade?

Save Money.

Outlier 2:
Rockets acquire Derrick Favors, Ty Jerome, Maurice Harkless, Theo Maledon, either the Thunder’s, Sixers’, or Mavericks’ 2026 second-round pick (whichever is second-most favorable), and cash ($6,363,000).
Thunder acquire David Nwaba, Sterling Brown, Trey Burke, and Marquese Chriss.

Again... I'm not sure I understand the motivation here for either team. Why not just stand pat? What's really gained here to go through the effort of completing a trade?

Save Money.

Outleir 3:
Sixers acquire De’Anthony Melton.
Grizzlies acquire Danny Green and the draft rights to David Roddy (No. 23 pick).

I get the motivation by Philly here (3. Contending team trying to get better), but why does Memphis give up a veteran for a pick when they're trying to contend? What's the motivation for Memphis to make this deal? If I recall last off-season correctly, the Grizzlies weren't in any imminent cap saving threat.

De'Anthony Melton was falling out of rotation [or Memphis felt they could replace him without drop-off] with Ziaire Williams, Tyus Jones and John Konchar.

[NYG]

So keep in mind, if you are trying to add talent then it needs to be from a player request or a team blatantly rebuilding if you're expecting to do it with picks. Otherwise, you're looking at 7 where you give talent to get better fitting talent.

[NYG]

Outlier 1:
Kings acquire Kessler Edwards and cash ($2.58MM).
Nets acquire the draft rights to David Michineau.

I'm not sure I understand the motivation here for either team. Why not just stand pat? What's really gained here to go through the effort of completing a trade?

Save Money.

Outlier 2:
Rockets acquire Derrick Favors, Ty Jerome, Maurice Harkless, Theo Maledon, either the Thunder’s, Sixers’, or Mavericks’ 2026 second-round pick (whichever is second-most favorable), and cash ($6,363,000).
Thunder acquire David Nwaba, Sterling Brown, Trey Burke, and Marquese Chriss.

Again... I'm not sure I understand the motivation here for either team. Why not just stand pat? What's really gained here to go through the effort of completing a trade?

Save Money.

Outleir 3:
Sixers acquire De’Anthony Melton.
Grizzlies acquire Danny Green and the draft rights to David Roddy (No. 23 pick).

I get the motivation by Philly here (3. Contending team trying to get better), but why does Memphis give up a veteran for a pick when they're trying to contend? What's the motivation for Memphis to make this deal? If I recall last off-season correctly, the Grizzlies weren't in any imminent cap saving threat.

De'Anthony Melton was falling out of rotation [or Memphis felt they could replace him without drop-off] with Ziaire Williams, Tyus Jones and John Konchar.

But why not trade him via Rule 7 where you got veteran talent back?

[Colbinii]

Outlier 1:
Kings acquire Kessler Edwards and cash ($2.58MM).
Nets acquire the draft rights to David Michineau.

I'm not sure I understand the motivation here for either team. Why not just stand pat? What's really gained here to go through the effort of completing a trade?

Save Money.

Outlier 2:
Rockets acquire Derrick Favors, Ty Jerome, Maurice Harkless, Theo Maledon, either the Thunder’s, Sixers’, or Mavericks’ 2026 second-round pick (whichever is second-most favorable), and cash ($6,363,000).
Thunder acquire David Nwaba, Sterling Brown, Trey Burke, and Marquese Chriss.

Again... I'm not sure I understand the motivation here for either team. Why not just stand pat? What's really gained here to go through the effort of completing a trade?

Save Money.

Outleir 3:
Sixers acquire De’Anthony Melton.
Grizzlies acquire Danny Green and the draft rights to David Roddy (No. 23 pick).

I get the motivation by Philly here (3. Contending team trying to get better), but why does Memphis give up a veteran for a pick when they're trying to contend? What's the motivation for Memphis to make this deal? If I recall last off-season correctly, the Grizzlies weren't in any imminent cap saving threat.

De'Anthony Melton was falling out of rotation [or Memphis felt they could replace him without drop-off] with Ziaire Williams, Tyus Jones and John Konchar.

But why not trade him via Rule 7 where you got veteran talent back?

Because Memphis trusts its own draft and player development more than any other team in the league [Maybe OKC is rivaling].

Memphis said "We can replace the production of De'Anthony Melton with what we already have on our roster, develop another young prospect and keep the salary space to utilize in a trade this season".

[NYG]

Save Money.



Save Money.



De'Anthony Melton was falling out of rotation [or Memphis felt they could replace him without drop-off] with Ziaire Williams, Tyus Jones and John Konchar.

But why not trade him via Rule 7 where you got veteran talent back?

Because Memphis trusts its own draft and player development more than any other team in the league [Maybe OKC is rivaling].

Memphis said "We can replace the production of De'Anthony Melton with what we already have on our roster, develop another young prospect and keep the salary space to utilize in a trade this season".

Yeah so I guess the first two still apply to OP rules, but the Melton trade is just an outlier.

[NYG]

My predictions for the 2023 off-season

Teams Blatantly Trying To Rebuild
Bulls (I think they join the bottom as their pick will have already conveyed and they could just get a kings ransom as the biggest seller in town on a team with a limited ceiling)
Hornets
Spurs
(I think Rockets, Pistons and Magic make contention minded moves this off-season)

Teams Trying To Save Money (Please note, neither is a team trying to rebuild so they're more likely to give to do this in a way that improves them or try to to save money with the least amount of talent downgrade possible)
Hawks
Heat

Stars That Could (Not will, just that it's on the table) Request Trade
Trae Young
Jaylen Brown
Karl-Anthony Towns
Zion Williamson
Joel Embiid (If Harden leaves?)
Damian Lillard (If the Blazers keep their pick?)
OG Anunoby (I know, I know "one of these is not like the others", but I could see him being a noteworthy player that requests a trade and be dealt for picks/assets even if Toronto isn't blatantly rebuilding)

Stars That Could (Not will, just that it's on the table) Be Traded For Better Fitting Star Without Requesting Trade
Trae Young
Rudy Gobert
Deandre Ayton (Like OG, not like the others, but just a more noteworthy name than the other players that fit this criteria and haven't already been listed)
OG Anunoby (Toronto could also choose to trade Anunoby for more guard depth in a 1-for-1 swap)

[psman2]

De'Anthony Melton was falling out of rotation [or Memphis felt they could replace him without drop-off] with Ziaire Williams, Tyus Jones and John Konchar.

But why not trade him via Rule 7 where you got veteran talent back?

Because Memphis trusts its own draft and player development more than any other team in the league [Maybe OKC is rivaling].

Memphis said "We can replace the production of De'Anthony Melton with what we already have on our roster, develop another young prospect and keep the salary space to utilize in a trade this season".

Yep that was the plan. It is really important to reset you salary structure as players inch closer to being fully paid to continue building around your core. I think Zaire's rookie year was promising enough that we thought he would step into that role, and we also had Konchar who can adequately fill in some holes when needed, and Jones was earning more and more playing time even with Morant fully healthy. It doesn't always work out as planned (Zaire was hurt alot and regressed) but as you core gets more and more expensive, surrounding it with cheap young contributing pieces is really key. Plus you never know when a later round pick is going to breakout too.

So I had the Melton trade as a future #6 and a future #3 as well. We are still very young and can afford to take the shots that a rebuilding team takes especially with enough depth in house to step up. If Ja, JJJ and Bane were in their late 20's then I don't think we would be as willing to take these small step backs as much. IF we still had Melton and planned to resign him we likely wouldn't even consider using the MLE this year. So now we have a rookie guy in Roddy and still the salary spot open with the MLE if we choose to use. Plus the Danny Green's contract allowed us to bring in Kennard, who has been a blessing so far for us...which resulted in a 3 and 7 for us.

Kessler Edwards---he was free wing depth, I think Sac was for sure in need forward depth and Edwards had shown some flashes, so why not....That was clearly a 7 for Sac while being a 6 for Brooklyn.

[basketballwacko2]

I would think the motive would be to make your team better or improve your salary cap situation.

[TheBrooklynKidd]

Outlier 1:
Kings acquire Kessler Edwards and cash ($2.58MM).
Nets acquire the draft rights to David Michineau.

I'm not sure I understand the motivation here for either team. Why not just stand pat? What's really gained here to go through the effort of completing a trade?

Save Money.

True. It was cheaper to pay the Kings to take Kessler than it was to waive him and pay luxury taxes.

They needed Kesslers roster spot in preparation for the KD and Kyrie trades.

I think NYG can add “Flexibility” as an reason as well.

[NYG]

Outlier 1:
Kings acquire Kessler Edwards and cash ($2.58MM).
Nets acquire the draft rights to David Michineau.

I'm not sure I understand the motivation here for either team. Why not just stand pat? What's really gained here to go through the effort of completing a trade?

Save Money.

True. It was cheaper to pay the Kings to take Kessler than it was to waive him and pay luxury taxes.

They needed Kesslers roster spot in preparation for the KD and Kyrie trades.

I think NYG can add “Flexibility” as an reason as well.

But to your point this is a cap savings motivation because otherwise they would have just waived Kessler for the flexibility.

Can you provide an example of where flexibility was the driving force of a real life trade and not one of the 7 things in OP?

[NYG]

I would think the motive would be to make your team better or improve your salary cap situation.

Those are 2/7 of the reasons a trade happens.

[Colbinii]

I would think the motive would be to make your team better or improve your salary cap situation.

Those are 2/7 of the reasons a trade happens.

You really think that poster read your lengthy OP?

[shangrila]

Teams Blatantly Trying To Rebuild
Bulls (I think they join the bottom as their pick will have already conveyed and they could just get a kings ransom as the biggest seller in town on a team with a limited ceiling)
Hornets
Spurs
(I think Rockets, Pistons and Magic make contention minded moves this off-season)

The Spurs are the only team here that I think will continue to blatantly tank, unless the Bulls' pick somehow jumps into the top 4 (so they've got something to sell their fans on for next season).

I don't think the Hornets can afford to keep sucking.

Teams Trying To Save Money (Please note, neither is a team trying to rebuild so they're more likely to give to do this in a way that improves them or try to to save money with the least amount of talent downgrade possible)
Hawks
Heat

The Hawks already cut costs this past offseason and AFAIK they don't have anyone for next year that's in line for a significant payrise, so not sure I see them being here. The Heat maybe, I can't remember if Herro's extension will kick in this offseason or if it's already around? I imagine they're comfortable replacing any role players through their development program however so they'll save money there.

I can see the Clippers being a darkhorse for this. Ballmer might **** diamond crusted gold bars but the new CBA is going to be so absurdly restrictive financially that they might want to start getting ahead of it. Especially with some of their players that just don't get minutes (Covington comes to mind).

Stars That Could (Not will, just that it's on the table) Request Trade
Trae Young
Jaylen Brown
Karl-Anthony Towns
Zion Williamson
Joel Embiid (If Harden leaves?)
Damian Lillard (If the Blazers keep their pick?)
OG Anunoby (I know, I know "one of these is not like the others", but I could see him being a noteworthy player that requests a trade and be dealt for picks/assets even if Toronto isn't blatantly rebuilding)

I don't think KAT asks out anymore. If we missed the playoffs I could have seen some ugliness coming out but there's no expectations anymore going against Denver, especially with McDaniels and Reid out.

The Hawks would have to spectacularly flame out for Trae to demand a trade...which I guess is possible. Similar with Brown although the new CBA could give him more incentive to stick around. Williamson would need brass balls to demand anything at this point, Embiid will definitely be asking out if Harden leaves and/or they don't make it past the 2nd round. Lillard cares more about loyalty (i.e. money) so he's not going anywhere.

Stars That Could (Not will, just that it's on the table) Be Traded For Better Fitting Star Without Requesting Trade
Trae Young
Rudy Gobert
Deandre Ayton (Like OG, not like the others, but just a more noteworthy name than the other players that fit this criteria and haven't already been listed)
OG Anunoby (Toronto could also choose to trade Anunoby for more guard depth in a 1-for-1 swap)

Similar to above but I don't see Gobert going anywhere. If we'd failed to make the playoffs or if that ugliness from the Lakers game seemed to be an actual thing maybe they would have moved him. But we made the playoffs, him and Anderson looked like bros and they gave up far too much to move on from him now. And as much as people like to rag on him/the trade, the simple truth is that there isn't enough evidence to say whether it worked or failed yet. So I'm curious what the team looks like with a full season + training camp.

Young, maybe, depends on Quin I guess. But he's a definite "more valuable to me than you" kind of guy so I'm not sure what Atlanta would be comfortable accepting. Ayton I saw being moved under Sarver for money reasons especially since they use him as a glorified role player but I think their new owner is a real moneybags so that concern is likely lessened. And I could see Toronto moving Anunoby if they're worried about keeping him but it's hard to tell that one (and I have no idea if they have a plan up there).

[TheBrooklynKidd]

Save Money.

True. It was cheaper to pay the Kings to take Kessler than it was to waive him and pay luxury taxes.

They needed Kesslers roster spot in preparation for the KD and Kyrie trades.

I think NYG can add “Flexibility” as an reason as well.

But to your point this is a cap savings motivation because otherwise they would have just waived Kessler for the flexibility.

Can you provide an example of where flexibility was the driving force of a real life trade and not one of the 7 things in OP?

What about when a team trades a draft pick on draft night for a future one?

[NYG]

True. It was cheaper to pay the Kings to take Kessler than it was to waive him and pay luxury taxes.

They needed Kesslers roster spot in preparation for the KD and Kyrie trades.

I think NYG can add “Flexibility” as an reason as well.

But to your point this is a cap savings motivation because otherwise they would have just waived Kessler for the flexibility.

Can you provide an example of where flexibility was the driving force of a real life trade and not one of the 7 things in OP?

What about when a team trades a draft pick on draft night for a future one?

I would consider that to have the same motivation as moving up or down in the draft. A team wouldn't trade a current pick for a future one based on flexibility, but rather preferring the value offered over what's on the board.

[NYG]

Teams Blatantly Trying To Rebuild
Bulls (I think they join the bottom as their pick will have already conveyed and they could just get a kings ransom as the biggest seller in town on a team with a limited ceiling)
Hornets
Spurs
(I think Rockets, Pistons and Magic make contention minded moves this off-season)

The Spurs are the only team here that I think will continue to blatantly tank, unless the Bulls' pick somehow jumps into the top 4 (so they've got something to sell their fans on for next season).

I don't think the Hornets can afford to keep sucking.

Teams Trying To Save Money (Please note, neither is a team trying to rebuild so they're more likely to give to do this in a way that improves them or try to to save money with the least amount of talent downgrade possible)
Hawks
Heat

The Hawks already cut costs this past offseason and AFAIK they don't have anyone for next year that's in line for a significant payrise, so not sure I see them being here. The Heat maybe, I can't remember if Herro's extension will kick in this offseason or if it's already around? I imagine they're comfortable replacing any role players through their development program however so they'll save money there.

I can see the Clippers being a darkhorse for this. Ballmer might **** diamond crusted gold bars but the new CBA is going to be so absurdly restrictive financially that they might want to start getting ahead of it. Especially with some of their players that just don't get minutes (Covington comes to mind).

Stars That Could (Not will, just that it's on the table) Request Trade
Trae Young
Jaylen Brown
Karl-Anthony Towns
Zion Williamson
Joel Embiid (If Harden leaves?)
Damian Lillard (If the Blazers keep their pick?)
OG Anunoby (I know, I know "one of these is not like the others", but I could see him being a noteworthy player that requests a trade and be dealt for picks/assets even if Toronto isn't blatantly rebuilding)

I don't think KAT asks out anymore. If we missed the playoffs I could have seen some ugliness coming out but there's no expectations anymore going against Denver, especially with McDaniels and Reid out.

The Hawks would have to spectacularly flame out for Trae to demand a trade...which I guess is possible. Similar with Brown although the new CBA could give him more incentive to stick around. Williamson would need brass balls to demand anything at this point, Embiid will definitely be asking out if Harden leaves and/or they don't make it past the 2nd round. Lillard cares more about loyalty (i.e. money) so he's not going anywhere.

Stars That Could (Not will, just that it's on the table) Be Traded For Better Fitting Star Without Requesting Trade
Trae Young
Rudy Gobert
Deandre Ayton (Like OG, not like the others, but just a more noteworthy name than the other players that fit this criteria and haven't already been listed)
OG Anunoby (Toronto could also choose to trade Anunoby for more guard depth in a 1-for-1 swap)

Similar to above but I don't see Gobert going anywhere. If we'd failed to make the playoffs or if that ugliness from the Lakers game seemed to be an actual thing maybe they would have moved him. But we made the playoffs, him and Anderson looked like bros and they gave up far too much to move on from him now. And as much as people like to rag on him/the trade, the simple truth is that there isn't enough evidence to say whether it worked or failed yet. So I'm curious what the team looks like with a full season + training camp.

Young, maybe, depends on Quin I guess. But he's a definite "more valuable to me than you" kind of guy so I'm not sure what Atlanta would be comfortable accepting. Ayton I saw being moved under Sarver for money reasons especially since they use him as a glorified role player but I think their new owner is a real moneybags so that concern is likely lessened. And I could see Toronto moving Anunoby if they're worried about keeping him but it's hard to tell that one (and I have no idea if they have a plan up there).

So on this, if you're trying to get a good player using picks this off-season, your options are Doug McDermott, Zach Collins or Joel Embiid (if Harden leaves). Otherwise you would need to give up a good player at a position of depth to get another good player at a position of need.

Also, on the Hawks...

Projected NBA Salary Cap: $134,000,000
Projected NBA Luxury Tax: $162,000,000

Hawks
Trae Young $40,064,220
John Collins $25,340,000
Clint Capela $21,116,000
De'Andre Hunter $20,089,286
Bogdan Bogdanovic $18,700,000
Dejounte Murray $18,214,000
Onyeka Okongwu $8,109,063
Saddiq Bey $4,556,983
A.J. Griffin $3,712,920
Jalen Johnson $2,925,360
Bruno Fernando $2,581,522
Garrison Mathews $2,000,000
Vit Krejci $1,836,096
Tyrese Martin $1,719,864
15th Overall $4,033,440

Total Salary $174,998,754
Tax Space -$12,998,754
Cap Space $0
Cap Holds $0

[Devilanche]

6. The flexibility can probably extend to roster spot as well. Moving a non rotational player before the trade deadline so you will have an empty spot to sign a buyout vet.

[NYG]

6. The flexibility can probably extend to roster spot as well. Moving a non rotational player before the trade deadline so you will have an empty spot to sign a buyout vet.

But you could just waive that player. What's the motivation to trade him if not for cap savings?

[Devilanche]

6. The flexibility can probably extend to roster spot as well. Moving a non rotational player before the trade deadline so you will have an empty spot to sign a buyout vet.

But you could just waive that player. What's the motivation to trade him if not for cap savings?

Trading away his rights ? Doing a solid with the agent?

If he’s waived , he can get a new contract but might not get his rights . Not that it will matter for most.

Afterall , it usually cost them some time to do paperwork and a right to a player that’s not coming over.