A year ago at this time, few could have predicted that the Utah Jazz would soon trade away their All-Star duo of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, especially since the franchise was gearing up for another playoff run.
Undoubtedly, we'll see some more surprising deals take place over the summer, especially after some teams inevitably suffer early playoff exits.
Be it a Paul George return to the Eastern Conference, the Atlanta Hawks ending the Dejounte Murray experiment or the Brooklyn Nets finding a suitor for Ben Simmons, the following five deals are already worth thinking about for these 10 teams.
Tyus Jones Takes over Point Guard Duties in Chicago
Chicago Bulls Receive: PG Tyus Jones
Memphis Grizzlies Receive: G Alex Caruso, SG Dalen Terry, 2026 second-round pick
With Lonzo Ball recently undergoing his third knee surgery in a little over a year and likely missing most, if not all, of the 2023-24 season, the Bulls should be looking for point guard help this summer.
Jones is arguably the best backup point guard in the NBA who's done a terrific job filling in for Ja Morant as needed with the Grizzlies the past four years. The 26-year-old is averaging 16.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 8.0 assists, 1.7 steals and shooting 42.2 percent from three in his 21 starts this season and deserves a full-time role.
Assuming Chicago wants to keep its core of Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and free agent Nikola Vucevic together, getting Jones in a trade would help push the Bulls back into the playoffs. With Jones playing out the final year of his contract in Chicago, the Bulls could see where Ball is physically going into the summer of 2024.
Memphis isn't parting with Jones for nothing, of course. He's been far too valuable to the team's success, with or without Morant in the lineup.
Caruso can pick up some backup point guard minutes, is one of the better defenders at his position and has a plus-9.6 swing rating this season (93rd percentile, per Cleaning the Glass). He'd be a nice addition to the Grizzlies bench along with Terry, the 18th overall pick in the 2022 draft by Chicago.
If Memphis believes rookie point guard Kennedy Chandler can play a larger role next season, swapping out Jones before he hits unrestricted free agency for a package of Caruso, Terry and a future second-round pick is good value.
Blazers Swap Anfernee Simons for Raptors' OG Anunoby
Toronto Raptors Receive: G Anfernee Simons, SG Keon Johnson
Portland Trail Blazers Receive: OG Anunoby, F/C Thaddeus Young
In a swap of two of the brightest young players in the NBA, both teams satisfy needs with Simons and Anunoby switching squads.
The Raptors face a very uncertain offseason, one where both Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr. can become unrestricted free agents. Getting Simons would help hedge a loss of either (or both), as the 23-year-old is a talented scorer and distributor.
Simons is putting up 21.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists and shooting 37.7 percent from three in his first season as a full-time starter, serving as one of the few bright spots in Portland this year. For a Raptors team that needs backcourt help and players who can create their own shot, Simons would be a perfect fit. Johnson offers upside as well, a 21-year-old, 6'5" guard who recently dropped 20 points in a loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.
For Portland, improving on the defensive end needs to be this offseason's priority.
The Blazers rank just 27th defensively this season (117.4 rating), topping only the tanking San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets and Detroit Pistons. While re-signing Jerami Grant is a must, putting another big wing defender in Anunoby next to him would truly transform Portland into an above-average unit.
Anunoby leads the NBA with 1.9 steals a night, with Toronto allowing 3.9 fewer points per 100 possessions with the 25-year-old in the game. He's one of the few non-bigs who could realistically win Defensive Player of the Year sometime in the near future. No scrub on the other end, Anunoby is also averaging 16.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists and is making 38.8 percent of his three-pointers.
If the Blazers feel good about rookie Shaedon Sharpe's development as a starter at shooting guard next to Lillard next season, moving Simons in a deal for Anunoby better fills this team's needs.