With the 2023 NBA draft lottery taking place next week, the NBA's worst teams finally have something to look forward to.
Along with some lottery luck, they can also begin planning some summer trades, ones that can either accelerate the rebuild or cash in young talent for win-now help.
For the Charlotte Hornets, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs, these are trade packages all should consider.
Charlotte Hornets
Charlotte Hornets Receive: SG Dalen Terry, PG Lonzo Ball, SF Derrick Jones Jr. (player option)
Chicago Bulls Receive: G/F Gordon Hayward
The Hornets took a major step back in 2022-23 and could already feel pressure to keep LaMelo Ball happy as he enters the final year of his rookie contract.
Hayward, now 33 and entering the last year of his own contract, shouldn't be viewed as a core piece in Charlotte any longer. The Hornets should see what they can get for Hayward before he likely leaves in free agency next season, even if the return is modest.
This is where both teams can help each other.
Lonzo Ball is expected to miss most, if not all, of the 2023-24 season following a third knee surgery, but even having him around the team in Charlotte and with his brother could help keep LaMelo happy. If this latest knee surgery is a success, a future backcourt featuring both Ball brothers could be a huge win for Charlotte, given the collective size, passing and defensive abilities of both. If Lonzo continues to miss time, his contract is down to just one guaranteed year plus a player option for $21.4 million in 2024-25.
For now, the Hornets receive Terry, the 18th overall pick of the 2022 draft out of Arizona. The 20-year-old played sparingly as a rookie but has terrific size for a shooting guard at 6'7", with his long arms able to shoot over or around defenders. Per 36 minutes of play, Terry averaged 14.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.9 steals, 0.8 blocks and shot 44.4 percent overall. Jones helps fill minutes on the wing for Charlotte with Hayward gone, although he'd need to pick up his $3.4 million player option first.
With the Bulls looking to win now, moving Ball for a player like Hayward who can play immediately is the right move.
Hayward put up 14.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists and shot 47.5 percent overall this past season for the Hornets and could serve as a starter between Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan or become the team's sixth man.
With the Bulls' offense struggling this season (24th overall, 112.8 rating), essentially swapping Terry and Jones for Hayward would improve this scoring attack while also shedding $21.4 million worth of salary in 2024-25.
Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons Receive: 2024 first-round pick (via Detroit Pistons), 2024 second-round pick (via Detroit Pistons), G/F Evan Fournier
New York Knicks Receive: F Bojan Bogdanovic
If the Pistons want to regain control of their future draft picks, the Knicks hold the key.
Detroit currently owes its 2024 first-round pick to New York, a selection that carries a protection all the way until 2027 (protected for selections 1-18 in 2024, 1-13 in 2025, 1-11 in 2026 and 1-9 in 2027). This severely limits what the Pistons front office can do, unless the pick is conveyed to New York or the Knicks trade it back to Detroit. For now, the Pistons would not be able to trade a first-round pick until 2029.
This trade would change that.
By sending Bogdanovic to the Knicks, Detroit gets control of its 2024 first and second-round selections. This would mean the Pistons could have the freedom to trade four first-rounders (in 2024, 2026, 2028 and 2030) instead of one.
While Fournier isn't at the same level as Bogdanovic, he does give Detroit another floor-spacing, veteran forward to place between the young guards and forward on this roster.
For a New York team that ranks dead last in three-point shooting this postseason (28.2 percent), getting Bogdanovic would make a huge impact on this offense overall.
The 34-year-old averaged a career-high 21.6 points for the Pistons this past season, hitting 45.5 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes. Having him space the floor for players like Jalen Brunson, RJ Barrett and Julius Randle to operate would help open everything up.