Training camps are barely underway, but the trade chatter is already taking shape, and Sean Deveney of Heavy Sports laid out an early list of names that could surface between now and the February deadline.
None of these situations point to a deal right around the corner. Still, the picture is clear enough: a few teams are already weighing whether their roster timelines and their veteran pieces still line up.
Ty Jerome is one of the more straightforward names to watch in Memphis. If the Grizzlies stay committed to getting younger, Deveney sees him as a logical trade candidate.
Jerome has two years and about $19 million left on his deal, including a player option, and he put up 19.7 points per game while shooting 42 percent from 3-point range in 15 games last season. The wrinkle is obvious, though: Memphis doesn’t have extra point guards lying around, which means Jerome could still matter to the Grizzlies even if other teams come calling with future assets.
Darius Garland sits in a different category entirely. He’s the type of player who could change the conversation for a team, and Deveney pegged him as the Clippers player most likely to bring back a package built around two first-round picks as Los Angeles sorts out its future after the heavy penalties from the Kawhi Leonard-Aspiration investigation.
Garland has two years and about $87 million left on his contract. His injury history could affect the market, but a 26-year-old former All-Star point guard is still going to draw attention if the Clippers decide to make him available.
Dejounte Murray is another name to keep on the board, though his situation looks more like a wait-and-see case. The Pelicans guard is returning from an Achilles injury and has two years and roughly $63 million remaining, including a player option.
Deveney expects teams to want to see how Murray looks once he’s healthy before things really heat up, with a trade candidacy more likely to take shape closer to the deadline. For New Orleans, that makes plenty of sense; there’s no reason to sell low now if a strong first half can raise his value.
Daniel Gafford gives Dallas another veteran trade angle to monitor. The Mavericks are getting younger, while Gafford turns 28 in October and has three years and approximately $54 million left on his contract.
Deveney reported that moving the center has been among the team’s goals. Even so, Gafford isn’t the kind of player Dallas has to dump for pennies.
He’s a proven starting-caliber big man with playoff experience, and teams looking for help at the rim should have interest.
For now, it’s still September, and nobody is packing bags just yet.
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