Creative trades for NBA contenders: Part I

When parity reigns, a slight edge could get you a ring

BY DAVID THORPE

Donovan Mitchell’s potential suitor might be a lot nearer to Salt Lake City. ALEX GOODLETT/GETTY IMAGES

We have been writing about how flat the odds are to win this year’s NBA title. Maybe 20 teams currently have a shot. For fans, it’s fun to have things so up in the air—if the playoffs began today, all 16 teams would be legitimate title contenders. But for front offices, it means now is the time to find an edge. A small improvement today could mean a title in June. 

On paper, the solution seems easy enough: Acquire a big-time difference maker immediately. But “available” rarely means “easy to acquire.” Over the next two weeks, I’ll be presenting trades that could help contenders win this year’s title. Next week, we’ll discuss names like Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, OG Anunoby, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Today, we’ll be looking at deals involving Donovan Mitchell, Mike Conley, Myles Turner, and Tyler Herro.