The Definitive NBA Albatross Mega-Trade

The financial future of the NBA is decidedly unclear. Issues related to the salary cap, the luxury tax, and more could take weeks or months to resolve, and even longer to normalize. Clubs might act a little more prudently as a result, and be especially mindful of putting out a bloated roster or unattractive product.

It’s already difficult to trade a big-name asset past its prime. Trading a lengthy, over-paid contract - an albatross - could be next to impossible given the above circumstances.

Fortunately for those NBA teams currently in possession of the league’s worst contracts, there is a solution. Rather than dumping albatross contracts, these organizations ought to simply swap them amongst each other.

The Definitive Albatross Mega-Trade

Here we have four former superstars on the wrong side of thirty, with shotty injury history and hefty contracts to boot. As Chris Paul reminded us all, however, the right context and situation can change things considerably.

In this trade, four teams stuck in the mud kick the tires on cleaning up their books, and instead try to reload rather than rebuild. Importantly, each organization has an incentive to win now.

The above trades work as is - no need for salary filler or anything like that. Let’s assume relatively good health and injury luck for these four players moving forward while we break down why this makes sense for each team.

Washington Wizards: Trade John Wall, Receive Blake Griffin

Since Anthony Davis was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, Bradley Beal has become the de facto next star to be traded. And although Beal insists he has no intention of demanding a trade, the Wizards would be wise to try and keep their star happy.

The duo of John Wall and Bradley Beal has been successful at times, but this pairing is past its prime. With a less ball-dominant point guard, Beal will have more room to operate on offense.

Beal and the Wizards are, to put it plainly, terrible at defense. What the team needs is an anchor on D that won’t upset its high-octane offense.

In Blake Griffin, the Wizards would have a big man to set the tone on defense and provide some muscle around the rim. At the same time, he’s just one season removed from making an All-NBA team. His offensive game is much more dynamic than it was in LA - he’d fit great in head coach Scott Brooks’ system.

Washington has what it takes to be competitive in the mediocre Eastern Conference. Given the clubs tepid attendance numbers, generating some buzz and making it back to the playoffs could help the Wizards maintain the right momentum to keep Bradley Beal happy and stave off a full-blown tear down.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Trade Kevin Love, Receive John Wall

Like the Wizards, the Cavaliers seem poised to try and compete in the East rather than enter a full-blown rebuild. An infusion of star talent could help reshape this club entirely.

Tristan Thompson is a 2020 free agent, but has shown great loyalty to Cleveland. Andre Drummond has a player option for this season worth $28.7 million. One or both of these players could end up back with the Cavs, giving the team at least one tremendous rim runner.

The Cavs frontcourt is big, tough, and intriguing. The backcourt is not. Colin Sexton and Darius Garland have disappointed greatly. Pairing one of Cleveland’s bigs with a pick and roll, fast-break maestro could make for some excellent ball.

With Wall and the right big man, the Cavaliers would have something of an offensive identity, something that has been sorely lacking in recent years in the Land. Throw in a few shooters, and this team might have enough juice to actually compete for a playoff spot.

Houston Rockets: Trade Russell Westbrook, Receive Kevin Love

James Harden can’t do it alone for the Rockets. Consistently we’ve seen him run out of gas or answers down the stretch in the postseason. Houston relies on him a lot - it’s time to give him an actual running mate.

Russell Westbrook simply isn’t a complimentary piece to Harden. Yes, he had a stretch this regular season where things seemed to click, but his game requires too many touches, and too much space to really work alongside Harden.

Kevin Love, on the other hand, is positionally very different than Harden, and so the two wouldn’t step on each other’s toes as much. Love’s ability to create his own shot would give Harden a bit of a chance to rest at times, while his knock-down shooting would also supplement Harden quite well.

The Rockets are always big buck hunting - despite James Harden trade buzz, an actual rebuild seems quite unlikely. Instead, bringing in Kevin Love satisfies Houston’s ethos of parading in big name players while actually making the roster fit a little bit better in the process.

Detroit Pistons: Trade Blake Griffin, Receive Russell Westbrook

The storied Detroit Pistons left the equally iconic Palace of Auburn Hills for a downtown arena in 2017. Attendance worries and overall interest in the team has been a concern since.

Detroit desperately needs to get a little bit of buzz going and to help make their new house a home. Russell Westbrook - one of the most electric stars in the league - could do exactly that.

Westbrook was the darling of the small-market Oklahoma City Thunder. Whether or not he’s good enough to get a team to the Finals is one thing, but he’s certainly going to put on a show in the process.

The Pistons aren’t going anywhere fast right now - it needs a new North Star, a foundation on which to build. Players like Christian Wood and Luke Kennard are fun stories, but they won’t sell jerseys and tickets like a bonafide stud like Westbrook.

The benefit for all of these trades is that no team really risks much of anything. As presently situated, these albatross contracts and the players to whom they are attached aren’t getting much done. Rolling the dice and swapping around a few bad assets is a high upside proposition - if it goes south, you’re right back where you started.