Being that I love the NBA, I'm going to break down, position by position, the players with the most trade value at this point in time.
The point guard position is probably the most dominant position in the NBA right now. There is a ton of talent across the league at this position as the NBA has become a smaller and smaller league overall.
You look at guys like Russell Westbrook, Derrick Rose and Chris Paul and you see that they are extremely important to their teams but how do they rank against each other in trade value around the league?
These are the point guards who would get the most in return for their team.
(Note: this piece takes injuries and injury history into consideration.)
Index:
PER: Player Efficiency Rating - Overall production per minute, league average is 15.
TS%: True Shooting percentage - Takes into account all types the shots (2s, 3s and free throws)
AST%: Assist percentage - Amount of teammates' field goals he's assisted.
1. Chris Paul, 28 years old, Los Angeles Clippers - Contract: (First year) 5 years, $107 million -
I understand that he's injured and won't be back for a while but this guy is the quintessential point guard. Not only does he make the teammates around him so much better (had a 54 percent assist percentage before hurting his shoulder) but he can also knock down just about any shot you give him. There's a reason he's the highest paid point guard. He's got a huge contract to live up to but CP3 is in his prime and considering the way his team is set up around him, that shouldn't be a problem.
2. Tony Parker, 31 years old, San Antonio Spurs - Contract: (Third year) 4 years, $50 million -
In typical Spurs fashion, Parker is that point guard that is underpaid and underrated around the league but not here. He's not going to sneak under my radar. Parker has led the Spurs (along with Tim Duncan) to three NBA titles including one in his rookie year. The scary thing about Tony Parker is that it seems like he's gotten even better the last few years. He's so quick and can finish around the rim with the best of them. He's already drawn 37 "And-1s" so far this year, according to Basketball-Reference and has a TS% of 57 percent.
3. Russell Westbrook, 25 years old, Oklahoma City Thunder - Contract: (Second year) 5 years, $78.5 million -
Russy is also hurt but is apparently off his crutches after undergoing his third knee operation since April and could return pretty soon. OKC better hope Westbrook gets back soon as they haven't been the same in his absence. Sure, they're still 28-10 overall but they're only 5-4 in Westbrook's absence and the offense has struggled. Westbrook doesn't shoot the greatest percentage but the threat of him getting to the hole at will opens up shots for shot-maker Kevin Durant. Westbrook only being 25 helps his value here.
4. Eric Bledsoe, 24 years old, Phoenix Suns - Contract: (Final year of rookie deal) -
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| Bledsoe with the Suns. |
5. Derrick Rose, 25 years old, Chicago Bulls - Contract: (Second year) 5 years, $93 million -
The fact that Rose hasn't really played in what will be two full NBA seasons hurts his value here. Honestly, had that first knee injury never happened, he'd probably be number one on this list. So before you charge my place of residence with torches, understand that I'm aware of the All-World Derrick Rose possesses. I'd at least listen probably any trade presented to the Bucks for him, despite the injuries. You really don't need advanced stats to see the impact D-Rose has on a basketball game. He's just so fast and is too big and strong to be defended by guys his own size. He's learned how to shoot over time as well. Hopefully (or maybe not), Rose gets healthy and can get back to where he was. Rose will probably still be a matchup nightmare when he gets back, despite blowing out both knees over the past two years.
6. Steph Curry, 25 years old, Golden State Warriors - Contract: (First year) 4 years, $44 million -
Curry probably cost himself a better contract by being fairly injury prone over his first two or three seasons but the Warriors handed Curry the extension based on what he could/would become. He really broke out last year when we started 78 games for the Dubs and shot 45.3 percent from beyond the arc. This year he's shooting 44. 5 percent of his shots from three but his TS% is 57 percent. While his three point shooting numbers a down a bit (still better than the league average) his overall shooting has gotten better. Curry also passes the eye test, at least for me. Just like his jumper, his passing is so smooth and pretty. He really makes a lot of hard shots look easy, as seen below:
7. Damian Lillard, 23 years old, Portland TrailBlazers - Contract: (second year of rookie deal) -
The difficulty of trying to justify putting Lillard seventh just exemplifies the talent at the point guard position in the NBA right now. Lillard won the rookie of the year last year and has taken that next step. The Blazers are making me eat crow this year after I accused them of being stuck in the mediocrity treadmill. Well, Lillard and forward LaMarcus Aldridge and their supporting cast have jumped out to a 28-9 start and are in second place in the Western Conference. The way he's projecting, talk to me in a calendar year and Lillard is probably easily in the top 5 of this list. He's raised his TS% from 54.6 percent last year to 58.3 percent thus far this season. This rising star's stock continues to rise by the day.
8. Kyrie Irving, 21 years old, Cleveland Cavaliers - Contract: (Third year of rookie deal) -
The number one overall selection in the 2011 NBA Draft hasn't entirely disappointed but I think many fans and pundits expected more out of Irving and the Cavs this season. Irving's numbers pretty much across the board are down from his first two seasons. Still, Irving is very young and is a building block for Cleveland going forward. The whispers of LeBron going back to Cleveland after this season are going to get louder and louder (just speculation) as the season nears the end. I think Irving with LeBron is a great one-two punch and would compete for a championship right away.
9. John Wall, 23 years old, Washington Wizards - Contract: (Final year of rookie deal; entering 5 year, $80 million max contract next year) -
Wall is also former number one overall pick and he's been pretty solid. His youth benefits his trade value over some of the guys I might put behind him. People really took note of John Wall's impact last year when the Wizards went 5-28 to start the year without Wall and then played around .500 ball with him to finish the year with 29 wins. This year, he's averaging 19.6 points per game and 8.6 assists per game but his team has been rather inconsistent this year. However, when you think about it, Wall's supporting cast hasn't been the greatest. Nene is always hurt and Marcin Gortat's numbers are a bit down. Bradley Beal has been a little banged up but is having a pretty nice year but hasn't been efficient. Wall's teammates will have to stay healthy for the Wiz to end up better than the eighth seed in the weak East.
10. Goran Dragic, 27 years old, Phoenix Suns - Contract: (Second year) 4 years, $30 million -
Dragic sneaks into the list by the skin of his teeth. However, if you combine his great play and his reasonable contract, it's not that far-fetched. Let's be honest, the Suns were supposed to be bottom feeders (putting it lightly) this year and Dragic is a big reason why they're playing above their heads. His pick and roll game is top-notch. His advanced stats are up across the board, notably, TS% up to 59.2 percent from 54 percent last year. Also, his turnover percentage is down to 14.1 per 100 possesions from nearly 17 percent per 100 last year. Taking care of the ball is job number one for a point guard. The Suns had two point guards make the list so it'll be interesting to see if they try to move one of them (most likely Dragic) before the deadline or in the offseason. It's a nice problem to have.
Let me know what you think by commenting below or tweeting me @MR_Pratt.
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