6 NBA trade ideas we could see going down before the deadline

The Mavericks could use a shooter, and they'll need one even more should Tim Hardaway Jr. go to another team as a result of his impending free agency this offseason. Adding Buddy Hield from the hapless Sacramento Kings, who are 18-25 and haven't had a winning season since the 2005-06 season, might be the answer. Hield can rip the net from deep — he's shooting 38.4 percent on over 10 three-point attempts per game, which is lower than his career 40.6 percent mark — and would add another outside threat for Luka Doncic and company.

His contract is a big one — $94 million due until the 2024 season — but it's also a descending contract that goes from $24.2 million this season to $18.8 million in 2023-24. Fortunately for Dallas, they have the room to make that happen, especially if they send James Johnson and his $15.7 million salary to Sacramento along with some other young players and draft assets. The Kings say they'll need to be "blown away" in order to give up Hield, so perhaps Johnson, Josh Green, Wes Iwundu and some draft picks would do the trick. Dallas could also include Tim Hardaway Jr. in the deal, though keeping him and teaming him up with Hield would be ideal.

John Collins is another name to watch out for here but, as I mentioned above, it's getting a little bit more difficult to envision him being moved.

The Bulls have an opportunity to make a big splash ahead of the deadline, and they're right on the cusp of a playoff spot. Will they do anything to boost their short-term chances? That remains to be seen.

The latest report from NBA insider Shams Charania is that there are potential suitors for Lauri Markkanen, and he's a player that could bring back a lot of value. What type of value? Maybe someone like Lonzo Ball. Markkanen wouldn't be a perfect fit in New Orleans, seeing as Zion Williamson and Steven Adams make up the front court, and he certainly wouldn't help the team's defense too much. However, he'd help them hit shots from deep (39.6 percent on 7.2 attempts per game) which is an aspect of the game that they could certainly improve upon (35.4 percent, good for 21st in the NBA). Maybe they're not interested in Markkanen, but another team is, and a three-team deal could emerge.

More importantly, though, is that Lonzo Ball would be a perfect fit in Chicago. Defensive chops? Check. Facilitation skills that are currently lacking from guards Coby White and Tomas Satoransky? Check. Someone to help feed Zach LaVine and run a more methodical offense? Check. He can shoot, he can defend and he'll likely be a hot commodity this offseason if he reaches free agency. With a trade, the Bulls could prevent that from happening.

The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor says that "there's skepticism" around the league regarding the Pelicans' willingness to move Ball, but with an 18-24 record and no proven success with Ball at the helm, it might be better to get something in return for him instead of seeing him walk free.

They won't be out of the Kyle Lowry sweepstakes until the clock strikes 3:00 p.m. ET on the day of the deadline, but there may be some less expensive options for the Sixers to pursue.

Wayne Ellington was absolutely scorching from deep early in the season, adding to his proven track record as a three-point specialist with a 50.5 percent clip through the first month of the season. He's since cooled off but has still sunk 42.2 percent of his attempts, which would rank just behind Seth Curry in Daryl Morey's system. He's making just $2.56 million this season and the Sixers could easily absorb that into part of Al Horford's $8.1 million trade exception while sending away some draft capital in return.

Another possibility was Eric Gordon, though he is currently injured and may not come back until May. The injury puts a real damper on his trade expectations, as ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski notes.

Come the postseason, the Sixers could really use a veteran shooter like Gordon for their run. The fact that Morey would need to unload talent in order to get an injured player, though, doesn't make a trade seem all too likely given the recent injury that will keep Joel Embiid sidelined indefinitely.

Aaron Gordon may be destined for Boston, and Fournier could potentially be a part of any package that gets him there. However, Fournier would be a useful fit for a number of teams around the association, and the New York Knicks make a lot of sense.

Head coach Tom Thibodeau didn't seem all that fond of a big move, saying on separate occasions that he "love(s) the team that we have" and that "it’s important for us to go step-by-step and not skip over things." So adding Fournier, who makes $17 million and would require the Knicks to move a lot of parts, may not fit in Thibodeau's ideal picture.

However, for a playoff-bound team that has already exceeded in making more noise than expected, Fournier might be a good guy to take a stab at. They have more than enough cap room to keep him around past this season, and is anyone in town really all that excited about what Frank Ntilikina and Elfrid Payton are bringing this team for the remainder of the season? Add in a young player like Obi Toppin or Kevin Knox and you might not have to worry about giving away too much draft capital, and both of those young first-round picks are question marks, anyway.

The Knicks don't need to win now, but this would help them to do so and may even paint a clearer picture for the future. The Magic, on the other hand, don't lose Fournier for nothing and gain a young, intriguing player in return.

There are a handful of teams rumored to be in on Raptors scorer Norman Powell, and both of these are interesting to consider for obvious reasons. First off, however, is that the Raptors could be interested in blowing things up. Their loss to the Houston Rockets, who had been on a 20-game losing streak prior to this one, may have cemented that.

The Nets could always use more firepower, as they've shown from their other moves this season, and Powell would slot in at the two to provide some more sweet shooting (43.4 percent from deep) in pursuit of a ring. ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported that the Nets are one of multiple teams that showed interest (h/t All Raptors Fan Nation). Spencer Dinwiddie, who is injured, could be the primary piece, and he could be a more dynamic long-term combo guard for Toronto when he returns seeing as Kyle Lowry's future is also in question.

The Warriors could also use Powell's shooting and might be willing to deal Kelly Oubre to Toronto. Oubre joining Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet is obviously intriguing for the Raptors' future, while Powell is a better fit for the Warriors right now and could probably come with a draft pick among the other assets both sides would need to make the salary swap work out.