Bill Simmons NBA Trade Value by Aaron Fennell-Chametzky
A wild, wild NBA Trade Deadline saw center DeMarcus Cousins traded from Sacramento to New Orleans.
Note: all pictures were legally obtained using the “labeled for noncommercial reuse” tool on Google Images.
Introduction
“Read your Simmons!” That is a common phrase with my brothers and me. We are referring to Bill Simmons, “The Sports Guy,” the greatest sportswriter of all time. One of my favorite Simmons columns is his NBA Trade Value special. He updated it every year from 2001 until 2015, but when he was fired from ESPN (for talking negatively about NFL commissioner Roger Goodell), the column was discontinued. This is my attempt to make my own new version of Simmons’ Trade Value column for the 2016-17 NBA Season.
Rules
- Salaries matter.
- Age matters.
- Contract length matters.
- For the next 24 hours, the league passed a rule that said any player can be traded without cap ramifications, but the salaries still exist.
- Concentrate on degrees.
- This list runs in reverse order.
This Year’s Honorable Mention Trade Value Guys: Chris Paul (free agent), Blake Griffin (injuries are concerning), Paul George (worried about his past injuries), Rudy Gobert (great defender but can’t see him getting much better), Gordon Hayward (not sure if he can be the leader of a real contender), Myles Turner (has the Unicorn potential right there), Klay Thompson (fallen off a cliff defensively, but the shooting’s still there), Bradley Beal (showing everyone why he was the third pick), Kemba Walker (one of the most underrated players in the league), Kyle Lowry (quietly peaking at age 30), DeMar DeRozan (best two-guard in the league), Dirk Nowitzki (getting back to form; almost no way Dallas would trade him now).
Note on infographic: the lower the number, the better.
And Without Further Ado…
Group D: “No Offense, But I’m Hanging Up”
20. Andrew Wiggins: Although the lack of improvement is slightly worrisome, he’s 21 and averaging a 23-4-3. I’m excited to see where this goes.
note: this picture is from when he was in college
19. Isaiah Thomas: In terms of best right now, he’d easily be in the top ten, but his age (28) and size (5’9 at most) don’t speak well.
18. Damian Lillard: He’s someone who can be the best player on a contender, but not with a redundant sidekick (looking at you, C.J.) McCollum and Ed Davis for Andre Drummond and KCP?
17. Joel Embiid: A unicorn. Would be higher if he played more than half of the team’s games.
16. Kyrie Irving: Established himself as an elite player in the league after last year’s Finals (although not a point guard) and is keeping it going with 24-6-3 and 46-39-90 shooting splits.
15. Jimmy Butler: Blossomed into an all-around beast who is definitely not getting traded at the deadline.
Group C: Practically Untouchable
14. DeMarcus Cousins: After the Pels stole him for not much, his trade value falls out of the top 10. Scary frontcourt with Boogie and the Brow.
13. John Wall: With Chris Paul down due to injury, Wall officially takes the title of “Best Pure Point Guard in the NBA.”
12. Nikola Jokic: Averaging a 20-10-5 since January 1 and single-handedly carrying the Nuggets to a possible eight seed while being the best passing center in the league.
Group B: The Untouchables
11. Draymond Green: He’s the heart and soul of the Warriors and the best power forward today.
10. Kristaps Porzingis: Better than Dirk Nowitzki (who Porzingis is often compared to) at age 21. Sky’s the limit.
Group A: Completely and Utterly Untouchable
9. Karl-Anthony Towns: Putting up insane numbers and is 21 years old, but the defense is definitely an issue.
8. Kawhi Leonard: The best defensive wing now doubles as one of the premier scorers in the league. We haven’t seen this since… wait: prime LeBron!
7. Giannis Antetokounmpo: Player X: 23.5-9-5-2-2, 52-28-79. Player Y: 18.5-9.5-9.5-2.5-0.5, 54-20-76. Player X is the Greek Freak and Player Y is Magic at age 22.
6. Kevin Durant: Made the transition perfectly to Golden State and even turned into one of the most lethal defensive forwards in the league. Currently getting 1.7 blocks per game.
5. Stephen Curry: Although Durant has been better this season, Curry means too much to the franchise and the fans.
4. James Harden: Steve Nash 2.0. Steve Nash was really, really good.
3. Anthony Davis: I am unsure if the Boogie heist will help or hurt; either way, he’s 23 and the best two-way big man since KG/Duncan.
2. Russell Westbrook: Averaging a triple-double and plays with the “there’s no effing way we’re losing this mentality” every game.
1. LeBron James: This is ridiculous. LeBron- Year Two: 27-7-7 with 47-35-75. LeBron- Year Fourteen: 26-9-7.5. I am speechless.