Heat is on Jonathan Kuminga? Four NBA Western Conference trade candidates

Brandon Ingram | New Orleans Pelicans

The Pelicans (5-23) expected to be a low-end playoff team this season, but they are wracked by injuries. Owner Gayle Benson doesn’t want to fork out big bucks for a contender, so she’s certainly not going to stand by as her last-place team costs her $176 million in payroll, placing it into the luxury tax.

Expect changes, starting with one of the two “tentpole stars” of the team, Ingram (22.2 PPG). He’s out with an ankle injury but has played well. It’s debatable whether Ingram is worth the $36M he will make this season, the last year of his current deal. He’s certainly not worth the max that he’s apparently chasing.

The Pellies might choose to wait it out and see if their man gets rebuffed on the free-agency landscape this offseason, thus making him cheaper to re-sign. Given his clunky fit around other stars, spotty defense and contract demands, Ingram might be traded for peanuts if New Orleans decides to deal him. If the Pelicans can get a decent first-round pick, that might be good enough.

Jonathan Kuminga | Golden State Warriors

What is Kuminga? It’s year four and the Warriors are still asking themselves that question. He’s an athletic marvel, capable of making jawdropping plays but also likely to shoot 4-for-19, repeatedly blow defensive assignments and make needless fouls inside 90 seconds.

The famed Warriors finishing school that did so much for Andrew Wiggins and all their other home-grown talent hasn’t gotten the best from Kuminga (15.3 PPG, 4.4 RPG). Could a dose of #HeatCulture be the tonic he needs? A deal with Miami centered on Wiggins and/or Brandin Podziemski has been reported, but in any trade for Jimmy Butler, the Heat will hold out for Kuminga.

With the Warriors hard-capped as a second-apron team, any trade for Butler will require spectacular cap gymnastics, no matter the players going the other way.

Jordan Clarkson | Utah Jazz

Despite hoarding more draft capital than anybody this side of OKC GM Sam Presti, the Jazz (6-20) probably will be sellers. John Collins, Collin Sexton and Walker Kessler could be moved if the price is right (Realistically, anybody not named Lauri Markkanen could be moved if the price is right; such is life with Danny Ainge at the helm.) We’re going to focus on veteran microwave scorer Clarkson.

Now 32, Clarkson (15.1 PPG) continues to light it up off the bench for struggling Utah. He has never been the most efficient player, and his shooting numbers have slipped (40.3% from the field this season) given the difficulty of the shots he’s now forced to take. That said, Clarkson is a prime-time player, a gunner who possesses the “clutch” gene. That’s a skill that is utterly wasted on this version of the Jazz.

Practically any contending team with a gap in its guard rotation could be interested in him. He’s better than Milwaukee’s Gary Trent Jr. and a lot better than Philadelphia’s Eric Gordon or the New York Knicks’ Cameron Payne. 

Clarkson would be a fine fit in Dallas, where fans know the limitations of Spencer Dinwiddie all too well and Jaden Hady isn’t quite ready for prime time. If Orlando is still looking for a shooter, Cole Anthony and a pick could get it done. If the Lakers finally move D’Angelo Russell, they could do a lot worse than replacing him with Clarkson.

DeAndre Ayton | Portland Trail Blazers

In Ayton, Robert Williams, Duop Reath and rookie Donovan Clingan, the Blazers have too many centers. The ongoing health concerns regarding Williams, in effect, take him out of the equation, but three still does not go into two. With a lottery pick invested in Clingan and Reath being far cheaper, Ayton is expendable.

The 26-year-old has a serious skillset, including the ability to score down low, stretch the floor a little (if not quite to three-point range) and make nice passing plays. Plus, he has quick hands and protects the basket. 

At 7-foot and 250 pounds, Ayton (14.3 PPG, 10.2 RPG) is massive and has on occasion shown the daintiness of a dancer. Unfortunately, he’s shown far less physicality and drive than most dancers, only sporadically engaging all his multitude of gifts. And therein lies the problem: We’re in year seven of the “DominAyton” experience and we’re still talking about potential instead of results.

Another factor to consider is that there really isn’t a market for legitimate starting centers who need the ball and are not defensively elite. In a vacuum, is Ayton a better player than Toronto’s Jakob Poeltl? Yes. Does he have a more valuable, more placeable skill set? That’s debatable.

The Blazers (9-18) will want to deal Ayton, but they may not be offered much for him.