As the 2019 NBA Trade Deadline creeps closer, 3-point shooting is at a premium. Here are five sharpshooters that playoff teams should check in on.
Man has known that three is greater than two for centuries now, but it’s taken until about halfway through the 2010s for the NBA to embrace it as doctrine. The 3-point shot was first implemented back in 1979, but its true advent has come over the last few seasons.
Mid-range shots are dead, and in a copycat league, teams have tried to replicate the Houston Rockets’ success with a high-volume of 3-pointers and layups, as well as the Golden State Warriors’ success with efficiency, pace-and-space, positional versatility, smart cutting and deft passing.
In the modern NBA, it takes switchable wings, multi-faceted defenders and yes, 3-point threats in at least 3-4 positions on the court to find success. Being able to spread the floor to 3-point range opens everything else up, and of course, three points will always be worth more than two.
Bearing this in mind, floor-spacers are at a premium in today’s NBA. Once seen as one-dimensional contributors, even that single dimension of being able to come off screens and knock down looks, or standing in the corner for 3 to punish defenses foolish enough to help, is valuable now.
Approaching the 2019 NBA Trade Deadline, there are 13 teams that could realistically challenge for a playoff spot, and it was 14 before the Memphis Grizzlies decided to lean into blowing it up. In the East, there are at least 11 teams still within striking distance of a postseason berth.
This could result in a quiet trade deadline, but the few sellers on the market still have assets to offer that would help bolster a playoff team’s rotation for April and beyond. With shooting being more coveted higher than ever, it’s worth taking a look at the collection of 3-point marksmen that could be available at the deadline.
For our purposes, we’ll be avoiding players who can do a more than just shoot (Otto Porter Jr., Kent Bazemore), guys who are unlikely to be available (Bojan Bogdanovic, Reggie Bullock, Anthony Tolliver) and players whose contracts might be too pricy to arrange a simple deal around (Porter, Bazemore, Wesley Matthews, J.R. Smith).
The goal here is to find 3-point shooters, possibly on expiring contracts, that would be attainable for most teams because their salaries aren’t too difficult to move. Bearing all that in mind, here are five shooters NBA teams should monitor as the 2019 NBA Trade Deadline creeps closer.
Honorable Mentions: J.R. Smith, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Alec Burks, Jeff Green, Omri Casspi, Anthony Tolliver, Reggie Bullock, Wesley Matthews