NBA contenders don\u2019t always need another superstar. Sometimes the main pieces are already there, but one roster weakness keeps showing up against the best teams. One additional creator, shooter, or two-way wing can completely change how a playoff rotation works.<\/p>\n
The Pacers, Blazers, and Magic are in three different situations. The Pacers are getting Tyrese Haliburton back after an injury-destroyed season. The Blazers added Ja Morant to a 42-win roster. The Magic already won 45 games with one of the league\u2019s strongest young cores. None of these teams should make a trade only to become slightly better. They need to attack the exact weakness keeping them below the championship level.<\/p>\n
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3. The Pacers Only Need One Defensive Monster<\/p>\n
Indiana Pacers Receive: Herb Jones<\/p>\n
New Orleans Pelicans Receive: Aaron Nesmith, Jarace Walker, 2031 first-round pick, 2033 first-round pick (top-five protected)<\/p>\n
The Pacers<\/a>\u2018 rough 19-63 record last season doesn\u2019t really show what this team can become. Tyrese Haliburton missed the entire year recovering from his torn right Achilles tendon, and Indiana traded Bennedict Mathurin at the deadline to bring in Ivica Zubac. With a healthy Haliburton back, the offense should flow again, and Zubac gives them a solid 7-foot big man who put up 14.1 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game last season.<\/p>\n What Indiana still needs is an elite wing defender who can lock down the opponent\u2019s best scorer every single night. Herb Jones<\/a> fits that role perfectly right away. The 6\u20197\u2033 forward averaged 8.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and a strong 2.1 combined steals and blocks in 56 games.<\/p>\n His offense wasn\u2019t pretty, and he shot just 38.3% from the field and 30.9% from three, but his defense stayed at an elite level. Jones already carries two All-Defensive First Team honors in the last 4 seasons, and he can guard guards, wings, and even power forwards without much help.<\/p>\n A starting lineup with Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Jones, Pascal Siakam, and Zubac would have almost no clear defensive weaknesses. Jones could take the toughest perimeter matchup, Nembhard could pressure the main guard, and Zubac would protect the paint. That setup would let Siakam save energy instead of guarding elite forwards all night, while Haliburton could focus more on creating plays.<\/p>\n The package to get him wouldn\u2019t be cheap, though. The Pelicans<\/a> aren\u2019t actively shopping Jones. According to reports from Marc Stein and Jake Fischer<\/a>, New Orleans has listened to offers but turned them all down, asking for multiple future first-round picks. Jones will earn $14.9 million next season and is under team control through at least 2028-29 after his three-year, $67.6 million extension. That deal makes him even more valuable.<\/p>\n For the Pelicans, who finished 26-56 and 11th in the West, this kind of trade could work well. They would get Aaron Nesmith, who averaged 13.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.9 assists while shooting 37.9% from three last season. Jarace Walker adds 11.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists at 37.4% from three as a 22-year-old former lottery pick. Nesmith could help replace some of Jones\u2019 defensive presence immediately, Walker brings young upside, and the two first-round picks would meet New Orleans\u2019 reported asking price. It feels like a solid mix of win-now help and long-term assets.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 2. A Perfect Two-Way Wing For The Blazers<\/p>\n Portland Trail Blazers Receive: Trey Murphy III<\/p>\n New Orleans Pelicans Receive: Shaedon Sharpe, Scoot Henderson, 2031 first-round pick<\/p>\n The Blazers<\/a> went 42-40 and finished eighth in the Western Conference last season before making one of their boldest moves in years. They traded Jerami Grant and Kris Murray to bring in Ja Morant<\/a>, adding another explosive playmaker to a roster that already includes Deni Avdija, Shaedon Sharpe, Jrue Holiday, Damian Lillard, Toumani Camara, and Donovan Clingan. Morant averaged 19.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 8.1 assists in just 20 games, but he shot only 41.0% from the field and a rough 23.5% from three.<\/p>\n That deal definitely raised Portland\u2019s offensive ceiling, but it also made their spacing issues more obvious. The Blazers shot just 34.3% from three as a team last season, which was tied for the third-worst mark in the NBA, and they hit only 33.8% of their corner threes. Losing Grant, their most reliable perimeter shooter, made the problem even worse.<\/p>\n Trey Murphy III<\/a> is one of the best possible fixes. He put up 21.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.9 stocks last season. He shot an impressive 47.0% from the field, 37.9% from three, and 88.6% from the free-throw line, while knocking down 3.2 threes per game.<\/p>\n The fit would be excellent. Morant and Avdija create constant pressure around the paint, as Avdija averaged 24.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 6.7 assists but shot only 31.8% from three. Adding Murphy next to them would force defenses to pick their poison: help on drives or leave a high-volume shooter wide open. Camara and Clingan could handle the toughest defensive jobs, while Murphy brings the shooting Portland desperately needs.<\/p>\n Of course, the price would be steep. Murphy is only 26, under contract, and playing like a borderline All-Star. Marc Stein reported that the Pelicans have listened to offers for him, even if they aren\u2019t actively shopping him. The return they want is close to what Orlando gave up for Desmond Bane. Murphy will make $27 million next season as part of his four-year, $112 million extension.<\/p>\n For the Pelicans, who went 26-56 and finished 11th in the West, the return could make sense. Shaedon Sharpe would give them a young scorer who averaged 20.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.6 assists while shooting 45.2% from the field and 33.7% from three. Scoot Henderson adds another high-upside former top-three pick with 14.2 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. Throwing in an unprotected first-round pick would help New Orleans build a clearer future.<\/p>\n Yes, it feels like an overpay, but championship-caliber trades usually do. The Blazers have too many guards and not enough two-way shooting. Swapping Sharpe and Henderson for Murphy could create a strong closing lineup of Morant, Avdija, Murphy, Camara, and Clingan. That group would bring rim pressure, playmaking, shooting, wing defense, and rim protection. Murphy might be exactly the piece that turns Portland from an interesting playoff team into a real threat in the West.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 1. The Magic Could Be Scary With A Superstar Guard<\/p>\n Orlando Magic Receive: Kyrie Irving<\/p>\n Dallas Mavericks Receive: Jalen Suggs, 2032 first-round pick<\/p>\n The Magic<\/a> finished 45-37 and already have Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Desmond Bane as their offensive core. Their remaining problem is clear: Orlando still needs an elite guard who can create his own shot, organize the half-court offense, and score efficiently when playoff defenses stop the first action. Kyrie Irving<\/a> would immediately solve all three problems.<\/p>\n Irving missed the entire 2025-26 season while completing his recovery from the torn ACL in his left knee, but he said in May that he was close to 100%. In his last healthy season, Kyrie averaged 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists while shooting 47.3% from the field and 40.1% from three. He would give Orlando the late-clock shot creation it currently doesn\u2019t have and remove pressure from Banchero and Wagner.<\/p>\n