Kings: If the Kings are terrible, this might be the year to sell and lose games. Neither one of these packages are particularly enticing, but neither of these stars are particularly valuable. Getting Edey and two firsts for Sabonis is a win, especially considering KCP and Clarke would hold some value in the trade market. Ivey is the gem of the two deals, given he still has serious star initiator upside. Most importantly, moving off of Sabonis and Lavine would propel Sacramento to the bottom of the standings, giving the Kings a real chance at one of the Dybantsa-Boozer-Peterson trio.

Pistons: Last season, slotting Malik Beasley or Tim Hardaway Jr next to the core trio of Cade Ausar and Duren transformed the Pistons from a punchy young squad to a legit playoff team. As talented as Ivey is, he might not be special enough as an off-ball player to be a long term fit in Detroit. Lavine has his warts (defense, playmaking, contract) but he is one of the best off-ball weapons in the NBA. He's the same caliber of shooter as Beasley & THJ off the catch while also providing more juice as a pull-up threat. He can provide the same level of rim pressure as Jaden Ivey as a secondary creator. Detroit can protect him on defense, though he's a notable upgrade over their options at the two last year. Overall, Lavine can amplify the team's strengths and the environment can mask his weaknesses. It's worth the price.

Grizzlies: This trade for Memphis is more opportunistic than anything; Sabonis is far too good of a player to be going for a price like this. Unfortunately for Sacramento, Sabonis can't be a championship level #1, but still needs to be built around. His limitations make him hard to imagine on a contender, so he's gonna be traded at a discount. The thing is, Memphis probably needs a player like him to maximize their potential AND has the infrastructure in place to help him thrive. Sabonis needs to play the 5 defensively but also can't protect the rim; Jaren Jackson Jr is a DPOY level rim protector who is most impactful at the 4. JJJ struggles finishing defensive plays as a rebounder; Sabonis is one of the best rebounders in the league. Ja is at his best offensively with a big who can screen, roll, finish, and crash the glass: Sabonis can be that. Sabonis is at his best offensively as a playmaking hub paired with a fast rim pressuring guard who attacks in transition and can live without the ball: Ja can be that. Outside of the three stars, Memphis also has a collection of young wings and guards who can defend, shoot, put the ball on the floor, and run like hell: a dream surrounding cast for Sabonis. So while Sabonis might not be the sexiest star to make a big splash for, the basketball fit would be too perfect not to consider.