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

Brandon Ingram | New Orleans Pelicans

The Pelicans (5-23) are expected to be a minor playoff team this season but have been plagued by injuries. Owner Gayle Benson doesn’t want to spend a lot of money on a contender, so she certainly won’t sit idly by while her last-place team costs her $176 million in salaries and goes toward the luxury tax.

Expect changes starting with one of the team’s two tentpole stars, Ingram (22.2 PPG). He is out with an ankle injury but played well. It’s questionable whether Ingram is worth the $36 million he will earn this season, the final year of his current contract. He’s certainly not worth the maximum he’s apparently aiming for.

The Pellies could choose to wait and see if their guy gets shunted into the free agency landscape this offseason, making it cheaper to re-sign him. Given his awkwardness around other stars, poor defense and contract demands, Ingram could be traded for peanuts if New Orleans decides to deal him. If the Pelicans can get a good first-round pick, that could be 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 jaw-dropping plays, but also likely shooting 4-for-19, consistently missing defensive assignments in 90 seconds, and committing unnecessary fouls.

The Warriors’ famed alumni who did so much for Andrew Wiggins and all their other homegrown talent didn’t get the best out of Kuminga (15.3 PPG, 4.4 RPG). Could a dose of #HeatCulture be the tonic he needs? There has been reports of a deal with Miami focused on Wiggins and/or Brandin Podziemski, but in any trade for Jimmy Butler, the Heat will hold out for Kuminga.

With the Warriors locked in as a second-place team, any trade for Butler requires spectacular cap gymnastics, regardless of which players go the other way.

Jordan Clarkson | Utah Jazz

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

The now 32-year-old Clarkson (15.1 PPG) continues to shine off the bench for struggling Utah. He has never been the most efficient player, and his shooting numbers have dropped due to the difficulty of the shots he now has to make (40.3% from the field this season). However, Clarkson is a top player, a shooter who has the “clutch” gene. That’s a skill that’s completely wasted in this version of jazz.

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

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

DeAndre Ayton | Portland Trail Blazers

With Ayton, Robert Williams, Duop Reath and rookie Donovan Clingan, the Blazers have too many centers. The ongoing health concerns surrounding Williams do take him out of the equation, but three still doesn’t make two. Since a lottery pick invested in Clingan and Reath is far cheaper, Ayton is expendable.

The 26-year-old has considerable skills, including the ability to score from deep, stretch the floor a bit (though not quite to three-point range) and make nice passing plays. He also has quick hands and protects the basket.

Ayton (14.3 PPG, 10.2 RPG) is massive at 7 feet and 250 pounds and has occasionally displayed the grace of a dancer. Unfortunately, he shows far less physicality and drive than most dancers and only uses his diverse talents sporadically. And therein lies the problem: we’re in the seventh year 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 serious starting players who need the ball and aren’t elite defensively. Is Ayton a better player in a vacuum than Toronto’s Jakob Poeltl? Yes. Does he have more valuable and placeable skills? This is controversial.

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