Mario Chalmers is likely on his way out of Miami.
The Miami Heat point guard has been on the trade block this offseason and it appears to only be a matter of time before he’s traded to another team. Chalmers is due to earn $4.3 million for the upcoming season and only has one year left on his deal. The veteran will be an intriguing backcourt option for teams that are in desperate need of an experienced player to run their offense.
Because luxury tax penalties aren’t computed until the end of the season, the Heat may just hold on to Chalmers until the trade deadline during the 2015-16 season.
Regardless, Chalmers is literally being dangled for nothing as Miami prepares to move forward with Goran Dragic and Tyler Johnson as its point guards.
There are NBA clubs out there that need a short-term fix at the point guard position, and Chalmers is likely the best option on the market at this point in time.
Here are the five most likely trade destinations for the seven-year veteran:
1. Portland Trail Blazers
After finishing the 2014-15 season as Northwest Division champions, the Portland Trail Blazers received a rude awakening in the first round of the NBA Playoffs when they were soundly defeated by the Memphis Grizzlies, 4-1, in an extremely lopsided series.
The Blazers had a terrible offseason as they saw key players such as LaMarcus Aldridge, Robin Lopez, Wesley Matthews, Nicolas Batum and Arron Afflalo all depart for teams elsewhere. Franchise figure Damian Lillard is the only starter that returns, which means the Blazers are likely in for a rough season next year.
While Lillard is obviously the team’s starting point guard, Chalmers could find a role as the primary backup at point, and a key scorer as a shooting guard off the bench.
The Blazers have plenty of cap space, so ‘Rio’s $4.3 million cap won’t be an issue.
While Chalmers won’t lead Portland to the playoffs, he could be a valuable short-term rental as a key rotation player for a team lacking stability.
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2. Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers haven’t seen the playoffs in two years, and they’ll likely have a hard time sneaking into the playoffs this upcoming season.
While the Lakers have had a solid offseason by signing veterans such as Roy Hibbert, Lou Williams and Brandon Bass, the team still lacks the firepower to compete in a loaded Western Conference.
However, don’t tell that to Kobe Bryant, who believes the Lakers have just enough to clinch a playoff spot in the West this upcoming season:
“I think they drafted very well. The free agents that we picked are extremely solid, [Roy] Hibbert, [Brandon] Bass, Lou [Williams]. We have a very good mix of young and veteran leadership. The challenge is going to be blending the two and cutting down the learning curve.”
While it’s true the Lakers have some talent, they are very young at the point guard position—D’Angelo Russell is a rookie and Jordan Clarkson will be entering his second season after sitting on the bench for the first half of his rookie season.
Bryant and the Lakers brass believe this team has what it takes to compete for a playoff spot. If that is truly the case, a Lakers-Chalmers pairing makes perfect sense.
Heat Nation may be annoyed by Chalmers’ inconsistencies as a player, but he would provide valuable championship experience to a Lakers team in desperate need of it. The veteran point guard has started in three different NBA Finals and has two championship rings to his resume.
When it pertains to a situation fit, Chalmers-to-the-Lakers makes perfect sense.
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3. Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers will likely be one of the worst teams in the NBA for yet another season in 2015-16.
Having said that, the Sixers will take on a lot of players and salaries that other teams don’t want. Considering the team’s dire situation when it pertains to talent, Chalmers could reasonably step in and immediately become the team’s starting point guard.
The Sixers won just 18 games last season, and had 25 different players suit up for them
The team has roughly $12 million in cap space, which means taking on the contract of Chalmers won’t present an issue. Philadelphia has a lot of young players including No. 1 overall pick Jahlil Okafor. Having a steady veteran at point guard wouldn’t hurt the Sixers in the slightest.
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4. Denver Nuggets
This is another former annual Western Conference playoff team that looks to be on the outside looking in.
Like the Blazers, the Nuggets look to be on a steep decline. After firing George Karl as the head coach following the 2012-13 season, Denver has failed to make the postseason the past two years.
The roster has pretty much been blown up, as they traded franchise point guard Ty Lawson to the Houston Rockets for essentially several role players and a 2016 first-round draft pick.
No. 7 overall pick Emmanuel Mudiay will be the team’s starting point guard and will be handed the keys to the offense. While Mudiay is the man in Denver, it never hurts to have a veteran backup teach you the ropes, especially for a rebuilding franchise such as the Nuggets.
Making matters even more enticing is that fellow Heat player, Chris Andersen, is also on the trade block. Andersen has a history with the Nuggets, having played two different stints in the Mile High City.
The Nuggets are also in desperate need of a three-point shooter, something Chalmers excels at, being a 36.2 percent career shooter from beyond the arc.
By having a package deal of Chalmers and Andersen, the Nuggets could pull the trigger on this trade.
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5. Utah Jazz
A trade to the Utah Jazz almost seems inevitable for Chalmers.
The Jazz lost their starting point guard, Dante Exum, to a devastating ACL injury earlier this month and the starting position can potentially be filled by the Heat guard.
Though the Jazz were just 38-44 last season, they seem to be a trendy pick to clinch a postseason berth for the upcoming season. They have a number of quality young players, led by sixth-year forward Gordon Hayward.
Chalmers has played in four NBA Finals and has six postseason appearances to his credit. He also has a National Championship ring on his resume.
As far as point guards on the market, there isn’t a single one that has the championship pedigree that the University of Kansas product has.
If Utah is serious about a playoff run, they could easily trade a second-round draft pick or two for the services of the veteran point guard.
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