Surprising Offseason Trades for 2022 NBA Lottery Teams

Highly consequential deals get done lower in the order, like the one in 2018 that swapped the third and fifth picks, sending Luka Doncic to the Dallas Mavericks and Trae Young to the Atlanta Hawks.Maybe we won't see any surprise trades with ripple effects quite like that, but we've cooked up a few plausible swaps that could be similarly hard to see coming.Orlando Magic Receive: No.2 and No. 12 picksOklahoma City Thunder Receive: No. 1 and No. 32 picksThe Orlando Magic have the No. 1 pick and should have their sights set on Jabari Smith Jr. The sweet-shooting Auburn forward's perimeter stroke and defensive versatility would complete one of the best young frontcourts in the league alongside Wendell Carter Jr. and Franz Wagner.Meanwhile, Chet Holmgren's rim protection and draft-best upside should make him the Oklahoma City Thunder's top priority. We'll even throw OKC a bone with Orlando's 2022 second-rounder, which will be No. 32.Orlando gets the player it wanted all along, plus another asset, while the Thunder land their man as well.Everybody wins.Sacramento Kings Receive: No. 6 pick and Oshae BrissettIndiana Pacers Receive: No. 4 pickHere, we've got yet another deal whose execution depends on a difference of opinion. Sharpshooting wing AJ Griffin would be ideal, and wild-card Kentucky wing Shaedon Sharpe might also still be on the board.At the same time, the Pacers move up two critical spots in the draft to grab the best player available after Holmgren, Smith and (presumably) Paolo Banchero are gone.Portland Trail Blazers Receive: Luguentz Dort and No. 30 pickOklahoma City Thunder Receive: No. 7 pickIf I'm the Blazers, I hold out for as long as possible in hopes the Thunder will include their No. 12 selection instead of No. 30. Instead of that familiar fate, the Wizards can cut bait on Beal, grab a blossoming star in Simons and add a pick that might net them another such player.Eric Bledsoe, as always, is partially guaranteed salary filler.In this world we've created, the Wizards' long-term books look a lot better, even with Simons on a rich new deal.Portland's side is easy.