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Predicting the 5 Biggest NBA Stars Traded Next – Bleacher Report
Now that the Damian Lillard trade saga is resolved, NBA teams looking to make a big splash will need to direct their attention to the next wave of disgruntled stars.
The Philadelphia 76ers have yet to honor James Harden’s trade request, although his market appears limited. He’s too easy of a choice here, as we’re projecting ahead to this year’s trade deadline and into next offseason.
Based on contract status, inability to mesh with other stars on the roster, previous flight history or whispers that have already begun to grow, these five stars should be the next to hit the trade block.
DeMar DeRozan is the perfect trade candidate. The six-time All-Star is in the final year of his contract and is playing for a Chicago Bulls team that missed the playoffs last season.
While the Bulls have had “preliminary talks negotiating an extension” with DeRozan, according to ESPN’s Jamal Collier, nothing has been finalized so far. However, there’s no reason for DeRozan to continue to tie himself to a franchise that looks destined for another .500 finish this season with no Lonzo Ball and the same core of players returning.
At age 34, DeRozan is running out of time to win a ring after falling short in all seven of his previous postseason runs. If he wants to win a title, it won’t be in Chicago.
Moving DeRozan to a championship contender is the best bath forward for both parties. He’s one of the easiest stars to match salaries with at $28.6 million in expiring money this season, and the Bulls could recoup the first-round pick (and then some) they still owe to the San Antonio Spurs (top-10 protected in 2025).
The Bulls don’t even necessarily need to rebuild after trading DeRozan, but moving him now would ensure he won’t leave as an unrestricted free agent next summer and could help bring in some future draft picks or young talent. With Ball’s future uncertain, swapping DeRozan for a new starting point guard could help elevate the rest of the roster as well.
DeRozan figures to begin the season in Chicago as the team tries to stay in the playoff picture. But if the Bulls begin to fall further and further back as the year progresses, the two sides should agree to find a new home for the All-Star forward.
Teams to Watch: Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers
Wait, didn’t Kyrie Irving just get traded to the Dallas Mavericks eight months ago? Didn’t he just agree to re-sign with the Mavs for three years? Does he really belong on this list?
Yes, yes and yes.
Irving’s happiness with his current situation has become quite fluid over the past seven years, a period in which he’s been part of four different organizations. Today, all is well in Dallas after he agreed to a $120 million contract this summer. However, that could completely change in the next few months.
While Irving stated he had Dallas as his No. 1 choice in free agency, he doesn’t exactly sound like someone pledging his undying love to the organization just yet.
“Obviously I looked elsewhere—salary-cap opportunities, where I could fit in with other guys around the league—but there just wasn’t much space,” Irving said, via ESPN’s Tim McMahon.
Some around the league believe Irving will eventually make his way back to LeBron James, whom he reportedly pushed the Mavericks to trade for this past summer, per B/R’s Chris Haynes. His comments seem to indicate he explored a potential reunion, but he ultimately took a bigger paycheck in Dallas instead. Getting paid first and then forcing your way to another destination is the new normal in today’s NBA.
The Mavs will ultimately do what Luka Dončić wants, which is keeping Irving as his co-star and sidekick for now. But if Dallas gets off to another sub-.500 start and appears to be in danger of missing the playoffs once again (a real possibility in a loaded West), Irving could once again wind up on the trade market.
If (when?) things go south for Irving in Dallas, expect the All-Star point guard to wind up on the Lakers.
Team to Watch: Los Angeles Lakers
Karl-Anthony Towns has established himself as one of the best players in Minnesota Timberwolves history over the past eight years. He’s made three All-Star games and two All-NBA teams after being selected No. 1 overall in 2015.
Given the rise of Anthony Edwards as the new face of the franchise and the new CBA’s second-apron restrictions, though, the Wolves may not be able to keep their core together.
Towns will be starting a four-year, $223 million extension next season, a deal that will start at an estimated $49.7 million in 2024-25 and end with a $61.6 million player option in 2027-28. Anthony Edwards’ max extension will kick in next year as well, while Rudy Gobert is set to earn $43.8 million. We’re still waiting to see how much Jaden McDaniels will make on his new deal, one that will also begin in 2024-25.
Team owners are often willing to go deep into the luxury tax for championship-level teams, but Wolves were actually worse last season with both Edwards and Towns on the court (plus-1.0 net rating) compared to when Edwards played without Towns (plus-2.3 net).
If Edwards and Towns don’t look like a title-worthy duo, one may have to go for financial reasons. If forced to choose, Minnesota should (and would) go with Edwards.
While Towns has a hefty salary, a number of teams around the league could use a floor-stretching big man who can rebound, pass and be an offensive hub.
Teams to Watch: Dallas Mavericks, Atlanta Hawks, New York Knicks
Leading up to the 2023 NBA draft, New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson began popping up in trade rumors. However, Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin denied ever having a “single conversation that Zion was part of.”
Either way, the Pelicans need a healthy year out of Williamson, or they’ll soon be the ones making the calls.
“New Orleans is still not sold on Zion Williamson. Obviously there’s a risk there, all eyes on him this season,” Marc Berman said on The Knicks Recap podcast. “I was told the Knicks had checked in over the offseason about Zion. That could be a possibility.”
The Pelicans likely don’t want to trade Williamson. They want him to become the player whom they drafted, a high-flying, wrecking ball of a power forward who has the skills to lead the NBA in scoring. Few players boast Williamson’s sky-high potential, which is why New Orleans has been so patient with him through four injury-plagued years.
Unfortunately, this franchise can only win a championship if Williamson is healthy or if he’s traded for additional pieces to help Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum, Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones, Jonas Valančiūnas, Dyson Daniels and others. Having Williamson watching games from the bench keeps the Pelicans as a play-in-level team.
If Williamson doesn’t suit up in at least 50 games this year—he’s played more than 29 contests in only one of his first four seasons—New Orleans may have no choice but to explore the trade market, trying to salvage what’s left of his value and add to an otherwise talented, young-ish core.
Some team will talk its into Williamson’s potential, especially one that doesn’t face the same kind of win-now pressure as the Pelicans.
Everyone should hope that Williamson can have a healthy season and regain his dominant form. However, that remains unlikely until proven otherwise.
Expect New Orleans to give the Williamson experiment one more year, with a trade possibly coming next summer.
Teams to Watch: Oklahoma City Thunder, New York Knicks, Miami Heat
Although there have only been breadcrumbs thus far, would anyone blame Joel Embiid if he actually requested a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers?
Forced to carry the organization through The Process years, Ben Simmons trade saga and now the James Harden drama, Embiid has had to carry a lot of weight on his broad shoulders as he continues to put up eye-popping numbers while making All-Stars games and winning his first MVP last season.
The past few weeks likely haven’t been much fun, either. Days after the Milwaukee Bucks added Damian Lillard, the Boston Celtics traded for Jrue Holiday. Meanwhile, the Sixers still have Harden on their roster, with anyone’s guess as to if/when a trade is coming.
Philly looked like a title contender last season with a happy Harden, but his desire to be moved coupled with Milwaukee and Boston’s upgrades has the Sixers clearly outside the upper echelon of Eastern Conference teams. As it stands, the Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks and Miami Heat could all pass Philadelphia in the standings this season as well.
Embiid is now the prize whom all the top contenders should be waiting for. He’s one of the best players in the league and is just beginning what projects to be a reasonable four-year, $213 million extension.
Look for the 29-year-old to be the next superstar traded, possibly as early as this season’s Feb. 8 deadline.
Teams to Watch: New York Knicks, New Orleans Pelicans, Golden State Warriors