5 Realistic Star Trades After 2023 NBA Draft
Bradley Beal, Jordan Poole, Kristaps Porziņģis and Chris Paul moved just before the 2023 NBA draft, but plenty of superstar trade business remains unfinished.
The Portland Trail Blazers seem to be waiting for Damian Lillard to request relocation, a wise move considering his iconic status and the bad press that'd accompany moving him without his blessing. Not only that, but the LA Clippers may still be itching for change after their deal with the Boston Celtics fell through. And the looming specter of a big Toronto Raptors deal refuses to die.
The draft is a wrap, and free agency is just around the corner. Here, we've got a few high-profile hypothetical trades to consider as the NBA's transactional apex approaches.
Pascal Siakam to the Blazers
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Portland Trail Blazers Receive: Pascal Siakam
Toronto Raptors Receive: Anfernee Simons, Kris Murray, Rayan Rupert and Nassir Little
The Blazers don't "truly covet" either Siakam or OG Anunoby, per Yahoo! Sports' Jake Fischer. But that report referred to Portland's reticence to move the No. 3 pick, which became Scoot Henderson. The Blazers might feel a little more covetous if the headliner of a package for Siakam were a less valuable asset, like Simons.
Siakam tanked his trade value (perhaps purposely?) by suggesting he wouldn't re-sign with a team if traded away from Toronto, per Matt Moore of the Action Network. If he's more of a rental than a keeper, that changes everything. Not only is Henderson off the table in that scenario, but so is Shaedon Sharpe.
The Blazers could have a shot to land Siakam with Simons as the main outgoing asset, provided they attach some young pieces like 2023 draftees Murray and Rupert, plus Little for some salary filler.
With Fred VanVleet possibly departing in free agency, the Raptors have a glaring hole at the point—one Simons, a 24-year-old with a career 38.7 percent hit rate from deep, could fill.
If Toronto intends to run it back with the same core, retaining Siakam and hoping it can re-sign him for less than the max next summer makes sense. But if a soft reset is in the cards, moving Siakam for some value now could be the better play. The alternatives—maxing him out or losing him for nothing—are scary.
From Portland's perspective, swapping out Simons from a suddenly crowded backcourt for a two-time All-Star forward gives Damian Lillard a top-flight running mate—if only for one season.
Dame on the Move
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Miami Heat Receive: Damian Lillard
Portland Trail Blazers Receive: Tyler Herro, Kyle Lowry, Jaime Jaquez Jr., 2027 first-round pick, 2029 first-round pick
The Washington Wizards painted themselves into a corner by giving Bradley Beal a no-trade clause, so that deal isn't the best comparison. But it was the most recent superstar move, and it should hearten the Blazers that this is a better return than the Wizards secured—mostly because of the two unprotected first-rounders coming from a Heat team that could see some lean years after its core ages out.
Miami gets its third star in Lillard to pair with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, and the Blazers pivot into the rebuild so many have been clamoring for. The pain of taking on Lowry's expiring $29.6 million salary will be short-lived, leaving Portland with Herro, Henderson and Sharpe in the backcourt, plus massive cap relief starting in 2024-25.
Lillard has yet to formally request a trade, but he's done just about everything short of that final step, including listing Miami as his "obviously" preferred destination if a deal were to get done.
Dame is coming off a career year, will turn 33 in July and has one of the most onerous contracts in the league. Call it cold and dispassionate, but the Blazers should move him now, before his value dips. Miami, forever in search of instant superstar gratification, is the right landing spot.
Houston Gets Creative with Cap Space
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Houston Rockets Receive: Ben Simmons, 2027 first-round pick (via PHI), 2026 second-round pick, 2028 second-round pick
Brooklyn Nets Receive: Kevin Porter Jr.
Forget all the James Harden nonsense and the Rockets' intention to start winning games in 2023-24. Yes, it's true they owe their 2024 first-rounder (top-four protected) to the Oklahoma City Thunder and therefore don't have an incentive to tank. But this roster is more than one splashy free agent away from making any noise in the West, and it should be prioritizing internal development over everything else.
Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Şengün, Tari Eason, Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore are all promising prospects, but they're miles away from being ready to contribute to a winner. The upcoming season should be all about letting the youth grow organically under new head coach Ime Udoka.
That's why using a chunk of its $60 million in cap space to take on a bad contract with picks attached is the better alternative for Houston. Simmons is due $37. 9 million this season and $40.3 million in 2024-25, a ridiculous amount if he's never going to become a solid contributor again. But there's a chance Simmons can return to All-Star form, and it's one the Rockets should take—particularly because the downside is probably just one bad year and a hefty buyout in 2025, leaving them with three picks for their trouble.
Porter Jr. doesn't need to be in the deal, but sending him to Brooklyn helps clear the runway for Thompson to get more reps on the ball and might help coax an extra pick out of the Nets.
Paul George to the Knicks
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New York Knicks Receive: Paul George
Los Angeles Clippers Receive: RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, 2024 first-round pick, 2024 first-round pick (via DAL; top-10 protected)
If this feels like an underwhelming package for George, understand the risks New York assumes by acquiring him. The eight-time All-Star hasn't played more than 56 games in a season since 2018-19, and he can reach free agency in a year via the early termination option in his contract. At that point, the Knicks could be faced with maxing out a 34-year-old with durability issues.
In light of all that, the package of Barrett, Quickley, Fournier's salary and two firsts seems like a reasonable outlay. And we know, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv, that the Knicks and Clippers have at least had contact about a George deal.
It's hard to know whether the Clippers trading George would be the first step in a rebuild. Chances are, with a new arena opening in 2024, the Clips won't tear the whole thing down by also moving Kawhi Leonard. Either way, Barrett and Quickley are both intriguing pieces—starting-caliber young players (Barrett just turned 23; Quickley is 24) who'll either lead the next era or give Leonard more durable running mates. Quickley, in particular, could thrive as the spark-plug guard L.A. desperately needs.
The Knicks have to get comfortable with downside risk in this deal, but adding George without surrendering Jalen Brunson could also raise their ceiling to a conference-final level.
Deandre Ayton to the Clippers
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Los Angeles Clippers Receive: Deandre Ayton
Phoenix Suns Receive: Ivica Zubac, Nic Batum, Robert Covington
When you sacrifice every last shred of depth and draft capital in exchange for superstars, this is the kind of compensatory move you have to make. The Suns' return for a former No. 1 overall pick feels paltry, but this team needs playable rotation pieces to fill out the roster.
And, if you get past the names involved, Phoenix comes out of this exchange with a surprising talent advantage.
Ayton and Zubac posted identical Estimated Win totals last season, according to Dunks and Threes' Estimated Plus/Minus metric. Ayton was better than Zubac in 2021-22 and 2020-21 but Zubac topped him on a per-minute basis two years ago. It'd be charitable to Zubac to call this comparison a wash, but it's close enough. Add Batum and Covington, a pair of versatile, low-usage two-way role players, and the Suns are getting a lot of what they need here.
For the Clippers, this is a clear consolidation move. Batum and Covington are fungible on a roster that has two superstar forwards and no shortage of alternative wings and frontcourt pieces. It's also a bet on Ayton's upside. We're not so far removed from him anchoring a defense for a Finals participant and, the following year, a 64-game winner. If Ayton's inconsistent intensity is a result of his uncomfortable restricted free agency and a rift with former head coach Monty Williams, he could easily hit a new level with a change of scenery.
The Suns should push for Terance Mann or Norman Powell instead of Covington, but this deal turns one player into three as is. That matters more than anything for a club spending $130 million on three stars.
Stats courtesy of NBA.com, Basketball Reference and Cleaning the Glass. Salary info via Spotrac.
Grant Hughes covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter (@gt_hughes), and subscribe to the Hardwood Knocks podcast, where he appears with Bleacher Report's Dan Favale.
