Julius Randle, Zach LaVine, Pascal Siakam Top Landing Spots After James Harden Trade

It took precisely one week of NBA basketball to get our first blockbuster trade of the 2023-24 season.

The Philadelphia 76ers traded James Harden to the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday, landing Marcus Morris, Robert Covington, Nic Batum, KJ Martin, a protected 2026 first-round pick via the Oklahoma City Thunder, a 2028 unprotected first-round pick, two second-round picks and a 2029 pick swap to Philadelphia, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. P.J. Tucker and Filip Petrusev were also moved to the Clippers as part of the deal.

With the first major trade out of the way, that only begs the question of who will be next.

Julius Randle, Zach LaVine and Pascal Siakam are the three All-Stars who have found themselves in the most conversations of late, and each has a potential fit that makes a ton of sense.

Here is a look at the best fits for each three players:

• Randle: Minnesota Timberwolves
• LaVine: New York Knicks
• Siakam: Philadelphia 76ers

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Julius Randle, KAT Get Change of Scenery

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ATLANTA, GEORGIA - OCTOBER 30: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the Minnesota Timberwolves draws a foul as he drives against Saddiq Bey #41 of the Atlanta Hawksduring the second quarter at State Farm Arena on October 30, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Knicks Receive: Karl-Anthony Towns

Timberwolves Receive: Julius Randle, Isaiah Hartenstein, protected first-round pick

There may be no player in all of basketball who needs a change of scenery more than Karl-Anthony Towns. The Timberwolves' horrendous decision to pair Towns and Rudy Gobert has led to both players regressing, with the former off to an especially dispiriting start to the 2023-24 season.

Towns is averaging just 15.7 points, 10.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists through the first three games of the season. While sample sizes are still small, he's shooting a career-low 37.0 percent from the field and 23.5 percent from three-point range. This comes a season after Towns averaged his fewest points per game since his rookie campaign.

Gobert's trade value is essentially nonexistent at this point, and his contract is a bloated mess that makes him borderline unmoveable. Towns will be there a year from now when his four-year, $222.7 million deal kicks in, leaving Minnesota between now and February to undo the pairing.

Randle is a natural 4 who is a significantly better fit next to Gobert, having spent much of his Knicks career playing alongside an interior-focused center in Mitchell Robinson.

The Knicks' end of this trade may feel early-2000s Knicksy, acquiring a seemingly declining, expensive former All-Star.

But Towns doesn't turn 28 years old until next month and is one of the greatest shooting big men we've ever seen. He's a career 39.4 percent shooter from three at a high volume, a nightly double-double as a rebounder and a heady passer who could average five or six assists per night if thrown into Randle's role in the offense.

Tom Thibodeau previously coached Towns in Minnesota, so there is some familiarity there. It wasn't exactly the most fruitful relationship the first time around, but if both are willing to give it a second shot, this is a move that could raise the Knicks' ceiling.

Knicks Add LaVine to the Mix

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DETROIT, MI - OCTOBER 28: Zach LaVine #8 of the Chicago Bulls dribbles the ball during the game against the Detroit Pistons on October 28, 2023 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2023 NBAE (Photo by Brian Sevald/NBAE via Getty Images)

Knicks Receive: Zach LaVine

Bulls Receive: RJ Barrett, Evan Fournier, two future first-round picks (one unprotected)

This move could be made in concert with a Towns deal or separately, but the Knicks have long looked like the best fit for LaVine if the Bulls finally decide to break up their middling core.

LaVine could combine with Jalen Brunson to give the Knicks one of the NBA's premier scoring backcourts and allow them to finally move on from the shackles of potential in RJ Barrett. The Duke product is who he is. He's a decent but sometimes inefficient scorer and decent perimeter defender whose performance would be met with a collective shrug if he played anywhere other than New York.

Barrett is neither a bad nor particularly good player. He's a slightly above-average starting NBA shooting guard, and the Knicks should take advantage of his perceived potential while teams still think it exists.

LaVine's inconsistent defensive effort will frustrate Thibodeau, but he's a 28-year-old who can score from anywhere at an efficient clip. Prime Klay Thompson may have been a slightly better shooter and more rugged defender, but LaVine's a better passer, finisher at the rim and attacker off the dribble. A version of LaVine who played his prime next to Stephen Curry might have an entirely different reputation.

That said, LaVine is not good enough to be the best player on a top-four seed in the East and the Bulls are paying him $40 million a year. The core of LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic screams of an endless run of 40-45 win seasons and first-round playoff exits.

For a team with as many diehard fans Chicago to have such an underwhelming team is a blight to the NBA. It's time the front office rips off the band aid and starts a full-scale rebuild to hopefully enliven excitement.

Siakam Replaces Harden in Philly

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TORONTO, CANADA - OCTOBER 30: Pascal Siakam #43 of the Toronto Raptors shoots the ball during the game against the Portland Trail Blazers on October 23, 2023 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2023 NBAE (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/NBAE via Getty Images)

Raptors Receive: Marcus Morris, Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington, two first-round picks
76ers Receive: Pascal Siakam, Otto Porter Jr.

Stop me if that trade package looks familiar to you.

Siakam is likely the best player the Sixers will be able to sign next summer in free agency. LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Klay Thompson and Jrue Holiday are all starry free agents who are almost certainly remaining with their current teams.

That essentially leaves Siakam and OG Anonoby, the Raptors' two oft-rumored trade chips, as the remaining logical options.

The Sixers could look to hold onto the two picks they landed for Harden and risk signing Siakam over the summer, but that would involve punting a remaining year of Joel Embiid's prime. Adding Siakam to the mix with an emerging Tyrese Maxey and Embiid gives the Sixers enough star power to compete in the East this season without injuring their depth given none of the three players mentioned in this deal have played for the team yet.

There will be a requisite waiting period in order for Morris, Batum and Covington to be eligible for a trade, but the Raptors haven't shown urgency to move off Siakam just yet. Toronto is off to a dispiriting 1-3 start, and if things keep going the way they have been, Masai Ujiri may be forced to finally press the reset button.

If that's the case, look for the Sixers to be at the front of the line to acquire Siakam or Anonoby before the trade deadline.