The NBA trade deadline passed about two weeks ago, but that hasn’t slowed down trade rumors from popping up. There have already been some hypotheticals swirling about who the next All-Star players to be on the move could be.
There was a report that Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz, Zion Williamson of the New Orleans Pelicans, or Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers would be the next big-name players to request a trade. All three are in different situations with their respective teams, but a trade request certainly isn’t outside the realm of possibilities given how things are going.
But, they are far from the only stars that could be on the move this offseason. The Los Angeles Lakers Big 3 of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook has not panned out. Something will have to give this offseason, as James has voiced his displeasure with how things went ahead of the deadline and this season as a whole.
Across the country, the Washington Wizards are bracing for the worst when it comes to Bradley Beal. Beal is likely to become a free agent this offseason as he has a player option for the 2022-23 season. Washington will do all it can to convince him to re-sign for a long-term deal, but he has given no indication about which way he is leaning.
We are still months away from the offseason heating up, but from the sounds of it, we could see a lot of player movement. With only a handful of teams possessing cap space, trades will be the most common avenue for upgrades to be made.
Where may the aforementioned superstars end up this offseason? Let’s discuss the best landing spots for each of them in the early going.
Anthony Davis
The Los Angeles Lakers are in a tough spot. They aren’t close to contending this season and their options to get back to that level are limited. When taking a look a few years down the road, things are even bleaker.
Los Angeles doesn’t have much draft capital to bring in young talent with upside after the Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook trades. There aren’t many building blocks on the roster when it comes to young players, either. Malik Monk, who has played well, could have priced himself out of town and Talen Horton-Tucker has not taken the next step in his development.
If the Lakers want to improve their long-term outlook, parting ways with Anthony Davis may be the best way to do that. Despite his injury concerns, the Lakers should still be able to land a combination of established players, young ones with upside and draft picks in a return package for him.
One team that would make sense for Anthony Davis as a landing spot is the Chicago Bulls. It would be a homecoming for him, as he hasn’t been shy about his feelings of playing for the hometown Bulls. It is something the Lakers could certainly look into this offseason.
If the Chicago Bulls were to field a serious effort to acquire Anthony Davis in a trade package, there are a variety of options they could pursue given the veteran talent they’ve added as of late. Young players like Patrick Williams and Coby White could factor as helpful options, too.