The NBA playoffs are in full swing, with all 16 teams eager for championships. If that doesn't happen, the team is likely to make a major upgrade to the squad in the offseason. Here are 10 stars who are likely to be traded this summer.
Tenth place: Tobias Harris
If the 76ers can't break through the first two rounds of the playoffs, they can trade starting big forward Harris to upgrade the lineup. Tobias Hasson averaged 17.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game this season. He's one of the top 50 players in the NBA, and his contract is very large, reaching $38.5 million next season and $41 million in 2023-34.
The 76ers are too competitive in the Eastern Conference, and there's nothing wrong with taking the Raptors in the first round, but the Heat, Celtics and Bucks will be eyeing the Eastern Conference Finals. If the 76ers are eliminated before the final, management will certainly consider upgrading the team's roster. Harris, Matisse Tibur, Shaq Milton and George Niang are expected to trade the Wizards' Beal.
Ninth place: Will Barton
With another year left on Barton's contract, the Nuggets may consider replacing him with a better guard, averaging 14.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game in 2021-2022. He has entered the final year of a 4-year, $54 million contract and he will make $16.5 million next season.
Barton is seen as an excellent point guard in the league, and despite his excellent offensive performances, he has been a defensively under-defending guard in his career. Jamal Murray and Michael Porter, two great offensive players, are expected to return next season. Nuggets management could upgrade the team's defense by trading Will Barton, using him for a defensive expert. The Knicks could trade Cam Redish for Barton, or the Nuggets could trade the Cavaliers' Setie Osman.
Eighth place: Mike Conley
If the Jazz pull out of the playoffs early again, they may consider replacing veteran point guards because 34-year-old Mike Conley is past his peak. In the 2021-2022 season, he averaged 13.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game, shooting 40.8 percent from three-point range.
Currently, the Jazz are tied 1-1 with the Lone Rangers, and if nothing else, it's likely that they will lose 2-4 to the Lone Rangers. It's hard to see the Jazz play last season, and if the Jazz do lose in the first or second round, it will be the fifth consecutive season the Jazz, led by Donovan Mitchell, failed to reach the semifinals and Jazz management will have to change lineups.
Mike Conley will make about $22.7 million next season and $24.4 million for the 2023-2024 season. The Jazz may trade him for one or two wingbacks to improve the defensive level of the team's guard line.
Seventh place: Duncan Robinson
If Duncan Robinson is still struggling in the playoffs, the Heat may seek a trade as he is in a slump in the 2021-2022 season, averaging only 10.9, 2.6 and 1.6 points per game, shooting 37.2 percent from three-point range and 39.9 percent from the field. He became a bad defender, playing from 31.4 minutes last season to 25.9 minutes this year.
In the 2021-22 playoffs, the Heat easily defeated the seemingly exhausted Hawks, with Duncan Robinson scoring 27.0 points on 8-of-9 shooting from three-point range. If Robinson continues to play well in the playoffs, it is possible to stay on the team or he will be traded.
Sixth place: John Collins
If the Hawks lose to the Heat in the first round of the playoffs, they can seek promotion in the forward position. This season, John Collins averaged 16.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. He's one of the most efficient big men in the league and one of the most offensively capable in the NBA's regular season.
Despite Collins' excellent offensive performance, he was unable to help the Hawks improve their defensive intensity. During the regular season, his basket protection efficiency was lower than the league average throughout the year. So Collins had to take part of the blame.
The Hawks can use Collins' excellent offensive skills and a five-year, $125 million, cost-effective contract to upgrade their defense. Maybe the Lakers will be willing to trade Anthony Davis for Collins, Hunter, Hutter and future draft picks, or For Dee Anton and Collins. No matter how it is changed, the Hawks should improve the defensive quality of the frontcourt.
Fifth place: Andrew Wiggins
Andrew Wiggins was named to the All-Star Team for the first time this season, averaging 17.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. He was able to create open shooting opportunities for Stephen Curry and provided the team with excellent outside defense.
However, Andrew Wiggins will enter the final year of his contract next season, and he may ask the Warriors for a big contract due to his outstanding performances in the 2021-22 season, but the Warriors will certainly prioritize guard Jordan Poole and defensively stable Gary Payton II.
If Wiggins wants the all-bright star treatment, the Warriors might be wise to trade Wiggins, as his trade is worth the highest in his career at this point. Swap Tyler Hilo and Duncan Robinson with the Heat, or Terry Rozier and P.J. Washington with the Hornets.
Fourth place: Pascal Siakam
Pascal Siakam averaged 22.8 points, 8.5 rebounds and 5.3 assists at the end of the 2021-22 regular season and shot 34.4 percent from the field. He is an excellent winger and was named to the All-Star Team in 2020.
Siakam is characterized by the big forwards he uses against opponents, because his size and speed can crush opponents, and he is very strong in attack, but unfortunately there are shortcomings in the defensive end. This season, the Raptors have a record of 48 wins and 34 losses, but the playoffs have fallen behind the 76ers 0-2. The main reason is that the team's defensive ability is too weak to stop the opponent's attack, and it may even be swept by the opponent.
The Raptors could consider packing Pascal Siakam and Og Anunoby together, or having Chris Boucher and Aziauwa at the defensive core. The Jazz may be willing to send Rudy Gobert to trade Siakam, or the Spurs will send Jacob Porter and Kelton Johnson to trade Siakam.
Third place: Rudy Gobert
If the Jazz can't break through the second round of the playoffs, it's likely to disband the team's All-Star combination. Gobert is the NBA's finest basket protector and defensively minded interior lineman, having won the Defensive Player of the Year award three times and only finishing third in that honor this season.
Gobert has averaged 15.6 points per game this season, but it's no secret that he and Donovan Mitchell are at odds, and Gobert believes Mitchell is too defensively weak and the tension between the two is irreconcilable.
The Jazz tied the Lone Rangers 1-1 in the first round of the playoffs. With Doncic set to return in Game Three, the Jazz don't look rosy. If the Jazz fall into the first round of the series, the offseason will inevitably trigger a major change in the team's roster. It is likely that Gobert will be traded for a more dynamic offensive big man to form a new combination with Mitchell. The league has several teams that lack defensive champions who want Gobert, including the Hawks, Hornets, Lakers and Nets.
Second place: Donovan Mitchell
Donovan Mitchell is one of the NBA's most explosive offensive weapons. He averaged 25.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists in the regular season this season. Mitchell is one of the most consistent point guards in the league, and his offense is highly efficient, able to lift the Jazz's offense to number one in the league.
Since the All-Star Game, the Jazz have begun to get sluggish, slipping to fifth place in the Western Conference and likely being eliminated by the Lone Rangers in the first round of the playoffs. Well, Mitchell might make a trade request. After all, you can only play for one team if you want to win a championship.
First place: Jimmy Butler
If the Heat's performance in the playoffs is disappointing, Miami Heat All-Star forward Butler may ask for a trade, averaging 21.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game in 2021-2022.
However, Jimmy Butler's value is far from being expressed in numbers. He's led teams to the playoffs for six straight seasons, whether it's the Bulls, Timberwolves, 76ers or Heat. Butler is one of the few top ten offensive organizers and defensive players in the NBA, and that's where he's worth it.
The Heat certainly didn't want to lose Jimmy Butler, but rumor has it that he's starting to get annoyed with the Heat's culture. If the Heat can't make it to the finals, then departure rumors will surface again, and Jimmy Baggus will almost certainly ask for a trade next season and hope to join a stronger team.
Finally, half of the league's teams want Butler, including the Jazz, Celtics and Lakers.