Bradley Beal, Jordan Poole, Kristaps Porzingis and Chris Paul have already changed their owners ahead of the 2023 NBA draft, however, trade talks for many star players have yet to be finalized.
It seems that the Portland Trail Blazers are waiting for Damian Lillard to offer a transfer, which is undoubtedly a wise move. Given Lillard's status in the team, a move without his consent could draw negative publicity. In addition, the Los Angeles Clippers may still be looking for opportunities for change after a failed trade with the Boston Celtics. Meanwhile, rumors of a possible big trade by the Toronto Raptors continue.
The draft is over and the door to free market is about to open. Here, we've prepared a few possible major trading scenarios for your reference before the NBA's trading climax.
Pascal Siakam joins the Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers won: Ann Simmons, Chris Murray, Ryan Rupert and Nasir Little Soft
Toronto Raptors get: Annnie Simmons, Chris Murray, Ryan Rupert and Nasir Little
According to Yahoo Sports' Jack Fischer, the Trail Blazers aren't "genuinely yearning" to get Siakam or Oje Anunobi. However, the report refers to Portland's reluctance to trade for a third-place pick that eventually became Scout Henderson. If a secondary asset like Simmons were to be exchanged for Siakam, the Blazers might be more lustful.
Siakam may have intentionally lowered the value of his trade by hinting that he would not sign with the new team if he was traded from Toronto, according to Action Network's Matt Moore. If he's more of a player on loan for a short term than a long-term retainer, that changes everything. In this case, not only Henderson cannot be traded, but so can Sharden Sharp.
With Simmons as the main asset and some young players attached, such as 2023 draft recruits Murray and Rupert, and Little as some salary filling, the Blazers may have a chance to acquire Siakam.
With Fred VanVleet likely leaving in free agency, the Raptors have a glaring vacancy in the point guard position, and it's Simmons, 24, who shot 38.7 percent from three-point range in his career to fill that void.
If Toronto intends to do it again with the same core squad, it makes sense to keep Siakam and hope he can sign for a less-than-maximum salary next summer. But if the deck needs a soft reboot, it may be better to trade Siakam for some value now. The other two options — giving him the highest salary or letting him go for nothing — are terrible.
From Portland's perspective, swapping Simmons from a suddenly crowded backcourt for a two-time All-Star forward gives Damian Lillard a top-tier partner — even if it's only for one season.
Lillard moves
Miami Heat get: Damian Lillard
The Portland Trail Blazers get: Taylor Hiro, Kyle Lowry, Jamie Hax, 2027 first-round pick, 2029 first-round pick
The Washington Wizards pushed themselves into trouble by giving Bradley Beal a no-trade clause, so the deal wasn't the best reference. But this is the latest superstar move, and it should be a relief to the Blazers because it pays off better than the Wizards — largely because they got two unprotected first-round picks from the Heat, whose core roster may have some thin years as they age.
Miami got their third superstar, Lillard, who would be paired with Jimmy Butler and Ben Adebayo, while the Blazers turned to the rebuild that so many have been calling for. The pain of bearing Lowry's expiring $29.6 million salary will be short-lived, leaving Portland with Hiloh, Henderson and Sharp in the backcourt, with plenty of salary space starting in 2024-25.
Lillard has yet to officially ask for a deal, but he's done pretty much what he can, just one last step away, including the fact that he apparently prefers Miami as his destination if a deal can be made.
Lillard has just had the best year of his career, turning 33 in July, and his contract is one of the heavyst in the league. Calmly and ruthlessly, the Blazers should trade him now, while his value hasn't dropped. Miami, always looking for instant superstar satisfaction, is the right place for him.
Houston uses the payroll space to get creative
The Houston Rockets get: Ben Simmons, 2027 first-round pick (from Philadelphia), 2026 second-round pick, 2028 second-round pick
Brooklyn Nets get: Kevin Porter Jr
Forget all the nonsense about James Harden and the Rockets' willingness to start winning games in 2023-24. Yes, they do owe the Oklahoma City Thunder a 2024 first-round pick (top-four protection), so there's no reason to mess up. But this roster is far from making any noise in the Western Conference and needs more star free agents, who should prioritize development internally above all else.
Jabari Smith Jr., Alberon Sengon, Tarry Ethan, Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore are all promising players, but they are still a long way from contributing to a championship team. The upcoming season should allow these youngsters to grow naturally under new head coach Ime Udoka.
That's why Houston is better off taking on a bad contract with draft picks with most of its $60 million salary space. Simmons' salary is $37.9 million this season and $40.3 million for 2024-25, which would be ridiculous if he could no longer be a consistent contributor. But there's a chance Simmons can return to an All-Star performance, and the Rockets should take that opportunity — especially since the downside could just be a year of poor performances and a huge buyout in 2025 that would land them three draft picks for the trouble.
Porter Jr. doesn't need to be in a trade, but sending him to Brooklyn could help free up more ball for Thompson and possibly get additional draft picks from the Nets.
Paul George joins the Knicks
The New York Knicks get: Paul George
The Los Angeles Clippers get: RJ Barrett, Emanuel Quickley, 2024 first-round pick, 2024 first-round pick (via Dallas; Top 10 Protection)
If this feels like a deal that doesn't take enough attention to George, understand the risks New York takes. The eight-time All-Star, who hasn't played more than 56 games since the 2018-19 season, could become a free agent after a year under the early termination option on his contract. At that point, the Knicks could face the situation of offering a maximum contract to a 34-year-old with endurance issues.
With all that in mind, the salaries of Barrett, Quickley, and Fournier and two first-round picks look like a reasonable expense. We know that, according to SNY.tv's Ian Begley, the Knicks and Clippers have at least been in contact with the George trade.
It's hard to know if the Clippers' trade for George is the first step in rebuilding. Most likely, the new arena will open in 2024, and the Clippers won't completely break up the entire team by transferring Kawhi Leonard at the same time. Either way, Barrett and Quickley are the fun part – junior starters (Barrett is just 23; Quickley, 24) will usher in a new era or give Leonard more lasting teammates. Quickley, in particular, could play as Los Angeles' much-needed spark socket guard.
The Knicks must be prepared for the potential risks of the deal, however, adding George without dropping Jaylen Bronson could also raise their ceiling to the level of a conference final.
DeAndre Ayton moved to the Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers get: DeAndre Ayton
The Phoenix Suns get: Ivica Zubac, Nick Batum, Robert Covington
When you sacrifice all the depth and the picks in exchange for a superstar, that's the compensatory action you have to do. The Suns feel too little to reward for a former pick, but the team needs playable rotation players to fill the roster.
And, if you look at the names involved, you'll see that Phoenix has gained an amazing talent advantage in this deal.
Based on the projected additions and minuses of Dunks and Threes, Ayton and Zubac's expected total of wins last season were the same. Ayton outperformed Zubac in both 2021-22 and 2020-21, but Zubac surpassed him in every minute two years ago. Calling the comparison a tie may be generous to Zubac, but the gap is small. Add in Batum and Covington, a pair of generalists, low-usage two-way role players, and the Suns get a lot of what they need here.
For the Clippers, this is a definite integration move. Batum and Covington are replaceable in a lineup with two superstar forwards and no shortage of substitute wings and frontcourt players. It was also a bet on Ayton's potential. We're not far from him playing the defensive anchor for a team that made it to the finals and winning 64 games the following year. If Ayton's inconsistent heat is caused by his uncomfortable restricted free agent status and disagreement with former head coach Monty Williams, then he could easily reach the next level after switching circumstances.
The Suns should push to get Terence Mann or Norman Powell, not Covington, but the deal turns one player into three. For a club that spends $130 million on three stars, that's more important than anything else.