6 NBA Stars Who Will Be Traded This Offseason

A few days ago, when the Boston Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks to lift their franchise’s 18th championship trophy, the 2024 NBA season officially ended. For Jaylen Brown, Joe Mazzulla, and all others connected to the Celtics organization, this was a moment of celebration. For 29 other teams, however, the distribution of the Larry O’Brien trophy marked a new beginning.

The NBA offseason began, and so did the rumors, tweets, and videos predicting the chaos that will unfold in the next few months. As several teams around the league saw their seasons screech to a disappointing halt, this summer promises an abundance of player movement. So, who are the six NBA stars destined to be traded next, and where will they go?

6 NBA Stars Destined To Be Traded

Kyle Kuzma

The Deal: Kyle Kuzma and the No. 26 pick to the Sacramento Kings for Harrison Barnes, Chris Duarte, the No. 13 pick, and a protected 2027 first-round pick

Since Kyle Kuzma went to the Washington Wizards in 2021, there have been endless rumors and questions surrounding his fit. The talented forward has developed into a certified bucket-getter who can score from all three levels of the court, yet has been wasting the best years of his career on one of the worst teams in basketball. As Kuzma is entering his eighth season in the league, it’s time to return to a winning team. The Kings are a perfect fit for Kuzma, as they need to upgrade their wing talent if they want to return to the playoffs. NBA insider Matt Moore said that he expects the Kings to show interest in Kuzma, and in this trade, they give up limited draft capital to get the deal done.

Darius Garland

The Deal: Darius Garland to the San Antonio Spurs for Keldon Johnson, Tre Jones, the No. 8 pick, the No. 35 pick, and a 2027 first-round pick

After another early playoff exit and the looming uncertainty of the Donovan Mitchell extension, the Cleveland Cavaliers have to change things up. The undersized backcourt of Mitchell and Garland has proved it is incapable of going far in the playoffs, and Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that the two might need to split up. In this deal, Garland’s return is a capable wing player, a steady point guard, and draft capital. Above all else, it keeps Donovan Mitchell happy- at least for a little longer. From the Spurs’ perspective, budding superstar Victor Wembanyama needs some help, and adding an elite playmaker like Garland might unlock further abilities within the Frenchman’s game.

Trae Young

The Deal: Trae Young and Clint Capela to the New Orleans Pelicans for Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum, a 2025 first-round pick, and a protected 2027 first-round pick

The Atlanta Hawks also need help in their backcourt. The ball-dominant play styles of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray have proven to be incompatible, so one has to go. Although reports say that rival NBA front offices prefer Murray to Young, the Hawks choose to end the Trae Young era with this trade. In the deal, the Hawks receive an incredibly gifted offensive player in Brandon Ingram, a proven guard in CJ McCollum, and future draft assets. Murray, McCollum, Ingram, Jalen Johnson, and potential first-overall pick Alexandre Sarr is an incredibly intriguing lineup. For the Pelicans, they have made it clear that Ingram is not in the future plans, so they move him for an All-NBA point guard to pair up with Zion Williamson. Ice Trae and Zion sharing the court would be guaranteed fireworks whenever they play.

Karl-Anthony Towns

The Deal: Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks for Julius Randle, Bojan Bogdanovic, the No. 24 pick, and a protected 2025 first-round pick (via MIL)

The emergence of Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves in this year’s playoffs was shocking. Edwards’ phenomenal play carried his team to sweep Kevin Durant and then dethrone the defending champs and Nikola Jokic. Yet, in the Western Conference Finals, Karl-Anthony Towns’ inability to make a three-point shot was a driving force for the Timberwolves’ failure. Towns shot less than 40% from the field and 25% from three in the series; thus, change is needed. The Timberwolves trade KAT and bring in Julius Randle, an All-NBA player who will bring the tenacious mentality that Anthony Edwards requires his teammates to have. The Knicks do the trade to improve the talent on their roster as they look to solidify themselves as championship contenders. As Knicks beat writer Fred Katz said, “The Knicks have always had an eye on Towns.”

LaMelo Ball

The Deal: LaMelo Ball to the Brooklyn Nets for Cam Thomas, Cameron Johnson, a 2025 first-round pick (via PHO), and a 2027 first-round pick (via PHO)

Unlike the previous four players, there are not many LaMelo Ball trade rumors swirling around the NBA world, but maybe there should be. Ball has played a combined 58 games in the past two years and has failed to lead the Charlotte Hornets franchise forward like he was drafted to do. As the Hornets undergo immense changes at every level in their organization, it is not unrealistic to say that the new regime will want to move on from the injury-riddled and controversy-prone LaMelo Ball in hopes of rebuilding around Brandon Miller. For the Nets, the big-name appeal might be all they care about. Brooklyn had two years of being the king of New York basketball but now has once again been tossed to the curb by the Knicks. The Nets need to obtain exciting talents, so giving up two young players and two valuable firsts for the exhilarating LaMelo Ball is simply a cost of business.

Jimmy Butler

The Deal: Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors for Andrew Wiggins, Kevon Looney, Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody, Gui Santos, 2025 and 2027 first-round picks, and a 2026 first-round pick swap

When Pat Riley’s comments criticizing Jimmy Butler became national headlines, people started speculating that a divorce might be brewing. The “Heat Culture” that thrives in Miami may no longer coincide with the preferred lifestyle of the aging Butler. It might be time for a change. In this trade, the Miami Heat receive young talent in Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody, as well as immense draft capital. That is not a bad return for an aging and disgruntled star. They can begin a retooling around Bam Adebayo and whatever star they set their eyes on next. For the Warriors, this is the last chance. Their veterans are on their last legs, so why not throw everything they have in the ring to bring in one of the greatest playoff risers of the 20th century? The Warriors give up on their future but get one more shot to win ring number seven.

The Celtics’ dominant year should only motivate the league to want to get better even faster. And while most teams are forced to sit on the sidelines of free agency due to limited cap space, trades will continue to be vital to building a championship team. Just look at Boston- without Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, they would not have won the championship.

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