As every day goes by, the keys to the NBA shift more and more into the players’ hands. While owners are constantly grasping at straws, throwing whatever they can at the wall to trade for and then satisfy their superstars, the top players in the league sit back in their chairs with $300 million contracts in their back pocket. These players know they can request a trade anytime, even if they still have four years left on their contract. These big-name players have all of the power. With all this being said, it is only a matter of time before multiple stars get unhappy with their situations and ask out. So, who are the next four NBA superstars that will be traded?
The Next 4 NBA Superstars Who Will Be Traded
Jimmy Butler
The Jimmy Butler rumors began this offseason, and there is no reason to think they will slow down anytime soon. Butler has two years left on his contract with the Miami Heat, with the second being a player option. He is extension eligible, and as the past has shown us, NBA players prefer to sign their lucrative extensions as soon as possible. Butler is a proven superstar, with six all-stars and the reputation of being an elite playoff riser. In his two runs to the NBA finals with the Heat, Butler truly looked like one of the best basketball players on the planet. However, times have changed, and Pat Riley is tired of his antics. Butler is entering the final years of his career and wants to ride off into the sunset, while Riley wants him to stay bought into “Heat Culture.” Over the next year, one of Butler or Riley will grow tired of the other, and Butler will be on the move.
Kevin Durant
A year and a half into his Phoenix Suns experiment, Kevin Durant might already be ready to find a new home. The Suns are deep into the NBA’s second apron and have limited ways to improve their flawed team. Their trade for Bradley Beal last summer was their last big move, and now, after getting swept in the first round by the Minnesota Timberwolves, Durant must be pondering whether there is enough on the team to win a championship. Although Suns’ owner Matt Ishbia has made it clear that they have no intention of trading the 14-time all-star, another disappointing year might force his hand. And if he has to trade one of Durant or the 27-year-old Devin Booker, my money would be on him trading the 35-year-old. The current Phoenix roster is likely not good enough to win an NBA championship; thus, the man many call a snake may be on the move again.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis Antetokounmpo has made it clear that his number one priority is winning. To satisfy this need, the Milwaukee Bucks traded for Damian Lillard last offseason, yet then lost in the first round of the playoffs. At the same time, trading for Lillard allowed the Boston Celtics to pick up Jrue Holiday, who was a vital piece in their championship-winning season. Antetokounmpo has to be looking around the league and seeing the competition get better and better, while the Bucks have done nothing to improve this offseason. Their aging roster will try to run it back for one more year, yet have the fourth-best odds to win the Eastern Conference. If the Bucks’ season again comes to a screeching halt in the playoffs, Antetokounmpo might be on a different team this time next year.
Anthony Davis
At his best, Anthony Davis is a top-ten player in the league. He is an elite two-way player who will give you 20 points and ten rebounds almost every single night. He is a nine-time all-star and five-time all-defensive team member with several years left as an impact player. Yet, Davis will still be traded in the coming years. And no, it won’t be because of his immense injury history; it will be because of LeBron James. Or better yet, the retirement of LeBron James. James signed a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason, and one has to think that those two years will be his last. He will end his career as a top-two player of all time and will have watched the beginning of his son’s NBA career. And when James retires, the Lakers don’t have much left. They traded all of their picks to get Davis and have minimal young talent. If James retires in two years, Davis will be 33 and will not want to be on a rebuilding team. The Lakers will be forced to trade their talented big man, and Davis will spend the final years of his career trying to win another ring.
A majority of NBA teams have their eyes set on winning right now, and therefore, more teams than ever will have disappointing ends to their seasons. Disappointment leads to unhappiness, and trades are born. With player movement at an all-time high, it is expected that multiple stars will request trades every year. It is just about predicting which stars will be traded next.
Main Image: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Right on! You wrapped it up so well! Going to watch what happens next!