4. Toronto Raptors Begin Their Rebuild
The Toronto Raptors are one of the teams a lot of people around the league will have their eyes on. Will they look to retool the roster and try moving back up into the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference, or will they move into a rebuild?
Toronto could turn into contenders quick, but they will ultimately decide against that and jumpstart their rebuild around the No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. That player, along with Gary Trent Jr. and OG Anunoby, will become the backbone of the Raptors roster.
The team will trade away at least one of Fred VanVleet or Pascal Siakam to really get the rebuild going. Veteran Kyle Lowry will also move on in free agency, but the team will work out a sign-and-trade for him, creating a sizable trade exception and acquiring even more assets in the process.
3. Wizards Embrace Rebuild Trading Bradley Beal
2021 will be the offseason of rebuilding in the NBA. The Washington Wizards will join that list by trading away superstar shooting guard, Bradley Beal.
Beal is essentially playing on an expiring contract, as he has a player option for the 2022-23 season he will assuredly decline. Without any guarantees that he will re-sign and commit to the team long-term, the Wizards make the difficult decision and trade Beal this offseason.
READ MORE: Predictions for Latest NBA Trade Rumors: Lillard, LaVine, Simmons, Sexton
A number of teams would jump at the chance to acquire him, as he could be the missing piece for a franchise looking to make a championship push. A few teams fit that description, as either the Golden State Warriors or Denver Nuggets will land Beal in a trade. The Boston Celtics are a dark horse here because if they make Jaylen Brown available, they can be in the discussion for any player on the trade market.
