During each NBA offseason, there is no shortage of big names that either switch teams or at least apply pressure to their current team to try. There were more attempting than last offseason with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant beginning the season with the Brooklyn Nets, but regardless, there could be some movement come summertime.
Taking a look at the NBA trade landscape before the start of the playoffs is always a challenging time. A lot can change. While there certainly could be others to join the list — like James Harden joining the Houston Rockets in the event of the Philadelphia 76ers coming up short in the NBA title race — there are some early candidates that already stand out.
Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards
If the Washington Wizards go through with what appears to be an offseason that features giving long-term contracts to Kyle Kuzma and Kristaps Porzingis, they will further stamp themselves into purgatory. This franchise didn’t even make the play-in tournament and is about to overpay all its top three players to run it back.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Bradley Beal & Washington Wizards Updates
The Wizards have long needed to hit the hard reset button and fully embrace a true rebuild. The re-tooling efforts they’ve made around Beal are not working. After consistently selecting prospects in the NBA Draft that do not alter the fate of a franchise, Washington is stuck. The only way out is to rebuild.
Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers
As in Beal’s case, Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers seem to be in a time loop. The team underachieves, they are unable to make meaningful changes around the star player, then it’s back to the offseason with conversation picking up about the need for meaningful changes to occur.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Damian Lillard & Portland Trail Blazers Updates
At some point, whether it’s Lillard or the Blazers, one side must make a judgment call that a title contention window has passed them by. Of course, that’s if one was to say that one even existed in the first place.
Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat
As has often been the case throughout his NBA career, teams do not tend to stay in the “Jimmy Butler business” for long. More often than not, his situations end with a mutual agreement being reached with the team he’s playing for that both sides should move on. We’ve been told that this seems to be developing down in South Beach.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Jimmy Butler & Miami Heat Updates
That’s not to say Butler’s stops in the NBA haven’t been highly productive, especially with the Miami Heat. Without Udonis Haslem returning to play mediator between coach Erik Spoelstra and Butler, it wouldn’t be a shock to see Butler land with a new team this offseason.
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