The February 10 NBA trade deadline is nearing as teams look for that final piece to make a charge for the playoffs or set themselves up for the future.
But what about the players who’re in unfavourable positions — restrained from showing their true potential or stuck in a dysfunctional environment among a host of reasons.
We know how much power players now have in the modern NBA, therefore some stars could well have the command to facilitate a move or orchestrate change around them.
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With that, we’ve listed 10 stars who could most use a change a scenery, including potential landing spots and how a deal could happen.
BEN SIMMONS
Who else was going to appear first here than Simmons amid the Aussie star’s ongoing trade stalemate with the Sixers. Simmons, who’s yet to suit up for Philadelphia this season, remains away from the team citing mental health problems, although The Athletic’s Sam Amick reported Simmons would be ready to play for a new team if he’s traded “after a few weeks of intensified conditioning and court action.” However, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported there’s been no movement on a Simmons trade following a meeting between his agent, Rich Paul, and Sixers president Daryl Morey and general manager Elton Brand as the franchise seeks a top-line star in return. Furthermore, ESPN NBA insider Ramona Shelburne reported Simmons is willing to sit out the entire season, and in turn, get fined for every game, practice and session he misses.
If a deal does happen by the deadline, expect one of the Hawks, Kings, Trail Blazers, Timberwolves, Cavaliers, Pacers or Spurs to be involved as the main suitors for the Aussie. Sacramento looms as the most likely landing spot given its spread of assets and quality of players reportedly on the market, particularly if De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton are indeed available. It’s also been reported that the Sixers are open to including Tobias Harris in a deal, opening the door for a blockbuster trade. A Simmons and Harris deal for Fox, Buddy Hield and Harrison Barnes — as flagged by The Athletic’s Sam Amick — could make sense for both parties in a $137 million ($A190) mega trade. While Fox isn’t quite the top 25-star Morey is reportedly longing for, he’s not far off, while Hield and Barnes could seriously bolster the Sixers’ rotation and provide ample support to Joel Embiid.
ZION WILLIAMSON
The former Pick 1 simply hasn’t had a good run at it in the early parts of his career through injury, yet to play this season due to a foot setback. Williamson was reportedly unhappy with the way the team managed his knee injury in his rookie season to create friction with the Pelicans, while he’s now bizarrely doing rehab away from the team. It’s created questions over whether he, firstly, will even get offered a max contract extension by New Orleans, and secondly, sign it, meaning the writing is on the wall for the 21-year old to at least explore his options elsewhere. In New Orleans he’s been built up as this big franchise saviour, while any sort of vision that emerges of him appearing out of shape gets highly probed. No matter who he plays for, there’ll be big expectations, but finding a team where he doesn’t necessarily have to be the guy might help him flourish. If the Pelicans became open to putting Williamson on the market (which seems highly unlikely), there’d be 29 franchises at least weighing up a move, despite queries around Williamson’s conditioning.
Dallas could be an interesting trade partner as a franchise that needs to shake up Luka Doncic’s supporting cast, in what could form a new super team. Although the Mavericks don’t have many appealing trade pieces outside of Kristaps Porzingis, who’s also been hampered by injuries throughout his career and thus doesn’t make sense for the Mavericks. Elsewhere, New York, once prophesied as his most likely landing spot coming out of college, do have some interesting trade pieces, although Evan Fournier’s hefty four-year, $78 million contract on its books limits flexibility. But after adding Cam Reddish, the Knicks could reunite the Duke trio alongside RJ Barrett. Realistically, it’s hard to envision any trade package making sense for the Pelicans given Williamson is exactly the type of budding star a team would want to rebuild around. However, suitors could instead hope to sign Williamson as a free agent down the track assuming he doesn’t pen his max rookie extension reportedly worth $181 million with the Pelicans once his current deal expires in 2023. Although, should Williamson turn that down, he’d only be a restricted free agent in 2023, where the Pelicans could then match any offer he receives. In order to become an unrestricted free agent, he’d need to sign a one-year qualifying offer for the 2023/2024 season — a risky move given his injury history while forgoing a lot of guaranteed money — before then being free to move wherever he wishes.
RUSSELL WESTBROOK
The Lakers were tied to the likes of DeMar DeRozan, Kyle Lowry and Buddy Hield in the off-season before acquiring Westbrook in the move that was supposed to tip them over the edge as title frontrunners. But halfway through the season and it’s become crystal clear that the Lakers are far from contending and the addition of Westbrook, while not their overriding issue, hasn’t worked. The LA spotlight hasn’t been kind to the former MVP either, constantly grilled in every Lakers loss when he’s below his best and blamed as the root to all their problems.
At this stage, it’s best for all parties for Westbrook and the Lakers to go their separate ways, but finding an avenue is the tricky part. Westbrook’s mega $91 million contract expires next season, but based off his indifferent form this season, no teams would be willing to pay such a price for the nine-time All-Star, nor have they been linked to him. Finding a trade where the salaries match is nearly impossible unless more teams got involved in a deal. A team would need to be desperate to shake things up while staying committed to winning — perhaps Boston or Sacramento — while somehow incorporating someone like Kevin Love ($31 million), John Wall ($44 million) or Tobias Harris ($35 million) into a multiple-team deal.
MYLES TURNER AND DOMANTAS SABONIS
We’ve bundled these two together given they’re in essentially the same situation. And the Pacers loom as one of the NBA teams that could legitimately shake things up ahead of the trade deadline in favour of moving towards a substantial rebuild following reports Sabonis, Turner and Caris LeVert are gettable for the right price. It comes amid a horror season for the Pacers, sliding down to the bottom three of the Eastern Conference standings despite having stars on their roster like Sabonis, Turner and Malcolm Brogdon, thus the potential shift to becoming sellers. Phoenix and Sacramento have previously been linked to Sabonis, although The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported last week Indiana is unlikely to deal him.
It means a trade for Turner, who’s on a very reasonable $18 million contract until 2023, could be the more likely outcome and one that makes sense given the big man has never quite reached his potential at the Pacers. Charania reported the Lakers, Mavericks, Hornets and Knicks are all expected to pursue Turner, while HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto revealed the Pacers are seeking two first-round picks for him. Charlotte would be the ideal landing spot for the shot-blocking machine, a team on the rise that’s crying out for a quality centre. The Hornets rank bottom five in the NBA in defensive rating with Miles Plumlee currently starting at the five. Beyond picks, young players like James Bouknight and PJ Washington could interest the Pacers, the latter who’s reportedly on the block.
DAMIAN LILLARD
Both Lillard and the Trail Blazers have consistently assured there’s no plans for him to depart the franchise. But deep down, the six-time All-Star must surely be weighing up his future and where the best landing spot would be for him to genuinely have a shot at securing that elusive championship. The Lillard-era in Portland has seen the team consistently make the playoffs but only once advance past the second round. So while he may be (or at least says he is) committed to the cause in Portland now, another season or two of disappointment may make him consider otherwise and request a trade. It’s worth noting that Lillard is on a mega $39 million deal this year that increases to $48 million in 2025, so finding a trade where the salaries match would be no easy task. Should it come to that, the franchise would surely do right by its long-time superstar and send him to his preferred destination, likely a team in title contention.
There’ll always be noise that Lillard, an Oakland native, could be keen to return to California at some stage of his career — making the Lakers, Clippers and Warriors potential destinations. Playing alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis in LA would’ve been ideal prior to the addition of Westbrook, but it’s hard to see Lillard landing at the Lakers now unless they make drastic roster changes. Elsewhere, the Sixers have been linked to him since the pre-season and there’s always a chance the Blazers entertain a Ben Simmons trade. Another team reportedly keen is the Knicks, whose young assets like RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, Mitch Robinson and Cam Reddish could appeal to Portand in favour of pursuing a rebuild. Or the Blazers could simply command a bounty of draft picks from whoever’s willing to pay up. Should Lillard stick it out with Portland until 2025 free agency, when he’ll turn 35, expect a whole host of suitors where it’ll come down to which contenders have cap space.
BRADLEY BEAL
The Wizards must be nervous about Beal’s next move. The three-time All-Star has a player option for next year’s deal, meaning he can opt out of it and enter free agency after this season. He’d then be eligible to sign a five-year, $241 million extension to stay in Washington, or four-year $179 million deal elsewhere. It comes amid an up and down season in the US capital where the team has faded after a hot start to dwindle in the middle of the Eastern Conference standings. Once John Wall’s sidekick, Beal has become the face of the Wizards franchise and emerged as one of the best guards in the NBA. But after 10 seasons of loyalty and quality service to Washington, the 28-year old is now more than entitled to move onto greener pastures after the Wizards have failed to put a competitive team around him over the years, and realistically, aren’t close to championship contention.
Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer reported last year that while Beal has no “proverbial list of preferred of destinations,” sources said the Celtics, Warriors, Heat and Sixers were among the teams he’d welcome joining. The issue is though that, despite the NBA salary cap increasing from $112 million to $119 million next season, only rebuilding teams like the Pistons, Magic and Spurs are expected to have salary cap space. It means suitors may need to get creative to acquire Beal, most likely in a sign and trade or normal swap, although he’d come at a steep price. The Sixers have reportedly longed for a player of Beal’s ilk in return for Simmons, but there’s been no word on any interest in the Aussie star on the Wizards side.
JAYSON TATUM
It’s time for change in Boston, in some form or another. This is a team booming with talent, led by Tatum and Jalen Brown, yet somehow sit outside play-in qualification at the moment. So whether Tatum requests a trade, Brown gets dealt or the supporting cast is overhauled, something has to happen. Tatum is one of the most exciting young players in the NBA that’s on his way to superstardom, if he’s not there already. So it doesn’t makes sense for him to be labouring at a franchise going nowhere.
It’s hard to envision the Celtics doing anything extreme in the short-term like trading Tatum or Brown, meaning the most plausible outcome for immediate change is the team moving lesser names that still have value, like Marcus Smart and Robert Williams. Rivals also looking to shake things up, such as the Kings and Knicks, could be landing spots, or teams needing a defensive boost, like the Hornets and Hawks. But if peripheral pieces were first moved and it remained rocky in Boston, the franchise may at some stage need to bite the bullet and break up the Tatum-Brown duo for a true makeover while fully committing long-term to the other.
DE’AARON FOX
The Kings have had several draft blunders over the years with early picks, but hit on Fox with the fifth overall selection in 2017. In his first few seasons, Fox was the shining light for a struggling franchise including an impressive breakout campaign in 2019/20. But Fox has since gone backwards, while the team’s lacklustre form this season has reportedly prompted them to put he and Tyrese Haliburton on the trade table.
All things considered, a change of scenery might be exactly what Fox needs to get his career back on track. Still just 24 years old, Fox is capable of great things if he can refine some parts of his game, particularly his shooting. The point guard is signed with Sacramento until 2026, meaning he won’t be going anywhere anytime soon unless the team decides to try and move him. And the most likely avenue would be to include him as the centrepiece of a deal to acquire a bigger star like Ben Simmons. Alternatively, Fox might just need different personnel to play alongside in Sactown, a plausible outcome if he’s not dealt given the Kings are one of the teams expected to blow it up.
JOHN COLLINS
Recent comments from Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk suggests the team mightn’t be far off making significant roster changes in a bid to improve defensively, where it ranks bottom three in the league. It comes as Atlanta has been one of the big disappointments this season following its conference finals appearance, sitting bottom four in the East and not long removed from a five-game losing streak. The franchise already shipped Cam Reddish to New York and Collins could and should follow suit to fulfil his potential. Since the addition of Clint Capela in Atlanta, Collins has played more at power forward and not quite reached his previous heights.
It was all well and good for him to take a step back while the Hawks were winning games last year, but now he’ll be second guessing signing that five-year, $125 million extension. Given Atlanta has essentially said it’s open for business, a mutual split with Collins isn’t out of the question, particularly given Capela is ineligible to be traded before the deadline and it has several other players who can play the four and Onyeka Okongwu coming through the ranks. The Hawks were linked to Ben Simmons at one stage, although have since reportedly pulled out, while Jerami Grant, Marcus Smart and Robert Covington are other defensive-minded players they could target.
