NBA Trades: 5 blockbuster deals to move disgruntled NBA stars
The NBA offseason has reached a point of stagnation, but there are still multiple stars looking for a trade. It’s possible we will see Damian Lillard, James Harden, Pascal Siakam, or someone else get dealt in the next few weeks.
In preparation for a possible move, here are some hypothetical deals that send unhappy NBA stars to new homes.
NBA Trade #5
Lakers Get
James Harden
76ers Get
D'Angelo Russell
Rui Hachimura
2029 top-five protected first-round pick
The Lakers had a good playoff run, advancing all the way to the Western Conference finals. Still, good playoff runs aren’t enough when Lebron James is nearing the end of his career. They must do everything they can to build a championship-caliber roster around him, and this deal would be a step forward.
While he’s not the player he used to be, Harden is still very productive, finishing last season as the league’s assist-per-game leader. He would provide the Lakers with much-needed help as a floor general. It would be pretty easy for Los Angeles to outbid other potential suitors with some interesting but expendable assets on their hands.
From the Sixers’ point of view, they will eventually have to accept the reality that Harden doesn’t have much trade value and accept a somewhat underwhelming offer. While the Lakers package is by no means mind-blowing, it’s not a bad return considering Harden’s current market.
Hachimura had an exciting playoff run with the Lakers, averaging 12 points on 55% shooting from the field and 48% from three. This summer, he signed a three-year $51 million contract. On the other hand, Russell was disappointing in the postseason, with decent averages of 13 points on four assists, but bad efficiency at 42% from the field and 31% from three.
Nonetheless, he signed a two-year $35 million contract which is reasonable value considering his regular season averages and it makes him very tradeable for Philadelphia in the future. As a bonus, Philly gets a future first-round pick in 2029.
