With the NBA returning soon, the offseason could either feature a frenzy of moves from different teams or a relatively quiet one as front offices choose to stand pat with such a short turnaround between seasons and so much uncertainty heading into the next year. 

The NBA free agent class of 2020 may lack the star power of previous years, but what could add spice to the relatively brief offseason are teams looking to trade their stars in exchange for young players and draft picks. Whether it’s because of injuries, lack of chemistry, or a star that simply doesn’t fit into his team’s timeline, there are a number of teams that should consider moving their star players in order to rebuild or better position themselves in the future. Here are some of them: 

3. Oklahoma City Thunder

It’s hard to believe that an NBA team that finished with a 44-28 record and the fifth seed in a tough Western Conference and was a basket away from reaching the Conference Semifinals needs to blow it up and start over, but that’s where the Thunder seem to be headed. Not much was expected from Oklahoma City last season after it traded Russell Westbrook and Paul George and got Chris Paul, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, and a ton of draft picks in return. 

Instead, Paul, Gilgeous-Alexander, and Gallinari became three of the top four scorers for a playoff team, with the 35-year old Paul rejuvenating his career in Oklahoma City. But after a successful season, head coach Billy Donovan parted ways with the team, while Gallinari is a free agent and is already receiving interest from multiple teams. Paul has also been linked to numerous trades, and the 10-time NBA All Star no doubt wants to spend the final years of a storied career on a team that can help him win that elusive first championship. 

The deals with the Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets, and other teams have also made the Thunder flush with draft picks in the coming years, which add up to 23 picks in the next seven years, including a staggering 15 first round picks. Using this war chest of NBA draft picks and building on a core of Gilgeous-Alexander, rookie Lu Dort, and second year player Hamidou Diallo seem like the next step in the rebuilding that Oklahoma City began last season. 

That would mean trading away Paul and other players like center Steven Adams and guard Dennis Schroder, who will likely command large contracts. Going on a full rebuild will likely spell the end of the Thunder’s five consecutive NBA playoff appearances, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see them contending for the postseason soon, because if there’s one thing that they have proven since moving to Oklahoma City, it’s that they can find talent and future MVPs through the draft. 

2. Washington Wizards

Bradley Beal is coming off his best NBA season with the Wizards, and at this point, the 27-year old has been linked to so many trades that he’s probably been photoshopped into almost every other team’s jersey. But Beal’s backcourt partner John Wall is returning for the first time in more than a year, and Washington is hoping that their All Stars can recreate their playoff run three seasons ago, when they finished with a 49-33 record and came within a game of making the Eastern Conference Finals.

Since then, Wall hasn’t played more than 41 games in a season and missed the past year altogether due to a ruptured left Achilles tendon after he slipped and fell in his home. When he returns, the Wizards aren’t sure if the first overall pick of the 2010 NBA Draft can recapture his old form or will even be able to play close to a full season. Beal, meanwhile, has thrived in his absence, averaging 30.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 1.2 steals while shooting 45.5% from the field and 35.3% from beyond the arc in 57 games. 

The two-time NBA All Star’s big numbers haven’t translated into much success, with the Wizards finishing with a 25-47 record last season. Last year, Beal and the Wizards agreed to a two-year, $72 million contract extension, with the former Florida Gator admitting that part of the reason he signed a shorter deal was so that he could make himself available for other teams if the Wizards do not start winning games. With the 27-year old guard coming off a career year, trading for Beal now should give Washington a collection of young talent and assets they can use for a rebuild instead of waiting for him to decline his $37 million player option after next season and get nothing in return. 

1. Detroit Pistons

To hear it from general manager Troy Weaver and head coach Dwane Casey, the Pistons will not be rebuilding anytime soon, but will instead be ‘restoring’ or ‘retooling,’ as they prefer to call it. Casey has indicated that Detroit wants to remain competitive next season, when big man Blake Griffin will be able to return after playing just 18 games due to a left knee injury that required surgery. Also returning is former NBA MVP Derrick Rose, who has battled through injuries but has been productive in his stint in the Motor City. 

But even if Griffin returns, it’s not a certainty he’ll be able to play close to a full NBA season, let alone recapture the career-high numbers he put up in his first year in Detroit. The Pistons already made a move earlier this year that could signal the start of a rebuild, trading longtime big man Andre Drummond to the Cleveland Cavaliers in February. The 31-year old Griffin still has two years on the five-year, $171 million contract extension he signed with the Los Angeles Clippers back in 2017, and it’s easy to see why the Pistons may want to move that expensive contract, with Griffin already being linked to numerous trades.  

Despite being plagued with injuries, Griffin is still a six-time NBA All Star who can contribute for a contender, and has already generated interest on the trade market. Trading their star big man for young players and draft picks will accelerate the Pistons’ rebuild and allows them to focus on the development of young players like Christian Wood, Luke Kennard, Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, and rookie Sekou Dembouya along with their future draft selections. 

The Pistons also have the seventh overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft later this month, which they can use to select someone like Killian Hayes, RJ Hampton, or Onyeka Okongwu or use their assets to trade up to select a player like Anthony Edwards or James Wiseman. Trading their star big man and building on young players will not be the same as ‘restoring’ or ‘retooling,’ but it gives the Pistons a better chance to contend in the future in what is becoming an increasingly competitive Eastern Conference.