There have been a number of blockbuster trades scattered throughout NBA history. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to the Los Angeles Lakers, Charles Barkley to the Phoenix Suns, and more recently Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors are some of the biggest names involved in the biggest deals we’ve ever witnessed.
Blockbuster trades give life to the league’s otherwise uneventful offseason and add spice to the regular season. Can you imagine if we have five of them before the 2019-20 season kicks off?
Here are five earth-shaking trades that will completely rock the foundations of the NBA:
5. Bradley Beal to the Nuggets
Denver Nuggets receive: SG Bradley Beal
Washington Wizards receive: SG Gary Harris, SG Malik Beasley, PF Michael Porter Jr.
As good as the Nuggets were this season, their youth was exposed against the Portland Trail Blazers. Denver would like to win now and to do that, they need more veterans.
Welcome, Bradley Beal!
Beal gets to escape basketball purgatory with the Wizards and he becomes an elder statesmen with the Nuggets. The All-Star guard will bring much-needed stability, leadership and outside shooting to a squad that was sorely lacking in veteran poise.
For the Wizards, they can finally start rebuilding with a trio of good young players! Harris and Beasley are terrific guards who have big shoes to fill in Washington. More than these two, it is Porter who could make this a steal depending on how good he can be in the next two to three years.
4. Paul George to the Bulls
Chicago Bulls receive: SF Paul George
Oklahoma City Thunder receive: PG Zach LaVine, SG Denzel Valentine, PF Wendell Carter, Jr.
Let’s assume that Oklahoma City has had it with losing in the first-round and they decided to follow in the footsteps of the Toronto Raptors who shipped off their star player. Rather than try and build a contender, Thunder management decide to rebuild.
George going to the Bulls would give Chicago an NBA MVP-caliber player for the first time since Derrick Rose’s time in the Windy City. He instantly brings leadership and credibility to the team. This also gives George an opportunity to see how good he can truly become without Westbrook.
The 2018-19 season was a breakout season for LaVine as he had career highs across the board. His talent is unquestionable and he gets an opportunity in Oklahoma City to show that he can take it to the next level by becoming an All-Star. Valentine is a very good pick up as well and Carter could be a key piece in their rebuilding efforts.
3. Russell Westbrook to the Cavs
Oklahoma City Thunder receive: PG Colin Sexton, PG Matthew Dellavedova, SG J.R. Smith, PF/C Tristan Thompson
Cleveland Cavaliers receive: PG Russell Westbrook, C Nerlens Noel
One big move to put the Cavaliers back on the map is by obtaining a big-name star. Sexton had been compared to Westbrook since college. Now we’re trading them for one another.
The Thunder receive a point guard who could become a star in a few years as well as a couple of expiring contracts in Smith and Thompson. They may not make the playoffs for a while, but at least they aren’t stuck in mediocrity with one of the highest payrolls in the league.
Meanwhile, the Cavs receive one of the most dynamic players in the NBA. The knock on Westbrook is that he is too concerned with individual stats at the expense of team success. But he still sells tickets and the Cavs need someone who can put fans on their seats. More importantly, a fresh start could help Brodie turn the corner and become a better leader.
2. Anthony Davis to the Timberwolves
New Orleans Pelicans receive: SG Josh Okogie, SF Andrew Wiggins, SF Keita Bates-Diop, C Gorgui Dieng
Minnesota Timberwolves receive: PG Jrue Holiday, C Anthony Davis
The Pelicans want to rid themselves of Holiday’s contract and give Davis up to a team in exchange for young players with star potential. They can do both in a deal with Minnesota. Okogie, Wiggins and Bates-Diop have a shot at stardom. Wiggins is the key here and without Karl-Anthony Towns, he could explode into a legit 30-point scorer for the Pelicans.
Dieng is a very good back-up center who will become a starter.
As for the Timberwolves, they can form the latest version of the Twin Towers. Davis and Towns would be a devastating duo who will give nightmares to many teams who would dare to go small ball on them. If the Wolves decide that they’d like to take a gamble at a superstar with an expiring contract just like the Thunder and Raptors have done recently, they could woo Davis into re-signing with a strong showing in the standings and the postseason.
1. LeBron James to the Blazers
Los Angeles Lakers receive: SF Chandler Parsons, SF Kyle Anderson, C Jusuf Nurkic 2019, No. 2 pick overall
Memphis Grizzlies receive: SG C.J. McCollum, PF Meyers Leonard, PF Zach Collins
Portland Trail Blazers receive: SG Avery Bradley, SF LeBron James
This would be the biggest blockbuster trade in decades involving one of the all-time greats. With a deal like this involving three organizations, it’s imperative that one team doesn’t feel like they got the short end of the stick.
There’s no denying how this benefits all of them whether in the short term or the long term. The Lakers, pressured to win a championship before James’ contract expires in 2022, can breathe more easily. They’re on their youth program again instead of making quick but sometimes unwise decisions to win a title immediately. They can draft sensational guard Ja Morant with the No. 2 pick and watch him put the franchise on his back. This means the end of Lonzo Ball’s time in L.A. as he becomes trade bait before the offseason ends.
Nurkic is an invaluable piece to the growth of these Lakers. A starting lineup of Morant, Hart, Ingram, Kuzma and Nurkic could make a lot of noise in a year or two.
Parsons’ contract can be bought out or used as trade bait since his expiring contract is valuable to other teams looking for cap space. Anderson is a good young player who could be a starter for other teams.
For the Grizzlies, they don’t have to wait for a rookie to develop into a star any longer with C.J. McCollum taking over. Pairing him and Collins with Jaren Jackson Jr. gives Memphis a good core team to build around. Plus, they get rid of Parsons whom they had a falling out with this past season. Leonard would be a terrific player coming off the bench.
For Portland, they become serious title contenders as James plays with another top-notch point guard. He and Damian Lillard might even be a better fit than when James played with Kyrie Irving in Cleveland. They also added Bradley who would be an excellent defensive guard to play alongside Lillard.
Though the Blazers lost many of their key players, they still retain the services of more than a few others. They have enough to make it past the second round of the NBA Playoffs. Management needs to a deal or two in the summer to turn them into genuine threats to win the title, however.
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