This month’s NBA trade deadline may have been a dud in terms of stars being moved, but a quiet February could set the stage for a wild July.
As one Eastern Conference executive told The Ringer’s Howard Beck, “There will be a lot of parts moved this offseason. There’s going to be some options, some high-level guys that ask to get moved.”
The reason why is simple: There hasn’t been this much parity in the league since the final year of LeBron James’ first stint in Cleveland – 14 seasons ago. There are mainstay contenders in Boston, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Miami, Denver, Los Angeles (the less popular, way better one), Phoenix and perhaps rising ones in New York, Oklahoma City and Minnesota.
Meanwhile, some of the established stars, like LeBron, appear destined to settle for the play-in tournament, or worse.
All of this points to a potential reshuffling this summer. Stars with wandering eyes could jump ship to ready-made contenders, underachieving squads could break up, rebuilds may commence.
And, of course, the Miami Heat are always in position to pounce. Armed with as many as two first-round picks, two swaps, moveable salaries and some intriguing young players, the Heat will be involved in any buzz regarding a star on the move.
At the risk of looking beyond this season, here are four stars who could be available this summer.