With all but eight teams eliminated from the NBA playoffs, many fans have moved on to looking forward to the offseason. Unlike many other leagues, there is an extreme amount of player turnover from year to year in the NBA, and outside of a very short list of players, anyone can be traded. There are three potential blockbuster trades that could change the landscape of the league in the 2023-24 season.
1. Kyrie Irving to the Phoenix Suns
The first blockbuster trade that could take place would once again team up Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. While things did not go well for the duo with the Brooklyn Nets, things could be much different in Phoenix. Adding Irving to the team would take some of the scoring load off of Durant and Devin Booker. It has been made very evident in their series against the Denver Nuggets that they are the only two players on the team that can provide consistent scoring for the team.
If the Suns were to make this deal, they would likely perform a sign-and-trade with a team with enough cap space to temporarily sign Irving. They would then trade Chris Paul for Irving. Paul would serve as an incredible mentor for a young team as he did with the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Phoenix would likely add in some draft capital to sweeten up the deal. Along with this, they would likely attempt to move Deandre Ayton to add some depth and defense to their team. With a backcourt of Irving and Booker, it would be essential for the rest of the starting five to be elite defensive players.
2. Jaylen Brown to the Golden State Warriors
The second potential blockbuster would send Jaylen Brown to the Golden State Warriors to provide Stephen Curry with some much-needed help. It has been rumored throughout almost the entire season that Brown wanted out of Boston. With the Celtics likely being bounced from the playoffs by the Philadelphia 76ers, there is a strong chance that he could be moved this off-season.
A deal that could work out for both sides would send Jordan Poole, Andrew Wiggins, and draft capital to the Celtics while the Warriors would receive Brown and bench players to make the salaries match. Adding Brown to the team would provide the Warriors with a consistent second option on the offensive end along with an elite defender.
3. Zach LaVine to the Los Angeles Lakers
The final deal that could shake up the league this offseason would send Zach LaVine to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Chicago Bulls are a team that is likely to blow up their roster soon, and they will be looking to unload assets that could push them up in the standings next year. With LaVine being one of their top players, he would be amongst the first to be moved. LaVine’s name has been connected to the Lakers for years and many believed that the two sides would be able to work something out at the trade deadline before Los Angeles made a three-team deal with the Utah Jazz and Minnesota Timberwolves that landed them D’Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Malik Beasley.
If they are able to move Russell, some of their bench talent, along with some draft capital, it may be enough to get the Bulls to bite on a deal, especially if LaVine continues to express interest in playing for the Lakers. He would provide the Lakers with a consistent scorer and someone who can dominate on the offensive end when both LeBron James and Anthony Davis are struggling to get anything going. This is a role that many believed Russell would be able to serve on the team, however, he has proven to be much too unreliable if the team continues to make pushes for championships as James continues to age.
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