Three NBA Players Most Likely to be Traded Once Free Agency Ends

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The NBA free agency period is soon to be over, but that doesn’t mean more moves won't be made during the offseason. There has been a huge increase in stars asking out through trades in recent seasons, and this offseason is no exception. There are plenty of players who may be traded this offseason, but here are the three most likely.

Damian Lillard

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Damian Lillard has been with the Portland TrailBlazers since he was drafted in 2013. He has been one of the most loyal players in the entire NBA, but even he realized it is time to ask out. The Blazers are looking to unload Lillard for the best possible value, however, Lillard has claimed he is only interested in a trade with the Heat. The question becomes who has more power in this situation? Lillard could easily claim he will only suit up for the Heat and he could tell other teams to not trade for him because he won’t play. Portland could also call his bluff as he has four years remaining on his contract and he can’t sit out forever. I believe in the end that Lillard will win out and he will end up being sent to the Miami Heat. The trade would likely involve a third team, with Herro being sent off elsewhere and the Blazers acquiring assets instead. The trade could look something like this:

Heat receive: Damian Lillard

Trail Blazers receive: Kyle Lowry, Dorian Finney-Smith, Nic Claxton, Nikola Jovic, 2024 1st round pick (Via Miami), Rights to swap 2025 first with Miami, 2025 1st round pick (From Nets Via Suns), and a 2026 second round pick (Via Nets)

Nets receive: Tyler Herro and Jusuf Nurkic

James Harden

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James Harden shocked many when he opted into his player option for this upcoming season; this, however, came with a caveat of a trade request. Now that Harden is going to be traded instead of being a free agent, this gives him more options in terms of the team he would like to join. Now teams don’t need cap space in order to sign him, they just need players with matching salaries to trade. When Harden requested the trade the two rumored teams that were interested were the Los Angeles Clippers and New York Knicks. Recent reports have come out, however, that Harden is more zoned in on the Clippers. A trade to the Clippers could look something like this:

Clippers receive: James Harden

76ers receive: Norman Powell, Robert Covington, Terrance Mann, and a 2027 unprotected first round pick

Pascal Siakam

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The Raptors finished well below expectations during the 2022-2023 NBA season. On paper, the Raptors should have been fighting for a top-five seed in the east, but things didn’t go according to plan. The Raptors also lost their starting point guard this offseason, which may be enough for them to hit the reset button and go into full rebuild mode. A Siakam trade could look something like this:

Celtics receive: Pascal Siakam

Raptors receive: Malcolm Brogdon, Robert Williams III, Payton Prichard, a 2024 unprotected 1st round pick, and a 2026 unprotected 1st round pick