5 NBA All-Stars who could get traded in the 2021 off-season
The 2021 off-season could see many NBA All-Stars moving to other teams based on the trade rumors circulating among the league’s front offices. Teams are gearing up for what could be one of the busiest off-seasons in recent memory.
Aside from the free agents, disgruntled NBA All-Stars could switch teams in the off-season, paving the way for a shift in power in the Eastern and Western Conference depending on where these players land.
NBA All-Stars and the difficulty of trading them
One of the problems with trading away NBA All-Stars is getting their value back. Just look at the Houston Rockets. They traded away Russell Westbrook and James Harden in a matter of months, and they didn’t get the best deal in both cases.
Even if it’s a swap of NBA All-Stars, it’s still a tricky situation because they aren’t always equal in value. One could be a franchise player, while the other may not. Nonetheless, this would be the best-case scenario for the teams involved. What’s interesting about the players on our list is how their teams might actually trade their All-Star for another one.
With trade rumors aplenty abounding this time of the year, here's a look at the five NBA All-Stars who could be on the move this summer:
#5 Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics)
Jaylen Brown has been mentioned in trade talks involving the Portland Trail Blazers’ Damian Lillard.
The Celtics swingman was a first-time NBA All-Star this season, and he could be part of a package to lure Lillard to Boston. Brown averaged career highs in points (24.7), assists (3.4), steals (1.2), field-goal percentage (48.4) and 3-point percentage (39.7).
He could grow into a franchise player in Portland if the Blazers come to an agreement with the Celtics. In turn, Boston would have a franchise-altering star to pair with their own franchise player, Jayson Tatum.
This would be a win-win for both ball clubs, but it remains to be seen if the Celtics will pull the trigger on a 24-year-old player with vast potential for a proven superstar who’s in his prime now at the ripe age of 30. The two NBA All-Stars would be in different situations, but this trade should benefit both teams.
#4 Kyrie Irving (Brooklyn Nets)
There have been rumblings that some members of the Brooklyn Nets' front office were unhappy with Kyrie Irving’s off-court issues and no-shows in some of the games due to 'personal reasons'.
If the Nets decide to trade the seven-time NBA All-Star, they could fetch an outright star in Lillard or Ben Simmons. However, because of all the off-court baggage that would come with a trade for Irving, it will be trickier to move him to another team that isn’t to his liking. After all, he signed with the Nets two summers ago because of Kevin Durant, so he could be quite incensed if he is let go this off-season.
Nevertheless, the Nets are reportedly willing to listen to offers for Irving. This off-season could be a big one for the team if they send the player to another team in a potential trade for other NBA All-Stars.