3 Stars Who Could Be Moved At The NBA Trade Deadline
NBA | March 21, 2021
As the NBA’s March 25th trade deadline is fast approaching, teams are looking themselves in the mirror asking honest questions about their season. If their campaign has not gone according to plan, they might wonder whether they should trade a cornerstone player for future assets. If their season has gone exceedingly well, they might try to add a cosmetic piece to help make a postseason push.
Even though the pandemic has wreaked havoc on the salary cap situations of most franchises, big time players might still be wearing new jerseys come next weekend. Who are three stars that could be relocating in the next few days?
3. Kyle Lowry
It’s probably not how Raptors fans envisioned their season going in December. The team would have to relocate to Tampa, Florida to play their home games, instead of in front of their home fans in Toronto. With less than two months to ago in the season, the Raptors are in the midst of a seven game losing streak. They are sitting behind teams like the Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks in the standings.
Because things have not gone according to plan, and because Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri has been known to pull off a savvy trade or two, one of their core veteran players might be on the move. Kyle Lowry is in the last year of his deal, and will turn 35 years old on the day of the trade deadline, ironically. Toronto might want to ship him to a contender to get future assets back, and hand the team over to Fred Van Vleet.
2. Victor Oladipo
If you thought the Raptors losing streak was bad, you may want to avert your eyes when recapping the recent play of the Rockets. Houston has lost an astounding 20 games in a row, and are as obvious a seller as we’ve had in recent trade deadlines. As a result, Victor Oladipo might (once again) be on the move.
Oladipo has barely been with the Rockets for two months, but his stay in Houston may not last much longer. He’s played pretty well for them, averaging over 21 a game. His contract expires at the end of the season, so any team looking to acquire him might want an assurance that he’ll sign a long term deal. But at this point, it doesn’t make much sense for the Rockets to keep him.
- Bradley Beal
The crown jewel of this NBA trade deadline might be the Wizards’ Bradley Beal. He’s repeatedly intimated that he doesn’t want to leave the nation’s capital, but at some point, a separation might be better off for both sides.
His contract figures are about to get very expensive, as he’s slated to make of $34 million and $37 million respectively in the next two seasons. But at 27 years old, averaging 32 points a night, he’s arguably worth every penny. Washington won’t move him for less than a king’s ransom, but teams around the league will do their best to pry him away.
Tags: bradley beal | indiana pacers | Kyle Lowry | nba trade deadline | toronto raptors | victor oladipo | washington wizards
