If someone looked up at the sky last week, they might have seen a meteor shower. Luka Dončić and Anthony Davis were among the shooting stars that were visible. Maybe someone witnessed Jimmy Butler in motion?
The NBA trade deadline produced a historic amount of star movement. But this is the NBA. There are always more star players that will be on the move and drama will ensue for some contender.
With that, here are five stars who could request a trade this coming offseason.
5. Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans
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One could argue that it’s in the interest of both Williamson and the Pelicans to file for divorce.
When he’s on the floor, the former No. 1 overall pick is sensational. He’s a force to be reckoned with on the offensive end who can put the ball on the floor, run the fast break and sky above the rim.
Williamson has continually shouldered a No. 1 scoring burden for the Pelicans. The issue, of course, has been Williamson’s continued injury history, low-lighted by him appearing in just 16 games this season and playing in just 200 games over six seasons in the NBA.
New Orleans traded Brandon Ingram before the deadline, and with it at the bottom of the Western Conference, one could imagine that more trades are coming (e.g. Williamson and C.J. McCollum). Williamson, a two-time All-Star, needs a change of scenery.
Potential trade destinations: Hornets, Trail Blazers, Pistons
4. Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks
Young continues to be one of the most productive scorers in the NBA and an All-Star-caliber player on a yearly basis. But Atlanta hasn’t won a playoff series since it reached the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021.
While his scoring is slightly down this season, Young is still leading the scoring charge for Atlanta at a high level (23.5 points per game), while averaging an NBA-high 11.4 assists per game. As a scorer, Young has infinite range with his jump shot, is quick off the dribble and a proven facilitator. Unfortunately for Young, the Hawks are 25-28, budding forward Jalen Johnson recently had season-ending shoulder surgery and the franchise just traded away De’Andre Hunter and Bogdan Bogdanović.
Young, 26, is entering the prime of his career and has been more loyal to the Hawks than a lot of players in similar positions across the sport have been. After the Hawks waved the white flag at the deadline, Young may be waving for an Uber ride to Atlanta International Airport this summer.
Potential trade destinations: Magic, Nets, Rockets
3. Damian Lillard, Milwaukee Bucks
Lillard will be 35 at the start of the 2025-26 season and is yet to appear in the NBA Finals. Should Milwaukee fail to escape the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs for a third consecutive season or merely win one playoff series, it’s conceivable to think Lillard will ask out.
Lillard was traded to the Bucks to win, and the clock is ticking. An eight-time All-Star, Lillard is still playing at a high level, averaging 25.5 points and 7.5 assists per game this season, while shooting 38.3% from behind the arc. He’s one of the best pure shooters in the sport and has barely, if at all, lost a step. Lillard stuck with the Trail Blazers through thick and thin, but his move to the Bucks was one calculated with the intention of finally getting that elusive title. It has not paid dividends for him to date.
Wait, if Lillard asks out, wouldn’t that mean another star player on the Bucks does the same — who, should he ask out, would further amplify the chances of Lillard seeking relocation? We’ll revisit that in a moment.
Potential trade destinations: Magic, Rockets, Jazz
2. Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns
Every two years we’re talking about who Durant’s next team is going to be. And after a trade deadline that saw the Suns openly shop and nearly move Durant, it feels like, barring an NBA Finals appearance, his days in Phoenix are numbered.
For starters, the Suns are on their third head coach with Durant in the fold and are 26-26 this season. That lack of success — and inability to make the math work on a Jimmy Butler trade — sparked the Suns to mull trade offers for Durant, who reportedly never wanted to be moved. From Durant’s perspective, he didn’t want to leave, and the Suns still shopped him. And from the Suns’ perspective, genuinely shopping your superstar at the trade deadline speaks to a lack of confidence in the roster you assembled.
It has been a disappointing two years in the desert, and the inevitable is Durant being traded once again this offseason. Who wants a four-time scoring champion who’s still playing at an elite level at 36?
Potential trade destinations: Spurs, Rockets, Grizzlies
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
The NBA world has been waiting for this trade request and should Milwaukee come up way short of an NBA Finals appearance yet again, Antetokounmpo may drop the hammer.
Much like his star teammate, Lillard, Antetokounmpo has stuck with the Bucks through trails and tribulations. Of course, the difference is the Bucks won an NBA title in 2021. The problem, though, is the franchise has one playoff win since winning the 2021 NBA Finals. Powerhouse teams or teams who have consistently gotten to the playoffs with prosperous cores and won series have established themselves in the Eastern Conference, namely the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers. One could argue each of those three teams has proven to be better than Milwaukee’s current core.
Antetokounmpo, 30, is the most physically imposing player in the NBA, a walking 30-10-5 and in the prime of his career. Milwaukee will get a king’s ransom for its superstar. The trade will be painful, but with another postseason letdown, an Antetokounmpo trade feels like a given.
Potential trade destinations: Rockets, Grizzlies, Nets
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