Top 3 NBA Trade Candidates For The 2017 Offseason

There could be a lot of player movement in the 2017 NBA offseason, and not just in free agency. Some of the league’s top stars will be sought after through trades, and it will be interesting to see if teams are willing to move the face of their franchise.

Among the most notable trade candidates are Carmelo Anthony, Paul George and Jimmy Butler. The three All-Stars were involved in rumors at the trade deadline, and there is continued speculation that they could be moved this summer.

READ: NBA Finals 2017 Prediction, Betting Odds

Anthony’s case is certainly different from the two others. While there have been reports that the Indiana Pacers and Chicago Bulls have looked at the possibility of dealing their star forwards, the New York Knicks have flat out said that they want to deal their top scorer.

Just look at some of the comments Knicks president Phil Jackson has made since the end of the regular season.

“We have not been able to win with him on the court at this time and I think the direction with our team is that he is a player that would be better off somewhere else and using his talent somewhere he can win or chase that championship,” Jackson said at a press conference in April.

Given the chance to backtrack from his statements a month later at the NBA draft combine, Jackson refused.

“We'd like him to have success,” Jackson said. “The opportunity is narrowing. We'd just like him to have success somewhere. We're not going to be there. Hopefully, we'll be maybe a playoff team next year. It would be tough to consider us a possible champion.”

Just because the Knicks want Anthony out doesn’t mean he’ll be playing elsewhere in 2017. The 33-year-old has a no-trade clause in his contract, and he could shoot down a deal to any of the other 29 teams. Whether he still wants to try to win in New York, or even if it’s simply to spite Jackson, Anthony could decide to remain in the Big Apple for the remainder of his contract.

Even if Anthony does agree to be moved, his trade value isn’t nearly what it once was. New York might not be able to get a first-round pick in return for Anthony, who is no longer regarded among the league’s elite players.

Both George and Butler would certainly bring back a high first-round pick, at a minimum, and it will be up to Indiana and Chicago to decide whether or not they want to trade their respective star players and rebuild. The Pacers haven’t won a playoff series since 2014, and it’s been two years since the Bulls reached the second round of the postseason.

George is the more likely trade candidate because of his contract. He’s under Indiana’s control for just one more year, while Butler is signed with Chicago through the 2018-2019 season.

Headed for free agency in 2018, George is reportedly eyeing the Los Angeles Lakers. He’s from California, and the team would have no problem offering him a max contract to pair him with their young core of players.

If Indiana fears that they will lose George for nothing in a year, they could look to deal him this summer. The chances of the Pacers keeping George seemed to drop significantly when he failed to make one of the three All-NBA teams. Because of a clause put in the recent collective bargaining agreement, George would’ve been eligible to sign an extension with Indiana that would’ve paid him $70 million more than any other team could offer.

The Pacers decided to hold off on trading George at the trade deadline, as did the Bulls. Because the Celtics have the No.1 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, they are probably the leading candidate to acquire either player. Boston reportedly engaged in trade discussions with both Indiana and Boston three months ago.

Boston held onto the selection in February and went on to have the best record in the Eastern Conference. But they were no challenge for LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, clearly needing a star player before they can compete for an NBA title.

Could Boston’s embarrassing playoff loss against Cleveland force them to trade their selection for Butler or George? The answer could come shortly after the NBA Finals.