This 2023-24 NBA seasons isn't quite over, but we've seen enough to know a handful of stars could use some fresh starts. Whether they're stuck on a team headed nowhere, have simply been in the same spot for too long, would make more sense elsewhere or some other reason, each of the stars below need a new situation. And we found one for each. But since we're already past the trade deadline, there's at least a little guesswork in order about what it would take to make a deal, what assets each team will have, how much cap space they'll have, etc. So, unlike some of our other fake trade articles, this won't won't include exact frameworks. Instead, the cores of what it would likely take to make the moves are below. At this point, going after Zach LaVine might not exactly qualify as star-hunting for the
Los Angeles Lakers. He only managed 25 appearances this season, and his 19.5 points in those games was his lowest scoring average since 2017-18. But as recently as this February's trade deadline,
LeBron James was reportedly supportive of trading for LaVine, and he'd cost a lot less than some of the other rumored targets (like Trae Young). With his lower production and health issues, it's not crazy to think L.A. could get him from the
Chicago Bulls with little more than salary-matching contracts (which would likely include D'Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura). And with LeBron James nearing the end of his career, there has to be some desire to preserve draft capital. Now, given the way L.A. has played since coach Darvin Ham finally decided to put Hachimura in the starting five with Russell, you might ask why the Lakers would do this at all. Beyond getting the LeBron blessing, LaVine is bigger than Russell, which could move Austin Reaves to the 1. And though he had an underwhelming 2023-24, over the two seasons before that, LaVine averaged 24.6 points, 4.4 assists and 2.7 threes, while
shooting 38.2 percent from deep. As a third (or maybe even fourth) option in lineups with LeBron, Anthony Davis and Reaves, LaVine could be even more effective going against opponents' weaker perimeter defenders. For a couple years, it felt like the
New York Knicks were stockpiling assets to go after a superstar. At one point, the target was Donovan Mitchell. For a moment, at least before he signed his latest extension with the Milwaukee Bucks, there were whispers about Giannis Antetokounmpo. And in the meantime, the free agent they signed for a below-max contract in 2022, Jalen Brunson, developed into a superstar himself. Now, they can use some of those assets to go after a second or third option, and Mikal Bridges seems like the most natural fit in the league. On top of being another Villanova Wildcat (Josh Hart recently joked that Bridges is Squidward jealously looking on from the attic as everyone else is having fun below in the classic Spongebob meme), Bridges would just fit perfectly in lineups led by Brunson. Adding his outside shooting to Donte DiVincenzo's would give Brunson plenty of spacing for drives. And his multipositional defense would make him an instant favorite of coach Tom Thibodeau. He also isn't likely to cost as much as Mitchell or Giannis. Bojan Bogdanović and a big chunk of the trove of draft assets New York has developed could get it done. And that could make it possible to pass on OG Anunoby's free agency, if the front office is overly concerned with his lack of durability. Having an All-NBA player like Brunson on a below-value contract has opened up tons of team-building avenues for this organization. It should explore the one that leads to Bridges. There's already plenty of smoke arising on the Mitchell trade front. This season with the Cleveland Cavaliers has felt eerily similar to his last season with the
Utah Jazz. And if that script plays out again, Mitchell could once more find himself on a smaller-market team than he'd like. Mitchell and the Knicks have seemingly been circling each other for years, but the ascension of Brunson makes that pairing feel less likely. Starting two sub-6'4" guards, no matter how tenacious they are, can lead to some defensive difficulties. A situation that makes more sense for both Mitchell and his potential new team is in Orlando, where the Magic have the defensive infrastructure to cover for Mitchell's shortcomings on that end and a need for his scoring on the other. Plus, the Magic have the potential cap space this summer to absorb most (if not all) of Mitchell's salary without giving up many players of their own. Orlando could put together a package with Anthony Black and tons of draft consideration, which obviously wouldn't help the Cleveland Cavaliers in the immediate term, but those assets can be used in future trades. And a slower build around Darius Garland and Evan Mobley still has plenty of potential. You can bet there will be plenty of buzz about Young potentially joining the Lakers this offseason, but the better situation for the All-Star playmaker is with Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs. Like Orlando, San Antonio could have the cap space necessary to absorb much of Young's salary, and the Spurs can offer enough draft assets to offset what was lost in the Dejounte Murray trade. The partnership between those two hasn't worked, and while Young is probably the better individual talent, it may make more sense to move forward with Murray, since Young will return the bigger trade package. For San Antonio, Wembanyama has accelerated the team's timeline. He's already a top 15-20 player. Pairing him with a high-end playmaker now, while expensive, could have them in the hunt for a playoff spot as early as next season. On offense, Wemby and Young would fit seamlessly as pick-and-roll partners. And on the other end, Wembanyama's defense could help cover for Young's struggles on that end. It may be tempting for the Spurs to be bad again and potentially add Cooper Flagg or Ace Bailey to to the core a year from now, but if this opportunity presents itself, they'll have to think about taking it.