NBA Trade Rumors: James Harden, Andrew Wiggins and this year’s most likely trade bait

3. Caris LeVert

In sharp contrast to the first two names on this list, LeVert is a young player who possesses a perfectly reasonable contract. His issue is that he doesn’t fit in well with his team’s two superstars. Both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving would benefit from playing alongside a more established player who doesn’t need the ball in his hands to be successful.

That makes LeVert a very intriguing trade target for any team looking to add another valuable piece to their young core. He may never turn into a perennial All-Star, but LeVert is already a good starter who can effectively play at either wing spot.

It’s easy to envision LeVert as the centerpiece of a big deal that brings a bona fide superstar back to Brooklyn. He’s already being mentioned as a crucial piece of any possible package the Brooklyn Nets can put together to land James Harden. Even if Harden isn’t on the move, plenty of teams will engage Brooklyn in talks about what it might take to land LeVert.

It will still be in the Nets’ best interest to hang on to LeVert until they can use him to bring back an established All-Star. Harden isn’t the only player that fits that description, but he is arguably the best. Don’t look for LeVert to move before Harden’s future has been decided.