5 NBA All-Stars who will be traded this offseason and where
The NBA All-Star game was an embarrassment, but it could set the stage for an exciting offseason all the same.
The NBA All-Star Game was... totally awful. Truly terrible. An abomination. A desecration of our beautiful game. We hope never to see such happenings again.
On the other hand, we did get to see the best basketball players in the world show off their 3-point range, flub a couple dunks, and a set new record for least energy expended over the course of a 48-minute, five-on-five basketball game.
While the All-Star game itself has lost a lot of merit and meaning over the years, it does provide a concise snapshot of the league's most dominant forces at the midway point of the season. It could also set the stage for a particularly interesting offseason, in which several All-Stars are very much on the chopping block.
Major trades are complicated. We only get a couple every summer. That said, here are the 2024 All-Stars with the greatest odds of getting moved once the opportunity arrives.
5. Knicks could trade Julius Randle to land a bigger fish
We can be honest. Julius Randle was not All-Star worthy in 2024. At least, he shouldn't have been nominated over Trae Young, Scottie Barnes, Kristaps Porzingis, or Franz Wagner. Alas, he's on the New York Knicks and there's a lot of excitement over the possible ceiling of this New York squad. Jalen Brunson has cemented his superstar status and the Knicks are maybe the deepest contender in the East.
That said, the Knicks are known to be perpetually star-hunting. With R.J. Barrett and Immanuel Quickley both out the door, there's a strong chance any Knicks "star" trade involves Randle as outgoing salary. Heck, maybe Randle gets moved for another player on this list. He's a unique player — far from a universal fit around the league — but Randle's raw production has been enough to establish positive value on the open market.
If New York comes up short in the playoffs, that could also inspire a Randle trade. The 29-year-old was an All-Star last season, too, but he hit a wall in the playoffs. Randle's physicality and versatility as a frontcourt scorer is frequently impressive, but he's not the sharpest decision-maker and he can become too reliant on difficult jumpers. It becomes much harder to score against set defenses in the playoffs. At that point, more defenders are willing to trade blows with Randle.
Randle has been undeniably productive this season, averaging 24.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 5.0 assists on .472/.311/.781 splits in 35.4 minutes. He is clearly a Tom Thibodeau favorite — the kind of blue-collar star who embodies New York's spirit. That said, Randle is easily the most flawed and least reliable All-Star projecting toward the postseason. That makes him a strong trade candidate if the Knicks pursue an upgrade.