Ranking the 5 NBA stars most likely to be traded after James Harden

Now that James Harden is finally with the Los Angeles Clippers everyone will shift their attention to the next big star who could be traded. Who tops the list right now?

Oct 9, 2022; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam (43) and Chicago Bulls / Kevin Sousa-USA TODAY Sports

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3. Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers surprised many NBA fans when they were the winners of the Donovan Mitchell sweepstakes prior to the 2022-23 season. Mitchell had a list of teams he wanted to go to and Cleveland was not one of them. Despite that, the Cavs made the move, and are one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference because of it.

While Mitchell has been playing fantastic ball for Cleveland, there are still questions about whether he wants to be there long-term or not. He doesn't have a choice right now, but Mitchell has a player option after next season which he will presumably reject to reach unrestricted free agency. Once that happens, he's free to sign anywhere.

The Cavaliers are a team trying to win a championship right now and won't trade Mitchell barring a request, but what if the team fails again this season? They lost in embarrassing fashion to the Knicks in the first round last year and are still a tier below teams like the Celtics and Bucks in the conference.

Eventually, if Mitchell chooses to not extend, the Cavs have to decide whether they want to risk losing Mitchell for nothing or get something for him before he likely walks in free agency. My guess is they'll choose the latter.

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