The biggest headline of the 2022 NBA trade deadline was the announcement of James Harden’s tenure being over with the Brooklyn Nets. The Beard was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in a trade package majorly focused on Ben Simmons.
Considering both the players were unhappy with their respective situations with their teams, it was a win-win trade for both sides. The true winner will be decided once fans witness both Harden and Simmons play for their new teams.
Anyway, that is in the past, it seems like in the next seasons, fans will see a few more superstar players request a trade. As per Howard Beck of Sports Illustrated, there are three more NBA players that might demand trades in the near future. In his report, Beck wrote:
“The teams that have a star are feverishly doing everything to keep them happy. The rest are plotting to poach them. Around the league, team executives are already bracing (and/or plotting) for the next disenchanted star to ask out, with speculation focused on Zion Williamson in New Orleans, Damian Lillard in Portland, and Donovan Mitchell in Utah.”
All three players who are reportedly unhappy with their current teams have a reason to request a trade if they do so in the future.
Damian Lillard might be one of the most loyal players in the league, but there is only so much he can do on his own. Despite the Blazers superstar being in the prime of his career, the organization has failed to create a championship-winning team around him.
On the other hand, creating a good team doesn’t seem a problem for the Utah Jazz. But the star duo of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert hasn’t produced the results that anyone hoped for. They seem to be doing well in the regular season, but things start to go downhill come playoff time.
Lastly, Zion Williamson’s decision to request for a trade might be met with a lot of backlash from fans. There is no doubt that Zion has a great talent, but he is injury-prone and doesn’t seem to care that much about his physique. So, it might be a shocking decision if Zion decides to already give up on the New Orleans Pelicans.
At the end of the day, seeing players request trades after a short time seems to be the new normal for the league. But is it a good or bad thing? That’s definitely up for debate.
