The NBA world was not ready for the blockbuster that went down this weekend.
The fact that the New York Knicks traded for a center was not the surprising part; the fact that the center they added was All-NBA big man Karl-Anthony Towns certainly was. The Minnesota Timberwolves were going to pay through the nose for their current roster, but all signs pointed to the franchise investing in a team that made it to the Western Conference Finals.
Instead, seemingly out of nowhere, Towns was on the move, heading to the Big Apple in exchange for a package built around Julius Randle. It’s rare to see such star-for-star deals like that, especially involving such similar players.
As the dust settles from that blockbuster, the question that rises to the front is obvious: who is next? Who is the next NBA star to be traded - and will we see it coming?
Let’s look at three stars who could be the next ones on the move.
No. 3: Brandon Ingram
In one sense, nothing has changed for Brandon Ingram and the New Orleans Pelicans. He still wants a major role and a maximum contract extension, while the Pelicans aren’t willing to pay him like a superstar but likewise don’t want to sell him at a discount.
What is different is that the Knicks just provided a blueprint for aggressively addressing a need. One could easily argue that Julius Randle and Karl-Anthony Towns should have similar values given their production, accolades and contracts, but the Knicks didn’t get hung-up on the value question and made the trade in front of them.
The Pelicans could do the same thing. They are in desperate need of a center, facing the prospect of going into the season with Daniel Theis and a couple of projects at center. Could they aggressively target another center and go after him? Whether that is Jarrett Allen or Nic Claxton or Deandre Ayton or Jakob Poeltl, could they pair a pick with Ingram’s contract to make a big swing?