The Toronto Raptors and Chicago Bulls are in a bit of an awkward place. They are not quite bad enough to outright tank, given that they have all-star caliber players like DeRozan, Lavine, and Siakam (as well as Vucevic to some extent, but it seems he is declining). They also have a good amount of talent and young players such as Gary Trent Jr, Scottie Barnes, Coby White, OG Anunoby, Poetl, and Caruso.
Overall, both of these teams have multiple players that championship teams would want on their roster. These teams also seem to be a bit stuck, and have been fairly mediocre in the last few seasons, either being a low playoff team or play-in team.
These teams are not going to win a championship, but are not playing badly enough to a point where they could land some potential franchise cornerstone (i.e. a Chet or a Wemby via top 3 pick). It’s time to blow it up.
Now, assuming these teams blow it up at some point in the season, which teams do you think would likely be the buyers? For instance, I could see the Warriors, 76ers, and Lakers making a run at Lavine Siakam, or DeRozan to form some kind of big 3 to combat the Suns, Bucks, and Celtics.
Heat, 76ers, and Mavericks should be buyers, I think.
The Heat can’t keep relying on Butler to play like Jordan in the playoffs all the time. They need to get him some extra help. Bam is a great defender, but isn’t a good enough second option for a team with championship aspirations. LaVine or DeRozan could potentially make up for Miami’s offensive shortcomings. Anunoby would also be a great fit in Miami’s system.
The 76ers also need to get Embiid some help. Harris is good, but he’s declining. LaVine, DeRozan, or Siakam could all potentially help Embiid, but sadly it still won’t be enough for them to win a championship. The 76ers need to do everything in their power to keep Embiid so they should try to pursue two star players. Perhaps if they can find a way to acquire LaVine and Anunoby without giving up Maxey, they’d have a chance to contend for the title.
The Mavericks are in the same boat as the 76ers. They need to build a legitimate team around Doncic, otherwise they’ll risk losing him in free agency one day. Kyrie isn’t the best fit for Doncic. If the Mavs can trade for Caruso, Anunoby, Barnes, and/or Siakam, it would surely make them better. Although I don’t believe it will be enough either.