Bold NBA Offseason Predictions: What's Next for Trae Young, Jimmy Butler and PG13

We still have a month and change to go in the 2023-24 NBA campaign, but the rumor mill is already churning with offseason possibilities.

Every team in the league is directing some attention to this summer, even the ones that are still alive. This offseason has the potential to be big on the player-movement front.

Several organizations, including a few in the league's glitzier markets, fell short of expectations this season. That can often lead to dramatic change.

We've cobbled together predictions for a few of the bigger ones here.

Los Angeles Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said the team wants to keep Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and James Harden together next season. But the longer we go without George signing an extension, the more it feels like he'll be a free agent this summer.

If he doesn't re-up with the Clippers before June 30 or pick up his player option for 2024-25, George will instantly become perhaps the biggest name on the open market. According to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, the Philadelphia 76ers and Orlando Magic are already "paying very close attention" to him.

Both teams can create enough cap space to sign George to a max or near-max deal, and he would make plenty of sense in either spot.

George is one of the most portable stars in the league. He's a high-end shooter and shot-creator who doesn't have to dominate the ball. He's comfortably fit alongside other ball-dominant players like Russell Westbrook with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Leonard and Harden with the Clippers. And his size and switchability on defense would be in high demand everywhere.

All of that would make him easy to slot in next to Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid in Philadelphia. Joining the Sixers would be the splashier move, but George has even more compelling reasons to join the Magic.

The window to contend in Orlando is just now opening. Along with Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero, George would be a part of one of the most versatile, dynamic trios in the league. All three can create. There's still room for Wagner and Banchero to improve as shooters, and switching all over the perimeter with those three would be a cinch.

Bookend those three with a solid defensive point guard and big (Jalen Suggs and Wendell Carter Jr. are both under contract next season), and you could be looking at a contender for the best defense in the NBA.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are tied 1-1 with the Boston Celtics, but the C's are still the overwhelming favorites to win that second-round series. Although Cleveland beat the Magic in the first round, an uninspiring loss to the Celtics will almost certainly heat up the trade rumors that are already swirling about Donovan Mitchell.

As soon as the Cavs acquired Mitchell in 2022, there was a sense that this wasn't quite the glamour market he was seeking during his last several months with the Utah Jazz. Mitchell's desire to play in New York was an open secret, and it's hovered over the duration of his two seasons with Cleveland.

"That (Mitchell situation) is very real," one NBA executive told Josh Robbins and Sam Amick of The Athletic. "Teams will definitely clear out a bunch of (assets) for him. We'll see. But if they face Boston in the second round, they'll probably lose. And yeah, that doesn't bode well (for his future in Cleveland)."

Since Mitchell arrived in Cleveland, Jalen Brunson has ascended to superstardom with the New York Knicks. Pairing them together could work, but it would require an offensive balancing act. Both are under 6'4", so head coach Tom Thibodeau might have to work some magic to manufacture a contention-ready defense.

Even if New York is theoretically out of the picture, Cleveland has to at least entertain the possibility of moving Mitchell this summer and getting assets in return. The alternative of losing him for nothing in 2025—he has a player option for 2025-26—would be far worse.

If the Cavs do take calls for Mitchell, some team is bound to put together an explosive offer.

It might even make sense to trade Jarrett Allen, too. Though moving both would hurt in the short term, emerging with Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and a freshly restocked pile of draft assets could be an easy sell to the fanbase.

Brandon Ingram had a slightly below-average true shooting percentage this season. The New Orleans Pelicans' point differential was better when he was off the floor. He was benched down the stretch of a play-in game and then averaged 14.3 points in the first round against the Oklahoma City Thunder

Meanwhile, Trey Murphy III trailed only Zion Williamson and CJ McCollum among Pelicans in box plus/minus. His offense is more modern and streamlined than Ingram's. Less isolation possessions and higher three-point volume make him a more logical fit next to Zion. His defense is more consistent, too.

It's time for New Orleans to shake up this core a bit, and finding a spot in the starting five for Murphy is part of the reason why.

Ingram may not fetch a massive return, but his expiring contract (he's set to make $36 million next season) could make him an interesting stopgap third or fourth option for some team looking to juice its mid-range scoring. New Orleans also might not need a massive return, given its already deep trove of draft assets.

Some team figures to engage the Pelicans about Ingram this offseason, and they should be very open to moving him.

Miami Heat president Pat Riley recently spoke to the media in Florida and said he wouldn't consider trading Jimmy Butler. However, he also added that a lot of possibilities are "on the table" and took a direct shot at Butler's lack of availability.

Responding to a video of Butler that surfaced in which he said Boston and New York would be at home if he was playing, Riley not-so-politely disagreed.

It's entirely possible that Butler will respond well to that kind of public chiding. If any player might be motivated by it, it's probably the ultra-competitive Butler.

But in spite of two Finals appearances in his five seasons with Miami, it's also fair to wonder if the Heat are still a legitimate contender with him as the centerpiece.

Butler turns 35 in September. Injuries have been a problem for years. They limited him to 60 regular-season appearances in 2023-24 and kept him out of the playoffs entirely.

It's probably time to explore what some team might be willing to offer for what's left of Butler's prime and dive headfirst into the Bam Adebayo era.

Despite his age and health concerns, at least one team should still make a strong offer for Butler this offseason. Using those assets to build around Bam would set Miami up for a more sustainable future.

Trae Young winding up on the Los Angeles Lakers has been one of the loudest and most persistent rumors in the NBA for months.

The logic is pretty simple. Young is a star. He didn't fit well with Dejounte Murray for the last two seasons. The Lakers went out in the first round, and they've historically loved to go star-hunting.

There's certainly a world in which Young in L.A. would work. He's one of the game's most dynamic offensive engines and pick-and-roll ball-handlers. He and Anthony Davis could form a potent one-two punch that could potentially grow beyond LeBron James' eventual retirement.

But the Lakers just got bullied by the bigger Denver Nuggets in the playoffs. The Nuggets are now getting bullied by the even bigger Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round. It's hard to watch this postseason and think the answer to L.A.'s problems is to get smaller and more offense-first.

The Lakers' front office has made a number of head-scratching moves since Rob Pelinka took over, but it presumably notices the trend as well.

L.A. already has plenty of offense and shot creation from LeBron, AD and Austin Reaves. It was fourth in the NBA in points per 100 possessions after the All-Star break.

What it needs is perimeter defense and some bruising bigs who can spare Davis from some of the punishment that comes from playing center.