With all of the elite talent in free agency already gobbled up, teams like the Boston Celtics have quickly turned their attention to the trade market as they continue their quest for a superstar.
Russell Westbrook and Blake Griffin are two names reportedly on the Celtics' radar, but both players are certain to attract a number of suitors this summer given how many teams are loaded with young talent.
Here are the five teams best positioned to land a superstar:
Boston Celtics
Thanks to one of the worst trades in recent memory, the Celtics will likely have several lottery picks at their disposal barring an unforeseen resurgence by the Brooklyn Nets.
Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart are both talented young players that could be used in a trade, but landing a superstar like Westbrook or Griffin will require general manager Danny Ainge to part with at least one of his Brooklyn picks. Given how open Ainge has been about his desire to land a superstar, it's likely he'll be willing to part with several of his assets to get a deal done.
Los Angeles Lakers
After landing in the lottery in each of the past three seasons, the Lakers now own a number of top-tier prospects that they could dangle in a trade for an elite player.
Los Angeles would likely prefer to keep Brandon Ingram - the No. 2 pick in the draft - but could be willing to part with Jordan Clarkson, D'Angelo Russell, and/or Julius Randle in order to land a player like Westbrook.
While there's no guarantee that Westbrook would stay when next season concludes, the 27-year-old is a native of California and would fit perfectly as the heir apparent to Kobe Bryant, so it's not unrealistic to see the triple-double machine in L.A. for the long term.
Phoenix Suns
Phoenix may not have the same number of young assets as some of the other teams on this list, but the Suns should still be able to offer enough to land an All-NBA player.
Eric Bledsoe saw his name pop up in trade rumors around draft time, and could be used as the main piece in a blockbuster deal. If Bledsoe is off the table, the Suns could look to move Brandon Knight instead.
Alex Len, Dragan Bender, and Marquese Chriss are also intriguing options for a team looking to rebuild.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Arguably no team in the NBA has added more young talent in the last several seasons than the Minnesota Timberwolves.
With Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins already looking like future All-Stars, and Zach LaVine and Kris Dunn not far behind them, the Timberwolves look destined to become a contender whether they make a deal or not.
Should head coach and president Tom Thibodeau choose to speed up the rebuild - and reports have indicated he has - Minnesota could look to unload one or two of their young point guards as well as draft picks in return for an All-Star level player.
Denver Nuggets
Denver has quietly acquired a number of intriguing prospects over the last several years, thanks to their unique ability to find young, international talent.
Jusuf Nurkic, Nikola Jokic, and Emmanuel Mudiay are all quality assets that could be used in a trade for a player like Griffin.
The Nuggets also have several veterans on team-friendly deals, like Danilo Gallinari, Kenneth Faried, and Wilson Chandler, so matching salaries in a blockbuster deal shouldn't prove difficult.
