In the NBA, it is commonly thought that the path to a championship is just one player away. While the vast majority of trades do not result in a ring at the end of a season, many teams still hold this belief, set on replicating the relatively few successful trades throughout NBA history. Who will be sent packing this summer, as teams look ahead to 2017? Let’s examine the top trade candidates this summer, and why they might be on their way out the door.

Harrison Barnes, Golden State Warriors

Barnes is an interesting candidate for a trade because he is still a restricted free agent and is a young contributor for a great team. However, given his status and attractiveness in the free agent market, he could be put on the trade block in order to help the Warriors going forward. In this case, if Barnes does decide that he wants to leave, Golden State’s best move would be to sign-and-trade him elsewhere. That way, Barnes gets his desired move, and the Warriors get at least something in return.

Kevin Love, Cleveland Cavaliers

The Kevin Love trade hasn’t entirely panned out the way Cleveland ownership and fans had hoped. While he has played well personally, he hasn’t exactly meshed well with the rest of the system. In game 3 of the NBA Finals, he sat due to a concussion and the Cavaliers looked like they had a renewed energy and decisiveness. While it’s not fair to put that on Love, they did play him off the bench in game 4 after a realization that to combat the Warriors they needed more versatility. The frustration with Love is somewhat misconstrued, but the relationship may be at its breaking point regardless. It will be interesting to see what happens, but Love could very well be on his way out this summer.

Nerlens Noel, Philadelphia 76ers

For all the drama surrounding the 76ers over the last few seasons, they have accumulated a few solid pros in the “process.” However, their roster is extremely unbalanced, and with the expected return of Joel Embiid and the probability of the introduction of Ben Simmons or Brandon Ingram, it seems likely they will trade either Noel or Jahlil Okafor. Okafor showed promise offensively as a rookie, and it doesn’t make sense to give up scoring for above-average defense. Noel is the likelier trade option, and it would behoove Philadelphia to finally try to land a point guard for the future.

Jeff Teague, Atlanta Hawks

Does Jeff Teague still have a future in Atlanta? That question seems more unlikely than ever given the trade speculation surrounding him both during and now after the season. It appears the future is Dennis Schroder, and Teague could be on his way out. In a since-deleted Instagram post, Teague revealed he had been playing hurt all year, and whether that is true or not is not for me to decide. However, it does seem that there is some ill will between the two sides, and a divorce might be the best move for both parties. Teague has been targeted by Philadelphia, among others, and could very well be traded in July.

Greg Monroe, Milwaukee Bucks

The Greg Monroe trade seemed like an excellent move last year. I remember praising the move, asserting that he would change their offense and defensive prowess and take them to new heights. Instead, the move has seemed to be disastrous in Milwaukee. The Bucks can now look to ship him elsewhere, as he is essentially an expiring contract and can still be effective in the right situation. It appears that situation is no longer in Milwaukee, and they would probably be able to re-tool and still be competitive next season.