Prepare for an unhinged trip down the NBA hypothetical trade vortex.

This exercise is not for stubborn sticklers—the well-actually realists who insist Team X can do better for Star Y, who pooh-pooh the idea that Megastar Z could even become available, or those who believe that transactions aren't worth considering unless the trade deadline is exactly six minutes away.

You're cool. Trendy. Getting loads of retweets off a 15-second clip you're using to illustrate and prove something profound. You understand what a scram switch is. We get it. I really do love you. But this isn't for you.

This one's for those who are willing to indulge the unlikely, the pipe dreamy, maybe even the just short of impossible.

These blockbuster trade ideas will exclusively consist of one megastar getting shipped out to a new squad. The assumption, in most cases, is not that their incumbent team wants to move them. Rather, these scenarios are based off the idea that each player would consider asking for a trade and is armed with the leverage required not to screw over his current digs, but to dictate his next destination (within reason).

With all of that in mind, let's take a stick of dynamite to the NBA's competitive landscape as we currently know it.

Trae Young to New Orleans

The Trade

Atlanta Hawks Receive: Dyson Daniels, Brandon Ingram, Larry Nance Jr., 2025 first-round pick (most favorable from New Orleans or the Lakers)*, 2026 first-round pick, 2027 first-round pick (top-four protection; most favorable from Milwaukee or New Orleans), 2030 second-round pick

New Orleans Pelicans Receive: Onyeka Okongwu, Trae Young

(*This assumes the Pelicans defer the Lakers' 2024 first-rounder to 2025.)

Why the Hawks Do It

It seems inevitable that the Hawks will break up the Young-Dejounte Murray backcourt this offseason. Atlanta was outscored by over six points per 100 possessions this season when they shared the floor, and it doesn't have the assets to meaningfully fill its biggest roster voids (wings, defense) while keeping both.

Conventional wisdom suggests the Hawks should move Murray. Despite all of his flaws, Young is the more dominant player. But Atlanta could be overly worried about assembling a top-notch-ish defense around him, both sides could be ready for a change and/or the front office may recognize the 25-year-old with an All-NBA selection under his belt will garner a heftier return.

This package would even out the rotation while restocking the Hawks' draft stash during their leaner seasons. (San Antonio controls Atlanta's next three first-rounders after this year.) Ingram is an imperfect player speeding toward a new contract, but he's less ball-dominant than Young and brings enough secondary creation that he could help float the offense in tandem with Murray.

Daniels' offense is rickety, but he's already a smothering defender and high-IQ passer. His two more years of cost-controlled service would also go a long way for a franchise that figures to indefinitely stay beneath the tax. Giving up Okongwu would sting, but he isn't exactly a billboard for durability. The Hawks would still have Clint Capela, and they could approximate most of their intriguing frontcourt combos by subbing in Nance.

Why the Pelicans Do It

Executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin sounds like someone who's ready to shake up the Pelicans following their Zion Williamson-less first-round sweep at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder. That's a good thing.

He doesn't necessarily sound like someone who thinks New Orleans must prioritize a floor general over everything else. That's...not so good.

Point Zion is a revelation. But the Pelicans need an organizer who can sustain the show in the (likely) event that he misses extensive time or isn't available for postseason games. Young is #ThatDude. And he would assuredly nudge up New Orleans' overall three-point volume.

Whether he's the cleanest fit beside Zion is debatable. He still needs more experience playing off the ball. But the Pelicans could and should spam Zion-Trae pick-and-rolls. Keeping Trey Murphy and CJ McCollum would ensure that they'll have the surrounding spacing to capitalize on those actions.

Insulating Young on defense shouldn't be much of a problem. New Orleans wouldn't be surrendering Murphy, Jose Alvarado or Herb Jones, and it would still have the ability to re-sign Naji Marshall. Zion playing career-best defense for half of this season looms large here, too.

Jettisoning Ingram, Daniels and so many firsts might come off as a tall order at first glance. But getting Okongwu would make it far more palatable. Though he's not traditionally huge, he'd be a rim-protection and switchability upgrade over Nance and Jonas Valančiūnas and brings more offensive dynamism than advertised.

Okongwu has dabbled in corner threes, has traces of a floor game and can score and facilitate out of pick-and-rolls. His arrival coupled with Young's playmaking and from-scratch scoring would pave the Pelicans a smoother road toward title contention.

Paul George to New York

The Trade

Los Angeles Clippers Receive: Bojan Bogdanović, Julius Randle, Jericho Sims, No. 24 pick, No. 38 pick, Milwaukee's 2025 first-round pick (top-four protection), 2026 first-round pick

New York Knicks Receive: Paul George (must opt in)

Why the Clippers Do It

Because George will give them little choice.

The absence of an extension between these two sides is either ominous or evidence of nothing, depending on whom you ask.

If this is merely about paying him the full max, the Clippers will probably fold. Kawhi Leonard's latest right knee injury is a sobering reminder of the team's fragility and its need for superstar contingencies, even if said contingencies just turned 34 and don't have the cleanest availability track record themselves.

Everything changes if George is rethinking his place inside Los Angeles' pecking order or wondering what it'd be like to play with a younger, more available core. Picking up his player option would delay his next big payday, but it would allow him to control where he goes if his preferred destination doesn't have cap space.

Enter the Knicks. They'd allow George to settle in as a No. 2 option, and they boast the necessary depth to optimize his aging curve and potential absences. The Clippers might prefer a different package. This is where the threat of George's free agency—and, specifically, the Philadelphia 76ers' cap space—comes into play.

If the alternative is losing him for nothing, this deal qualifies as pretty sweet. Both Bogdanović and Randle (2025-26 player option) bring shot creation on short-term commitments. While Randle is often dismissed by everyone (including Knicks fans), his playmaking and capacity for accessory duty improved this year.

Sims is a viable second-line center—and would be a nice functional change-up from Mason Plumlee and Daniel Theis. Three first-round picks, along with a high second-rounder, could help the Clippers flesh out their rotation on the cheap or serve as a springboard to another trade.

Why the Knicks Do It

Jalen Brunson's ascent into All-NBA territory and the MVP conversation both increases New York's urgency to bag another top-end name and allows it to adjust the search. This team no longer needs someone who's better than Brunson. It can target his equal—or somebody close to it.

George fits that ethos. He would upgrade the Knicks' shot creation beyond Brunson without monopolizing the offense, and his defense remains elite when he's not overaggressive (and fully locked in).

New York would undoubtedly prefer someone younger and more cost effective. But acquiring George under these circumstances is cheaper in its own right.

Since he'd be the one driving negotiations under the threat of his departure, the Knicks shouldn't have to cough up a king's ransom. This package—and even a framework that entails them giving up slightly more—keeps the meat and potatoes of their nucleus intact without bankrupting their draft-pick armory.

The end result? A rotation headlined by Brunson, George, OG Anunoby (assuming he re-signs), Josh Hart, Donte DiVincenzo, Mitchell Robinson, Isaiah Hartenstein (Early Bird free agent) and Deuce McBride.

Put another way? Title contention.

Donovan Mitchell to the Lakers

The Trade

Cleveland Cavaliers Receive: Rui Hachimura, Jalen Hood-Schifino, Austin Reaves, 2024 or 2025 first-round pick*, 2026 first-round swap, 2028 first-round swap, 2029 first-round pick, 2030 second-round pick, 2031 first-round pick (top-five protection; turns into 2031 second-rounder if not conveyed)

Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Donovan Mitchell

(*New Orleans owns Los Angeles' 2024 first but can defer to 2025. If the Pelicans exercise their option to defer, the Lakers can still move their 2024 pick after the draft.)

Why the Cavs Do It

This is by no means a trade that Cleveland should actively seek out. Re-signing Mitchell (2025-26 player option) is Plan A—and, according to team governor Dan Gilbert, it remains the most likely outcome.

Still, the end of the Cavs' 2024 playoff push could undermine the entire situation. A first-round exit or unconvincing second-round bow-out against the Boston Celtics may prompt Mitchell to reevaluate his future. If he decides he'd rather play elsewhere, his impending free agency gives him a level of control over where he goes next.

This is different from saying the Cavaliers must accept whatever from whichever team he prefers. But they can't expect to recoup everything they sent out to get him in the first place, regardless of where they send him.

People tend to troll the Lakers' trade offers. Sometimes, that makes sense. But three first-round picks, two first-round pick swaps (in years that the Cavs gave swap rights to Utah), Reaves, Hachimura and Hood-Schifino is a real offer.

Would it be the best on the table? Maybe not. Again, though, that's where Mitchell's 2025-26 player option enters the fold.

Reaves could slide into the starting backcourt slot alongside Darius Garland or come off the bench. His utility as a screener and cutter would also let Garland and Evan Mobley settle into higher-usage roles. Meanwhile, those firsts and swaps would give Cleveland a line to cost-controlled depth—or another trade.

Why the Lakers Do It

Three-star models are more fragile than ever as the NBA ushers in the Second Apron Era. If I ran the Lakers, I'd be looking to deepen my rotation rather than attempting to net another marquee name.

In this case, however, the three-star model has merit. LeBron James (player option) turns 40 in December. If you're going to mortgage the vast majority of your future draft capital, targeting someone who immediately elevates your ceiling while safeguarding you against a LeBron decline or retirement makes sense.

Mitchell can do that. At 27, his window mostly aligns with that of a 31-year-old Anthony Davis. Although Mitchell isn't a traditional floor general, he is a talented enough passer and off-the-dribble shot-maker to weaponize an entire offense.

He also happens to be a more seamless fit beside LeBron than someone like Trae Young. Mitchell has more experience playing away from the ball and at different cadences. He doesn't have as many defensive warts compared to Young, either. On top of everything else, his 2024-25 salary ($35.4 million) is easier to match in a trade.

Whether the Lakers wish to include virtually everything for someone inching toward another max deal is debatable. They can try using Mitchell's effectively expiring contract to retain one of their firsts or swaps. But if that approach fails, it shouldn't be a deal-breaker.

The Lakers' timeline is the same as LeBron's timeline: right the hell now. Mitchell jibes with that urgency while offering a fairly sturdy bridge into the future.

LaMelo Ball to Orlando

The Trade

Charlotte Hornets: Anthony Black, No. 18 pick, 2025 first-round pick (most favorable from Denver or Orlando), 2026 first-round swap, 2027 first-round pick

Orlando Magic Receive: LaMelo Ball

Why the Hornets Do It

We interrupt this parade of stars approaching free agency or with the clout to demand relocation for a scenario that could feasibly be driven by the selling party.

I personally don't subscribe to the idea that Charlotte should trade LaMelo and build around Brandon Miller. The two players are neither functionally redundant nor operating on warring timelines.

However, changes are afoot in Buzz City—new team governorship, new front office, eventually a new head coach, etc. The team's activity at the trade deadline suggests it is (wisely) preparing to follow a more gradual trajectory.

A soon-to-be 23-year-old LaMelo fits that approach. At the same time, with a five-year max extension set to kick in next season and a smattering of ankle injuries plaguing him in recent years, there is a case for moving him in favor of picks galore and prospects.

Full disclosure: I can't tell whether this package too light. LaMelo is under team control for the next five years. But his price point and injury history combined with front offices better understanding the ramifications of passing out ultra-distant first-round picks like Halloween candy should leave prospective offers shy of the Rudy Gobert Special.

This would at least be a good start. Black was just drafted sixth overall last June, doesn't turn 21 until January and already defends his ass off. There is a real feel to his on-ball navigation and facilitation, but he'll need to hone a bankable, moderate-volume jumper to peak as a red-carpet difference-maker.

Three first-round picks and a swap would count as a stockpile. The Hornets could (and should) push for another swap, for one of those firsts to be nudged further out and/or for Jett Howard. But this general framework should at least get their attention, in no small part because it would virtually wipe their cap sheet clean.

Granted, financial flexibility has limited value to smaller markets, particularly ones in the infancy of a rebuild. But getting out from under LaMelo's deal—which, to be clear, isn't an albatross—would open up a world of trade and free-agency possibilities as the Hornets reorient their future around Miller and this year's high lottery pick.

Why the Magic Do It

Because (healthy) LaMelo is perfect for them.

He checks all of their most pressing boxes: shooting, passing, pace-setting and the skill set to play off Paolo Banchero, Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner. His injury history is cause for some concern, but his offensive transcendence outweighs the risk.

Orlando should be open to including more if that's what it takes, albeit not everything. There could be a compromise in the amount of outgoing money.

The Magic could guarantee Jonathan Isaac's $17.4 million salary, re-sign Gary Harris at a lateral price point ($13 million), pick up the team option for Mo Wagner or Joe Ingles and complete this exact deal. But they could ask Charlotte to take back more money if they're looking to have leftover cap space or retain more of their own guys.

Bringing in a maxed-out LaMelo could incite financial challenges in the not-too-distant future. Orlando has to start planning around extensions for Banchero (2025), Suggs (2024) and Franz Wagner (2024). But working around multiple maxes or near-maxes is far more doable when they are all post-rookie-scale deals.

And frankly, the Magic are already good enough to start two-syllable spuh-ending. This deal would make them far more dangerous. Because make no mistake, a rotation centered around LaMelo, Banchero, Wagner, Suggs, Isaac and Wendell Carter Jr. has the makings of an Eastern Conference superpower.

LeBron James to Golden State

The Trade

Golden State Warriors Receive: LeBron James (must pick up player option)

Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Jonathan Kuminga, Kevon Looney, Brandin Podziemski, Gui Santos, Andrew Wiggins, 2025 first-round pick, 2026 first-round swap, 2027 first-round pick, 2028 first-round swap, 2029 first-round swap, 2030 first-round pick (protected Nos. 21-30)

(*This package presumes that Golden State's 2024 pick conveys to Portland with top-four protection, and that the deal will be completed after the draft, when the Warriors can move their 2025 first.)

Why the Warriors Do It

The Warriors tried to acquire LeBron at the 2024 trade deadline, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramon Shelburne. Why not give it another go?

I mean, hell, he's doing the whole dramatically-cryptic-tweeting thing again!

Managing team governor Joe Lacob has designs on entirely exiting the luxury tax next season, but you couch that aim when you have the chance to pair LeBron with Stephen Curry and generate an infinite amount of revenue. Golden State can try negotiating a more favorable opportunity cost if it's feeling heat-checky. After all, these talks only transpire if LeBron leverages the Lakers into a trade.

But the Warriors aren't surviving such a blockbuster with Kuminga or Podz still on the roster. They should consider themselves lucky that LeBron's clout might spare them from adding in Moses Moody and Trayce Jackson-Davis. And if Golden State has to include either or both, it should.

I don't care that LeBron is about to turn 40. He's still LeBron—one of the veeery few players with the juice to reopen the Dubs' title window.

For salary-cap dorks like myself: Yes, this trade is legal. Golden State doesn't have to worry about brushing up against the second apron and its aggregation constraints if it waives Chris Paul's non-guaranteed salary. (Fun subplot: Would he re-sign at the minimum to play with his buddy LBJ?)

Since the Warriors are sending out more than $47 million as part of this package, they shouldn't have any issue squeezing Klay Thompson into a tighter payroll. That maneuvering would only get easier if the Lakers took on Gary Payton II (player option), though his defensive portability would have value to Golden State following the departures of Kuminga and Wiggins.

Why the Lakers Do It

Because LeBron asks them to—super nicely or ultra-aggressively.

That's it. There's no other reason. Shopping LeBron around the league is counterintuitive to both winning and making money. You only trade him because he's on the verge of free agency and wants out, and you're only sending him to where he wishes to go as a result.

L.A. would have awkward questions to answer after making a deal like this. Chief among them: Is moving Anthony Davis next? Or can the front office recalibrate the roster around him?

Accepting this package, while hardly ideal, at least would provide the Lakers with a baseline. Kuminga (extension-eligible) and Podz are hyper-intriguing prospects who are capable of making immediate impacts. Between them and a handful of additional first-rounders, L.A. would have the ammo to begin anew or try swinging a blockbuster that nabs Davis another co-star.

If this season is any indication, Looney's utility is in free fall. That's fine. He'll be on an expiring contract. The three years and $84.7 million still owed to Wiggins are more of a hangup. Then again, he'd instantly be the best three-and-D option the Lakers have had since Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

Dan Favale covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter (@danfavale), and subscribe to the Hardwood Knocks podcast, co-hosted by Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes.

Unless otherwise cited, stats courtesy of NBA.com, Basketball Reference, Stathead or Cleaning the Glass. Salary information via Spotrac. Draft-pick obligations via RealGM.