In lite of all the super teams forming and big names forcing their way out. Do these trades ever wind up positive for the team squiring the star?

I’ll define a positive trade for a star as getting to the NBA finals in the next two seasons. Since the ultimate goal is to win a title and these teams are moving all-in, in most cases trading away a lot of future picks/assets.

Off the top of head:

• most successful single season trade lately seems to be Kawhi to the Raptors.

• Lebron and banana boat crew to Miami also. But already championship with Wade and it’s fucking Lebron James, not just an ordinary all star. I guess you could also include AD to the Lakers

• of course there was also KD to the Warriors, but they were already champions. They didn’t need him. And that wasn’t a trade, it was free agency signing. (Although, it seems like in enabled the ability to force your way out or resign early.)

There’s been so many busts:

• All of Harden’s trades
• all of KD’s moves post Warriors
• Beal to the Suns doesn’t look great so far
• Damian Lillard to the Bucks doesn’t look great, when they were championship caliber before.
• Kawhi and PG to the Clippers has been a busy so far

There seems to be too many changes needed to make a star work. Either they have to change their style, or the entire team roles need to be updated to make it work.

What type of situations does it actually make sense to go all-in? A team on the cusp that just needs that one piece, and one that fits their system perfectly.