NBA trade season is here. As of Monday, most players in the league are eligible to be traded — with a few exceptions, such as Jonathan Kuminga who isn’t eligible to be moved until Jan. 15 and those who signed larger veteran extensions after Aug. 6 such as P.J. Washington, who are ineligible to be traded this season.
So it’s time to update the NBA Trade Deadline Big Board, in which we look at the hottest names that could be on the move before Feb. 5.
As usual, it’s worth noting that the first iteration of this board tends to be less aggressive because teams are still working through figuring out what they have. Typically, teams begin making trade calls around the start of December to understand more about where the rest of the league is.
Are they happy with their rosters? Are they content standing pat, or are they looking to shake things up?
There are some big names that have been discussed as potential trade candidates that aren’t featured on this board. My read, currently, is that their teams — the Memphis Grizzlies and Ja Morant, the Charlotte Hornets and LaMelo Ball, and, particularly, the Milwaukee Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo — are not yet ready to have those discussions.
Not listing them on this board right now doesn’t mean that their incumbent teams won’t decide at some point to make them available before February. But now I don’t get the impression that those three teams are looking to discuss those players.
The players listed here are those that league sources are watching intently for multiple reasons as serious trade candidates. For instance, even though those players above aren’t featured here, Atlanta’s Trae Young does. Why? League sources have consistently pointed to the element of time being at play there more than with the other star players. Young can be a free agent in 2026 by declining his player option for next season, meaning the Hawks need to decide on their plans before February. It might be that they look to keep him and extend his contract.
But there’s a serious decision to be made here soon, or else the Hawks risk losing him for nothing.
Position Big Forward Guard Wing
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The top player on the board right now. A potential Davis trade is the one — outside of the Giannis situation — that executives believe could swing the title race the most if he were dealt to the right situation. If he were to end up in the right place in the Eastern Conference, there is a real belief that he could turn that team into a serious favorite. Imagine if he ended up in Boston, Detroit or Atlanta, all of which have the assets and pieces to swing a deal and make something like this work? Any of those teams would immediately vault to the top or near the top of the odds to win that side of the playoff bracket.
Davis got hurt in Dallas’ fifth game of the year, missing the next 14 games with a calf injury. But since his return, the Mavericks have been drastically better. The team has beaten Denver, Miami and Houston with Davis’ high-level defensive efforts and a massive 32-point, 13-rebound performance against the Nuggets on Dec. 1. His presence still changes the game with his blend of mobility and length at both the four and five positions, although I think Davis is clearly more effective at center at this point in his career. He remains a serious threat as a rim protector, and his ability to play in multiple ball-screen coverages with his quick hand-eye coordination and lateral agility makes him one of the best defensive players in the league — even at 32 years old — when he’s locked in.
Davis is owed $54.1 million this season, $58.5 million next season and has a player option for $62.7 million in 2027-28, when he’d turn 35 before the start of the playoffs. He’s also extension-eligible at the end of this season and would likely want an extra year or two added to his deal if a trade were to get done. It hasn’t worked out in Dallas because of the circumstances with which he was acquired, but the future Hall of Famer can still absolutely swing things across the league if the Mavs decide to move fully past the Luka Dončić trade.
Trade value
High-End Prospect, Multiple First-Round Picks
Best fits
Pistons, Hawks, Raptors, Celtics
Expiration
2028 (player option)
Why list Young and not Ball or Morant? The element of time is at play. With Morant and Ball, the teams are not under any pressure to make a move right now. They’re under contract long-term. In Young’s case, that’s not true. The Hawks’ All-Star point guard has a player option for next season at $49 million that he could decline to become a free agent. That makes the next two months arguably the most pivotal in his career for Young, who returned to action Thursday after a 22-game absence.
When Young is at his best, he’s among the best half-court shot-creators in the NBA with his ability to play out of ball screens, featuring ridiculous range blended with truly special passing and playmaking ability for others. The Hawks could use some of that half-court shot creation talent. The team has been elite in transition without Young but has not thrived in the same way when the game slows down (see the team’s second half against Denver on Dec. 5). However, the team also thrived on defense in Young’s absence, putting up a top-10 defensive rating and a No. 16 defense against the top-10 offenses in the league in that time, according to Cleaning The Glass.
The Hawks face a question about how they want to build the very fabric of their team. Does Young’s size limit their upside to such an extent on defense long-term that it’s time to move on? Or do they think the defense has improved enough around him that the offensive lift he’d given them is worth the tradeoff? Another factor clouding this choice is that the Hawks also own the Pelicans’ 2026 first-round pick in 2026, meaning they have the potential to end up at the top of the draft to select another high-end offensive star for this group this summer.
The Young situation is the one around the league — outside of Giannis’ status — executives are most fascinated by. It’s a referendum on team-building strategy in the modern era, when the league is devaluing small guards. It’s a referendum on new Hawks’ general manager Onsi Saleh, who has won high praise for his decisions in Atlanta and is well-respected in league circles for his strategic acumen. It’s also a referendum on Hawks’ ownership, which has long placed Young in high esteem. All the questions here, from Young’s value league-wide to what the Hawks decide to do with him, are ones that even teams without interest in acquiring him are monitoring closely.
Trade value
Prospects and First-Round Pick
Best fits
Bucks, Clippers, Magic
Expiration
2027 (player option)
The Kings are open for business, and Sabonis is the player on the roster most likely to return value. He’s been out for about a month with a partially torn meniscus in his knee, but he’s still a good offensive player when he’s on the court. Over the last seven years, he’s averaged 19 points, 13 rebounds and six assists. He’s strong and coordinated, blending that with skill as a passer and ballhandler. He’s an excellent screener and dribble-handoff threat out high, allowing teams to run legitimate offensive sets through him. His assist numbers were down this year in the first 11 games he played because of a lack of a terrific pick-and-roll partner, but a team with a high-end guard playmaker would do well to acquire him. He will make players around him better on offense by giving them space to operate and consistently rewarding their willingness to cut.
So what’s the downside? Well, it’s two-fold. First, Sabonis is a bad defender on the interior. He struggles to protect the rim, and because he doesn’t have much length or speed, he can also struggle in ball-screen coverages to take up the requisite space required to challenge decision-makers. The second issue is the contract. Sabonis is owed $42.3 million this season and then an additional $94 million over the next two years. He’s a good player, but the price point is far too high for a player of his caliber. And yet, he’s only 29 and still has some years left of his prime. If you need physical play on the interior, rebounding and better ball movement, Sabonis can absolutely help you. He’s made three All-Star games and two All-NBA teams for a reason. But you’d better have the rest of the roster figured out around him to get the most out of him.
Trade value
Matching Salary and a First
Best fits
Wizards, Raptors, Warriors
White’s reintegration into the Bulls after missing the first 11 games of the season hasn’t gone as smoothly as hoped. After a strong start that saw the Bulls win six of their first seven games, Chicago is scuffling along with a 11-15 record. He seems to have received some of the blame for that, but the numbers don’t really bear that out. With White on the court, the Bulls have outscored opponents by 1.6 points per 100 possessions per Databallr, and the minutes with him and Josh Giddey have gone similarly well. White is averaging 21.7 points and five assists per game even though his 3-point ball hasn’t even started going in at the level you would expect from a shooter of his caliber. Defensively, White still is not particularly valuable, which creates fit questions with Giddey long-term given his struggles on that end. But so far, the Bulls have been better when they’re both on the court together.
The only reason that White could be moved is that his contract expires at the end of the year, when the 25-year-old guard is slated to be an unrestricted free agent. Beyond that, his contract is also likely not extendable, as White could command more than the four-year, $87 million contract that is the maximum number he’s allowed under collective bargaining agreement rules with the Bulls. Any team looking for secondary ballhandlers and a reasonable cap hold on a high-level scoring guard who is still quite young should send offers Chicago’s way. The Bulls do need to make a choice before the deadline whether they’re comfortable playing over $50 million per year for a backcourt of Giddey and White, even if that contract can’t be paid until the summer.
Trade value
First-Round Pick
Best fits
Mavericks, Clippers, Timberwolves, Magic, Bucks, Rockets
Grimes decided to take the qualifying offer as a restricted free agent this offseason as opposed to signing a longer-term deal with the 76ers. That means the Grimes has a no-trade clause that allows him to approve any destination. Still, he is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year, and it’s unclear how the 76ers see him given their recent draft selections of Jared McCain and VJ Edgecombe alongside impending All-NBA star Tyrese Maxey.
For his part in all of this, Grimes has been very helpful for the 76ers this season. He’s been the team’s second-most consistent presence behind Maxey and has done so while coming off the bench and averaging 16.2 points while shooting 44 percent from the field and 37 percent from 3. His true-shooting percentage is four percent above league average, and he continues to bring energetic defense. Any team that trades for Grimes would also not inherit the Bird rights that the 76ers would if they were to keep him.
There is real reason to buy into the 76ers retaining Grimes given how valuable he’s been, the no-trade clause and the Bird rights conundrum. However, the team clearly has a position of strength in the backcourt and a real need for bigger bodies in the frontcourt at the four position. If the team feels like it can’t retain Grimes in the offseason, moving him now to a place that he approves could be a valuable tool.
Trade value
A Different Good Player (Has Right to Approve Trade)
Best fits
Clippers, Timberwolves, Bucks, Trail Blazers
Porziņģis was off to a strong start for the Hawks, with the advanced stats being big fans of his impact on the team. Particularly, his offensive value was quite high, as the spacing he provided for Jalen Johnson and Atlanta slashers was useful. With Porziņģis on the court, Johnson’s true-shooting percentage jumps from 61.4 to 65.2, per Databallr. Additionally, Porziņģis has been putting up numbers of his own, averaging 19.2 points in just 26 minutes per game with a career-high 3.1 assists per game versus a career-low 0.9 turnovers. The Hawks simplified his role, and he was thriving.
Alas, Porziņģis has only been able to play in 13 games so far and will miss time with an illness. Last season, Porziņģis dealt with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), which hinders his nervous system. He’s on an expiring contract worth $30.7 million that could allow the Hawks to look into reshaping their roster if they believe he is unlikely to play a significant number of games moving forward. Undoubtedly, there are good players available with multiple years remaining on their deals whose teams would be happy to deal them. Porziņģis’ contract could easily be used as a mechanism to facilitate such a transaction.
With Porziņģis and Young as potential free agents this summer, the Hawks have some major decisions to make regarding their future.
Trade value
Salary Matching In a Trade
It feels like Barrett has been in trade rumors from the moment he arrived in Toronto, which is something of a rude homecoming for a player who has played the best basketball of his career in his hometown. In his 107 games for the Raptors, he’s averaging 21 points, six rebounds and five assists while shooting 50 percent from the field and 36 percent from 3. His usage has taken a step back this season, but he’s still averaging 19 points and four assists while shooting 51 percent from the field and 36 percent from 3. His true-shooting percentage is 4 percent above league average, the best mark of his career. He has dealt with some knee soreness that resulted in a PRP injection recently, but I don’t think it’s an accident that the Raptors are 12-5 in the 17 games he’s played. His ability to consistently get downhill and put pressure on the rim is useful, and he’s become better at picking and choosing his spots.
And yet, the Raptors probably need to shake things up or make a consolidation trade with this group of players. The starters have consistently gotten outplayed by their counterparts this year, only for the bench mob to come in and make up the ground. It feels like there’s more room for growth, with Barrett being the natural pivot point given their glut of wings on the roster. Scottie Barnes is the franchise player, and the team just went out of its way to trade for and extend Brandon Ingram. Barrett isn’t the most natural fit with that duo, and he has just one year remaining on his deal until he can hit free agency. His $27.7 million deal for this year also presents the team with a natural salary match in a trade to go get more help on the interior. I think Barrett is a good player who gets a bit of a bum rap, but he feels like the odd man out.
Trade value
Salary Matching In A Trade
Following a protracted contract negotiation this offseason, the Warriors signed Kuminga to a two-year, $47 million deal and held firm on an arrangement where Kuminga would waive his implicit no-trade clause, thus making him eligible to be dealt without restriction on Jan. 15. The team has to wait until then to move him, but it feels like the four-plus-year marriage between Kuminga and the Warriors will end around that time.
After a positive start in which Kuminga seemed to embrace some of the finer points of the game — such as off-ball movement, quick decision-making as a passer and defense — that coach Steve Kerr wanted from him, Kuminga has regressed in recent weeks in those areas and then missed seven games with an injury. He’s healthy again, but thanks to the emergence of players such as Pat Spencer, he has been removed from the rotation.
In my opinion, the Warriors aren’t asking for much here from Kuminga. They have three star players in Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green. Because Green and Kuminga aren’t great shooters and Butler is not a consistent threat from 3, Kuminga needs to bring value in other areas when he takes the court. So far, he hasn’t been able to consistently do that. The good news is that in the two years before this one, Kuminga showed that he can be a useful scorer when he plays a more centralized role in the offense, averaging nearly 16 points per game in 120 contests. However, I’m not sure that the more centralized role has necessarily been all that beneficial to the Warriors. Per Databallr, in nearly 1,600 minutes on the court without Curry over the last three years, Kuminga’s usage rate skyrockets from 23 percent with him on the court to nearly 29 percent without him, but he only averages 2.4 more points per 75 possessions while posting a true-shooting mark of 53.6 percent.
Someone will be happy to take a chance on Kuminga over the last part of the season because he’s an immense athletic presence with serious downhill driving ability. He has real scoring potential. And while his contract is expensive, the team that acquires him has all of the control moving forward as to whether he’ll be on their roster next year because of the team option. But Kuminga is definitely an upside bet for another team. Look for Kuminga to get flipped for a player or players that can help the Warriors more substantially right now.
Trade value
A Good Veteran Who Fits Warriors System
Best fits
Wizards, Jazz, Pelicans, Kings, Suns
Expiration
2027 (team option)
I’ve long been a fan of Dosunmu, a player who takes exactly what the defense gives him and makes plays every time he’s on the court. He doesn’t overstay his welcome on the ball, but he is capable of slashing to the rim. He moves with purpose off the ball. Defensively, he’s solid and tough at the point of attack at 6-foot-4, 200 pounds. And he’s having his best statistical year. Dosunmu is averaging 15.2 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists while shooting 52 percent from the field, 47.5 percent from 3 and 86 percent from the line. This is an efficient, smart basketball player who could make a real difference in several rotations league-wide, especially for teams that have a spacing big. The Dosunmu-Jalen Smith combination for the Bulls has been quite good this year, with Chicago actually winning those minutes by about six points per 100 possessions.
The former Illinois All-American is on an expiring contract worth only $7.5 million, too. That means he’s available for just about every team in the league, including those that are limited by apron and salary-cap thresholds. Even teams such as the Lakers, Rockets, Knicks and others can theoretically get in the bidding for Dosunmu, and all of them could use him. Because the market could end up being a bit wider, I would expect that Dosunmu would return more on the market than what people expect.
Trade value
Second-Round Picks
Best fits
Rockets, Celtics, Knicks, Pistons, Magic, Lakers, Timberwolves
Ellis is the King who has received the most interest on the trade market to this point, per league sources, largely because of a combination of his contract and perceived value. I think, at times, Ellis’ ability gets a bit overstated. He is a limited offensive player without a lot of ballhandling skill. He’s also quite skinny, which means that he’s not quite a full-on switchable, stopper with All-Defense caliber-upside on that end of the court.
However, Ellis can bring energetic defensive play with excellent, disruptive hand-eye coordination. He can take on tough defensive assignments in the backcourt. Then as a shooter, he’s been a 42.1 percent 3-point marksman for his career (37 percent this season), excelling as the fifth offensive option on the court who can space from the corners or in relocations above-the-break. You have to guard him, although I don’t think of him as a guy that you run off-ball actions for, either.
The key here, though, is that Ellis still only makes $2.3 million, meaning every team in the league can theoretically get involved in a potential bidding war. He will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, but the team that acquires him would have his full Bird rights and a low cap hold. The asking price is thought to be in the range of a late first-round pick. Other teams around the league, though, are struggling to answer the question as to why he doesn’t play more on a team that could theoretically use his defense and off-ball shot-making. That might hold it back to a couple of second-rounders.
Trade value
Second-Round Picks
Best fits
Lakers, Magic, Nuggets, Knicks, 76ers, Cavaliers, Heat
Another trade deadline, another year when LaVine is available. Only, unlike last season, LaVine is not coming into the start of the deadline particularly hot. LaVine is averaging 20.2 points while shooting 38.5 percent from 3 and 48.7 percent from the field. Over his last 13 games, he’s averaging just 17.5 points.
LaVine’s teams also seem to struggle despite his offensive exploits. With LaVine on the court, the Kings are losing by 17.8 points per 100 possessions this year. He’s been unimpressive on defense and even less impressive than normal as a rebounder. He’s also never been all that valuable as a passer and doesn’t make a ton of advanced reads. He’s a traditional shooting guard. Before this year, though, LaVine had scored at an extremely high level. He averaged 24.6 points and 4.4 assists with a true shooting percentage seven percent above league average. A team that needs scoring could very easily look at LaVine as a potential option by giving him a change of scenery.
The only problem with that is LaVine’s contract. He makes $47.5 million this year and has a player option for $49 million next year that he’ll surely exercise. There are not many teams in the league that will be willing to take that deal on unless it’s in exchange for another expensive, currently distressed asset.
Trade value
Salary Matching
Expiration
2027 (player option)
McCollum has been good to start the year for the Wizards, even though the team has struggled. He’s averaging 18.9 points and shooting 40.3 percent from 3 on a little more than seven 3-point attempts per game. Those numbers look fine, but they don’t tell the whole story. If you remove the first eight games of his season, McCollum has killed it, averaging 22.6 points while shooting 48.3 percent from the field and 43.3 percent from 3. He’s dropped a couple of 40-point games, essentially winning games for the Wizards against Atlanta and Milwaukee over the last month.
The problem for McCollum is merely price point. The good news is that he’s on an expiring contract. The bad news is that this deal pays him $30.7 million this season, which makes it more complicated for salary-matching purposes in a potential deal. McCollum can clearly still help quite a few teams out there, but his market will be limited because not everyone can take back that money. One avenue that could make some sense is if the Wizards are willing to consummate the kind of deal that we’ve seen them do recently, where they take back multiple years of bad money in order to acquire draft capital. For instance, would they take on one or two of the Kings’ backcourt veterans if Sacramento threw some draft capital their way? Still, deals might be difficult enough to construct for McCollum that it becomes hard to trade him.
Trade value
Second-Round Picks plus salary matching
Best fits
Clippers, Bucks, Magic, Pistons
Monk was thought to be available over the summer, with rumors abounding about a potential deal with the Detroit Pistons. Like many Kings, his raw counting stats are down, although in his case it’s more because of a minutes reduction. He’s averaging the same amount of points per 36 minutes as he has for his career. He’s still the dynamic athlete who can knock down shots, shooting 43.4 percent from the field and 41 percent from 3.
Monk’s defense is one of the issues, as he’s not particularly effective on that end. The bigger issue, though, is that he’s quite expensive and on a long-term deal. He makes $18.8 million and has two extra years at $41.6 million total beyond this one.
Trade value
Salary Matching
Best fits
Clippers, Bucks, Magic, Timberwolves, Mavericks
Expiration
2028 (player option)
DeRozan is averaging under 20 points per game for the first time in more than a decade and has played a bit more off the ball than normal because of all the guards in Sacramento, from Russell Westbrook and Dennis Schröder to even LaVine and Monk.
You know exactly what you’re getting with DeRozan: one of the few remaining midrange assassins in the NBA, a confident scorer who is elite at getting to his spots and shooting over the top of defenders. Defensively, you have to cover for him. He’s not quite the six-time All-Star that he was in Toronto and Chicago, but he can be an effective bucket getter. On a contender, he’s probably best as a sixth man. However, some teams could use his shot creation.
DeRozan makes $24.75 million this year and has $10 million guaranteed for next. Any genuine contender that acquires him needs to acknowledge that if the team makes the NBA Finals and he plays at least 60 games, his full $25.8 million for next year would become guaranteed. That extra $10 million could be an impediment, but the Clippers would make some sense given how badly their team falls apart offensively when James Harden leaves the court.
Trade value
Second-Round Picks plus salary matching
Expiration
2027 (partial $8M guarantee in 2026-27)
Sexton is who he is at this point, a dynamic scoring guard who can help you run the point, but whom you likely want another ballhandler out there with to get strong flow within the offense. But he’s a real high-volume scoring option for a team that might need something like it. During the last four years, Sexton has never posted a true-shooting percentage that isn’t at least 3 percent above league average and scored at least 21 points per 36 minutes. Simply put, the man can get buckets, and he’s been helpful as a reliable option for the Hornets this year as they’ve dealt with LaMelo Ball’s recurring ankle injuries. He also plays hard on defense, and while there are limitations to what he’s capable of because of his size, he’s not going to destroy your scheme by making too many mistakes
Sexton is on an expiring contract at $19 million, which means that the Hornets could easily look to try to move him and get some value back. This front office under Jeff Peterson has done an excellent job of being opportunistic when the occasion allows, and this could be yet another example of that strategy as the Hornets look to continue to build around Kon Knueppel moving forward. Sexton is dealing with a quad injury, although it is not seen as a long-term issue.
Trade value
Second-Round Pick
Best fits
Clippers, Bucks, Pistons
Much like with Anfernee Simons (below), moving Hauser is a potential mechanism for the Celtics to get under the luxury tax. He is slated to make between $10 and $12 million over the next three years beyond this one, and dealing him without bringing anyone back in return this year would result in the Celtics getting within about $2 million of the luxury tax line to start the process of avoiding the repeater tax long-term.
League-wide, this contract is still seen as a solid one. For instance, Duncan Robinson just got $13 million for this season from the Detroit Pistons, and Hauser is a similar shooter to Robinson with a much stronger defensive reputation. This hasn’t been Hauser’s best campaign, though, as he’s averaging just 6.6 points while shooting only 34.3 percent from 3. Those numbers will bounce upward the more he plays — he’s too good a shooter for them to stay that low after four consecutive years and more than 1,200 career 3-point attempts at better than 41 percent. But the money factor is real, and because of that, it’s impossible not to put him as a candidate.
Trade value
Second-Round Picks with no salary in return
Another year, another season in which Vučević is a trade candidate. The 35-year-old, two-time All-Star is still quite productive, averaging 15.6 points and 9.1 rebounds while shooting 47.8 percent from the field and 38 percent from 3. He’s also been a serious-minded leader for a young Bulls team that needs it this year. Offensively, you can still run actions through him at the top of the key, and he can still be a valuable pick-and-pop threat or floor-spacer. But trade-offs remain. His rim protection and defense are quite messy, and he’s not laterally mobile enough to make an impact in ball-screen coverages anymore. You need to cover for him on that end.
Still, there is value in a big man who can step away and shoot as well as make good decisions as a passer. As long as the Bulls don’t expect a king’s ransom (or even a first-round pick) on the trade market, moving Vučević would make sense to get a bit of long-term value that could turn into something down the road. He’s older, he’s not a part of the future movement in Chicago and at some point the team needs to start building a defensive infrastructure, even if he is valuable for what he brings on offense.
Trade value
Second-Round Pick
Alvarado can help a team. He’s helped the Pelicans a lot when he’s been in the game this year. During his 500 minutes, the Pelicans have been about seven points per 100 possessions better than when he’s off the court, largely because his point-of-attack defensive efforts allow the team to have a stronger infrastructure on that end. He’s an aggressive pressure defender who can pick players up in the backcourt and make life harder for opposing teams. He’s also averaging close to nine points and three assists while shooting 44 percent from the field and 38 percent from 3. He makes quick decisions when he’s on the court and generally can play both on and off the ball because of that ability to shoot.
Undeniably, there are size-based hurdles for a team that acquires him. He’s only 6 feet tall, so he won’t be for everyone. However, he consistently helps his team, and I think he could help a playoff team. Alvarado is potentially on an expiring contract this year, as he’s making $4.5 million this season and then has a $4.5 million player option for next year. If the Pelicans wanted to cash in now, the time would be right, and I think they’d likely get a couple of second-rounders.
Trade value
Second-Round Picks
Best fits
Knicks, Magic, Clippers, Timberwolves, Rockets
Expiration
2027 (player option)
Williams’ career has been a disappointment. After making an All-Defense team in 2022, he’s simply been unable to stay on the court. He’s played just 77 games in the last three and a half years. When he’s out there, he’s very valuable because he is a mobile defensive player who has awesome help instincts and can protect the rim. He’s also an efficient finisher at the rim who can operate in short-roll situations on offense with his passing vision. The good news is that he’s been able to play in 16 games this year and has seen nearly 250 minutes of action. But I don’t know that you can rely on that to continue, either, given that teams have to work hard to manage his knee.
Williams’ $13.3 million contract is expiring this year, which means the Blazers will have a choice as to whether they continue to work with him on his injuries or if they try to cash in at the deadline for whatever they can get. A team with an established starting center looking for a difference-maker off the bench is the best situation for Williams. For 15 to 20 minutes per night, he can be an impact guy. But that also holds true for the Blazers, who want to be competent and solid but have precious little center depth behind Donovan Clingan if they were to trade Williams with how raw Yang Hansen is. The team wants its identity to be on the defensive end, and the 226 minutes with both Clingan and Jrue Holiday on the court have resulted in a terrific 111.1 defensive rating that shows the potential. They just need to find reliable answers when those players leave the court.
Trade value
Second-Round Picks
Best fits
Lakers, Pelicans, Bulls
Simons continues to be who he is: a lethal weapon as a shooter off the dribble and off the catch. After acquiring him in a salary dump this past summer, the Celtics have brought him off the bench, and he has put up stats basically in line with his career averages on a per-possession basis. However, it seems clear his best role on a contender is off the bench because of his porous defensive play. He’s not quite a good enough scorer to consistently lead a starting unit, but he’s useful as a microwave bench scorer.
The issue is that he gets paid like a top-three option at $27.6 million per year, although he is in the final season of his deal. The main objective for Boston will be to remove Simons’ salary from its books to get under the luxury tax. The team is about $12 million over the tax line and will look to take back a cheaper salary either to get immediately under the tax or to get closer to that line before the deadline.
If you made me predict one player who is most likely to be dealt, it would be Simons.
Trade value
Cheaper Salaried Player
Best fits
Nets, Jazz, teams who can help with reducing the Celtics tax burden
Schröder looks like an offseason signing who has not worked out the way the Kings hoped — although given the number of on-ball options the Kings have, I was never totally clear as to why he was a priority. Schröder is averaging 12.6 points and 5.8 assists but shooting just 39 percent from the field and 34.9 percent from 3. His true-shooting percentage is a remarkable 15 percent below league average, and he’s missed the last couple of weeks with a hip injury.
But Schröder is coming off an awesome 28-game regular-season run and strong playoff series with the Pistons last year, where he was a perfect secondary ballhandler for Cade Cunningham. Defensively, there are flaws because of his size and lack of strength. But he’s proven pretty clearly that he can be valuable when deployed properly. The issue for the Kings, though, is that Schröder is making full mid-level money at $14.1 million this year and $14.8 million next year, then has $4.4 million guaranteed in 2028-29 on a salary of $15.5 million. That’s a big commitment to make for a player who has proven to be very situationally specific over his time with 10 separate teams. He’s had great runs in Oklahoma City and Detroit but struggled intensely in Sacramento and Golden State. You need to have a plan for him.
Trade value
Salary Matching
Best fits
Pistons, Timberwolves, Bucks
Expiration
2028 (player option)
Like Grimes, Thomas signed the qualifying offer last season. That gives him a no-trade clause allowing him to approve a potential trade destination. Unlike with Grimes, though, Thomas’ season has not gone according to plan with the Nets.
Sure, he’s averaging 21.4 points per game. But he has a true-shooting percentage well below the league average and has been out with a hamstring injury since early November. The team has also, frankly, looked better without him. In the 212 minutes he’s played, the team is getting outscored by a ridiculous 15.9 points per 100 possessions. In the 744 minutes without him, the team has only been outscored by 6.3 points per 100, per Databallr. The team’s shooting percentages are up, it rebounds better and it gives up seven fewer points per 100 possessions on defense. This is not a new phenomenon, either, as the Nets have actually been better without Thomas on the court going back three years.
In the right role off the bench, Thomas could be a valuable contributor with his ability to create a shot for himself whenever he wants. But Thomas has been so careless defensively throughout this early portion of his career that I don’t think I would trust him as a starter if I were trying to win games right now, either. I would expect the Nets to try to move him before the deadline, given their draft capital investment in their young backcourt players.
Trade value
Second-Round Picks (Has Right to Approve Trade)
Best fits
Nuggets, Trail Blazers, Bulls
The Raptors wing had a strong season last year, averaging 10 points and shooting 49.8 percent from the field, 39.9 percent from 3 and 71 percent from the line while providing athletic defense. However, he’s gotten a bit lost in the roster shuffle for the Raptors. With a glut of high-level wings that they’ve acquired via trade and drafted, including RJ Barrett, Brandon Ingram, Ja’Kobe Walter, Gradey Dick and Jamison Battle, Agbaji’s role in the rotation has been sporadic as he plays about 15 minutes per night. In that role, his shooting has bizarrely fallen off a cliff, as he’s made just two of his 21 3-point attempts this season.
The 25-year-old is a restricted free agent at the end of the year after not agreeing to an extension in October, but it’s unclear what his role would be if he stayed in Toronto. Making just $6.3 million this season, Agbaji strikes me as a perfect reclamation project for wing-needy teams around the league that are desperate for athleticism and shooting potential. It’s worth noting that he’s dealt with a back injury throughout the year that has limited him, so teams will need to do their due diligence there. But for a likely cheap price, he’s probably worth a swing for a team like the Lakers or Bucks given what he probably won’t require much more than a second-round pick.
Trade value
Second-Round Pick
Best fits
Lakers, Magic, Nuggets, Knicks
Expiration
2026 (restricted)
The Bucks are in a complicated situation as they try to balance keeping Giannis with the irrepressible threat that is Antetokounmpo’s potential departure. Their best mechanism to try to trade for an impact player is by moving Kuzma’s $22.4 million salary. He only has one year remaining on the deal, which means it might be possible to get someone to go for it now. He’s averaging 13.5 points and 4.6 rebounds while shooting 51 percent from the field, but his 3-point shooting remains an issue and he’s taking even fewer of them now. His size and length also provide some useful moments on defense, even if his overall effort can be sporadic. He’s switchable and can take on different matchups across the wing and frontcourt, tends to take one-on-one situations personally and doesn’t like getting scored on.
Still, this is ultimately all about the direction Milwaukee takes. Kuzma’s contract is still seen league-wide as being underwater, so if he were to get moved, it would likely be for another player on a deal that isn’t ideal but who might fit the Bucks’ needs better.
Trade value
Salary Matching
Much like with Kuzma, Portis is a means to an end for the Bucks as they try to cultivate one last stand with Giannis Antetokounmpo. Portis just signed a three-year, $44 million contract this past summer that looks aggressive based on the way he’s playing. The 30-year-old big man is giving Milwaukee his typical 12 points and six rebounds per game while shooting 49 percent from the field and 47 percent from 3. Offensively, there are zero concerns about what Portis brings to the table.
However, he has been even messier on defense than normal, missing rotations and providing less mobility than is necessary from the role. His moments on the court without Giannis to cover for him, particularly, have been quite rough.
Portis turns 31 in February but still provides value out there with his shooting and toughness. This is his sixth year in Milwaukee, and he’s one of the few remaining pieces of the title team in 2021. I guess that someone would value having him around because of that experience, and because it’s harder to find backup bigs than people think around the league. Again, the only reason to move him is if they need his salary to match in a bigger deal.
Trade value
Second-Round Pick
Best fits
Raptors, Warriors, Kings, Bulls
Expiration
2028 (player option)
It feels like Bagley has been tossed off and cast aside over the last few years of his career, but somehow he’s still only 26. And I’m going to let the people who haven’t caught up with the Wizards in on a little secret: He’s playing the best basketball of his career so far. Per 75 possessions, Bagley is averaging 16.9 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.1 steals while posting a 64.5 true-shooting percentage. The Wizards are three points per 100 possessions better when Bagley is on the court as opposed to when he is off it.
We don’t want to overstate things. Bagley is still a backup center, one with some serious defensive flaws that would likely make him hard to play in a playoff setting. But if any team out there is desperate to steal minutes at the five, Bagley might be able to help out.
Trade value
Second-Round Pick
The Jazz might have to move Nurkić to facilitate the kind of losing required for them to keep their draft selection this year. They owe the Thunder a top-eight protected first-round pick in 2026. They’re currently in ninth place. The easiest way to stop that from moving, to my eyes, would be to move Nurkić’s expiring $19.4 million salary. With Walker Kessler lost for the year, the Jazz would then be playing a blend of Oscar Tshiebwe and Kyle Filipowski at the center position, a move that should sufficiently tank their defense.
Nurkić’s numbers don’t look outstanding on their face, as he’s averaging 8.4 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. But he’s also averaging four assists per game, and even though he can’t block shots or finish at the rim anymore because of the ground-bound nature of his game, he does give Utah a foundation and infrastructure on defense that it desperately needs. The Jazz allow only 118.5 points per game when he’s on the court but give up nearly 125 when he’s off the court. And in the minutes without either Nurkić or Kessler this year, the Jazz give up nearly 130 per 100 possessions. On an expiring deal, teams could do worse than having Nurkić as their backup center. They just need to find a taker given that the salary is still quite high even if it’s an expiring deal.
Trade value
Salary Matching
Collins’ transition to the Clippers after being acquired this past summer in a deal for Norman Powell has not gone swimmingly. He’s averaging 12 points per game, his lowest mark since his rookie season in Atlanta. His 49.6 field goal percentage is the lowest of his career, but that’s largely due to an aberrant 28.9 percent mark from 3 that will likely bounce up at some point given his track record. The good news is that I think his presence is actually helpful for the Clippers. The team tends to fall off a cliff when he leaves the court, and those numbers aren’t entirely influenced by James Harden’s presence. When Harden is out there without Collins, the team loses by seven points per 100 possessions. When Collins plays with Harden, the team only loses by about 1.7 points per 100.
The conundrum with Collins is that even though he’s improved drastically on defense since his early days in Atlanta, he’s still not really an impact guy on that end, and he needs significant pick-and-roll reps to idealize his offensive role. However, with Ivica Zubac around, those reps are hard to come by, as they are with most teams given that Collins’ best defensive position is at power forward. He’s always been a tricky player to fit into a scheme perfectly, which might make him an ideal candidate to slip into a sixth-man role at some point. He’s on an expiring $26.6 million salary, which means that he is an ideal candidate in a shake-up trade for the Clippers.
Trade value
Salary Matching in a Shake-up Trade
For whatever reason, Huerter is a shooter who has struggled to make shots the last two years. After hitting 38.2 percent of his 3s in the first six seasons of his career in Atlanta and Sacramento, he’s made only 33.1 percent of his 3s over the last two years. The good news is that he’s capable of more than just shooting on the court, as he’s a sharp ball mover and capable driver off actions, allowing him to average 12.2 points per game while mostly coming off the bench this season. He missed some time with a hamstring strain earlier this year, but he’s a skilled offensive player with size who is also shooting a career-high from 2-point range this year.
He’s also on an expiring contract, making $18 million this year. I wouldn’t necessarily call Huerter a game-changer at the deadline, but he’s a solid rotational wing who is probably slightly overpaid for the rest of the year before hitting free agency. There aren’t a ton of players at his size who can dribble, pass and shoot who are available. But also, no one totally understands what the Bulls are thinking for this deadline, so we’ll see if he ends up on the move or staying put.
Trade value
Second-Round Pick or Salary Matching
Niang still hasn’t played in his second stint with the Jazz after being acquired last offseason because of a stress reaction in his left foot. When he’s on the court, Niang has averaged nine points per game while shooting 40 percent on five 3-point attempts per game over his last four seasons. His passing numbers have never popped off the page, but he’s a quick processor and decision-maker on the court who will make a team’s offense better off the bench. You do have to work around his footspeed on defense, but he’s conscientious and willing to work.
Niang is on an expiring $8.2 million salary, so any team looking for some rotational wing or frontcourt depth could easily take Niang as an option if he can get healthy enough.
Trade value
Second-Round Pick
The Clippers clearly need to shake things up and are incentivized to be buyers at the deadline because the team owes its first-round pick to the Thunder this year. Bogdanović makes a ton of sense as a player that they could look to move because of his contract to try to get a better fit around Kawhi Leonard, James Harden and potential Ivica Zubac. He is starting to play more consistently but is averaging just nine points and three assists. He can still shoot it from distance, but his athletic juice seems to have been sapped by some of his recurring knee injuries. This is his first year in the NBA which he’s averaged under 10 points.
This is effectively an expiring contract. He has a team option for $16 million next year that looks unlikely to be exercised. The question for the Clippers moving forward is how they go about prioritizing their future salary obligations versus future assets. One way to take a jump would be to make deals taking back players with longer-term salary from teams looking to prioritize flexibility before the summer. If they go down that road, the Kings make an awful lot of sense as a trade partner given their bevy of on-ball options who can play with or behind Harden. But if they prefer to keep things flexible, the team could easily look to target the summers of 2026 and 2027 in order to make some moves involving cap space.
Trade value
Salary Matching in Shake-up Trade
Expiration
2027 (team option)
Grant has been on the list of worst contracts in the league essentially from the moment he signed his deal in Portland for five years and $150 million. That remains true, as he’s overpaid by a pretty significant margin. But the good news for Portland is that he’s at least reverted back to averaging 20 points per game this year while hitting 40 percent of his 3s. He’s posting a true-shooting percentage 4 percent above league average and has been a helpful offensive player. The issues tend to come on defense, where Grant is no longer the athletic presence he was back in his days with Oklahoma City and Denver. Still, even with those problems, this projects to be his most valuable season in a Blazers uniform since 2023.
Grant is slated to make $32 million this season, followed by $70.5 million in the next two years total. That’s 20 percent of the salary cap for a player whom the Blazers seemed ready to move on from as a starter entering the year before injuries cratered their first trimester. The good news for the Blazers is that they don’t have the need to get off this money right now, as they’re under the tax and have a ton of space against the first apron entering next season. Yet it wouldn’t hurt if they could find a way off his deal, as it could create avenues toward re-negotiating and extending Deni Avdija’s contract at some point in the next two years. This feels like a situation where the Blazers are willing to take advantage if a team gets desperate for wing scoring but don’t need to make a move yet.
The Russell experience has not gone particularly well in Dallas. The season began with him coming off the bench as the Mavericks went big around him, then he started a few games before moving back to the bench behind Brandon Williams and Ryan Nembhard. Nembhard, particularly, has emerged as an option for the Mavericks in recent weeks with his ability to move the ball quickly and keep the offense flowing. Russell is shooting just 40.3 percent from the field and 28.7 percent from 3 while providing less-than-stellar defensive play.
Russell makes $5.7 million this year and then has a player option for $6 million next year. He’ll turn 30 in February, too. I don’t think he’ll have much value league-wide, but it’s pretty easy to see that things haven’t quite worked out in the way that everyone hoped for when he signed in Dallas. If there is a team out there with a lot of floor-spacing that runs a ball-screen-heavy scheme, that’s the best fit for him at this stage.
Expiration
2027 (player option)
Drummond has been forced into giving the 76ers minutes this year as Joel Embiid plays sporadically after his return from a knee injury. The results have been about as expected. Drummond is still capable of dominating the glass, averaging 9.4 rebounds in 21 minutes. He’s a big body on the interior and can at least anchor his way in the paint. But he’s also 32, and his mobility is not what it once was. He’s a liability in ball-screen coverages against high-level guards, although Philadelphia has found a way with its aggressive, athletic perimeter defenders to make it work on that end. Offensively, he doesn’t have a ton of true skill at this point, but he has added the occasional 3-pointer to his repertoire this year.
Drummond is making $5 million this year, which makes him (along with Eric Gordon and Kyle Lowry) potential trade candidates for the 76ers to get under the luxury tax this season. The Sixers are about $7 million away and will need to decide how essential that part of their situation is this season. Moving Drummond gets them close to the marker if someone is willing to take his expiring deal into a trade exception. But moving him also creates a minutes gap in the needy frontcourt. And yet, the team also needs to open up roster spots to convert and sign two-way players Jabari Walker and Dominick Barlow to standard contracts. I would expect some movement near the back end of the 76ers roster.
Thybulle feels like a more likely player to move than Williams above him, if only because it would be fairly easy for the Blazers to excise him from the roster without losing any value. He’s only played in five games this year because of a thumb injury and only played in 15 last season, too. This is the final year of Thybulle’s $11.5 million deal, and the Blazers should look to move him or Williams for a more established interior presence on the defensive end who can allow them to survive minutes when Donovan Clingan is off the court. Thybulle hasn’t been all that useful on an NBA court since about 2022, when he made his second All-Defense team. I’m not sure what his future holds in the NBA at this stage, but the Blazers certainly have a mechanism to improve by utilizing his expiring salary.
Trade value
Salary Matching In a Trade
Kleber has been in and out of the lineup for the Lakers this year because of a back issue. I’ve liked his defensive instincts off the ball and thought he’s moved the ball quickly. But unfortunately, he’s only been able to play about 120 minutes this season. Ultimately, Kleber’s contract is the value here, as he’s making $11 million this season in the final year of his deal. His expiring money is a good vehicle for the Lakers to use as salary matching in a trade.
Trade value
Salary Matching In a Trade
Vincent has been a semi-useful rotation player for the Lakers at times this year with his aggressiveness on defense and ability to play both with and without the ball. However, he’s small and struggles to do much of anything on the interior as a scorer, limiting his overall impact.
Vincent’s $11.5 million deal expires at the end of the year, which makes him valuable as a trade chip as Rob Pelinka and company survey the market for available difference-makers. If the team is willing to use the draft capital it has remaining to acquire other players, Vincent’s contract is one of the few that can be involved to create salary matching.
Trade value
Salary Matching In a Trade
Richards is big and athletic but hasn’t provided much else for the Suns this season given how loaded they are at the center position. He’s played nearly every game for them in a limited role and was at least valuable as a bigger body last season when he averaged nine points and eight rebounds per game when pressed into action as the team’s starting center after being acquired in January. Richards can finish around the rim, but he’s never been all that instinctive on defense as a rotational defender and can get caught in no-man’s land a bit more often than you’d like in ball screens.
With Khaman Maluach and Mark Williams seemingly being the long-term answers at center for Phoenix (along with Oso Ighodaro as another option), moving Richards would make sense to open up some playing time. He’s good enough to play as a backup somewhere, and I’d expect someone would be willing to take his expiring $5 million salary to fill their frontcourt.
Trade value
Salary Matching In A Trade
At 37, Love is closer to the end of his career than the beginning. But he’s still playing 15 minutes per night for the Jazz and providing some veteran leadership. He’s on an expiring $4.2 million salary this year, so any team looking for a hybrid four/five big who can step away and knock down shots, throw high-level hit-ahead passes in transition after rebounds and be a solid presence in the locker room could easily look to Love as an answer. He has a bit more left in the tank as compared to someone like Chris Paul, but I’d be skeptical about him playing in a serious playoff series because of his defense.
Paul has been sent home from the Clippers, ending what was supposed to be a fairytale final season to his Hall of Fame career. Now, Paul is merely a minimum salary to be moved in a deal to get some further help for LA as it looks to pull out of this early-season tailspin. Paul started every game for the Spurs last year and was pretty serviceable in that role, but he has fallen off this season as he turned 40. He looks a step slow, has only taken one shot at the rim all season and doesn’t seem to be elevating quite as much on those midrange jumpers that made him useful as a scorer.
I guess that the Clippers will keep his salary on the books for as long as they can in case something comes up, but it very well could be that the team just ends up releasing him at some point.
