NBA Trade Block Big Board: Predicting Top 10 Targets at the Deadline
Think it's too early to piece together a wish list for NBA trade season?
Rest assured the league's decision-makers don't. Even if they don't plan on brokering a blockbuster any time soon—trade talks typically don't start picking up until mid-December at the earliest—they are already assessing what they might need and where they might find it.
So, let's dig into the Association's world of wheeling and dealing to build a big board for the current trade market. While we have to project which players will become available between now and the Feb. 8 trade deadline, we'll exclude pie-in-the-sky targets like Joel Embiid, Donovan Mitchell and Trae Young. At least until those players give us reasons not to.
What you will find, though, is a batch of players who have either generated trade buzz before or realistically could in the near future. Beyond that, we'll rank the top 10 targets based on everything from ability and potential impact to contract situations and adaptability.
10. Buddy Hield, Indiana Pacers
1 of 10
Age: 30
Remaining contract: One year, $18.6 million
Hield throws fireballs that might impress the Mario Brothers, and his perimeter shot is about as wet as any you'll find from a non-Splash Brother. Three-pointers, as you may have heard a time or two thousand, are all the rage in the modern NBA, and the 30-year-old sharpshooter can supply them in droves.
Dating back to 2016-17, Hield's first season in the league, he has 1,731 triples, or the most from anyone not named Stephen Curry. Hield's 40.2 percent connection rate also ranks sixth among the 53 players with 800-plus threes over this stretch.
Any win-now shopper with a shooting shortage would have to give Hield a long look, assuming Indiana makes him available. Given his age and contract status, that feels like a safe assumption to make.
9. Bojan Bogdanović, Detroit Pistons
2 of 10
Age: 34
Remaining contract: Two years, $39 million (partial guarantee for 2024-25)
Bogdanović hasn't done much this season beyond posing for these media day portraits, as a calf strain has prevented him from hitting the hardwood so far. Assuming there are no ill effects from this ailment whenever he makes it back, though, suitors won't hold this absence against him.
Assuming good health, teams would know what to expect from him. He is a rock-solid complementary scorer (career 15.6 points per game) with a reliable outside shot (career 39.4 percent) and a pinch of creation in his bag. He's also limited on the defensive end, as he's not the fleetest of foot or any kind of notable leaper.
Still, that profile could interest any offensive-needy contender, especially if the still-rebuilding Pistons set a reasonable asking price in trade talks. Detroit set its "minimum starting point [at] an unprotected first-round pick" last season, per The Athletic's James L. Edwards III, but that could have dropped since, as this is the final fully guaranteed season left on Bogdanović's deal.
8. Jerami Grant, Portland Trail Blazers
3 of 10
Age: 29
Remaining contract: Five years, $160 million (player option for 2027-28)
There is so much to like about Grant as a trade target—at least, that's true for whichever teams can get over the sticker shock of the contract he inked this summer. That's a massive amount to pay the long, athletic swingman well into his 30s.
For a select number of buyers, though, the price could be right. Especially if it's factored into his trade cost. The Damian Lillard-less Blazers find themselves on the extreme end of a long-term rebuild and might find it much easier to navigate without Grant's deal chewing up so much of the cap. Some combination of long-term financial relief and draft considerations could be enough for Portland to bite.
Clubs who can afford Grant could get a ton of mileage out of a trade. His offensive numbers have been inflated by suiting up for some bad teams in Portland and Detroit, but his true calling is that of a defensive game-wrecker who can finish his share of offensive plays in a support scoring role. He's overpaid, but an all-purpose defensive stopper with some offensive utility is something just about every good team could use.
7. Malcolm Brogdon, Portland Trail Blazers
4 of 10
Age: 30
Remaining contract: Two years, $45 million
Neither the rebuilding Blazers nor the veteran Brogdon have pushed each other for a trade so far. In fact, they've spoken about keeping this partnership going.
"I've had conversations with the Blazers' front office and with [coach] Chauncey [Billups]. They want me here, I want to be here," Brogdon told reporters at training camp. "There's a lot of misleading information out there about 'They need to trade me' or 'I want to go.' Right now, I'm trying to make the most of my opportunity. That's really what it is."
Maybe Portland and Brogdon are seeing something the rest of us are missing. Probably not, though. He should be contributing to playoff pursuits the Blazers aren't ready to make, and the minutes he's getting should go to young players who will remain with this franchise for the long haul.
So, if he isn't already on the market, he should get there soon. Once he does, competitive clubs with holes in the backcourt will give him a long look. His health history dings his value (he's only once cleared the 70-game mark), but his versatility and reasonable pay rate keeps him out of the clearance section. He can handle either guard spot on both ends of the floor,
6. DeMar DeRozan, Chicago Bulls
5 of 10
Age: 34
Remaining contract: One year, $28.6 million
The Bulls have so far resisted all of the external calls for a tear-down, and in fact, they've even held "preliminary" extension talks with DeRozan, per ESPN's Jamal Collier. At some point, though, you'd think all parties involved would come to their senses and realize their futures would be best spent apart.
Whenever that happens, the trade market will be ready for DeRozan. Well, a certain section of it will be, anyway. Future-focused shoppers will obviously have no use for a 34-year-old rental, but win-right-now buyers should have ample interest in his scoring punch, playmaking prowess and ability to deliver in big moments (second-most clutch points in 2021-22).
His shot diet may feel dated—his 2.1 three-point attempts per outing this season are the third-most of his career—but it works for him. He can drive, dish and dominate from the mid-range, and when all else fails, he can get to the foul line at will. His 6,787 career free-throw attempts are the fourth-most since he entered the league in 2009.
5. Alex Caruso, Chicago Bulls
6 of 10
Age: 29
Remaining contract: Two years, $19.4 million (partial guarantee for 2024-25)
Caruso's name might carry the least sizzle of anyone on this list, but his game provides the kind of substance that winning teams feel night after night. So, if you're at all surprised to see him rank this high, just know that if he landed anywhere else, he would've moved up—not down.
"Coveted is a good word for him. If you want to make a trade tomorrow they could trade Alex Caruso," an Eastern Conference executive told Heavy Sports' Sean Deveney. "Half the teams in the league would be there with an offer."
Caruo's numbers are quiet (7.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists), but his impact can be booming. An All-Defensive first-teamer last season, he's a full-throttle hustler who always finds himself in the right place at the right time. Historically, his teams have fared 6.4 points better per 100 possessions with him than without.
4. Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls
7 of 10
Age: 28
Remaining contract: Four years, $178.1 million (player option for 2026-27)
While Caruso might have more suitors, LaVine's would be more aggressive. That's because while Caruso can subtly strengthen a team, LaVine has the potential to actually transform one.
Conditions would have to be near-perfect for that to happen. A suitor must have significant enough issues on the offensive end to overlook LaVine's shortcomings on defense. It would also have to believe his previous knee problems are fully behind him. Lastly—and maybe most importantly—it would need to be financially flexible enough to stomach his colossal contract.
If all of those boxes could be checked, though, he'd be a spectacular get for someone. Few players can match his offensive productivity. He's one of only five players to average at least 24 points, four assists and 2.5 three-pointers in each of the past four seasons. He could be a real find for someone, provided the Bulls actually make him available. For the time being, though, they "have no intention of trading LaVine anytime soon," per Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.
3. OG Anunoby, Toronto Raptors
8 of 10
Age: 26
Remaining contract: Two years, $38.6 million (player option for 2024-25)
If each NBA front office had to pick a top target among all realistic trade candidates, Anunoby could be the most popular choice. He offers plug-and-play potential for any contender in the wing market, and he's just young enough that rebuilders who've seen some flashes from their on-hand talent might give him some consideration, too.
He's about as close to universally appealing as a non-star can get. He is the defensive answer to almost any offensive problem, and his own offensive game has shown near-perpetual growth. Early signs suggest this could be his best offensive campaign yet, as he's not only pumping in a career-high 17.6 points per night, but he's doing so while posting personal-best connection clips from the field (55.3 percent) and from three (41.7).
"I don't just play one way," Anunoby told reporters recently. "I never thought of myself just as a defensive guy. I see myself as a two-way player. I work hard on offense, too."
It's possible Anunoby's two-way game is too great for Toronto to give up. It's also possible the Raptors don't want to cover the cost of his upcoming contract or risk losing him for nothing. It would take a fortune to get him—three first-round picks weren't enough at the deadline—but a not insignificant number of teams might feel he's worth it.
2. Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves
9 of 10
Age: 27
Remaining contract: Five years, $258.7 million
Including Towns on this list might rile up some folks in Minnesota given the Timberwolves' impressive start. While the team has sprinted out of the gate, though, the big fella has—by his standards—face-planted. His shooting rates from the field (42.2) and from three (30.8) are easily the worst of his career, and the same holds true for his 13.0 player efficiency rating.
The Wolves have the frontcourt depth to get by without him, and they could really stand to shed his salary and fetch whatever draft assets he could bring back. He's already on the radar of the New York Knicks, and other star-searching squads might be similarly watching him closely. While his fit in the Gopher State has seemingly soured, he still has an immense amount of offensive ability to provide someone.
Get him in the right setting—with protection on defense and spacing on offense—and his game can shine. He's a three-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA honoree for a reason. When he has room to operate, he's a three-level scorer and a secondary playmaker, as a 6'11", 248-pounder no less. That contract keeps him out of the top spot, but some non-destination franchises could see it in a more favorable light, since he'd offer long-term security and plays a style that should age gracefully.
1. Pascal Siakam, Toronto Raptors
10 of 10
Age: 29
Remaining contract: One year, $37.9 million
Look, it's entirely possible Toronto keeps Siakam north of the border all season. That's how the Raptors handled Fred VanVleet when he was on an expiring contract last season, after all. Then again, Toronto saw VanVleet skip town in free agency this summer and got back nothing in return, so maybe it learned a lesson. Well, that or it's simply ready to hand the keys over to Scottie Barnes, who sure looks ready to take the wheel.
In other words, Siakam could land on the trade market at any moment. And the second he does, the Raptors should be flooded with offers.
He has been the No. 2 option on a championship club before. He has twice landed on an All-NBA roster. He has been a top-10 finisher in MVP voting (10th in 2019-20).
He has also amassed some of the most stuffed stat sheets this league has seen. Between 2020-21 and 2022-23, he averaged 22.9 points, 7.9 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.1 steals. Only five other players had a 22/7/5/1 line over this stretch; four are former MVPs and the fifth looks like a future one (Luka Dončić). Siakam is special. He may not be a tier-one superstar, but he is a certified star. And in the current pool of realistic trade candidates, that puts him atop the big board.
Statistics courtesy of Basketball Reference and NBA.com and current through games played on Nov. 8. Salary information via Spotrac.
Zach Buckley covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on X, @ZachBuckleyNBA.
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=600 "Ravens star calls out former coach")
.jpg?w=600 "Report: Bears Near 'Critical' Stadium Decision")