2025 NBA Trade Block Big Board: Ideal Landing Spots for Top 5 Targets
Regardless what happens between now and Thursday's 3 p.m. ET NBA trade deadline, this trade season will forever be remembered as a thrill ride.
The Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks ensured that when they silently got together for their weekend stunner sending Luka Dončić to Hollywood and Anthony Davis to DFW. This was the most internet-breaking blockbuster the basketball world has seen, and it could be years before the shock factor finally wears off.
It was also a reminder that very few players in this league are truly untradeable, and that players don't have to be residents of the rumor mill to suddenly get sent packing.
Having said that, it was also an anomaly, both for its star-for-star construction and the secrecy surrounding it. We may not always know exactly where players will land, but we usually have a hunch about which ones will be on the move.
With that said, let's build our latest trade market big board based on players who are being discussed in deals.
A quick note before getting started, though. One major omission who is generating some trade talk is a certain megastar who goes by the name LeBron James. While it's not unreasonable to wonder whether he or the Lakers are rethinking their future together in light of the Dončić-for-Davis deal, James holds a no-trade clause and apparently has no plans of declining it. If he wants to stay—and it seems like he does—he has the power to do so, so there's little utility in speculating about where he could go.
This is a test.
5. Brandon Ingram, New Orleans Pelicans
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The Buzz
Ingram's time on the trade block, which predates this season, might finally be nearing its end.
The Warriors have explored what it would take to get him, per Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, who added that the Atlanta Hawks have also eyed the 27-year-old.
Best Landing Spot: Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies' need for an impact wing dates back to their grit-and-grind era. Traditional position labels might be a bit outdated in the modern game, yet it still feels notable that Basketball Reference doesn't list a single small forward on the Memphis roster.
That's a long-winded way of saying a healthy Ingram could be a need-filler for the Grizzlies. And since he isn't healthy at the moment—or signed beyond this season—he should come relatively reasonably priced.
Memphis, seeded second in the West, might feel as if no changes are needed ahead of Thursday's cutoff, but there are still questions regarding who will handle the wing spots during the Grizzlies' biggest moments.
Those questions would be answered with the addition of Ingram, provided, of course, he ever finds his way back from an early December ankle sprain.
4. Cameron Johnson, Brooklyn Nets
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The Nets could be keeping Johnson past the deadline, and that's apparently not just posturing. Per SNY's Ian Begley, teams are skeptical that "anyone would make an offer strong enough to acquire Johnson."
Best Landing Spot: Cleveland Cavaliers
If Brooklyn is intent on getting back a loaded return for Johnson, that's not great news for Cleveland. The Cavs are still facing a severe draft-pick deficit from the Donovan Mitchell deal, and they aren't exactly swimming with high-upside prospects who could sweeten the pot.
If Johnson somehow fit the budget, though, he'd be a great get for Cleveland.
The Cavaliers are stacked both in the backcourt and up front, but a reliable two-way wing could take them over the top.
Johnson's offensive menu would be condensed from what he has feasted on in Brooklyn, but his efficiency could skyrocket alongside shot-creators such as Mitchell and Darius Garland.
The 28-year-old also has the length-quickness combo needed to toggle between both forward spots, which would allow the Cavaliers to play super-big or smaller, quicker lineups.
3. Paul George, Philadelphia 76ers
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Could George's tenure in Philadelphia actually end mere months after it started?
The Hawks and Warriors have both shown interest, per Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, but "the belief around the league is he'll only get moved for a home-run deal."
Best Landing Spot: Miami Heat
If the Heat find a taker for Jimmy Butler, they're going to need a multi-dimensional swingman to take his place.
Why not George? He's still a star when healthy—All-Star selections each of the past two seasons—but the rare kind of star who can be just as effective in a complementary role. That means his arrival wouldn't have to do anything to slow the ascensions of Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo. If anything, having an all-purpose contributor like the 34-year-old should put those players in better positions for success.
George is overpaid for a third star, and his addition to the payroll could spoil some of Miami's long-term plans. But the Heat have enough on-hand talent to prioritize goals that won't come to fruition until two more postseasons have passed and may never lead to tangible results.
A George-Herro-Adebayo trio could prove plenty formidable in the Eastern Conference, particularly with savvy skipper Erik Spoelstra behind the wheel.
2. Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat
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All remains relatively quiet on the Butler front leading up to the deadline.
Per ESPN's Tim Bontemps, "there isn't a lot of interest" in Butler, and the "few options he has had outside of Phoenix have been told he isn't interested in being there."
Best Landing Spot: Phoenix Suns
Butler wants to be in Phoenix, and the Suns would welcome him with open arms. That part of the story seems straightforward.
Where this gets tricky, of course, is making the money work. The only way Phoenix can get Butler without giving up Kevin Durant or Devin Booker is by sending Bradley Beal somewhere.
Would-be suitors are surely scared off by the more than $110 million Beal will collect over the next two seasons, though. Even if they weren't, he could shoot them down since he inexplicably has a no-trade clause.
That all explains why Butler isn't in Phoenix yet (and may never get there), but it doesn't change the fact that the Suns are the best basketball situation for him.
The 35-year-old is a legitimate difference-maker when fully engaged, and he has decided the desert is the best place for him. And since his offensive assertiveness tends to fluctuate, he'd do well to surround himself with walking buckets such as Durant and Booker.
1. Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns
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The Suns are signaling that they have no plans to deal Durant, but they are "believed to be listening at the very least to various teams' pitches," Jake Fischer reported for The Stein Line.
Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix wrote that rival executives believe the Suns are "strongly considering Durant deals" with their efforts to acquire Jimmy Butler seemingly stalled.
Best Landing Spot: Oklahoma City Thunder
This is sure to draw some eye rolls and groans in the Sooner State, and that's fine. Durant didn't exactly leave his first NBA franchise on the best of terms, bailing on the Thunder to join the Warriors in 2016 free agency—barely a month after Golden State bounced Oklahoma City out of the conference finals.
All of that said, grudges have no place in the business of basketball. If the Thunder set their personal feelings aside, they'd have to see some appeal in reuniting with their former franchise face. Especially when their asset collection is such that they could send a massive haul back to the Suns without really disrupting their rotation.
Oklahoma City, admittedly, looks like a title contender without him, but is this club confident it has everything it needs to capture the crown? Is Jalen Williams or Chet Holmgren ready to serve as the second star on a title team? Do the Thunder have enough size and length in the frontcourt to handle all of the physical challenges awaiting them in the West?
The Thunder's postseason opponents will inevitably throw everything they have at Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Having Durant around as the prodigal son could be the ultimate counter-punch and perhaps the key in transforming this group from a great team to a champion.
