23-and-Under NBA Players Who Already Need a Trade

NBA loyalty is overrated.

Fans might want to see it from players, but it's almost always a one-way street. As soon as a franchise feels a certain player is no longer the right fit, they're sent packing without a second thought.

Players should (and sometimes do) approach these working relationships the same way. When they aren't getting what they need from their current employer, it's time to start thinking about their next one. Too often lost in the "grass isn't always greener" adage is the implied admission that sometimes it absolutely is.

For this following quartet of 23-and-under players, they should have already seen enough to know that their futures would be better spent away from their current digs.

Devin Carter, Sacramento Kings

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Carter's rookie season was sidetracked by injury, and he never seemed to find his footing following that delayed start. Last year's No. 13 pick tied for 35th in the draft class with 138 points, and his efficiency was no more impressive than his volume (37/29.5/59.1).

It was a rocky start, sure, but nothing that seemed too jarring. Except Sacramento maybe saw things differently. Not long after Carter's rookie run came to a close, HoopsHype's Michael Scotto reported the Kings had "gauged the trade market" on Carter.

This apparent lack of internal belief—which notably followed a change in front office decision-makers—should've been a warning sign to Carter. Between that, the signing of Dennis Schröder and the continued presences of Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Malik Monk, there's no shortage of reasons for Carter to worry about his opportunities and touches going forward.

While Carter never projected to be a primary playmaker, he can't even fill a connector role if he's too often left out of the offensive equation entirely. And between the aforementioned quartet, Domantas Sabonis, Keegan Murray, Keon Ellis and maybe even rookie first-rounder Nique Clifford, the Kings might have a lot of mouths to feed before Carter's appetite enters their thought process.

Throw in the fact this franchise has never really enjoyed the most fertile development program, and there are myriad reasons for Carter to want out. It's one thing for a young player to struggle finding minutes on a win-now contender, but it's quite another to see them get stuck behind a veteran core that's highly unlikely to secure more than a play-in tournament invitation.

Keyonte George, Utah Jazz

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After spending the No. 16 pick of the 2023 draft on George, the Jazz didn't have to wait long to see flashes that suggested he'd already become one of the most important pieces of their rebuild. Even if there was a lot more quantity than quality in his first go-round, he still found his way onto the All-Rookie second team while averaging 13 points and 4.4 assists with an interesting mix of off-the-dribble scoring and playmaking.

After some stagnation as a sophomore, though, his future with the franchise suddenly feels far less certain. That's not to say he has played his way out of the plans, but Utah has given itself alternatives in the backcourt, like 2024 No. 29 pick Isaiah Collier and this year's No. 18 pick Walter Clayton Jr., the second selection made by new president of basketball operations Austin Ainge.

While this isn't a call for George to shy away from competition, it's certainly worth wondering if his standing within the organization has shifted. There's also a worry about the effects this tank-heavy rebuild is having on him. The developmental reps are probably fun, but you worry about bad habits forming and frustration getting the better of him.

"At times throughout the last two years, George has seemed indignant, and it is painfully clear when he is upset," Sarah Todd wrote for the Deseret News. "There's a lot of finger pointing, a lot of eye rolling and even more sulking."

If George needs to mature, he could find a better growth environment elsewhere. He'd log fewer minutes on a contender, but he might develop better habits and perhaps find his calling as an instant-offense reserve. Moving to another rebuilder maybe wouldn't help with the frustration, but he might find more clarity if he was more obviously part of the long-term plans.

Scoot Henderson, Portland Trail Blazers

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Henderson, 21 years old and with 3,500 NBA minutes under his belt, should be on the cusp of stardom. Or at least that has to be the hope of the Trail Blazers, anyway, after they made him the No. 3 pick of the 2024 draft.

As for Henderson's individual hope, it's hard to say for certain Portland is the best place for realizing it. It's possible to spin the narrative that way. The Blazers became more competitive this past season, and they just added a pair of expert-level mentors for Henderson in Jrue Holiday and franchise icon Damian Lillard.

However, Portland's ascension coincided with a role reduction for Henderson, who made fewer starts, logged less minutes and handled a smaller usage rate from his rookie season. And maybe the incoming veterans won't be mentors as much as they'll be replacements. The Blazers are surely looking for more than just leadership after taking on the remainder of Holiday's contract (three years, $104.4 million), and it's hard to picture them holding Lillard back should he rediscover his superstar form upon his return from an Achilles tear.

The Blazers liked what they saw from Henderson down last season's stretch, so maybe they're still committed to his development. Then again, it felt like he slid down the priority pecking order behind Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara this past season, and you wonder whether the same could happen if Shaedon Sharpe makes a jump during the upcoming one.

Portland has helped Henderson elevate his floor, but it has also put obstacles in front of him that could make it challenging to push toward his ceiling there. And while the Blazers' defensive focus has improved his play on that end, he needs to find a team that plays with more pace and has better spacing to bring out his best on offense.

Yves Missi, New Orleans Pelicans

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This might catch some folks off guard, because Missi's rookie season shattered expectations in terms of both his workload and his production. Last year's 21st pick wound up logging the fourth-most minutes in his draft class (1,956) and started 67 of the 73 games he played.

That wasn't what might have Missi miffed, though. Rather, it's everything the Pelicans have been doing since his All-Rookie second-team campaign came to a close that could have him nervous about a future in New Orleans.

First, New Orleans not only spent a lottery pick on another big man (Derik Queen), it paid so much to move up the board that the trade "had execs around the league already chortling in the moments after the draft," per The Athletic's John Hollinger. That price, for the record, was an unprotected 2026 first-round pick, which will be the better of the Pelicans' pick or the Milwaukee Bucks'. And for those unfamiliar, the 2026 draft class looks loaded at the top.

Later, New Orleans made its biggest free agency splash in the form of veteran center Kevon Looney, who was coaxed away from the Golden State Warriors with a two-year, $16 million deal. That's a healthy enough investment to imagine Looney will be a significant factor in the team's interior rotation. The same holds true for Queen—or rather, it will once he's back wrist surgery—who probably needs to play the 5 to see major minutes whenever Zion Williamson is healthy.

Not to mention that Missi, your prototypical rim-runner, would work best alongside a visionary playmaker, which isn't exactly the way one would describe New Orleans' new starting point guard, Jordan Poole (4.5 assists against 3.0 turnovers last season). Missi may not have envisioned needing a scenery change so soon, but he never could've pictured the Pels overloading their roster at his position like this, either.