1 Ambitious Trade Target for Every Team During 2025-26 NBA Season
As the NBA gets ready to open up the 2025-26 season, there's still a lot of uncertainness around the league.
How long will Giannis Antetokounmpo be happy if the Milwaukee Bucks fall out of the playoff picture? Will the Utah Jazz complete the firesale and trade Lauri Markkanen? Will LeBron James, Trae Young, Coby White and other 2026 free agents last the season with their respective teams?
There should be plenty of talent available for franchises looking for an upgrade. These are ambitious (but possible) trade targets for all 30 NBA teams.
Atlanta Hawks: Jaylen Brown
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The Atlanta Hawks are knocking on the door to becoming a real contender in the East, although they're probably still a star away from catching the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks.
Jaylen Brown could change that.
The 2024 NBA Finals MVP would be the perfect complement to Trae Young, Kristaps Porziņģis, Dyson Daniels and company, as a framework of a deal with the Boston Celtics would improve the C's frontcourt, save money and possibly add future draft capital.
The Hawks should be keeping tabs on Brown, Giannis Antetokounmpo and any other big name that could hit the market this season.
Boston Celtics: Walker Kessler
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The Utah Jazz have yet to commit to Walker Kessler, as the 24-year-old center is admittedly frustrated that he hasn't been given a contract extension yet.
If Utah is willing to move on from the premier shot-blocker, the Boston Celtics desperately need a new starting center and should make a call.
Kessler averaged 11.1 points, 12.2 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game in 2024-25, his first as a full-time starter.
With a depleted center position following the departures of Kristaps Porziņģis, Al Horford and Luke Kornet, Boston needs a new starting center and won't want to break the bank after shedding so much salary this past offseason. Kessler's $4.8 million salary would be easy to match.
Brooklyn Nets: Jabari Smith Jr.
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The Brooklyn Nets should be open to bringing in any young talent that could serve as a potential building block for the franchise.
Smith, 22, has shown flashes in his three years with the Houston Rockets but hasn't gotten the opportunity he needs with so many other mouths to feed. His role isn't going to get any bigger now with Kevin Durant in town, either.
Smith's new five-year, $122 million contract has the potential to age extremely well, especially if he gets traded to a team like Brooklyn that can supply him with a larger role.
The Nets should monitor Smith's situation in Houston, especially if he gets demoted to a bench role.
Charlotte Hornets: Jarrett Allen
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The Charlotte Hornets and Boston Celtics have the worst center rotations in all of basketball. If the Hornets have any real aspirations of making the East playoffs, they'll need an upgrade.
Jarrett Allen has been a big part of the Cleveland Cavaliers' recent success, although he's set to begin a new three-year, $90 million extension next year and the Cavs are already the most expensive team in basketball.
The Hornets should check on Allen's availability throughout the season, as the 27-year-old is the ideal lob finisher alongside LaMelo Ball and is one of the better rim protectors and rebounders in the NBA.
Chicago Bulls: Nic Claxton
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The Chicago Bulls need a new franchise center, as Nikola Vučević will turn 35 later this month and is entering the final year of his contract.
Nic Claxton, 26, is younger, a better defender and has a reasonable three years and $69.5 million remaining on his deal. He should also be very available from a Brooklyn Nets team that's undergoing a complete rebuild right now.
Claxton has averaged 11.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 2.0 blocks and shot 63.3 percent from the field over the past three seasons and should be thrilled to move to a team with higher playoff aspirations this season.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Corey Kispert
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The Cleveland Cavaliers don't need to blow up a roster that won 64 games last year, although a broken foot suffered by Max Strus could mean the Cavs will be missing their starting small forward for a few months.
Corey Kispert could fill a lot of what Strus brings to the table. Kispert, 26, is a 6'7" wing who specializes in stretching the floor.
After averaging 12.1 points on 39.1 percent shooting from three over the past three years with the Washington Wizards, Kispert could serve as a starting three or backup forward for the Cavs.
Dallas Mavericks: LeBron James
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If LeBron James grows tired of being a No. 2 option with the Los Angeles Lakers, finishing his career with the Dallas Mavericks is an intriguing option.
The Dallas Mavericks could cobble together the salaries of Klay Thompson, Daniel Gafford, Caleb Martin and Naji Marshall to get close to James' $52.6 million contract while still keeping Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, Cooper Flagg, D'Angelo Russell, P.J. Washington, Dereck Lively II and others.
We know all too well that these front offices can negotiate behind the scenes. If James is looking for a new home, the Mavericks should be extremely interested in reuniting the four-time MVP with Irving and Davis.
Denver Nuggets: Scotty Pippen Jr.
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The Denver Nuggets did an admirable job of improving their depth this offseason, although there's no true backup point guard on the roster with Russell Westbrook now gone.
Scotty Pippen Jr. is one of the more underrated players in the NBA who's filled in admirably when Ja Morant has missed time with the Memphis Grizzlies.
With averages of 9.9 points, 4.4 assists, 1.3 steals and a 39.7 percent mark from three last season, Pippen and his team-friendly $2.2 million salary would be an ideal trade target for the Nuggets.
Detroit Pistons: Lauri Markkanen
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Much like the Atlanta Hawks, the Detroit Pistons aren't far away from being an elite team in the Eastern Conference.
Internal improvement will be their biggest factor in a rise up the standings, although finding an upgrade at power forward over Tobias Harris would speed up the process.
Lauri Markkanen has averaged 23.0 points, 7.7 rebounds and made 38.0 percent of his threes over the past three years with the Utah Jazz. Putting him in a starting five with Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson would guarantee the Pistons a top-4 seed in the East this year.
Golden State Warriors: Giannis Antetokounmpo
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The Golden State Warriors should be thinking big if they want to give Stephen Curry a chance at a fifth ring, especially as he gets ready to turn 38 next season.
As Tim Kawakami of The San Francisco Standard wrote this summer:
"There's another reason why the Warriors don't want to give (Jonathan) Kuminga away for less than his full trade value: Like every other smart team, they're trying to maintain every asset they've got so they're ready once and if the Giannis Antetokounmpo market heats up."
Now with Kuminga under contract along with some other young players and future draft picks available, the Warriors could make a strong offer for the two-time MVP if he ends up asking out of Milwaukee.
Houston Rockets: Trae Young
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Fred VanVleet suffered a torn ACL in late September, meaning the Houston Rockets could be in the market for a new starting point guard this season.
Trae Young joining forces with Kevin Durant, Alperen Şengün, Amen Thompson and others would make the Rockets an incredible force, even in the West. Houston's fifth-ranked defense should be able to absorb Young's deficiencies on that end as well.
Using VanVleet's expiring $25 million contract to help match salaries, the Rockets could put together a deal for Young while keeping their core pieces in place.
Indiana Pacers: Bam Adebayo
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Myles Turner leaving the Indiana Pacers for the Milwaukee Bucks in free agency has left a hole at center for the defending Eastern Conference champs. The Pacers shouldn't be looking for a quick fix at the position, but rather someone who can man the spot for years to come when Tyrese Haliburton returns from a torn Achilles.
If the Miami Heat stumble out of the gates, Indiana should check on the price of Bam Adebayo.
The 28-year-old, three-time All-Star is still a premier defender who averaged 18.1 points, 9.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists last season. He added a three-point shot to his bag, making a career-high 1.0 a game on 35.7 percent accuracy.
Los Angeles Clippers: Jonathan Kuminga
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The Los Angeles Clippers are the oldest team in the NBA (28.4 average age) and desperately need some young talent to sprinkle in with all of its veterans.
Jonathan Kuminga, 22, just signed a two-year, $46.8 million contract with the Golden State Warriors but likely isn't long for the franchise. A fresh start with the Clippers could be just what Kuminga needs to spread his wings.
With reports that Los Angeles is done building around Kawhi Leonard, Kuminga could learn from the two-time Finals MVP now and become a pillar for the Clippers over the next decade.
Los Angeles Lakers: Daniel Gafford
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The Los Angeles Lakers signed Deandre Ayton to be their new starting center, although Daniel Gafford may actually fit the roster better as a rim-running center.
Gafford brings experience playing alongside Luka Dončić with the Dallas Mavericks and averaged 12.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks while making 70.2 percent of his shots last season.
He'd be a backup to Ayton with the Lakers but should still get a heavy workload and would be a big upgrade over Jaxson Hayes.
Memphis Grizzlies: Trey Murphy III
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Trey Murphy III was originally selected by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2021 draft, although he was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans before ever playing a game. Now, the Grizzlies should work to correct that mistake.
Adding a big, three-point shooting, athletic wing between Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. would form a new Big 3 and give the Grizzlies a far greater chance to make the playoffs in the West.
Murphy, 25, put up a career-high 21.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.7 blocks last season while making 3.0 threes a game on 36.1 percent shooting.
Miami Heat: Zion Williamson
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The Miami Heat look more like the Miami Lukewarm on paper right now.
With no real chance at a title this season unless they swing a big trade, a deal for a newly-slimmed down Zion Williamson would breathe some life into the franchise.
The 25-year-old has career averages of 24.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.2 steals while shooting 56.7 percent and could be an electrifying presence alongside Bam Adebayo in the frontcourt if he stays healthy.
Milwaukee Bucks: Coby White
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One of the NBA's best surprises over the past two seasons, Coby White has vastly improved his overall game. With no contract past this season, however, his future with the Chicago Bulls is cloudy.
Given that he'll be a free agent next summer, White's trade value may drop low enough for the asset-strapped Milwaukee Bucks to actually have a chance at acquiring his services.
The 25-year-old averaged a career-high 20.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists last season while making over 37.0 percent of his threes for the fourth straight year. A core of Giannis Antetokounmpo, White, Myles Turner, Bobby Portis Jr. and others would be playoff worthy in the East.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Darius Garland
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The Minnesota Timberwolves are perhaps a point guard upgrade away from winning a championship.
Mike Conley Jr. will be 38 soon and Rob Dillingham looked nowhere near ready to assume starting duties. An All-Star point guard like Darius Garland would take a great deal of pressure off of Anthony Edwards and help Minnesota finally break through to the NBA Finals.
Garland, 25, averaged 20.6 points and 6.7 assists per game last season and may be too expensive for the Cavs to keep longterm as a third max contract behind Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley.
New Orleans Pelicans: Bam Adebayo
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If the Miami Heat don't trade for Zion Williamson, the New Orleans Pelicans should be the team who has interest in pairing the two-time All-Star with Bam Adebayo.
Adebayo's newfound floor-spacing ability would pair nicely next to Williamson's rim-centric game. His ability to guard all five positions would be a godsend for the Pelicans' 29th-ranked defense as well.
With their 2026 first-round pick already going out from a draft-day trade, New Orleans should be all-in for a playoff run this year.
New York Knicks: Giannis Antetokounmpo
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The New York Knicks are good enough as-is to compete for a title this season, although that doesn't mean they shouldn't pursue Giannis Antetokounmpo if the Milwaukee Bucks decide to shop him.
With so many high-salary players, a swap for Antetokounmpo and his $54.1 million contract number would be easier to pull off for the Knicks than most teams. A third franchise would likely need to be involved, with Karl-Anthony Towns or OG Anunoby headed to a contender who would then send young players and picks back to the Bucks.
The Knicks don't have the young talent or draft capital to appease Milwaukee, although the idea of pairing the two-time MVP with Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart and others is worth working the phones for.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Cam Thomas
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The Oklahoma City Thunder possess the best and deepest roster in all of basketball. They don't have a single positional weakness or glaring need in any area of the game.
Cam Thomas would at least be a fun rental, however. He'd play a sixth man role as a scorer off the bench who could spell Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams for stretches while carrying the offensive load.
For Thomas, he should be looking to maximize his stock heading into unrestricted free agency next summer. Even if he wasn't putting up 20-plus points-per-game as a starter, averaging 10-to-15 on good efficiency for a winning team as a reserve may actually boost his value.
Orlando Magic: LaMelo Ball
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Adding Desmond Bane and Tyus Jones this offseason helped address a 27th-ranked offense for the Orlando Magic, although this roster could still use more playmaking and outside shooting.
LaMelo Ball would bring both, as the 24-year-old carries career averages of 21.0 points, 7.4 assists and 3.1 made threes per game on 36.5 percent shooting from deep.
It's fair to worry about Ball's durability, although the Magic did an admirable job of still finishing .500 last season even with players like Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs missing large chunks of the season.
Ball would electrify this offense and make the Magic one of the elite teams in the East.
Philadelphia 76ers: Dillon Brooks
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The Philadelphia 76ers are the NBA's great mystery box. Talent vs. durability will hang over this franchise, although the team needs a true answer at power forward as well.
Brooks checks a number of these boxes, as his defense, three-point shooting, size and reliability (72-plus games each of the past three seasons) is exactly what this Sixers roster needs.
If the Phoenix Suns get off to a predictably slow start, Philly should call with an offer for Brooks to make him the starting four between Paul George and Joel Embiid.
Phoenix Suns: Karl-Anthony Towns
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It's been 11 years since Devin Booker and Karl-Anthony Towns were teammates at Kentucky, although the Phoenix Suns should be interested in a reunion now.
The Suns could be the third team in a hypothetical Giannis Antetokounmpo-to-New York trade (see the Knicks slide), with Towns headed to Phoenix and young talent like Jalen Green, Ryan Dunn, Khaman Maluach and/or Mark Williams and picks going to the Milwaukee Bucks.
A team with Booker, Towns, Dillon Brooks, Grayson Allen, Royce O'Neale and whatever is leftover would at least be competitive in the West.
Portland Trail Blazers: Franz Wagner
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The Portland Trail Blazers are in need of an offensive alpha.
No one topped 20 points per game on this roster in 2024-25, with leading scorer Anfernee Simons (19.3 points) traded to the Boston Celtics for Jrue Holiday this past summer.
If the Orlando Magic don't like the long-term fit between Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero, the former could thrive as a No. 1 option in Portland. He averaged a career-high 24.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists last season.
Portland is still establishing and evaluating their foundational pieces. Wagner would give them the go-to scorer that they desperately need.
Sacramento Kings: Derrick White
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The Sacramento Kings have plenty of offensive talent with Zach LaVine, Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, Malik Monk and others. This team needs a lockdown perimeter defender who can also operate with the ball in his hands following the trade of De'Aaron Fox.
White is precisely what the Kings crave, even if a trade for him wouldn't be cheap.
The 31-year-old averaged a career-high 16.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.1 blocks for the Boston Celtics last year. If Boston wants to continue to trim payroll and the Kings are willing to part with multiple first-round picks, a deal could be reached.
San Antonio Spurs: Jaden McDaniels
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The San Antonio Spurs could make a run at a megastar like Giannis Antetokounmpo and speed up the timeline around Victor Wembanyama, although staying patient and seeing how players like Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle develop may be the best long-term option.
Jaden McDaniels is a more reasonable target; a young, three-and-D forward to plug in between players like Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox.
The 25-year-old played in all 82 games last year, averaged a career-high 12.2 points and made an All-Defensive team in 2023-24.
Toronto Raptors: Michael Porter Jr.
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The Toronto Raptors finished 29th overall in made three-pointers last season (11.8) and 23rd in accuracy (34.8 percent).
Michael Porter Jr. owns career averages of 2.4 made threes per game on 40.6 percent accuracy. His 18.2 points per game last year were a career high and the rebuilding Brooklyn Nets should be more than willing to move on from the 27-year-old for the right price.
The Raptors need shooting alongside Scottie Barnes and Jakob Poeltl in the frontcourt, an area where Porter has thrived his entire career.
Utah Jazz: 2026 Lottery Pick
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The Utah Jazz aren't guaranteed a lottery pick in 2026, despite looking like one of the NBA's worst teams right now.
The Jazz owe a top-8 protected pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder. They'll undoubtedly do everything in their power to lose games keep this selection, although the goal should be to acquire another good first-round pick as well.
Whether it be by trading Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler or both, Utah should be shopping for picks at least for one more year.
Washington Wizards: Jonathan Kuminga
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The Washington Wizards have done an admirable job of making low-risk trades for players with upside, most notably by acquiring Cam Whitmore from the Houston Rockets and Dillon Jones from the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Getting Jonathan Kuminga from the Golden State Warriors would be a supersized version of this strategy, and he's already experienced far more success in the NBA to this point.
Trading for Kuminga and seeing how he operates with the ball in his hands more is a no-lose situation for a Wizards team not interested in winning games this season. The upside is worth gambling on.
