Every NBA Team's Top 3 Trade Targets Right Now
The unofficial start of trade season is bearing down upon the NBA (Dec. 15), which makes this the perfect time to build every team's officially unofficial deadline big board.
Three targets will be provided for each squad. Rankings within the trio will be determined by team needs and the potential player impact. The top spot will almost always be dedicated to the most ambitious possible name.
While targets will be repeated throughout, not every big board will be headlined by stars and the most sought-after names. These lists also take into account franchise directions, cap situations and movable assets at their disposal.
Perhaps most importantly, this is not an attempt to predict who and what teams definitely will prioritize. It's a look at who and what they should have their eyes focused on the most.
Atlanta Hawks
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Giannis Antetokounmpo is an obligatory inclusion because 1) he's Giannis Antetokounmpo, and 2) the Atlanta Hawks can give back control of the Milwaukee Bucks' 2026 and, potentially, 2027 first-round picks. (Atlanta owns the less favorable of the Bucks' and New Orleans Pelicans' 2027 firsts.)
Checking in on Giannis gets dicey if Milwaukee insists on Jalen Johnson's inclusion. But between those firsts, Zaccharie Risacher and contracts of various other sizes, the Hawks could feasibly build a kitchen-sink package without him.
Naji Marshall would instantly become Atlanta's best rebounding wing and fits the breakneck style currently being championed by the offense. He doesn't shoot it well enough to log time exclusively at the 3, but giving him run next to Johnson and one of Onyeka Okongwu or Kristaps Porziņģis is well within reason.
The Hawks could still use another offensive organizer coming off the bench. Though Tre Jones has cooled off from deep after a scorching-hot start, the half-court vision could augment plenty of their secondary lineups.
Boston Celtics
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Yes, Walker Kessler is out for the rest of the season after suffering a torn labrum in his left shoulder. That's part of his appeal to the Boston Celtics.
This season in Beantown isn't headed anywhere too special despite the squad's current pluckiness. Kessler won't mess with the inevitable midseason pivot and arms the Celtics with a viable defensive anchor when they're ready to resume pursuing victories next year.
Paying him in restricted free agency shouldn't be a deterrent. The RFA market inherently represses player salaries, and an over-the-top offer likely isn't coming following his injury. Prying him from the Utah Jazz is the hardest part. He will cost assets. Boston can justify the biggish swing in a gap year by expanding the deal to duck the luxury tax. Utah has the flexibility to make that happen.
Failing that, Daniel Gafford would be an affordable placeholder while the Celtics search for their center of the future beyond him and Neemias Queta. His rebounding is far from dominant, but Boston is used to 5s who are deficient on the glass, and he's a legit paint deterrent.
Mo Gueye is worth a look if the Celtics want to go the flier route. He is cheap through next season, frisky around the basket and dabbling in three-point volume that allows him to play the 4 or the 5.
Brooklyn Nets
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The Brooklyn Nets should be in full-on second-draft mode as they continue their pursuit of top-four lottery odds. With unparalleled flexibility ahead of the deadline, they are perfectly positioned to swoop in and get compensated for helping to complete other deals.
Jeremy Sochan would be an ultra-interesting get for a team with Noah Clowney and (for now) Nicolas Claxton up front. The defensive partnership with Claxton could be wild, and Brooklyn can mimic some of the San Antonio Spurs' Sochan-at-the-5 looks with Clowney spacing around him.
Cody Williams still can't get a ton of minutes with the Utah Jazz. That's nothing if not a red flag. He can continue the Nets' trend of snaring wings who've left underwhelming impressions in hopes of rehabilitating their values and trajectories.
Jaden Ivey would vault up the big board if he wasn't headed for restricted free agency this summer. Brooklyn has the stomach to give him more lead ball-handler reps. His (limited) partnership with Cade Cunningham is proof he can play off other creators, so he won't infringe upon the Nets' plans for Egor Dёmin, Tyrese Martin or anyone else.
Charlotte Hornets
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Despite the Charlotte Hornets' crop of centers exceeding expectations, they should remain in the market for frontcourt help. With that said, the emergences of Ryan Kalkbrenner and Moussa Diabaté allow them to focus more on the 4 or a combo 4-5.
Kel'el Ware would be an excellent fit inside a LaMelo Ball- and Kon Knueppel-driven offense. He is an expert floor-runner, the three-ball is starting to fall, and he's gobbling up rebounds left and right.
Charlotte isn't good enough to throw first-round picks on the table for, well, anyone. Ware is a potential exception. Not only does he have two years left after this one on his rookie scale, but the Hornets own the Miami Heat's 2027 first-rounder (lottery protection; then unprotected in 2028).
GG Jackson II is a pure mystery-box play. He has the physical tools to be everything Charlotte needs at the 3 and 4 spots if he can ever put any of it, at all, together.
Keon Ellis is not a forward. Or under contract beyond this season. But the Hornets need players who can space the floor and defend at the point of attack. He fits that bill.
Chicago Bulls
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Two-way wings and a long-term solution at the center spot loom as the Chicago Bulls' biggest needs. With their stock on the downswing after an incendiary start, they should not be moving heaven and earth to make any additions.
Grabbing a 6'7" wing like Jaylen Wells who can defend at the point of attack and will hit more of his threes moving forward would be a boon for the rotation. Cedric Coward hasn't rendered him expendable to the Memphis Grizzlies. They're currently starting together. Memphis may nevertheless be open to selling high if it doesn't trust his three-point stroke long-term.
Injuries and all, Dereck Lively II may prove too ambitious. Yet, with absences piling up and his extension-eligibility on the horizon, he could be more gettable than at any point over the past three trade deadlines.
Peyton Watson is an offensive wild card with defensive-playmaking chops that would be intriguing to pair with Matas Buzelis. His importance to the Denver Nuggets is up in the air with restricted free agency on the horizon—a good thing for Chicago.
Cleveland Cavaliers
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As the only team inside the second apron, the Cleveland Cavaliers can neither take back more money than they receive nor aggregate salaries. They do, however, have the ability to trade a 2031 or 2032 first-round pick and up to two swaps. They also have a handful of mid-end salaries that can open worthwhile one-for-one possibilities.
Herb Jones would be a dream addition for a team that was playing Evan Mobley at center more than ever before Jarrett Allen missed time with a finger issue. Spacing could be tight inside lineups featuring all three, but the defense would be divine. Mobley's spot-up range and Jones' understated live-dribble decision-making can offset most offensive wrinkles.
Justin Champagnie's playing time and numbers are all over the place this year now that the Washington Wizards are drowning in perimeter bodies. Still, he spent last season guarding some of the toughest assignments, sneaking around the offensive glass and draining threes. He also has another two years left on a contract that will never pay him 2 percent of the salary cap.
Kenrich Williams' defensive malleability would serve Cleveland well in minutes with Mobley at the 5. He can even play center himself. If his threes are falling, the Cavs could consider using him alongside both Mobley and Allen, too.
Dallas Mavericks
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Believe Mark Cuban's intimation that the Dallas Mavericks aren't looking to move Anthony Davis and hit reset at your own peril. They should be looking to reorient their entire future around Cooper Flagg.
Regaining control over their own first-rounders would go a long way to completing that mission. They have this year's pick, but the Charlotte Hornets own the Mavs' 2027 selection (top-two protection) while the Oklahoma City Thunder have swap rights on Dallas' 2028 first.
Nothing and no one (except for Flagg) should be off the table in those hypothetical negotiations. The Mavs' firsts are more valuable to them than anyone else in the league. If it costs something like Dereck Lively II and stuff, including maybe later-year swap or picks, to get back 2027 from Charlotte, it's worth a discussion.
Beyond the reacquisition of firsts, Dallas continues to need an offensive weapon who can dribble and play-make and is preferably closer to Flagg's timeline than Kyrie Irving.
Jared McCain isn't shouldering a ton of table-setting responsibilities with the Philadelphia 76ers, but that's precisely why he could be gettable. Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe are ahead of him in the big-picture pecking order, and there's a chance Quentin Grimes could be as well.
Denver Nuggets
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This year's Denver Nuggets might be the deepest squad on which Nikola Jokić has ever played, but the middle of it wants for another ball-handler and/or wing who can contribute at both ends of the floor.
Ayo Dosunmu is a lofty target if the Nuggets aren't shipping out any of their core guys. They need the Chicago Bulls to bite on a package built around some combination of Peyton Watson, DaRon Holmes II, Zeke Nnaji, second-round compensation and first-round swaps.
Dosunmu's forthcoming free agency complicates his trade value just enough for Denver to openly pine. He can handle a smattering of conventional responsibilities on offense, and his defensive peskiness scales to guarding certain wings.
Justin Champagnie is another Nuggets fever dream, provided he's hitting his threes. He can defend across the 2, 3 and 4 spots and provides help activity around the basket. His uber-cheap contract instantly becomes near-essential to a team that may not be willing to pony up for Watson over the summer.
Haywood Highsmith has yet to play this year while recovering from right knee surgery. This should help his gettability. When he was healthy last season, he defended everyone from small guards to bigger forwards, and he knocked down over 38 percent of his triples.
Detroit Pistons
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Although the Detroit Pistons have the latitude to let the current core marinate untouched until the offseason, their avalanche of winning through the first quarter of the schedule also gives them the license to #goforit.
Opening up the floor in the half-court and alleviating some of Cade Cunningham's on-ball responsibilities are priorities Nos. 1 to 1,984,025. Both Trey Murphy III and Lauri Markkanen would be ideal fits.
The former gets the nod at No. 1 because he's earning an average of 16.5 percent of the salary cap through 2028-29 versus the 28.9 percent Markkanen will earn, and Detroit has eventual raises for Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson to think about.
Michael Porter Jr. is a lower-end solution who might actually be the Pistons' preferred course. His salary is inflated but comes off the books after 2026-27, and it shouldn't cost a premier prospect or draft pick to bring him to the Motor City.
Golden State Warriors
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The Golden State Warriors remain among the teams hoping to swing a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade. The steps they must take to acquire him are complicated, but with the Milwaukee Bucks running into the reality-check portion of the season, the pipe-dream machine whirs onward.
Derrick White would arm the Warriors with a world-class perimeter defender who can ferry some ball-handling responsibilities and won't shrink the floor. Even if they're worried about the back end of his deal, which runs through his age-34 season, he's kitchen-sink material for any franchise operating on the Stephen Curry timeline.
Trey Murphy III wouldn't provide as much of a defensive boost, but he has good size, at 6'8", and isn't someone opposing offenses will pick on. The value he brings as a floor-spacer and off-ball mover makes him a universal fit, and he's flashed some live-dribble punch when given the opportunity.
Houston Rockets
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Generating offense has not, by and large, been much of a problem for the Houston Rockets despite soldiering on without Fred VanVleet. That's the benefit of having Kevin Durant, Alperen Şengün and an unleashed Reed Sheppard. Houston ranks in the top seven of first-chance offense—a big deal.
This undermines the preseason notion that the Rockets would need a bigger-time acquisition to truly contend. It does not mean they shouldn't consider adding another ball-handler who stretches the floor.
Ryan Rollins is breaking out in a big way with the Milwaukee Bucks and in the first season of a three-year, $12 million deal (2027-28 player option) that looks like highway robbery. His defensive activity fits Houston's system, and he's no stranger to playing off the ball.
Payton Pritchard is another lethally efficient guard who doesn't need the ball in his hands. His three-point clip has dipped this year but would presumably soar inside the Rockets' stack rotation.
Cam Spencer plays with a mini-mean streak at both ends, in addition to drilling threes with gaga accuracy. Like Rollins, he's in the first season of a new contract–four years, $10.4 million—that Houston should be drooling over as the rest of its core gets more expensive.
Indiana Pacers
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Anything the Indiana Pacers do at the trade deadline should be geared toward planning around next year's rotation. And preferably, they'd prowl the market for big-man options.
A healthy Dereck Lively II would be dynamite inside a Tyrese Haliburton-powered offense. A healthy Dereck Lively II is also, at this point, its own unicorn. Does that make him more attainable? Indiana should find out.
Yves Missi isn't necessarily a building block, but he's more than a placeholder. He can run the floor, provide around league-average rim protection, adds an offensive-rebounding element the Pacers don't currently employ and should be able to improve his finishing around the basket inside this offense.
Standing 6'6", Jonathan Mogbo is an atypical big man. His 7'2" wingspan and nitrous-oxide motor offset it. He is among the league's most switchable "bigs" and demonstrated the ability to make plays in transition and on the roll, even as a passer. Shooting will be his swing skill, but his near-infinite catch radius on lobs will always give him a fallback use.
Los Angeles Clippers
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Nobody in good conscience should be recommending the Los Angeles Clippers act like buyers, let alone acquire yet another player over the age of 33. Thirteen teams since the merger have started the season 5-14 or worse gone on to make the playoffs. Just three of them hailed from the Western Conference: the 1977-78 Seattle Supersonics, 1996-97 Phoenix Suns and 2021-22 New Orleans Pelicans.
Loosely translated: This Clippers season feels dunzo. They should first and foremost be investigating what, if anything, it would take for the Oklahoma City Thunder to relinquish control over at least one of L.A.'s next two first-rounders.
Maybe this is a fool's errand. Or maybe the Thunder, facing a rising payroll, would accept further-out Clippers picks (they own their firsts again beginning in 2030) and Ivica Zubac. He'd serve as a nice, potentially cheaper replacement for Isaiah Hartenstein, who has a $28.5 million team option for next season. Such a deal also arms the Thunder with distant cost-controlled prospects when they're possibly even more expensive.
If that doesn't work, the Clippers might as well poke around the LaMelo Ball sweepstakes. A maximum of two firsts, a swap and filler shouldn't be enough to get him. But perhaps the Charlotte Hornets would be willing to bet on the long-term value of picks from a franchise essentially hoping LaMelo plus cap space is enough to carve out a sustainable window of excellence.
Los Angeles Lakers
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If you think the Los Angeles Lakers are menacing now, just imagine what they'd look like if their best two-way perimeter player wasn't a competition between Jake LaRavia, Gabe Vincent and Marcus Smart.
Either Herb Jones or Dillon Brooks would outfit this team with the type of stopper who can propel them to a deeper playoff push. Both would also cost first-round goodies.
Unless the Lakers know something we don't about other available players to come, mortgaging part of the future for a puncher's chance at hanging with fellow West heavyweights is worth it.
Feel free to round out their big board with another wing. A higher-end big man behind Deandre Ayton is a need, too. Robert Williams III retains his vertical gravity along with his defensive mobility and disruption if he's healthy. That's a big if, but that uncertainty should permit L.A. to make a play for him without surrendering any serious draft equity.
Memphis Grizzlies
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So many members of the Memphis Grizzlies have delivered limited (Ja Morant, Zach Edey) to zero (Brandon Clarke, Scotty Pippen Jr., Ty Jerome) availability that pinpointing their biggest needs is prickly. The team's record isn't making things any easier.
Putting more shooters on this roster is the way to go. John Collins is a bigger body who can stretch the floor alongside any of Memphis' other bigs and perhaps soak up spot reps at the 5. His rebounding is all over the place on the Los Angeles Clippers, but he'll help shore up the Grizzlies' already-strong presence on the defensive glass.
Sam Hauser's three-ball has dipped this year. He still gets them up, though. His knockdown rate will improve if Morant, Pippen and/or Jerome are ever healthy, and he's on a team-friendly contract.
DeMar DeRozan's inclusion is purely logistical. He can help generate half-court offensive opportunities if the playmaking ranks remain decimated, but this is mostly about the $10 million he's guaranteed next season. Memphis should see if it can sell the Sacramento Kings on a swap of DeRozan for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, whose 2026-27 player option guarantees him $21.6 million.
Miami Heat
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As one of the founding members of the "Hoping Giannis Antetokounmpo Requests Out" club, the Miami Heat need to base anything they do at the trade deadline around his availability.
They can't come close to building the best package, but they're hot enough property right now for Giannis to intervene by expanding his one-team wish list from over the offseason.
After that, the Heat should gravitate toward higher-profile players who fit their drive-without-screens modus operandi and don't bankrupt their asset stores or future flexibility.
Zion Williamson is perfect for Miami's offense, particularly with Bam Adebayo coming into his own from beyond the arc. Between his checkered availability and a contract that protects his incumbent team from said checkered availability, the Heat could perhaps swing a star-sized dice roll without forfeiting many assets or much flexibility.
Bennedict Mathurin's offensive leanings jibe with the Heat's no-screen philosophy. He is an iffier fit relative to the speed at which they play.
The 23-year-old is nevertheless getting buckets for an Indiana Pacers squad that still likes to run, and a change-of-pace weapon will come in handy during the postseason.
Landing him could feasibly cost more than it would take to get Zion, but Mathurin's market value shouldn't be astronomical when he's due for a major payday this summer.
Milwaukee Bucks
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The Milwaukee Bucks' offense is crashing and burning without Giannis Antetokounmpo on the court. That explains their interest in Zach LaVine, as reported by Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
Except, any major Bucks trade will require them to include a smattering of frontcourt salaries. Adding another guard—even if it's James Harden, LaMelo Ball or Ja Morant—leaves the roster out of whack.
Kawhi Leonard makes way more sense if Milwaukee is going nuclear (and not the kind of nuclear that involves moving Giannis). His availability is forever in question, and the Bucks need assurances he won't simply retire if shipped out of Los Angeles. But the risk is worth the reward when said reward would be someone who can float the offense and defense, with or without Giannis.
Packaging Kyle Kuzma, Bobby Portis Jr. (trade-eligible Dec. 15) and Kevin Porter Jr. (Dec. 15) makes the math work. Milwaukee can split up an outright pick and swap in 2031 and 2032 on top of it. Though the Clippers have no reason to tank this season without their own firsts, they can rationalize this by acknowledging the value control over Bucks picks will have if and when Giannis becomes available.
Assuming a star arrival isn't in the cards, Milwaukee should be chasing two-way wings who won't fetch first-round compensation. Royce O'Neale and Terrence Shannon Jr. both fit the bill—and are on the more ambitious end of the spectrum if the Bucks aren't offering up a first.
Minnesota Timberwolves
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Fortifying the defense without Rudy Gobert on the court and ball-handling alternatives to Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle top the Minnesota Timberwolves' to-do list. They almost assuredly won't fix both issues through the same player.
It is easier to envision a guard cracking the rotation more than a non-star in the frontcourt. That leads us to Andrew Nembhard, an All-Defense-caliber backcourt running mate who can play off or on the ball at the other end. Nothing out there suggests he's available. But even with the Indiana Pacers planning to recalibrate around Tyrese Haliburton next year, they could be open for business this season if the losses keep racking up.
Going after Ayo Dosunmu or Cam Spencer is less complicated. It's easier to match salaries, and prospective deals won't require a trillion moving parts to offset Minnesota's dearth of tradeable first-round picks.
Dosunmu edges out Spencer because he can tussle with bigger players on the defensive end. If you think the Wolves would be better served by a lights-out shooter who plays with an air of understated physicality and promises more playmaking than Dosunmu or Donte DiVincenzo, Spencer is your guy.
New Orleans Pelicans
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None of us should pretend to know what the New Orleans Pelicans will do entering the trade deadline. They are the NBA's wild card supreme.
Whatever they do, be it selling for the future or inexplicably double-downing on now, has to include stocking the roster with as much perimeter shooting around Derik Queen, Jeremiah Fears and, for now, Zion Williamson as humanly possible.
Moses Moody is the quintessential plop-and-play three-and-D wing and on a contract Pelicans governor Gayle Benson won't mind bankrolling. His method of arrival is less straightforward.
New Orleans can fold him into the construction of a larger deal if the Golden State Warriors want to go the Williamson route, or this could be a "Moody plus Brandin Podziemski and/or picks for Heber Jones" situation.
Corey Kispert is less D and more three. He makes up for his deficiencies at the less-glamourous end with good positional size, excellent off-ball movement, better-than-you realize finishing at the rim and a team-friendly contract.
Michael Porter Jr. has already proved he can space the floor and get buckets off movement with the Denver Nuggets. He shouldn't be Plan A on his current contract (owed $40.8 million in 2026-27). But if the Brooklyn Nets are open to taking on a couple of the Pelicans' smaller-yet-still-sizable salaries without receiving top-shelf compensation, Porter should definitely be on the radar.
New York Knicks
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Picking up another playable wing needs to be the most pressing item on the New York Knicks' deadline agenda. That was true before the season and has only been reemphasized by their total dependence on OG Anunoby (when healthy) to anchor the defense.
Justin Champagnie is a roller coaster on offense but can soak up bigger-wing reps on defense and even add a dash of shot-snuffing activity around the basket. The team control he's under through 2027-28, at under two percent of the salary cap, is an ideal fit for an increasingly expensive core.
Ayo Dosunmu helps check a couple of wing-defense boxes while placating those who want the Knicks to deal for a backup playmaker. Matching his $7.5 million salary requires a perfect storm of circumstances, particularly if New York wants to hang onto Deuce McBride.
The Chicago Bulls have to be willing to take on Guerschon Yabusele (trade-eligible Dec. 15), have interest in Tyler Kolek and/or Pacome Dadiet and be ready to move Dosunmu without receiving first-round compensation.
Ochai Agbaji has fallen by the wayside with the Toronto Raptors and is headed for restricted free agency. This is good news for the Knicks. It should significantly lower the cost of landing him.
His minutes could come with an offensive trade-off unless he's hitting his threes at last year's clip, but someone who can shimmy between defending point guards and bigger wings and forwards is worth a stab-in-the-dark look.
Oklahoma City Thunder
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Pretend the Oklahoma City Thunder need to make a personnel change if you're so inclined. The rest of us will be over here, living in reality.
Keeping the long-term-pick armory stocked is more important, at this point, than anything to the Thunder. That's what will allow them to load up the internal pipeline with cost-controlled players on the ascent who help them juggle rising roster costs and leave their window to win open for another decade or more.
The Los Angeles Clippers are doing their part through 2027. Oklahoma City has the right to swap with the Dallas Mavericks in 2028. A Denver Nuggets first-rounder should convey to the Thunder in 2029 or 2030 (not to mention 2027).
Executive vice president Sam Presti should have his eyes on the outer years. The Thunder don't currently have any inbound first-round picks or swaps in 2030, 2031 or 2032.
Can they deal a player less than critical to get one? Or turn some of their more imminent firsts into longer-term investments? It makes all the sense in the world for them to find out.
Orlando Magic
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Another wing player who can sling it from beyond the arc would help the Orlando Magic continue their march up the league's offensive hierarchy. The damage they could inflict upon defenses with Sam Hauser, in particular, flying around and torching twine in the half-court would be a sight to behold.
Orlando's own likely attempts to evade the tax complicates any deal with the Boston Celtics, another team expected to try dealing itself outside it. A successful package almost assuredly includes a third, if not also a fourth, party.
Corey Kispert isn't as lights-out as Hauser, but he's on a similarly team-friendly contract, keeps defenses on their toes when in motion and remains an underrated finisher at the cup. Building a deal around Jonathan Issac and Jett Howard gets the Magic Kispert and out of the tax. They'd need to compensate the Washington Wizards accordingly, though.
Netting useful role players at discounts will be crucial for Orlando as its core expenses balloon. It can begin the process by going after Svi Mykhailiuk.
The 28-year-old has spent large swathes of this season on a heater from distance. At 6'7", he's bigger than you think, and his contract keeps him on the books through 2027-28 at an average annual value of less than 2.5 percent of the cap.
Philadelphia 76ers
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Talk about a likely fluid big board. The Philadelphia 76ers' payroll and depth chart screams "urgency." Their place in the standings audibly whispers "It could go either way." Meanwhile, primary fulcrums of this team right now invite a longer-term mindset.
We will go ahead and classify Philly as an active buyer…for now. With some mid-end contracts and a handful of first-rounders that includes control over the Los Angeles Clippers' 2028 and 2029 (swap) selections, the Sixers can aim fairly high.
Combo forwards with size should be their currency. Trey Murphy III delivers the type of frenetic offense that diversifies Philly's attack and opens up things for everyone around him, both young and old.
Naji Marshall is a different genre of combo forward, but no less appealing. The thrust with which he plays offsets a lot of the spacing concerns, and he offers value on the glass.
Tari Eason remains an agent of defensive chaos when healthy. He is pure anarchy when his threes are falling. Philly should not go all-out to get him, but injuries, next summer's foray into restricted free agency and the Houston Rockets' proximity to ducking the tax could pave the way for a more reasonable price tag.
Phoenix Suns
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Getting a bigger forward with more offensive juice to squeeze would go a long way for the surprisingly plucky Phoenix Suns. Someone like John Collins verges on ideal, but at this point, if you're giving up one or more of Grayson Allen, Dillon Brooks and Royce O'Neale, you need to aim higher.
Enter Zion Williamson.
Mortgaging the farm for his services is a no-no. Fortunately, the Suns don't have much left to mortgage. Zion is the star-sized gamble you make if the New Orleans Pelicans are looking for matching money—like, the injured Jalen Green plus stuff—and not much else.
The Suns are uncomfortably reliant on Dillon Brooks teeing up shots right now. Zion takes care of that. So does Naji Marshall, albeit to a lesser extent. He draws bodies to the ball when attacking in transition and on his half-court pain touches.
Phoenix can about-face to Saddiq Bey, Zion's teammate, if it's angling for a more measured approach. He guarantees more three-point volume than Marshall and Zion and allows the Suns to lean further into their current Devin Booker-and-Collin-Gillespie-plus-a-bunch-of-complements model.
Portland Trail Blazers
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I can already envision people groaning and rolling their eyes at LaMelo Ball finishing atop the Portland Trail Blazers' big board. Hear me out.
LaMelo materially juices an offense that ranks 27th in the half-court and dead-last in three-point efficiency. Gesture toward his scattershot availability all you like. Scoot Henderson, who has yet to play this season, doesn't have the cleanest bill of health, either.
Concerns about whether LaMelo takes basketball seriously enough are overblown. Even if they're true, the Blazers have an all-galaxy mentor in Damian Lillard to keep him engaged.
Tack on LaMelo's capacity to hit jumpers off the ball and his team-friendlier max, and he's someone who can considerably elevate Portland's place and sustainability in the league's pecking order.
Scotty Pippen Jr. would be a dynamite get if the Blazers set their sights lower. His contract is cheaper than cheap, he is a maniacal worker on defense, and he's proved he can organize an offense for long spells both off the bench and as a starter. Whether he's available is a separate matter. A toe injury has sidelined him all season, complicating his value. Memphis' outlook remains confusing enough to include him.
Collin Sexton is a rock-solid placeholder option if Portland wants someone shorter-term. He isn't a traditional half-court table-setter, but his shooting would be significantly additive, and he aligns with the Blazers' drive-heavy offensive tenets.
Sacramento Kings
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Gaining the rights to any technically available Milwaukee Bucks first-round pick should outstrip the value of any singular Sacramento Kings asset right now. Or maybe not.
Milwaukee has done "due diligence" on Zach LaVine, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. That is…interesting. The Bucks have a bigger need for wings, but could use another consistent shot-creator to help prop up the offense whenever Giannis Antetokounmpo is catching a breather.
Even if it entails taking on Bobby Portis Jr. and Kyle Kuzma while forking over Keon Ellis, the Kings should be all over any framework that gets them control of Milwaukee's 2031 (or 2032) first-rounder. It would be the type of long-term play uncharacteristic of this organization—and exactly the kind of patience and foresight the organization needs.
Calling up the Houston Rockets about an Ellis-for-Tari Eason swap should be next on the to-do list. It probably requires a third team to make the math work, but that's fine. And while Eason could prove more expensive to re-sign than Ellis this coming summer, he fills more of a need as a combo wing rather than a combo guard.
Sacramento can try peddling a similar framework to get Asa Newell off the Atlanta Hawks. Or it can look to expand the parameters and see whether Atlanta has interest in fielding Malik Monk as a secondary ball-handler and scorer.
Newell has shown a knack for spacing defenses to the corners and provided glimpses into a middle-of-the-floor decision-maker after catching the ball on the run or roll. He has a long way to go before he's anywhere near a known quantity, but he's a quality combo-big flier to have regardless of the Kings' plans for Domantas Sabonis and Keegan Murray.
San Antonio Spurs
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Welcome to "blockbuster trade or bust" territory, San Antonio Spurs. You've earned the right for armchair GMs to plead and insist upon urgency.
Giannis Antetokounmpo will cost the Spurs a boatload of picks and at least one of Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper. So be it. The Antetokounmpo-Victor Wembanyama pairing is hell-on-Earth for 29 other squads.
Jaren Jackson Jr. is a comparably intuitive frontcourt fit alongside Wemby. San Antonio's marvelous martian can cover up for JJJ's rebounding deficiencies while simplifying his life in ways that might even compel him to foul less. And Jackson, like Wemby, can function at every level of the floor on offense. It's a redundancy that ensures they're not redundant.
Of these three, Jackson feels least likely to be dealt. The Spurs nonetheless have the assets necessary to choose their own adventures on the trade market. The Memphis Grizzlies have also played for much of this season like they're begging to be blown up.
Trey Murphy III doesn't pack nearly the same defensive punch as the de facto 4 next to Wemby as Giannis or Jackson. He doesn't need it. The pressure he puts on defenses with his constant motion, transition gait and overall shot-making would turn all the dials on San Antonio's offense up to 11.
Toronto Raptors
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Beefing up the paint protection behind Jakob Poeltl is a must for the Toronto Raptors. They're basically loaded with 4s and not-quite-5s behind him, including (the gloriously entertaining) Sandro Mamukelashvili.
Goga Bitadze is so important to the Orlando Magic that he might be a no-go. Could that change if and when Mo Wagner makes his season debut? And knowing the Magic would skirt the tax if the Raptors send back Jamison Battle and find a third team to take on Ochai Agbaji?
Day'Ron Sharpe is an easier alternative to the above scenario. Agbaji for him works straight up and leaves Toronto a teensy-tiny salary dump away from sidestepping the tax themselves.
Keon Ellis is an entire pivot. Embrace it. For as frisky as the Raptors are this season, they don't have too many players who can stroke threes in volume and defend their butts off. Ellis' upcoming free agency should only scare them off if the Sacramento Kings are asking for the moon.
Utah Jazz
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Unless we get word that the Utah Jazz are actively looking to move Lauri Markkanen, they should be trying to use their $43-plus million in wiggle room beneath the tax to facilitate salary dumps in exchange for assets.
Tari Eason would be monstrous compensation for helping the Houston Rockets duck the tax. Something like him and Clint Capela (trade-eligible Dec. 15) for Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk would do the trick. Houston may want some form of draft compensation, and Utah has crummy firsts to trade. Part of the value for the Rockets, though, is getting off Capela's money. The Jazz shouldn't have to overdo it.
Sam Hauser comfortably fits into what remains of Utah's John Collins traded player exception. Dumping him doesn't quite get the Boston Celtics out of the tax, but it's close enough to easily expand the deal.
On a larger scale, the Jazz should see whether Beantown would more aggressively reward them for absorbing Anfernee Simons' expiring contract. Sending Kyle Anderson and one of Mykhailiuk or Kevin Love to Boston gets the Celtics out of the tax. Utah would need a third team to absorb Georges Niang to make it all work—and, again, have to be compensated accordingly.
Washington Wizards
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This year's trade deadline or the Washington Wizards should follow the same blueprint as last season's February fiesta: Take on money from teams looking to cut costs and get compensated for doing so.
Adding John Collins just so happens to make the roster immediately better. He can play with or without Alex Sarr while spacing the floor, crashing the glass and still serving as the semi-occasional lob threat.
Acquiring him straight-up shouldn't demand an asset depending on what's going out. It's a different story if the Los Angeles Clippers are looking to duck the tax by offering Collins and Bogdan Bogdanović for CJ McCollum and Malaki Branham.
Jonathan Isaac is a pure "What would the Orlando Magic give up to offload him?" play. He continues to have the outlines of a defensive disruptor but isn't moving the same or playing nearly enough. Isaac and Jett Howard for Corey Kispert gets Orlando out of the tax. Washington should see what the Magic are willing to pay to make it happen.
Tyler Kolek veers off the salary-dumping path. He is super cheap; getting more minutes while Landry Shamet recovers from a shoulder injury; and already the New York Knicks' most creative playmaker.
It would be neat to see what Washington's offense looks like with a pass-first floor general sponging up minutes.
Dan Favale is a National NBA Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Bluesky (@danfavale), and subscribe to the Hardwood Knocks podcast, co-hosted by Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes.
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