1 Trade Every NBA Team Would Make If the Deadline Was Today
The NBA trade deadline may not arrive until Feb. 5, but the market is officially open.
Most of the league is now trade-eligible, plus teams have had nearly two months to figure out what they have and what they need, not to mention what they can or can't realistically get done during this campaign.
That doesn't mean fans should expect to see a sudden flurry of trade activity; a deadline-in-the-distance isn't exactly the most compelling reason to get busy. But what if someone—say, a certain wordsmith eager to get the trade machines moving—moved that deadline up to today? Wouldn't that force everyone into action?
Absolutely. Or it would in this hypothetical exercise, at least. Here, we're speed-running through trade season, eliminating trade restrictions that will evaporate between now and Feb. 5 and finding a realistic move for each franchise to make.
Atlanta Hawks
1 of 30
The trade: Kristaps Porziņģis, Asa Newell, Luke Kennard and 2027 first-round pick (top-4 protected, via NOP or MIL) to the Dallas Mavericks for Anthony Davis
The Hawks reportedly have eyes on Davis, per ESPN's Shams Charania, and if they could bring in the Brow without sending out their best trade chips, that might be the kind of move that suddenly puts them on a contending-level path.
Newell has looked good in limited minutes, and that 2027 first could land pretty high up the board, but Atlanta is still keeping all rotation-regulars from its young core, including Trae Young and that 2026 "superfirst" coming from either New Orleans or Milwaukee. And despite keeping its best assets, it would still manage to land a 10-time All-Star with five selections each to All-NBA and All-Defensive teams.
Davis would immediately make the Hawks even more disruptive on defense while giving them a clear half-court identity on offense as part of what would be a potent pick-and-roll game with him and Young. His arrival alone might help Atlanta make the jump to top-10 efficiency ratings on both ends, which history regards as a requirement for contention.
Boston Celtics
2 of 30
The trade: Anfernee Simons, Josh Minott, 2026 second-round pick (via DET, MIL or ORL) and 2031 first-round pick (top-3 protected) to the Milwaukee Bucks for Myles Turner
The Celtics are leaving it "all up to" Jayson Tatum when he returns from the Achilles tear he suffered in May, coach Joe Mazzulla told reporters. Their part of this process, then, should be on providing Tatum with a team capable of high-level competition whenever that happens.
If Boston has a sense that Tatum can come back during this campaign, then it has to address its underwhelming mix of centers. Aiming for a prize as rich as Turner would be costly, but having someone who can anchor the defensive interior and improve the offensive spacing is an awfully rich reward.
Especially if the Celtics felt the Eastern Conference was still up for grabs, as they arguably should. The Pistons are a one-star team sitting a good-not-quite-great fifth in efficiency, the Knicks still face questions about the playoff viability of the Karl-Anthony Towns-Jalen Brunson tandem on defense and the Cavaliers have been an injury-riddled mess. Give Boston a healthy Tatum and an impact big man, and maybe it regains control of this conference.
Brooklyn Nets
3 of 30
The trade: Michael Porter Jr. to the Chicago Bulls for Patrick Williams, Zach Collins and a 2026 first-round pick (top-7 protected)
Brooklyn, arguably to its detriment, hasn't tanked as hard as some of basketball's other bottom-feeders. The organization, though, hasn't lost sight of its biggest long-term directives. If it can, it hopes to utilize some of its remaining financial flexibility to "absorb salary while receiving assets," per ESPN's Shams Charania.
That mindset is, more or less, what led the Nets to Porter in the first place, as they nabbed an unprotected 2032 first from the Nuggets to take him for Cam Johnson. With Porter playing at a high enough level to attract legitimate interest (26.3 points on 50.1/40.3/81.7 shooting), they should sense an opportunity to effectively increase their return from that initial deal.
The Bulls feel perpetually short-sighted enough to pay something of a premium for Porter, and the Nets should jump on this kind of offer, since there's a decent chance that pick falls somewhere near the mid-point of the lottery in a loaded draft. This would be a salary dump of Williams—Collins' expiring $18.1 million contract would help make the money work—but you could see why Brooklyn might have some level of interest in a 24-year-old former No. 4 pick with defensive versatility and a 39.5 career three-point percentage.
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Charlotte Hornets
4 of 30
The trade: LaMelo Ball to the Los Angeles Clippers for John Collins, Bogdan Bogdanović, Cam Christie and 2030 first-round pick (top-3 protected)
Trading Ball probably isn't a universally supported idea in Buzz City, but if the Hornets could extract actual value for him, shouldn't they be open to a reset? His injury problems aren't going away, his efficiency has cratered and his commitment to winning keeps being questioned.
It'll still take more for Charlotte to move on from him than a simple addition-by-subtraction possibility, but that's not all L.A. would be offering here. That future first could be ultra-valuable given all the questions around that organization's outlook.
Granted, the Hornets aren't getting much else here—Christie hasn't shown much in limited looks; Collins' numbers often oversell his impact; Bogdanović has his own difficulties staying upright—but maybe they don't need it. A prime first-round pick and the chance to build around Brandon Miller and No. 4 pick Kon Knueppel could certainly prove more fruitful than the Ball era has been.
Chicago Bulls
5 of 30
The trade: Coby White to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Rob Dillingham, Joan Beringer and Leonard Miller
Are the Bulls finally ready to pull the plug on their annual push for the play-in tournament? History would suggest not, but coach Billy Donovan seemed to at least acknowledge his club's humbling place on the hoops world's pecking order.
With the Timberwolves having "targeted" White, per Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, the Bulls should be hearing opportunity's knock. This deal would not only allow them to add to their undermanned young core, it would also get them out of having to figure out White's tricky worth in unrestricted free agency this coming summer.
White is, to be clear, infinitely more productive than the entire trio coming back to Chicago in this trade, but the Bulls should finally start valuing tomorrow over today. Dillingham could benefit from being in a less pressure-packed developmental environment than Minnesota, Berginger has the kind of bounce Chicago lacks around the basket and Miller is still young enough (22) for a rebuilder to consider him a tools-y curiosity.
Cleveland Cavaliers
6 of 30
The trade: Max Strus to the Memphis Grizzlies for Brandon Clarke
While potential poachers will likely be coming calling for members of Cleveland's core four, it's hard to imagine the Cavaliers are ready to initiate those kinds of talks. They've been a huge disappointment this season, obviously, but they've also been injured enough to think a clean bill of health could be all that's needed to regain contender status.
Cleveland could be on the hunt, then, for niche-filling role players. How about a new backup big man to provide the energy and interior activity Cleveland hoped it'd be getting from Larry Nance Jr.?
Clarke would come with his own injury issues, but Strus would also exit with his own set, so that shouldn't be a big worry. When healthy, Clarke brings an insatiable amount of engagement at both ends, shining as a finisher on offense, a chaos-creator on defense and a relentless rebounder.
Dallas Mavericks
7 of 30
The trade: Anthony Davis to the Atlanta Hawks for Kristaps Porziņģis, Asa Newell, Luke Kennard and 2027 first-round pick (top-4 protected, via NOP or MIL)
The Mavs have recovered a bit from their early messiness—turns out playing an actual point guard is kinda helpful—but it still feels like a Davis deal and asset-aimed fire-sale is the best way to brighten the future around top pick Cooper Flagg.
Dallas can make that happen, too, provided it accepts that no one else would value Davis as being anywhere near Luka bleepin' Dončić. This isn't about saving face, it's about extracting the best assets available for a 32-year-old with a long injury history and a whole heap of money headed his way in the future.
Maybe the market will prove different, but this feels about as good as Dallas can do. The first-round pick should be a pretty good one, and Newell could be a fun, long-term frontcourt fit with Flagg and Dereck Lively II, especially if his perimeter shooting perks up. Ideally, Dallas would reroute at least one of the incoming vets elsewhere for additional assets, but if not, both are at least on expiring salaries totaling more than $41 million.
Denver Nuggets
8 of 30
The trade: DaRon Holmes II, Jalen Pickett and 2032 second-round pick to the Miami Heat for Kasparas Jakučionis
The Nuggets need another ball-handler. The bench unit needs more playmaking, and Denver needs more protection in case Jamal Murray locks horns with the injury bug at any point.
The problem is the Nuggets are pretty dry on assets, so they're ball-handler-shopping on a tight budget. Maybe that makes them open to this type of wager on a totally unproven player like Jakučionis, this year's No. 20 pick.
He's made a one-minute, mop-up cameo and nothing else at the NBA level, which is the only reason why Miami might consider moving on from him already (especially if it felt Holmes could address its pressing need for size on the second unit). If it would, Denver would pounce. Accepting his growing pains could mean adding plenty of playmaking and support scoring to the backup backcourt.
Detroit Pistons
9 of 30
The trade: Tobias Harris, Ron Holland II, 2027 first-round pick (top-5 protected) and 2030 first-round pick to the New Orleans Pelicans for Trey Murphy III, Saddiq Bey and Micah Peavy
Look at the Pistons' roster, and it's hard not to notice their lack of a legitimate co-star for Cade Cunningham. Look across the trade landscape, though, and it's not much easier to find a good fit.
Unless, of course, Detroit could land someone who'd be both a big upgrade now and someone who would stick around for a while. Someone like Murphy, a 25-year-old near-star swingman who'd bring versatile defense, quantity-plus-quality shooting and maybe more scoring support than Cunningham has ever had.
It'd take a haul to get Murphy away from New Orleans, but if the Pistons view him as the missing piece capable of pushing them through the Eastern Conference portion of the playoff bracket, that's worth a big investment. Especially when they could also get quality minutes out of Bey (who started his career in Detroit) and might see three-and-D potential in Peavy, this year's 40th pick.
Golden State Warriors
10 of 30
The trade: Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski to the Milwaukee Bucks for Myles Turner
While the Warriors won't abandon their Giannis Antetokounmpo hopes until they absolutely have to, things certainly don't sound promising on that front. And with precious time remaining to make a final championship-level push with Stephen Curry, they can only spend so much of it waiting around with big wishes and crossed fingers.
But maybe keeping such a close on Milwaukee has reminded Golden State of how awesome a fit Turner would be. The Dubs need functional size on the interior, but they don't want to spoil their spacing to get it. That's the whole reason why sophomore center Quinten Post already has a dozen starts this season.
Turner would basically be a turbo-charged version of the same sharpshooting mold, only with intimidating rim protection added to the mix. He's a two-time blocks champion who has converted 39.2 percent of his perimeter shots since last season. His unicorn game is a clean enough fit for them to give up on whatever they think the future holds for Kuminga and Podziemski.
Houston Rockets
11 of 30
The trade: Tari Eason, Jae'Sean Tate and a 2029 first-round pick (via DAL or PHO) to the Boston Celtics for Payton Pritchard
While the Rockets have the resources needed to take a bigger swing than this, their two-way domination to date (fourth in offense, second in defense) may have sapped any motivation for that level of move.
So, they could instead attempt to fortify a point guard rotation that remains without floor general Fred VanVleet. Come playoff time, they may prefer more protection than just having Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard in the mix.
Pritchard, a 27-year-old with a ton of high-stakes experience on his resume (and a championship ring in his collection), could supply that insurance along with a useful skill set that works on or off the ball. He's a 39.3 percent three-point shooter for his career, and he's currently quarterbacking to the tune of 5.0 assists against just 1.2 turnovers.
Indiana Pacers
12 of 30
The trade: Jarace Walker, Ben Sheppard and 2027 second-round pick (via UTA) to the Dallas Mavericks for Daniel Gafford
While there's an argument to be made for the Pacers to give stronger consideration to a total tank job, they also clearly have a desire to compete with Tyrese Haliburton as soon as he's ready to return from his Achilles tear. If that's the goal, though, then they must address their Myles Turner-sized hole in the middle.
ESPN's Shams Charania reported that's what they're aiming to do, as they're "in active trade talks around the league to find a center of the future." Gafford, who'd be a clear subtraction candidate should Dallas take the self-destruct option, would be both an instant upgrade and a potent pick-and-roll partner with Haliburton for years to come.
The Mavericks are "open to exploring the trade markets" of several veterans, including Gafford, per Charania. If Dallas puts a clear focus on its Cooper Flagg-driven future, it might welcome the challenge of unlocking Walker's full potential.
Los Angeles Clippers
13 of 30
The trade: James Harden to the Toronto Raptors for RJ Barrett, Ochai Agbaji, Jamal Shead and 2026 first-round pick (top-5 protected)
Admittedly, it's hard to say with any certainty that the Clippers would seriously explore this option if they could. They aren't sending any signs of an impending fire-sale, and maybe they haven't totally ditched the dream of constructing a competitor around Harden, Kawhi Leonard and Ivica Zubac.
All of that said, how much more evidence do they need that this approach isn't working? Their historically ancient roster has shown its age, and this purported contender has ranked among the season's least competitive clubs.
Sooner than later, they need to shift their attention forward and focus on finding the roster-building assets they lack. A strong individual effort from Harden this season should make that possible. If the rising Raptors want a big lift on offense, there could be traction on these talks. All three incoming players and the pick could play a not insignificant part in the Clippers' future.
Los Angeles Lakers
14 of 30
The trade: Dalton Knecht, Maxi Kleber and 2031 first-round pick to the New Orleans Pelicans for Herb Jones
This is, without question, a move the Lakers would make right now—if they could. Their seventh-ranked offense is ready to compete at the highest level, but their 21st-ranked defense is in dire need of a lockdown defender like Jones.
The question, then, is if the Pelicans would play ball. And, to be honest, that's the kind of if that comes attached to all manners of good luck charms. Maybe it's posturing, but word is "New Orleans is not interested in moving Jones," per The Atheltic's Dan Woike. Even if it was, Woike opined that it "almost certainly wouldn't engage" at the trade price the Purple and Gold are able to pay.
While that reads as pretty definitive, it's important to remember two things. One, we're in the middle of December, so there's no urgency for the Pelicans to act. Two, trade talks are forever fluid, so a clear stance today might get pretty murky by tomorrow. In other words, it's too early to say that the Lakers definitely don't have enough to acquire a 27-year-old defensive specialist with pretty obvious offensive limitations.
Memphis Grizzlies
15 of 30
The trade: Ja Morant to the Miami Heat for Tyler Herro and Nikola Jović
Trade winds have quieted a bit around Morant, although a muted market may be more to blame than any lack of incentive on Memphis' side. The Grizzlies have played much better without their oft-unavailable point guard this season, faring 6.3 points better per 100 possessions when he's not on the floor.
Memphis might just be waiting for the right offer to come along, and maybe Miami is ready to provide it. The Heat "have had internal discussions" about him and "how Miami's infrastructure could benefit him," per NBA insider Marc Stein. They've also had trouble re-integrating Herro in their revamped offense and haven't gotten anything near the breakout campaign they hoped was in the cards for Jović.
Now, it's worth noting that Morant wasn't the biggest fan of the offense Miami is now running, but maybe the Heat think they could #culture their way around that. Or maybe that's just not a big enough concern to step in their preferred path of adding a disgruntled star at a discount.
Miami Heat
16 of 30
The trade: Terry Rozier, Pelle Larsson and Simone Fontecchio to the New Orleans Pelicans for Zion Williamson
Look, it's never fun to start a slide with a qualifier, but this requires it. It's hard to say the Heat would make this deal right now when no one seems to know if they actually could. ESPN's Tim Bontemps and Bobby Marks recently reported that it "remains unclear what would happen if the Heat were to try to trade Rozier before the Feb. 5 trade deadline."
If the league allowed it, though, you'd assume Miami would love to take advantage of Rozier's expiring salary. Especially if it meant reeling in a distressed asset like Williamson, whose offensive superpowers are equaled only by his constant availability issues.
If the Heat believed their training staff could better limit those absences, though, they might pounce. They could use another play-finisher in their offense, and they're better able to handle his lack of spacing since Bam Adebayo and Kel'el Ware both have three-point range.
Milwaukee Bucks
17 of 30
The trade: Bobby Portis, Andre Jackson Jr. and 2031 first-round pick to the New Orleans Pelicans for Herb Jones
The Pelicans have perpetually tried to avoid a roster reset, and it sounds like that broken record is once again bouncing through the Big Easy streets. And that's not any tea-leaf reading by the way; just the simple digestion from this straightforward report from The Athletic's Dan Woike: "New Orleans is not interested in moving Jones."
There is, admittedly, no gray area within those words, but also...like...why not? The Pelicans are really so committed to their worst-in-the-West roster that they can't even fathom letting go of a 27-year-old defensive role player? That stance has to land somewhere between flimsy and foolish, doesn't it?
If New Orleans comes to its senses, it can't bypass an opportunity like this. An unprotected future first from a franchise with as much long-term uncertainty as Milwaukee has would be invaluable—especially when it's arriving without a star player being sent out. Portis and Jackson would be money-matchers, but the former may attract a win-now suitor at a later date, and the latter retains at least a mildly interesting blend of age (24), athleticism and awareness.
Minnesota Timberwolves
18 of 30
The trade: Donte DiVincenzo and Rob Dillingham to the Chicago Bulls for Coby White
Minnesota's rocky start has given way to a stretch of good basketball here lately, but nothing has peppered over the concerns around this point guard group. DiVincenzo isn't a point guard by trade. Mike Conley is 38 years old and showing it. And Rob Dillingham has been alarmingly unable to fend off journeyman Bones Hyland.
That's why the Timberwolves have shown "legitimate interest" in White, per The Athletic's Sam Amick, and even their limited asset collection should still have enough to land White. There are different deals to construct, but this might be the simplest—and it works so long as Minnesota views White as an upgrade over DiVincenzo.
This would be selling low on Dillingham, but where's the evidence suggesting his value is due to bounce back up? The Wolves might have to wash their hands of the situation and let someone else without as much win-now pressure take over his development project.
New Orleans Pelicans
19 of 30
The trade: Yves Missi and Jordan Hawkins to the Indiana Pacers for Jarace Walker, 2027 second-round pick (via UTA) and 2028 second-round pick (via DAL)
It'd be fun to discuss something bigger, since the Pelicans seem like such prime sell-off candidates. And yet, nothing coming out of New Orleans suggests that type of teardown is in the cards. As The Athletic's William Guillory reported, "the Pelicans have not engaged in any trade discussions involving Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy or Herb Jones."
So, just because we would be open to more substantial subtractions, the aim of this exercise is predicting what the team would do. And maybe this is as dramatic as the Pelicans want to get.
Missi feels expendable with Derik Queen's ascent, and Hawkins is logging his fewest minutes to date. If the Pelicans could use the Pacers' center search to their advantage, they could try cracking the developmental code with Walker, the No. 8 pick of the 2023 draft.
New York Knicks
20 of 30
The trade: OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, Miles McBride, Pacôme Dadiet, 2026 first-round pick (top-8 protected, via WAS), 2028 first-round pick swap, 2030 first-round pick swap and 2032 first-round pick swap to the Milwaukee Bucks for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Thanasis Antetokounmpo
This is tricky. On one hand, this feels way too dramatic for a championship-chasing, plus-.700-winning-percentage-having club to even contemplate in-season. On the other hand, when Giannis freakin' Antetokounmpo signals a desire to join you, that's not an opportunity you just pass up, right?
New York needs another star scorer to stop opposing defenses from channeling everything on containing Jalen Brunson in the playoffs. It also might need a miracle-worker on defense to tackle the postseason game plans built around exposing Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. Few players on the planet would have a chance at acing both roles, but Antetokounmpo is absolutely one of them.
The two-time MVP and former Defensive Player of the Year very much remains at the peak of his powers. His star is so blindingly bright that the Knicks can justify making themselves even more top-heavy in pursuit of the game's ultimate prize.
Using The Ringer's latest player ratings, New York would have two of the league's top-10 players (Antetokounmpo, third, and Brunson, ninth) and three of its top 25 (Towns, 21st). That's a special enough collection of talent to overlook the concerns of constructing a superteam in the NBA's apron era and make this happen—provided Milwaukee could sniff out takers for Anunoby, Hart and McBride.
Oklahoma City Thunder
21 of 30
The trade: Ousmane Dieng to the Brooklyn Nets for Haywood Highsmith and two 2028 second-round picks (via ATL and MEM)
The Thunder routinely rip apart an exercise like this, because the real answer is a "no trade needed" caveat. They're so loaded that they can be in open pursuit of the league's all-time wins record (not to mention a second straight title) and so stacked with assets that the rest of the Association is panicking about their collection.
But the promise of the premise is a deal for every team, so here goes: Oklahoma City has taken such a patient approach with Dieng's development that maybe he's still not trustworthy in playoff situations. (Although he has impressed with some recent chances, so who knows? Look, we said the Thunder make this difficult, and we meant it!)
Highsmith, who should be closing in on a return from offseason knee surgery, has experience as a member of a playoff rotation. And he'd give OKC a bit more bulk and three-point shooting in the wing rotation, which every team—even one as overloaded as this—could use. Plus, throwing a few more picks onto this towering collection just feels fun, doesn't it?
Orlando Magic
22 of 30
The trade: Jonathan Isaac, Jase Richardson and two 2028 second-round picks (ORL's own and via LAL or WAS) to the Washington Wizards for Corey Kispert
Orlando has really leveled-up its offense (11th), but proper spacing remains a nightly struggle. This is a bottom-third perimeter shooting team by any measure.
With this roster otherwise ready to win right now, the Magic would surely welcome a sharpshooter if they could find one. Kispert shouldn't be the hardest one to land as a 27-year-old role player on a rebuilding team going nowhere soon.
This would be really early to cut ties with Richardson, this summer's 25th pick who has shot it well in limited action, but the Magic might be good enough to justify prioritizing the present. The need for more shooting is that pressing, and Kispert has the touch and talent to address it.
Philadelphia 76ers
23 of 30
The trade: Jared McCain to the Memphis Grizzlies for Jaylen Wells and GG Jackson II
The Sixers are in a strange spot. They're still really interesting (theoretically, at least) if they could ever get their core healthy at the same time, but they also might just be trying to make it work with Joel Embiid and Paul George because their towering pay rates and sagging production leave them no other option.
You sort of get why they might try to go for it, but the idea of them losing long-term assets in win-now pursuits also sounds dangerously shortsighted.
This deal might still work, because would be balancing the roster without narrowing its focus too much. McCain has flashed more star potential as a primary shot-creator, but Wells would be a better wing fit with Tyrese Maxey for his off-ball shooting and defensive tenacity. Jackson may have fallen completely out of Memphis' plans, but Philly has a big enough need at the 4 to see if it could figure out why his development stalled.
Phoenix Suns
24 of 30
The trade: Jalen Green to the New Orleans Pelicans for Zion Williamson
The Suns are either playing above their heads or simply exceeding expectations, but either way they arguably have reason to wonder about their sustainability. If nothing else, it feels safe to assume their offense could use more oomph when they're counting on defensive stopper Dillon Brooks to serve as the second option—while shooting just 44.3 percent overall and 30.9 percent from range.
Now, if they wanted a Devin Booker sidekick, they might seek out a more reliable option than Williamson, but their trade budget only reaches so far. It might make sense, then, to absorb all of the availability risks attached to the bouncy big fella and hope that a scenery change might help him solve that puzzle.
Between his powerful play-finishing and Booker's ability to both space the floor and create open looks, the Suns might summon enough scoring power to help them play the postseason spoiler role. That seems like a rich enough prize to move on from Green, who may not have the off-ball utility needed to serve as Booker's second-in-command.
Portland Trail Blazers
25 of 30
The trade: Scoot Henderson, Matisse Thybulle, Kris Murray and 2029 first-round pick (top-3 protected) to the New Orleans Pelicans for Trey Murphy III
The West is probably too top-heavy to justify the Trail Blazers making a big splash, but that's far less concerning if they find someone they can keep around for a while. Murphy should offer that level of longevity as a 25-year-old who's signed through the 2028-29 season.
It's still debatable if there's enough headed to New Orleans for the Pelicans to bite, but this would work if there are big Henderson believers in their front office. Maybe that's too optimistic, however it's not wholly unreasonable to think folks might hold out hope for a 21-year-old who was recently taken third overall (2023).
If the Pels like Henderson and want to get their hands on this pick badly enough to let Murphy go, it should be a no-brainer for the Blazers. Between him, Deni Avdija and Shaedon Sharpe, there should be enough scoring punch to complement a core with enough length, energy and tenacity to form a disruptive identity on the defensive end.
Sacramento Kings
26 of 30
The trade: Zach LaVine and Keon Ellis to the Milwaukee Bucks for Bobby Portis, Kyle Kuzma, Gary Harris, Cole Anthony and 2031 first-round pick
The Kings have both an aging core and one of the worst win rates around (.240, tied for third-worst in the league). If they're not searching for any and every available escape clause, they're doing it wrong.
Milwaukee has done due diligence on LaVine, per HoopsHype's Michael Scotto, and the team might be desperate enough for buckets to look past his bloated contract and general lack of team success. If the Kings could get anyone to bite on LaVine, there's a good chance that's a deal worth making.
Even if Sacramento had no intentions of hanging onto any of these incoming players—the point guard group is underwhelming enough that Anthony should at least get an audition to stick around—this trade still helps. Unloading LaVine's money would be a major win, and nabbing the Bucks' 2031 first would be an even greater victory.
San Antonio Spurs
27 of 30
The trade: Jeremy Sochan to the Milwaukee Bucks for Gary Harris, Amir Coffey and a 2031 first-round pick swap
The Spurs have been good enough to imagine they'd want to avoid major, identity-shifting deals during the season. They haven't been so dominant, though, to think they believe such a swap will never be needed.
In other words, they should remain on the hunt for blockbuster-fueling trade assets. Especially if they could bring one back for a fourth-year forward who's not a member of the current rotation, as they'd be doing here.
Milwaukee is desperate for defense, so maybe there's a move to be made. And while the incoming veterans to San Antonio would merely make the money work, it would be a pretty Spurs-y move to find a fringe-rotation role for at least one of them.
Toronto Raptors
28 of 30
The trade: Ja'Kobe Walter to the Los Angeles Lakers for Dalton Knecht
While the Raptors have been linked to the Anthony Davis sweepstakes, that might be too dramatic for a group that already made a major move at last season's deadline (acquiring and then extending Brandon Ingram).
If they don't want to shake things up to that degree—or don't want to give up assets that may be needed for an eventual Giannis Antetokounmpo pursuit—a minor move like this could work.
Walter and Knecht, who were taken just two picks apart in the 2024 draft, have generally disappointed and might benefit from a change of scenery. Walter is a cleaner fit for the three-and-D mold L.A. is presumably after, while Knecht's three-point potential may matter more for the Raptors given their struggles to ramp up their perimeter volume.
Utah Jazz
29 of 30
The trade: Walker Kessler and Cody Williams to the Indiana Pacers for Bennedict Mathurin
While trade-machine enthusiasts love cooking up a juicy Lauri Markkanen deal, there's just no evidence of the Jazz seeking out that kind of swap. In fact, NBA insider Marc Stein recently reiterated that the Jazz "have left numerous teams with the impression that they want to keep Markkanen and add around him rather than part with him."
That feels like the wrong decision—he's an awkward timeline fit, and Utah has a top-eight-protected pick it should presumably be safeguarding ahead of a loaded 2026 draft—but if the aim is to find a deal Utah would make, then our read of the situation is meaningless.
If the Jazz want to help Markkanen, they could certainly get a lot more of it from Mathurin (averaging 20.4 points on 45.1/42.2/83.7 shooting) than Kessler (out for season; shoulder surgery) and Williams (non-rotation player). The Pacers, conversely, might see Kessler as the answer to their center search and prefer to sidestep Mathurin's upcoming restricted free agency.
Washington Wizards
30 of 30
The trade: CJ McCollum to the Golden State Warriors for Jonathan Kuminga, Buddy Hield and 2030 second-round pick
Washington is tanking its way through a top-to-bottom rebuild, and as such, it should be seeking out ways of converting the veteran talent it possesses into long-term assets. That won't be easy to do—if the Wizards had more talent, they wouldn't be this brutally bad—but there should be some options.
You'd think McCollum might attract some scoring-starved win-now suitors. He's pouring in nearly 20 points per outing, shooting 40 percent from three on high-volume and more than doubling his turnovers with assists. Plus, he has a lengthy playoff track record behind him.
Think his shot-making, veteran savvy and secondary creation wouldn't appeal to a Warriors' team sitting 22nd in offensive efficiency despite rostering Stephen bleepin' Curry? If Golden State has interest, Washington should be all over it. The Wizards need more firepower, and maybe Kuminga is one trade away from providing plenty of it.
Unless otherwise noted, stats used courtesy of NBA.com and Basketball-Reference and current through Saturday's games.
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