Warriors' Jonathan Kuminga, Bulls' Josh Giddey Among Stars Whose Trade Restrictions Lifted
Thursday marks one of the key dates on the NBA calendar, as the players who re-signed with their current teams in the offseason on deals that included a raise of at least 20 percent from their previous contract are now eligible to be traded.
This gives teams more flexibility as they look to make moves prior to the trade deadline on Feb. 5 at 3 p.m. ET.
Here is the list of 11 players who became eligible to be traded as on Jan. 15, per ESPN's Bobby Marks:
- Tre Mann, PG, Charlotte Hornets
- Josh Giddey, PG, Chicago Bulls
- Sam Merrill, SG, Cleveland Cavaliers
- Paul Reed, C, Detroit Pistons
- Jonathan Kuminga, PF, Golden State Warriors
- Isaiah Jackson, C, Indiana Pacers
- Santi Aldama, PF, Memphis Grizzlies
- Davion Mitchell, PG, Miami Heat
- Naz Reid, C, Minnesota Timberwolves
- Quentin Grimes, SG, Philadelphia 76ers
The most likely trade candidate from this field is Jonathan Kuminga given how much of a disconnect there has been between him and the Golden State Warriors for some time now.
It's probably not a coincidence that on the same day Kuminga became eligible to be traded that ESPN's Shams Charania and Anthony Slater reported the 23-year-old has "demanded" to be moved by the Warriors.
Kuminga has played in just one game since Dec. 7. Head coach Steve Kerr said Wednesday on 95.7 The Game's Willard & Dibs show that the situation with Kuminga is a "difficult" one for all involved.
Kuminga's trade value would seem to be at an all-time low. His contract status also makes it difficult to know what the Warriors could get back. He is making $22.5 million this season with a $24.3 million team option for 2026-27.
Even though Kuminga is only 23, there has really been no indication he can be the star-level player that he valued himself at when he was going through contract talks with the Warriors prior to the start of last season.
When Kuminga signed his two-year deal with the Warriors over the summer, Charania reported at the time that the second year was designed to be torn up so a new contract could be worked out.
If that's Kuminga's mentality, how many teams out there are lining up to give him a new contract? It's certainly plausible he could fare much better in an environment that gives him the runway to blossom in the way he wants, but the Warriors couldn't make it work when they had every incentive to do so because of his age and draft pedigree.
There are some players on this list who are unlikely to get traded during the season for a variety of reasons. Whether or not anyone agrees with the current direction of the Chicago Bulls, ESPN's Jamal Collier reported in December that they view Giddey as a centerpiece of their roster.
Quentin Grimes would need to give approval if the Philadelphia 76ers want to trade him since he signed a one-year deal in the offseason.
Per ESPN's Bobby Marks, Grimes' veto power stems from a clause in the 2023 collective bargaining agreement that allows players to waive the Bird restriction in their contract if they signed a one-year contract in free agency.
Other potential trade candidates from this group include Naz Reid, Ryan Rollins and Davion Mitchell.
Even though Reid has become an essential part of the Minnesota Timberwolves' rotation, their payroll at this point makes his contract one of the few they could trade without breaking up their main core of Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle to get something significant back.
Having won 12 of their last 17 games to climb up to fourth in the Western Conference, The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski suggested the Timberwolves might not need to do anything drastic prior to the trade deadline to solidify their status as a contender.
The Milwaukee Bucks remain impossible to figure out because they want to upgrade around Giannis Antetokounmpo, despite having very few assets that would make it difficult to add a major piece.
Rollins might have made himself too important to the Bucks to trade. The 23-year-old is averaging a career-high 16.5 points on 39.8 percent three-point shooting and 5.5 assists per game in 40 appearances.
The Miami Heat are always looking to make a big splash, and they have been connected to Ja Morant. Davion Mitchell being under contract through next season with a $12.4 million salary in 2026-27 could make him attractive as a key piece in a trade.
Now that virtually every NBA player is eligible to be traded, the next step will be waiting to see which teams want to get aggressive over the next three weeks to shake things up going into the stretch run of the regular season.
