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NBA Trade Block Big Board with Top 10 Potential Targets
Giannis Antetokounmpo may not like hearing this, but it is time—without a shadow of a doubt—to talk NBA trades.
Nearly half of the league has already entered the 2026 offseason, and those that haven't still have a lot of their decision-makers thinking in offseason terms.
The much-celebrated draft class will drive a lot of those discussions, but the trade market could offer countless opportunities for instant-impact additions. And so many of the teams that fall short of their playoff goals might need exactly that, particularly with free agency looking short on both spenders and high-end talents.
Things could look a lot different with trades, though, particularly if using a generous definition of a realistic trade candidate. While many of the players that follow have surfaced in legitimate rumors, some tea-leaf reading is required to see how others could wind up there this summer.
Not all of these players will need change-of-address forms this offseason, but when teams make trade calls, these are the 10 most likely targets.
10. Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings
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After unintentionally entering and then nearly winning this season's tank race, you'd think the Kings would be eager for an overhaul. Truth be told, they've sort of tried to make that happen already, and yet, according to NBA insider Marc Stein, "it is not seen as a certainty" that Sabonis will be shopped this summer.
Why not? While he can stuff a stat sheet like a junk drawer, he hasn't proved he can carry a club to anything greater than Play-In Tournament contention. Maybe if a roster was tailored perfectly to complement his strengths and mask his weaknesses, he could deliver more substantial success, but Sacramento cannot give him that kind of help.
Could anyone? There are a few stuck-in-the-middle squads that should be willing to find out. He has flaws, but he's still an elite rebounder, a quick-thinking passer and a reliable, efficient scorer. In-prime players with multiple All-Star selections don't become available often. Someone has to be wondering whether Sabonis could serve as their accelerator.
9. Ryan Rollins, Milwaukee Bucks
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In a vacuum, Rollins appears like one of the least likely trade candidates around. By entering the Most Improved Player award race and establishing himself as one of the best contract values in basketball, the 23-year-old certainly passes the smell test as a long-term keeper.
Or rather, he would if Milwaukee weren't in such desperate need of draft assets. Given the Bucks' current predicament, though, they might have to do more than just broker a Giannis Antetokounmpo blockbuster to give themselves a real shot at future success. Cashing in on Rollins' breakout, as painful as it would be, might be best for the organization's long-term outlook.
Even with his lack of a track record—he only became a rotation regular last season—his established ability and obvious upside should generate a wealth of interest on the trade market. He's a 23-year-old two-way contributor who fits both on and off the ball. He could have gobs of suitors, even if some good-stats-on-a-bad-team skepticism is probably warranted.
8. Michael Porter Jr., Brooklyn Nets
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Porter lived a fish-out-of-water existence over his first season in Brooklyn as a highly productive veteran on a youth-driven team that tracked its success in the loss column and the lottery odds attached to it. That should make him a rather clear-cut trade candidate, though Brooklyn's intentions to compete sooner than later make that less than guaranteed.
Win-now shoppers in search of shooting and support scoring will still make some calls. The Nets almost certainly need to hear them out, since his volume increase was a statistical outlier, and the 2026-27 season is the final year left on his contract.
He's probably overpaid for a support role ($40.8 million next season), but he can still be awesome in that setup. He is an efficient scoring threat from all over the floor. As a 6'10" swingman with functional handles, he can get looks at the basket whenever he wants.
7. Jarrett Allen, Cleveland Cavaliers
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The Cavaliers have tons riding on this playoff run, not the least of which is the chance to contend for the NBA crown. Due to previous playoff stumbles and questions about the viability of this roster construction, though, maybe this is Cleveland's Last Dance moment. Struggling under the spotlight again, and perhaps the Cavaliers are ready to make some serious cuts to their core.
Allen is on the short list—though not atop it—of high-end contributors Cleveland reasonably could expose to the trade market. As Allen said himself after the James Harden addition, "this is one of those make-or-break type of moves."
If the Cavaliers decide another significant swap is required, Allen could wind up the odd man out. He has never felt like the cleanest fit with Evan Mobley, and despite having an All-Star selection on his resume, Allen is more of a really high-end role player than a cornerstone. He is exactly what you expect in a rim-runner—for better and worse.
6. Tyler Herro, Miami Heat
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As the Heat embark on their annual whale hunt this offseason, expect to hear plenty of chatter around Herro. With Miami logging an exhausting amount of miles on the treadmill of mediocrity, it must be enamored with the idea of a direction change—and terrified of the status quo that could come from extending Herro's stay in South Beach.
Herro seems almost certain to figure prominently in any star pursuits. He was already dangled in front of the Milwaukee Bucks in hopes of prying Giannis Antetokounmpo away. The Heat had been "willing to hear offers for Herro dating back to before the trade deadline," per ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel.
Herro isn't a great first option—or an average defender—but he is a great shot-maker who can create looks for himself and his teammates. Those offensive skills will always be coveted, although his contract uncertainty won't help with the offers the Heat will receive.
5. Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans
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At his end-of-season press conference, Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations Joe Dumars told reporters his team has "no intentions" of trading Williamson. And maybe Dumars really meant that, but it's worth noting that the club would gain nothing by publicly divulging an interest in dealing the 2019 draft's top overall pick.
Not to mention, New Orleans can only run back the same group for so long, right? Granted, the Pels have spent a ton of time waiting for Williamson to be healthy and consistently available, but he was (relatively speaking) both of those things this season, and it didn't matter. New Orleans was objectively bad—and not purposely bad, since its previously traded first-round pick took tanking off the table.
This might be the perfect offseason, then, for the Pels to just wash their hands of this situation and move on. Williamson's trade value isn't peaking or anything, but it shouldn't be totally tanked, either. When he's healthy, he's still a lock for 20-plus points on roughly 60 percent shooting; how many other players can claim that?
He remains one of the league's most dynamic finishers. He has flashed some real playmaking prowess when given the opportunity. He could still be the right co-star for someone. He just can't be this franchise's feature player and doesn't have a leading actor around him in New Orleans. Trapped teams with scoring problems and rebuilders probing for cheap(ish) building blocks might both want a shot at cracking Williamson's developmental code.
4. Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic
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Remember when it felt like the Magic, emboldened by their pricey Desmond Bane pickup, might just seize control of the seemingly wide-open Eastern Conference? That feels like forever ago, doesn't it? They were once again wholly unremarkable (tied for 13th in winning percentage, 17th in net rating), earning an objective "fine" assessment that reads more like "failure."
Dramatic changes can never be written off after disappointment to this degree, and no, scapegoating Jamahl Mosley almost certainly won't be enough. The Magic may have pressing concerns about the long-term viability of their core, in particular the high-profile (and high-paid) pairing of Banchero and Franz Wagner.
"Eventually, you've got to trade one of those guys," an executive told Heavy Sports' Sean Deveney. "Either Paolo or Franz Wagner, but you can't have both. They occupy the same space too much—they can't shoot from the arc, they aren't going to wow you with athleticism and putting the ball on the floor. ... They should make a trade while the value is still pretty high, because it is probably just going to go down from here."
Wagner can at least pin his uncharacteristic struggles on injury issues, but Banchero has no such excuse. He just wasn't a needle-mover in any respect and hasn't been so far in his career; his teams have actually fared worse with him than without in each of his four seasons.
As a trade candidate, though, he could still spark a bidding frenzy. There just aren't many players possessing this size-skill combination, let alone ones who are only 23 years old. You'd like to see better efficiency and a more obvious impact on winning, sure, but a player this young and this productive will always have a market.
3. Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers
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While the Clippers didn't include Leonard among their costly veteran subtractions at the deadline, that hardly guarantees anything about his future with the franchise. There were deadline discussions involving the two-time Defensive Player of the Year. It's entirely possible (perhaps probable) that those talks will pick back up this offseason.
"Leonard has only one more season left on his current contract at $50.3 million before the 34-year-old...becomes a free agent," NBA insider Marc Stein relayed in February. "The expectation here is that teams will certainly be trying again to trade for Leonard in June."
Leonard's contract uncertainty and constant availability concerns could both be held against him, but win-now shoppers seeking immediate impact will give him serious consideration. He performed at an All-NBA level this season, pouring in nearly 28 points a night and flirting with a 50/40/90 shooting slash and flashing his trademark disruptive defense along the way.
Again, certain suitors could talk themselves out of Leonard, but those with interest could be emboldened to offer something near an all-in package. His impact on winning remains incredible. The only three players with better estimated plus/minus marks this season than Leonard's plus-7.6 are the ones driving MVP discussions: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokić.
2. Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers
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The Cavaliers' decision-makers and supporters might both laugh off this selection. The team could make it seem laughable in hindsight if they're able to engineer their long-awaited deep playoff run. But if they still can't break through after making an aggressive move for James Harden at the deadline, perhaps trade rumblings soon follow regarding Mitchell, who could reach free agency in 2027 if he doesn't extend his deal before that.
"If the Cavaliers again exit in the first or second round—as Mitchell has in each of his first eight seasons—will he be willing to commit to another extension in Cleveland? That seems unlikely," ESPN's Tim Bontemps wrote in February.
So, it'll once again be all eyes on Cleveland this postseason with both the franchise and potential Mitchell suitors desperate to see whether this core has finally cracked the code. There's tons of talent on this roster, but there are also huge logistical worries on the defensive end with a Harden-Mitchell backcourt and on the offensive end with the Evan Mobley-Jarrett Allen frontcourt.
It still might take some leverage-flexing from Mitchell to make anything happen, but with his 30th birthday looming in September, he might be ready for a power play should his postseason plans again run awry early. If he does force his way to the market, expect the trade bidding to be ferocious. As offense-driven as this league has become, few players are more potent than Mitchell (27.9 points and 5.7 assists a night this season).
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
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The relationship between Antetokounmpo and the Bucks has seemingly soured past the point of salvaging. The holdup appears to be that each side is waiting on the other to publicly acknowledge that.
Milwaukee could have shown him the exit, but it issued an extend-or-we're-trading-you ultimatum instead. Antetokounmpo criticized the Bucks for their "disrespectful" decision to bench him down the stretch when he felt he was healthy enough to play, but he also didn't close the door on possibly inking a four-year, $275 million extension in October.
This awkward, uncomfortable, restrictive-for-both-sides game of chicken shouldn't linger much longer. The Bucks can't give Antetokounmpo the support he'd need to contend. They desperately need the roster-building resources he'd bring back in a trade.
With his 31st birthday behind him and the injury bug bothering him like never before, his trade value isn't at an all-time high, but it should remain enormous. He's still an incredibly impactful presence on both ends of the floor. He'll still elicit trade offers commensurate with that elite talent level.
