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Landing Spots for NBA's Top 10 Trade Targets
NBA players can become trade candidates for any number of reasons, but they only qualify as trade targets if there are teams ready, willing and able to actually target them.
The following 10 players, previously dubbed the top 10 targets of the upcoming offseason, shouldn't have trouble generating interest.
Some will have more suitors than others, but all should have market value and multiple realistic landing spots. The aim here is to identify the one landing spot that seems most sensible for each, weighing everything from need and buying power to their perceived willingness to deal and the potential on-court fit.
10. Domantas Sabonis: Toronto Raptors
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The Raptors and Sacramento Kings discussed a Sabonis deal at the deadline, but things couldn't come together with the latter being (understandably) reluctant to bring back Jakob Poeltl, per The Athletic's Sam Amick and Eric Koreen. With Poeltl not getting any less expensive or less limited, Toronto should keep trying to see if this is something that can get figured out.
Sabonis, of course, would bring his own pricey pact and on-court limitations, but his strengths are sharper and more helpful to Toronto. Specifically, he could help attack the Raptors' offensive challenges in the half-court, either by limiting those looks with rebounds and quick hit-ahead passes to increase transition chances, or by expanding the half-court menu as a slick passer, post scorer, smart screener and occasional stretch shooter.
Having another jumbo playmaker on the floor could help Toronto get more off-ball reps for Immanuel Quickley, who's a more natural scorer than table-setter. It would also help elevate the Raptors' cutters and spot-up shooters, ultimately squeezing more scoring out of a group that needs to maximize every position to make this superstar-less, egalitarian approach work.
9. Ryan Rollins: Atlanta Hawks
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If and when the Milwaukee Bucks split from Giannis Antetokounmpo this offseason, they should immediately enter asset-accumulation mode. While a megadeal for the two-time MVP should help restock the cupboard, Milwaukee might need to move Rollins as well to really maximize its chances of hitting a bull's-eye with its draft board dart throws.
The Hawks, who have a healthy collection of picks and prospects, and a standing need for perimeter scoring and creation, might gladly take him off the Bucks' hands. CJ McCollum might be a serviceable stopgap, but Atlanta needs a long-term solution for replenishing all of the buckets, dimes and dagger threes sacrificed in the Trae Young trade.
If Rollins' 2025-26 emergence was legitimate and sustainable, he'd be a fascinating potential fix. At 23 years old (24 in July), he's the perfect age to plug into a Jalen Johnson-led core, and he should be capable of enhancing this team's strengths as a disruptive defender and an athletic open-floor attacker, while addressing its weaknesses with a fiery three-ball and advantage-creation.
8. Michael Porter Jr.: Detroit Pistons
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Detroit's disappointing postseason showing has stemmed almost entirely from its imbalanced, eyesore offense. It's been a pick-your-poison proposition for Cade Cunningham, who has no scoring help around him and no airspace when he tries to dial his number.
Porter may not chip in a ton on the creation front, but his quantity-plus-quality perimeter game would still take a tremendous amount of heat off Cunningham. And unlike an exploitable specialist like Duncan Robinson, Porter can find other ways to contribute as a mobile 6'10" defender and active rebounder.
The Pistons might not be as far from contention as this first round has made them appear. They won 60 games and had this season's second-highest net rating, so they may not want to shell out top dollar for a top-shelf trade target, especially when their offseason budget might include a new contract for Jalen Duren and an extension for Ausar Thompson. A sizable but not budget-busting investment in Porter could be the perfect middle ground for the Pistons.
7. Jarrett Allen: Charlotte Hornets
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The Hornets forming a solid center combo with Moussa Diabaté and Ryan Kalkbrenner landed somewhere on the list of reasons they obliterated expectations this season. It was just nowhere near the top, which might propel Charlotte to pursue something beyond solid play at the 5 spot.
Why not Allen? He could be a logical scapegoat if Cleveland underachieves this postseason, but he'd be an impact plug-and-play addition elsewhere. He excels in all of the areas where a rim-runner should and could be the perfect complement for Charlotte's perimeter stars, two of whom have time remaining on their rookie-scale contracts (Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel).
This might be the time to splurge, and Allen could be the right candidate, especially since his contract will expire right when Knueppel's rookie deal does. Allen could be a needle-moving interior anchor, a reliable pick-and-roll partner for LaMelo Ball and a been-there-and-done-that veteran leader for a locker room that's still figuring out what's needed to win in this league.
6. Tyler Herro: Milwaukee Bucks
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While the Bucks would surely prioritize draft assets in a Giannis Antetokounmpo deal, they might also seek out a centerpiece they can sell to their fans. Who better than Herro, a Milwaukee native with multiple accolades on his resume (2021-22 Sixth Man of the Year and 2024-25 All-Star) and some of the strongest offensive stats you'll find?
Look, the Bucks probably can't win big for a while, but losing big offers no benefits, since they won't control their own first-round pick until 2031. So, they could try to form a competitive roster around Herro, or at least give him the kind of green light that would drive up his value and attract offensively inept suitors between now and the next trade deadline.
Herro has his flaws, but he can produce in a featured role and would look good as someone's No. 2 option (or great as a No. 3). At 26 years old, he might be still pushing toward his prime, and he's already one of only six players to average at least 20 points, four assists and 2.5 three-pointers in each of the last five seasons.
5. Zion Williamson: Phoenix Suns
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This season's Suns endeared themselves to this fanbase by scrapping, clawing and hustling their way to the top end of this bunch's best-case scenarios—while winning 45 games and getting swept out of the first round. There's just only so far this group can go with Devin Booker and a bunch of support pieces.
Then again, there's only so far this front office can stretch the trade budget with a shallow prospect pool and a bunch of unpaid draft-pick debts. If the Suns are going to give Booker the offensive boost he needs, they'll have to come out ahead on a risk-reward wager, like wagering on their ability to keep Williamson healthy and return the two-time All-Star to his previous production levels.
It'd be a gamble, obviously, but it feels like it has better odds than Dillon Brooks delivering another career campaign or Jalen Green suddenly solving his consistent inconsistency. Booker could hugely benefit from a reliable play-finisher, and Williamson has historically been a 20-plus-point scorer and around a 60-percent shooter. His downhill attacks would pull defenders with him, giving Booker the kind of breathing room he missed this season.
4. Paolo Banchero: Brooklyn Nets
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A Banchero blockbuster admittedly feels less likely with the Orlando Magic closing in on a first-round knockout of the top-seeded Detroit Pistons, but maybe that series says a lot more about the latter than the former. Orlando's offense isn't exactly humming, and Banchero's numbers still lack quality beneath the quantity.
If the Magic field offers for the 2022 draft's No. 1 pick, the Nets could submit an aggressive one. They're sitting pretty rich with draft picks and prospects, and they reportedly "intend to flip the switch and try to compete as soon as next season," per Brian Lewis of the New York Post.
Brooklyn has an obvious opening for an alpha scorer like Banchero, but it's also flexible enough to construct a more complementary supporting cast around him. The Nets are already well-stocked with ball-movers, and if they can load up on shooters, they could build a better offensive ecosystem than Banchero has had with the Magic.
3. Kawhi Leonard: Golden State Warriors
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Of all the win-now shoppers on the trade market, the Warriors seem the most likely to broker a big trade. Time is of the essence with Stephen Curry on the wrong side of his 38th birthday, and they've been desperately pursuing stars to give him one last shot at another meaningful postseason run. They felt they came "close" to a deal for Leonard ahead of the deadline, and they're expected to "reengage the Clippers on Leonard's availability this offseason," per ESPN's Ramona Shelburne and Anthony Slater.
Leonard feels almost a little too perfect for this team. The 34-year-old (35 in June) is in the same fight with Father Time as Curry and carries as many availability concerns as anyone. At the same time, Leonard remains a brilliant basketball player who impacts both ends of the floor like few others in the league.
Leonard might represent the highest end of Golden State's trade budget, but he has enough question marks for us to think he can land within it. And he'd be an objectively awesome get for the Warriors, possessing the processing skills needed to fit this read-and-react system and the creation ability to break away from it when they just need a bucket.
2. Donovan Mitchell: Houston Rockets
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If a Mitchell trade feels outlandish, just know things could feel a lot different should the Cavaliers fall short of their postseason goals again. He is extension-eligible this offseason and can reach free agency in the next one. If he doesn't put pen to paper on an agreement this summer, "the organization will discuss the possibility of moving him," per The Athletic's Fred Katz.
All teams in need of more perimeter punch will keep a close watch on these proceedings. The Rockets just happen to have the kind of trade chips needed to get a megadeal done—and they might need a net-shredder more than anyone. They've made a mess of the offensive end this postseason, just like they did during their abbreviated 2025 playoff run.
Houston needs more consistent scoring, something-out-of-nothing creating and defense-bending shotmaking—basically everything Mitchell brings at his best. If the Rockets could pair him with Kevin Durant, they might make everyone forget just how rough their half-court offense has appeared on basketball's big stage.
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo: Miami Heat
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Whenever the Bucks decide to field offers for Antetokounmpo, they might hear from folks across the Association. Truth be told, it's trickier to find teams that wouldn't have interest in the two-time MVP than it is to identify legitimate landing spots.
So, why the Heat? Miami should be desperate to land a difference-maker following four consecutive Play-In Tournament appearances. The Heat seemingly impressed Antetokounmpo before with their execution, effort and famed culture, and they've already made an offer that Milwaukee "seriously considered," per ESPN's Shams Charania, centering a package around Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, other players, multiple draft picks and pick swaps.
Is Bam Adebayo the absolute perfect co-star for Antetokounmpo? Probably not. But the fit would be phenomenal defensively, and the offensive end would be easier to navigate now that Adebayo is regularly taking threes. Miami's move to a more uptempo attack would help Antetokounmpo find easier scoring chances, too. The Heat are also decently stocked with support shooters, don't have anyone who dominates the ball and are overseen by arguably the league's top coach in Erik Spoelstra.
Antetokounmpo's on-court approach feels perfectly aligned with the way Miami's organization operates. Again, he'd be a fit anywhere he landed, but this just feels like a match made in relentlessly competitive heaven.
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