5 NBA Trade Candidates Nobody Is Talking About

This offseason's list of trade candidates was well known.

Giannis Antetokounmpo. Ja Morant. Kawhi Leonard. All have since been moved. Well, in Leonard's case, kind of.

We're still roughly a month away from training camps opening up, however, giving us time for some more potential trades.

There are some obvious stars and starters out there who could still be on the trade block that everyone seems to be overlooking, either because their teams have been quiet this summer or have already pulled off attention-grabbing headlines.

The following five players could be available for the right price and could be moved before the start of the 2026-27 regular season, yet have largely flown under the radar.

Ty Jerome, G, Memphis Grizzlies

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It was easy to overlook Ty Jerome last season. The veteran guard was limited to just 15 games following various injuries and the Memphis Grizzlies were shifting to a rebuild by trading away Jaren Jackson Jr. at the deadline and Desmond Bane the summer before.

When he was on the floor, however, Jerome was one of the biggest offensive threats in the NBA.

The 29-year-old guard averaged a career-high 19.7 points, 5.7 assists and shot 42.0 percent from three in just 22.6 minutes per game. To put this in context, Jerome ranked No. 7 overall in the NBA in points per 100 possessions (41.2), putting him ahead of players like Kevin Durant, Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Maxey, Donovan Mitchell and almost every other top scorer.

Unlike these other players, Jerome will be far easier for contenders to trade for.

Entering the second season of a three-year, $27.7 million contract he signed with Memphis last offseason, Jerome is owed a very reasonable $9.2 million in 2026-27. He plays a fearless brand of basketball, is an outstanding shooter and has the feistiness that coaches and teammates love.

Assuming he's 100 percent healthy now, Jerome should be a hot name on the trade market for teams who need a backup point guard who can run an offense or play alongside a floor general as a scoring guard. The defense is suspect, although few players are slowing down Jerome on the other end, either.

Some franchise is going to get a bargain if it can swoop in and acquire Jerome from the young Grizzlies, as he's an immediate plug-and-play rotation option.

Scoot Henderson, G, Portland Trail Blazers

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Scoot Henderson already faced an uncertain role with the Portland Trail Blazers this season given the return of Damian Lillard from a torn Achilles. The trade for Ja Morant only further complicates things.

Morant, Lillard and veteran Jrue Holiday are all going to be ahead of Henderson on the depth chart. Portland also has to find minutes for wing Shaedon Sharpe, who averaged a career-high 20.8 points per game last season.

Henderson is also entering the final year of his rookie-scale contract, making him a low-risk trade candidate for teams that want to explore the former No. 3 overall pick's upside while he's still on a rookie deal.

A muscular, athletic guard who can attack downhill, Henderson is still a mystery box at this point. Is he more like the player who averaged 23.3 points and shot 52.2 percent from three in the first two games of the playoffs against the San Antonio Spurs? Or more like the version who put up just 2.5 points on 15.4 percent shooting overall in Games 3 and 4?

The outside shot has been inconsistent throughout his young career, as injuries and a roller coaster role have limited the 22-year-old's ability to break out.

The Blazers should be happy to flip him for some wing depth, given the amount of guards now on this roster. 

The Memphis Grizzlies, oddly enough, make sense as a trade partner given that Morant is now in Portland. The Dallas Mavericks are looking for young stars to pair with Cooper Flagg and the Golden State Warriors could be a sneaky destination for Henderson to play a backup role behind Stephen Curry.

A one-year, $13.5 million contract is easy to absorb for teams willing to take a chance on Henderson's upside.

Lauri Markkanen, F, Utah Jazz

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Lauri Markkanen was a hot name on the trade market in recent years. This offseason? Crickets.

This could be because the Utah Jazz finally look like they could become contenders. An aggressive trade for Jaren Jackson Jr. at the deadline combined with the selection of Darryn Peterson with the No. 2 overall pick in the draft has this franchise set up well for the next several years.

This is also why Markkanen should be shopped.

A core of Peterson, Keyonte George, Ace Bailey and Jackson are all 26 or younger. Markkanen, meanwhile, will turn 30 next spring and doesn't fit the timeline of this group. He's also taking a starting spot away from Peterson or Bailey, the two players with the highest ceilings on this team.

A three-year, $149.5 million remaining contract is something contenders can talk themselves into, especially since it only accounts for less than 28 percent of the cap next season and Markkanen is coming off an excellent season (career-high 26.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.0 steals). His swing rating of plus-10.3 ranked in the 95th percentile among all players, per Cleaning the Glass.

Able to play either forward position at 7'1", Markkanen would be a needed shot of offense for teams like the Golden State Warriors or Detroit Pistons. The Minnesota Timberwolves crave a starting power forward like Markkanen, although a trade would be unlikely without Jaden McDaniels involved.

Yes, the Jazz should be trying to snag a play-in spot in the West next season, but reaching this team's potential is more important. That means big minutes for players like Peterson and Bailey, even if it means trading Markkanen in the process.

Jalen Green, SG, Phoenix Suns

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Devin Booker is the face of the Phoenix Suns. Dillon Brooks, Mark Williams and Colin Gillespie all signed extensions with the franchise and the Suns traded for Miles Bridges this offseason.

So, where does this leave Jalen Green?

The 24-year-old wing is entering the final guaranteed year of his contract at $36.3 million and has a $36 million player option for 2027-28. He averaged 17.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and shot 31.3 percent from three for the Suns last season, appearing in just 32 total games due to injury.

Phoenix should absolutely be testing the market for Green, as he's not a good fit alongside Booker in the backcourt. The Suns had a net rating of plus-8.7 (87th percentile) with a backcourt of Gillespie and Booker, compared to just plus-2.8 with Booker and Green (65th percentile). Gillespie's new four-year, $48 million contract will pay him about a third of what Green makes annually.

Booker is a shooting guard who can handle the ball, not a point guard who can shoot. The Suns had a net rating of plus-9.2 when Booker played shooting guard last season. When he was at the point, this number fell to minus-0.7.

Unless Phoenix can mold Green into a super sixth man, a trade may be best for both parties.

Green is a talented scorer and still has plenty of upside, but this is a bad fit.

The Brooklyn Nets could use him as a better version of Cam Thomas as they try to get back to contention. The new-look Los Angeles Clippers are an intriguing fit alongside Darius Garland in the backcourt or the Dallas Mavericks could use some backcourt scoring punch to balance out the roster.

Zion Williamson, PF, New Orleans Pelicans

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Zion Williamson used to be one of the hottest names in all of basketball after going No. 1 overall in the 2019 draft.

Injuries and trade rumors surrounded him for years, although now it seems like the basketball world has collectively forgotten about the two-time All-Star.

Williamson has quietly played 62 games or more in two of the last three seasons, averaging 22.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.4 assists and shooting 57.9 percent overall during this stretch. He looks to be in the best shape of his NBA career and shot a career-high 74.4 percent from within three feet last season.

The New Orleans Pelicans have had one of the quietest offseasons in the NBA and appear set to run back a roster that won 26 games last year and features several awkward-fitting pieces.

Williamson and Derik Queen both operate inside with the ball in their hands and offer little to no spacing whatsoever. Yves Missi is another former first-round pick who has upside but can't shoot. This frontcourt desperately needs some change.

An NBA front office with a three-point shooting center in need of some star power should be calling about Williamson.

This list includes teams like the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Clippers and Sacramento Kings, as they can roll the dice on the 26-year-old's talent, especially if he continues to stay in good shape.