Ranking Every NBA Team's Top Trade Assets

It's way too early in the 2026-27 NBA season to be thinking about trades, but let's face it: You armchair GMs can't get enough of this stuff.

Plus, to be fair, more than one squad is actually thinking transactionally. The Golden State Warriors need to figure out what to do with Kristaps Porzingis. Injuries leave the Oklahoma City Thunder with no choice but to search for outside help.

In that spirit, let's look at all 30 teams and determine their top three movable assets.

That'll require pretending the trade deadline is tomorrow and first asking whether a team wants to add a big-name talent or unload one for picks. That difference matters. Things will get very tricky when teams can go either way—something that'll come up often because, well, it's November.

Depending on the circumstances, a superstar player could be a trade chip or an untouchable centerpiece around which the team is trying to add supplemental talent.

From there, it's as simple as imagining what trade partners would be most likely to ask for in a deal.

No, it's not trade season at all. But let's pretend it is.

Atlanta Hawks

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1. Nickeil Alexander-Walker
2. 2027 first-round pick (least favorable of MIL or NOP; protected 1-4)
3. Jalen Johnson

Nickeil Alexander-Walker might be the most valuable contract in the league if you exclude max and rookie-scale deals. The Atlanta Hawks absolutely shouldn't trade a two-way starter who has developed into one of the best three-point shooters in the league, but that kind of talent on a $15 million-per-year salary could net a Mikal Bridges-like return.

If someone comes calling with three, four or five first-rounders on offer, Atlanta has to listen.

Jalen Johnson makes twice as much on an annual basis, but he's still underpaid for an All-NBA forward.

If the Hawks don't want to capitalize on those values by dealing their two best players for a superstar or draft haul, they'd better shop that 2027 first-rounder from either Milwaukee or New Orleans.

Boston Celtics

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1. 2031 first-round pick (PHI)
2. 2031 first-round pick
3. Derrick White

Most would agree the Celtics took a step back (at least from a "playoff ceiling" perspective) by dealing Jaylen Brown over the offseason, but they still seem more likely to profile as buyers than sellers.

That puts the 2031 first-rounder they got from the Sixers for Brown in play alongside their own 2031 first-rounder.

Payton Pritchard's recent extension means he can't be traded for six months. Another team might have viewed him as a piece worth pursuing at an average annual value of $15 million per year through 2029-30, but buyers might instead have to aim for Derrick White, who has three years and $98 million left on his current contract.

Brooklyn Nets

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1. 2029 first-round pick (NYK)
2. 2032 first-round pick (DEN)
3. 2031 first-round pick (NYK)

There's a ton to like here, as the Brooklyn Nets will benefit from the eventual demise of the New York Knicks and the Denver Nuggets. Though that Nuggets pick is a long way off, Brooklyn is poised to capitalize if the Knicks fall apart at any point during the next half-decade.

In addition to the 2029 and 2031 picks, the Nets also have New York's 2027 first-rounder—not to mention a top-eight protected 2028 first from the Sixers.

The smart move would be to keep most of those and rebuild through the draft, which would put the likes of Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle into the trade mix ahead of those selections. If anyone's calling Sean Marks, they'll ask about those picks first.

Charlotte Hornets

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1. 2033 first-round pick (PHX)
2. 2033 first-round pick (MIN)
3. Naz Reid

Naz Reid isn't here because he failed to meet head coach Charles Lee's organizational standards. He's here because he's a plus starter and will make less than 15.0 percent of the cap through 2029-30. A player who can spread the floor and attack off the dribble from a frontcourt spot is always in demand.

The Hornets would obviously shop him long before considering Kon Knueppel or Brandon Miller.

If the Hornets go the other way and want to ship out future assets for immediate help, those 2033 firsts from Minnesota and (especially) Phoenix are true golden tickets. Maybe the Wolves will still be respectable seven years from now, but nothing about the Suns suggests we can count on competency.

Chicago Bulls

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1. Matas Buzelis
2. Norman Powell
3. Tre Jones

The current regime didn't choose Matas Buzelis, which puts him in more trade jeopardy than you'd expect for a young, talented forward on a rookie-scale deal. He'd net bigger potential returns than Powell or Jones, both productive players with the added bonus of no guaranteed money beyond this season.

Powell, in fact, seems to have been signed as a trade chip. He's earning $21.5 million this season and has a team option for next year. Any team that needs shooting (and doesn't care about defense) could target him and revel in the flexibility of that team option.

Jones is more of a fringe starter, but he's in his prime at 27 and has a team option for $8 million next year.

Cleveland Cavaliers

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1. Evan Mobley
2. 2033 first-round pick
3. Peyton Watson

Something significant will have gone wrong with the current core if Mobley's name winds up in trade talks, but he'd clearly be the Cavs' most in-demand commodity in that hypothetical.

Given the length of Donovan Mitchell's new extension, the likely lack of interest in James Harden and Jarrett Allen's "meh" standing among starting centers, Mobley is the one piece that could replenish the war chest in the event of disaster.

More realistically, the Cavs would shop their 2033 first-rounder, which is the only one they're allowed to trade. Peyton Watson could be a "last in, first out" option if the Cavs decide they need to split his deal into a couple of smaller ones for depth.

Dallas Mavericks

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1. 2029 first-round swap (LAC)
2. Kyrie Irving
3. Dereck Lively II

The incoming 2029 first-round pick from the Clippers would lead most packages in a hypothetical win-now Mavericks trade, a scenario that seems more likely than many expected. Cooper Flagg, already playing at All-NBA levels in his second season, might be good enough to coax some shorter-term thinking out of the new front office.

A more measured path involves dealing Irving, who has one more year at $42 million (player option) on his current deal but doesn't fit with the Mavs' Flagg-based timeline.

Lively may have no market whatsoever until he proves he can stay healthy. Still out while recovering from foot surgery, the No. 12 pick in 2023 would be an intriguing target for a team interested in making him a "second draft" rehab project. His health makes him a very high-upside long shot.

Denver Nuggets

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1. 2031 first-round pick (CLE)
2. Cam Johnson
3. 2028, 2031, 2033 swaps

Any discussion of the Nuggets' trade assets is obliged to include Zeke Nnaji, who still somehow has another year and $7.5 million (player option) on his contract. But just because he's been expendable from the moment he signed that extension doesn't mean other teams are actually interested.

If they did, Nnaji, out of the rotation for years, would have been gone a long time ago.

Denver got Cleveland's 2031 first-rounder in exchange for Peyton Watson and could use it to add to the current team—if it had any substantial matching salary it could afford to lose. As it is, the Nuggets really can't improve (even if attaching that future first) without sacrificing vital pieces of the core in the form of Aaron Gordon or Jamal Murray.

Desperation hasn't reached those levels yet, so Johnson and his expiring $23 million make the list instead.

Detroit Pistons

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1. 2033 first-round pick
2. Duncan Robinson
3. John Collins

It's pretty simple for the Detroit Pistons, who won 60 games a year ago and intend to do something similar (hopefully with more playoff success) this time around. Led by Cade Cunningham and newly paid supporting pieces Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson, Detroit is trying to win a championship.

Remarkably, for a team with that goal, the Pistons are still in control of all their own future first-round picks. If they trade one, an acquiring team would probably prefer it as far out as possible because Detroit's young core suggests plenty of success over the next handful of years. By 2033, maybe a 31-year-old Cunningham will have started to slow down.

Robinson and Collins both have non-guaranteed money on the books after this season, making them ideal salary matches. Attaching both to a future first would let Detroit bring back a player making nearly $40 million.

Golden State Warriors

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1. 2027 first-round pick
2. Kristaps Porzingis
3. Jimmy Butler

The Warriors have all their own future first-rounders, except for a top-20 protected 2030 selection that they have a good chance of keeping anyway. Trade partners face a tough choice if given their pick of future first-round assets.

Golden State is going to be in big trouble whenever Stephen Curry is gone, but the team isn't exactly blowing the doors off right now either. It wouldn't be the worst gamble to aim for the Dubs' 2027 first. If Curry gets hurt this season, the Warriors would immediately rank among the five worst teams in the league. Target a selection in the 2030s, believing the organization will have already rebuilt by then.

Porzingis' deal is only guaranteed for $3 million next season, while Butler's massive $57 million salary is expiring. It's possible neither plays this year due to illness and injury recovery, respectively. That's a mountain of matching salary to pair with picks if Golden State seeks a big name on a long-term deal.

Houston Rockets

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1. 2027 first-round swap (BKN)
2. 2027 first-round pick (PHX)
3. 2029 first-round swap (DAL or PHX)

For a team that looks capable of finishing first in the West, the Houston Rockets sure have a lot of high-value flippable assets. If they eventually decide a core of Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun can't hack it in the playoffs, they have the tools to change their makeup.

That starts with a trio of incoming future firsts from teams that figure to finish with two or three ping-pong balls in the new lottery system. Brooklyn and Phoenix are well on their way to finishing as bottom-five teams this season, which means Houston's only real concern is that one or both are so bad they land in the relegation zone.

Those picks are hugely valuable either way, as is the swap coming from Dallas or Phoenix in 2029. Houston can attach salary to any of those selections and immediately attract a trade partner that wants in on a ton of potential draft upside.

Indiana Pacers

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1. Future firsts
2. Jarace Walker
3. Aaron Nesmith

Like the Warriors, the Indiana Pacers control all of their own future first-rounders. If there was a silver lining in their 2026 selection (which became Keaton Wagler) conveyed to the LA Clippers, it's that it eliminated the possibility of the Pacers owing their 2031 pick. That would have made it a bit more complicated to send out multiple future firsts due to the Stepien rule.

As it is, Indy can send out any first between 2027 and 2033. The tricky part is finding a non-essential salary to attach.

Walker hasn't popped since the Pacers grabbed him at No. 8 in 2023, but his youth and the control his restricted free agency brings this summer could have some appeal. Nesmith fits anywhere, though an acquiring team might not love that his $11 million salary this season jumps to $19 million in 2027-28.

LA Clippers

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1. Derrick Jones Jr.
2. Max Strus
3. 2031 and 2033 first-round picks (TOR)

Derrick Jones Jr. leads a handful of mid-priced vets the rebuilding Clippers should strongly consider shopping. His expiring $10.5 million salary is a bargain, as he's provided two-way value for playoff teams in the past.

Though perhaps not worth a first-rounder in a trade on his own, Jones could be paired with any of Max Strus ($16.7 million), Brook Lopez ($9.2 million and Kris Dunn ($5.6 million) to send out a ton of expiring money.

LA shouldn't have any interest in giving up the first-rounders it got from Toronto for Kawhi Leonard...unless there's a superstar who wants to make his home in Southern California. In that unlikely event, LA could attach those to Brandon Ingram or Darius Garland in a blockbuster move.

Los Angeles Lakers

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1. 2032 first-round swap
2. Jaden Hardy
3. Jarred Vanderbilt

The Lakers put everything that wasn't nailed down into the package for Walker Kessler, so their only movable first-round asset is a distant 2032 swap. At this point, with so much draft equity out the door, it might actually make some sense to just fire off the rest of it. A team this committed to the current core might as well just go all the way in.

Of course, that strategy only makes sense if the right player becomes available. Even then, the Lakers are woefully short on non-essential players to send out in a trade. Hardy and Vanderbilt come closest, though the latter might not be a positive-value asset on his own.

Los Angeles made its move in the offseason. With so little to offer, this team is going to sink or swim with what it has.

Memphis Grizzlies

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1. Ty Jerome
2. 2031 first-round pick (PHX)
3. 2030 first-round pick (ORL)

It might seem like a fireable offense to trade Ty Jerome, who's spent a good chunk of the early season playing like an All-NBA guard. Then again, his inability to stay healthy over the years might make this the right time to strike. Even Jerome's staunchest proponents have to admit he's well outside the Grizzlies' timeline at age 29.

Ditto for the 32-year-old Jerami Grant.

Given the Grizzlies' strong start, though, it wouldn't be ridiculous for them to be careful buyers. If that's how things go, they can put incoming firsts from Phoenix and Orlando on the table, perhaps packaged with Grant's $34 million salary.

Miami Heat

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1. Giannis Antetokounmpo
2. 2028 first-round swap
3. 2029 first-round swap

Wait, didn't the Heat just acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo?

Look, we're just dealing with reality on its own terms here. If things continue to go as poorly as they have so far for Miami, the only real way out of this is flipping Giannis again.

That's obviously a disaster scenario, but it's hard to imagine the Heat ever trading Bam Adebayo and harder still to concoct a deal for an upgrade using the meager assets on hand. The Heat aren't going to blow things up by trading Giannis, but they genuinely don't have a way to add more talent after giving up so much to get him in the first place.

Milwaukee Bucks

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1. 2031 first-round pick (MIA)
2. Tyler Herro
3. Myles Turner

The Bucks aren't likely to trade picks of any kind, but that 2031 pick coming from Miami has too much upside to ignore. If Milwaukee wants to get anyone's attention, it could attach that choice future first to Herro's expiring $33 million and watch the offers roll in.

Odds are the Bucks will instead take back bad money with picks attached if they move Herro, but getting off Turner's deal (three more years and $83 million) might change the dynamics. If he doesn't start to show some of his Indiana form, Turner could become a truly negative asset that requires draft compensation to move.

Kyle Kuzma ($20.5 million) and Caris LeVert ($14.8 million) are both expiring and could provide salary relief to capped-out trade partners. They're far more likely to move than any of the younger, rookie-scale pieces from the Giannis deal.

Minnesota Timberwolves

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1. 2032 first-round swap
2. Donte DiVincenzo
3. Terrence Shannon Jr.

The Wolves don't have many draft assets left after using most of what they had to acquire LaMelo Ball. What few remain, led by a 2032 first-round swap, may need to be on the table.

That's the cost of thinning out the roster and then losing Anthony Edwards to knee surgery. Depth was already an issue. Now, it's a critical one.

DiVincenzo (expiring $12.5 million) might appeal to someone who wants his Bird rights. The sweet-shooting guard tore his Achilles last spring and may not contribute this year, but he might be a free-agent retention priority for an acquiring team.

Shannon is even more valuable now than he was before Edwards' injury, as he's one of the few Minnesota players who can cave in a defense off the dribble. His youth, upside and motor also appeal to the rest of the league.

New Orleans Pelicans

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1. 2027 first-round pick (most favorable of NOP and MIL; protected 1-4)
2. Trey Murphy III
3. Herb Jones

The New Orleans Pelicans probably should have already traded Murphy. Their refusal to use/showcase Herb Jones until injuries required them to do so remains confounding. In the event the Pels figure out they need a fresh start around Jeremiah Fears (and maybe Derik Queen), those two will have robust markets.

That 2027 first-rounder probably shouldn't be on the table, but we know the Pelicans will fire their future picks into the sun if there's a player Joe Dumars and/or Troy Weavers like. That strategy didn't burn them on draft night in 2025, but it was still bad process.

Pels fans should be concerned that the front office is emboldened by how that deal with the Hawks turned out. If we could assume Dumars and Co. won't act irrationally again, we'd slot Dejounte Murray into the place held by that 2027 selection.

New York Knicks

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1. 2033 first-round pick
2. 2030 and 2032 first-round swaps
3. Karl-Anthony Towns

You're not exactly supposed to be asset-rich after you win the title, so it's no surprise the New York Knicks are short on picks to send out for near-term help. That said, they can still shop their last outright tradable first in 2033, along with a pair of swaps. Not bad!

Karl-Anthony Towns is the answer to "which one of these doesn't belong" on New York's asset list, but the lack of a preseason extension and the sheer size of his contract make him a worthwhile inclusion. The Wolves dealt him to New York for two smaller contracts to increase flexibility and avoid paying him; maybe the Knicks will eventually choose to do the same.

Perhaps it seems like nobody would want KAT and the looming specter of his $61 million player option for 2027-28, but if New York offered Towns to the Warriors for Jimmy Butler and a pick, the Dubs would very likely pull the trigger.

Oklahoma City Thunder

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1. 2027 first-round swap (LAC; protected 1-5)
2. 2028 first-round swap (DAL)
3. 2029 first-round swap (DEN; protected 1-5*)

There are drastic scenarios in which the injury-riddled Oklahoma City Thunder retrench and further cut costs by sending out a piece of their core. Those are unlikely, so we're not getting into hypotheticals about Chet Holmgren, Ajay Mitchell, Alex Caruso or anyone else.

OKC is far more likely to address the depth issues created by injuries to Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace by tapping into its considerable draft resources. The Thunder's own picks, which they control, won't be that valuable. The swap rights they have on firsts in the next three drafts could be, though.

If Sam Presti does anything consequential, potential incoming firsts from the Clippers, Mavs and Nuggets will be involved.

*If DEN conveys its 2027 first-round pick

Orlando Magic

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1. Anthony Black/Jalen Suggs
2. 2032 first-round pick
3. Franz Wagner

The Orlando Magic are wildly expensive and may reach a point where they must choose between Suggs and Black. The former is more established and earns an average of $29 million through 2029-30, but comes with injury concerns. The latter is set to hit restricted free agency after earning $10 million this year.

The takeaway: Orlando probably can't afford to keep both.

After that, the Magic's own 2032 selection would command some interest as a sweetener.

If there's a larger shakeup on the horizon, Wagner is much more likely to head out than Paolo Banchero. Much like Suggs and Black, those two max-salary forwards might be approaching a "this town ain't big enough for the both of us" crossroads.

Philadelphia 76ers

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1. 2028 first-round pick (LAC)
2. VJ Edgecombe
3. 2029 first-round swap (LAC; protected 1-3)

The Clippers are almost certainly going to struggle for the next two seasons, adding real upside to that 2028 first-rounder. If the Sixers want to make another addition to their starry core, that asset will almost certainly be in play.

Given the short-term shelf life of a roster that includes Joel Embiid and LeBron James, the wiser move would be to hold onto that pick and the 2029 swap coming in from LA. But Philly is chasing a ring and might be persuaded to double down.

Edgecombe is a potential star on a rookie-scale deal. He's also a key piece of the team right now. That said, he'd draw major interest from the rest of the league and is far more likely to be moved than any of Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, James, or Embiid.

Phoenix Suns

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1. 2032 first-round swap
2. Khaman Maluach
3. Collin Gillespie

Nobody's in worse shape, asset-wise, than the Phoenix Suns, a team that recently saw fit to send out its unprotected 2033 first-rounder for Miles Bridges. That was one of the worst deals any team made this past offseason. It's indicative of this organization's total disregard for long-term thinking.

So while it seems ridiculous to consider putting that 2032 swap on the table, and while no right-thinking team would entertain the idea of shipping out its best young prospect (Maluach) and valuable shooter (Gillespie), you can't rule anything out with the Suns.

Portland Trail Blazers

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1. 2030 first-round swap (MIL)
2. 2028 first-round pick (ORL)
3. Jrue Holiday

The Portland Trail Blazers' acquisition of Ja Morant was opportunistic and achieved at a low cost, but it was also a suggestion that short-term success is the objective.

That makes Holiday's inclusion seem strange, but he has universal two-way appeal to contenders and is only under contract for one more year (at $37.2 million, which stings) after this one. It might seem more sensible to choose Scoot Henderson, but he's shown nothing this season to suggest he's a future star.

The swap from Milwaukee and the unprotected first from Orlando are the real gems here. Attach those to Holiday's salary, and something good's coming back the other way.

Sacramento Kings

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1. 2031 first-round swap (MIN)
2. Keegan Murray
3. De'Andre Hunter

Technically, the Sacramento Kings' own first-rounders are their top assets. We'd normally lead the list with those because the Kings have never been shy about mortgaging their future for short-term gains.

Because Sacramento seems to understand it's going nowhere, we're assuming it won't put any of its own valuable picks on the table and will instead look to move its best incoming selection. That'd be the Wolves' unprotected 2031 first-rounder.

After that, it gets bleak. Murray has gotten worse every year since he was a rookie. Hunter is only valuable because his $24.9 million salary comes off the books after this season.

Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine are much more likely to be bought out than traded.

San Antonio Spurs

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1. 2031 first-round swap (SAC)
2. 2027 first-round pick (ATL)
3. Keldon Johnson

The San Antonio Spurs aren't going to deal any of their top young talent, which means Victor Wembanyama, Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle are all staying put. The success that trio is likely to produce devalues the Spurs' own picks. That incoming 2031 swap from the Kings is the team's juiciest draft chip.

De'Aaron Fox isn't an optimal fit, but he's grossly overpaid and probably not movable for positive value.

Of the other assets teams might covet, the Spurs could put Atlanta's unprotected 2027 first on the table, attached to Johnson's expiring $18 million salary. That should be enough for the kind of win-now upgrade we'd expect San Antonio to seek.

Toronto Raptors

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1. RJ Barrett
2. 2029 first-round pick
3. Ja'Kobe Walter

Barrett's expiring $29.6 million salary is basically the backbone of any potential Raptors move. We should assume that, based on the summer acquisition of Kawhi Leonard, the goal would be short-term gains.

To accomplish that, Toronto may need to attach its only tradable first-rounder in 2029. Leonard, Scottie Barnes, Collin Murray-Boyles and Allen Graves are off limits.

Walter is just here because he's on the rise. His rookie-scale deal would give an acquiring team significant control over his future. Toronto shouldn't have any interest in moving him, but he has real value and could combine that 2029 pick to significantly sweeten a deal.

Utah Jazz

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1. 2033 first-round pick (LAL)
2. 2031 first-round pick (LAL)
3. 2030 first-round swap (LAL)

Utah has plenty of young talent in Ace Bailey, Darryn Peterson and Keyonte George. The first two are part of the core. The third just inked a $150 million extension over the summer. None of them are on the table.

While the Jazz could consider shopping Jaren Jackson Jr. or Lauri Markkanen in bigger shakeups, the far more likely course involves dangling the Lakers picks that came over for Walker Kessler. The further out you go, the more likely Luka Dončić is gone or in decline.

That makes the unprotected pick in 2033 the crown jewel of Utah's considerable trove of assets.

Washington Wizards

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1. Anthony Davis
2. 2030 first-round swap (PHX)
3. Kyshawn George

The Wizards never gave Davis an extension, which means they're not fully committed to making him part of their core. That's the right call. It would have been wise to treat Trae Young the same way, but you can't win them all.

A healthy Davis is probably worth a first-rounder at the deadline, even heading into his $63 million player option for 2027-28. George is maximally scalable and would have real appeal to any team willing to send back a win-now piece.

Lastly, every future Suns asset is worth its weight in gold.

Stats courtesy of NBA.com, Basketball Reference and Cleaning the Glass. Salary info via Spotrac.

Grant Hughes covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Bluesky and subscribe to the Hardwood Knocks podcast, where he appears with Bleacher Report's Dan Favale.