Ranking Top 10 NBA Trade Targets Right Now, Plus Landing Spots

The 2026-27 NBA season is young, but teams now have data.

Probably not enough to make big-picture proclamations, but enough to start getting a feel for what is and isn't possible with their talent on hand.

As those assessments get more detailed—typically closer to the first-quarter mark—that's when the trade market springs to life. And you better believe front offices are already plotting paths for the directions they might take once this installment of #TradeSZN reaches a hardwood near you.

We're just getting an early start on the path-plotting process by identifying (and ranking!) the top players on or reasonably connected to the trade market. While the rankings are subjective, they do include everything from established ability and projected immediate impact to age, contract status, and anything else that can make a trade commodity more or less valuable.

10. Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings

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The Kings are clearly all-in on Darius Acuff Jr., their 19-year-old rookie who's averaging more shots than everyone not named Luka Dončić or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. They're also out on their incumbent veteran core and probably have been for a while. And Sabonis, for the record, might welcome a change, too.

Sabonis has a rich resume featuring three All-Star selections, a slew of overstuffed stat lines and a general level of efficiency that speaks to his polish and processing. He also has a reputation as being more of a floor-raiser than a ceiling-pusher, since his limitations can get (and have been) exposed in the playoffs.

He won't have universal appeal, in other words, because teams seeking stars and with the assets to acquire them will aim higher. But for desperate shoppers on a tight trade budget, Sabonis could be perfect. And he could be a solid get for anyone aiming to up its talent level without depleting its draft stock.

Possible landing spots: Atlanta Hawks, Phoenix Suns, Toronto Raptors

9. Norman Powell, Chicago Bulls

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Before the ink dried on the two-year, $44 million pact Powell signed with Chicago this summer, the veteran scorer emerged as one of the league's most logical trade candidates. The Bulls are thinking years down the line, while the 33-year-old Powell (34 in March) is very much playing for the present.

This felt like free agency's most obvious marriage of convenience. Powell pocketed a hefty sum, as he should have following back-to-back seasons of averaging 21-plus points. The Bulls gained a valuable veteran voice and an offensive asset to help give their young core guidance and on-court support. And neither side would be glued to the partnership for long, since the second season is a team option.

Chatter has already started about Powell, and it will only increase as the league creeps closer to the trade deadline. It would help if he was scoring more efficiently (39.8 percent shooting, 30.9 percent from three), but his track record suggests he'll bounce back, especially when he gets back around more established talent.

Possible landing spots: Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors

8. Tyler Herro, Milwaukee Bucks

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When Herro joined his hometown Bucks in this summer's Giannis Antetokounmpo blockbuster, he had high hopes for the club. He told The Athletic's Eric Nehm, "I think we're going to be better than people anticipate," then added, "We're gonna be good."

The Bucks are decidedly not good: 1-9 on the season with a disastrously awful (and 28th-ranked) minus-13.1 net rating. Herro, to his credit, has been pretty good (21.4 points, 4.3 assists and 3.1 three-pointers), but the roster around him just isn't ready to compete.

That will get outside teams talking about him. It almost assuredly already has. Between his offensive punch and expiring $33 million salary, he's a stretch-run-boost waiting to happen for the right team.

Possible landing spots: Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, Toronto Raptors

7. Michael Porter Jr., Brooklyn Nets

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While the Nets technically have no incentive to tank now (Houston holds swap rights to Brooklyn's 2027 first-round pick), they clearly lack the talent to compete. They have twice as many double-digit losses (four) as any-digit wins (two) and have encountered major malfunctions at both ends.

With the Nets potentially misfiring on a handful of first-round picks in recent years, there is an urgent and obvious need for more throws at the dartboard. Porter, a proven shotmaker and support scorer with championship experience, could be their path toward getting some.

While he is overpaid, he comes with no long-term commitments, since his $40.8 million salary is expiring. For those who can make the cap numbers work, he is the kind of spacer and bucket-getter who could help an offense jump from good to great.

Possible landing spots: Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, San Antonio Spurs

6. Anthony Davis, Washington Wizards

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A healthy version of Davis remains a dominant force. Just ask the Detroit Pistons, who just found themselves on the wrong end of his 44-point, 13-rebound eruption.

But Davis' struggles staying healthy are well-documented, and they certainly won't get easier to manage as he probes deeper into his 30s. They also create questions about his desire for top dollar, which is one of several reasons—along with frustration and timeline—to wonder whether his time with Washington will last much longer.

Buzzy talks about a possible return to the Los Angeles Lakers don't have legs, but Davis could be a massive get for the right shopper. Whether co-starring with a currently solo star or anchoring the interior for a could-be contender, he is the kind of player who could—if healthy asterisk forever attached—tip the scales of the championship race.

Possible landing spots: Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns, Toronto Raptors

5. Darius Garland, Los Angeles Clippers

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While the Clippers split from Kawhi Leonard this summer, they haven't really shifted into youth-movement mode yet. And, honestly, flipping that switch will be tricky given their severe shortage of draft capital.

Add a sluggish, uninspiring start to this season to the equation, and it feels like all breadcrumbs could lead toward a blockbuster subtraction. Garland's creation, shot-making and efficiency could all boost a win-now club, and L.A. doesn't look like it'll be winning any time soon. It also probably needs the picks he could deliver in a deal to even start turning the corner.

Because Garland is youngish (26 until late January), he could attract both win-now and win-pretty-soon shoppers. That will help his market. What could it hurt, though, are concerns of availability and defensive viability, plus the need for a new (almost certainly super costly) contract by 2028.

Possible landing spots: Chicago Bulls, Memphis Grizzlies, Phoenix Suns

4. Kyrie Irving, Dallas Mavericks

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The partnership between Irving and Cooper Flagg has been both wildly entertaining and absurdly effective (plus-13.6 net rating across 190 minutes). Seeing them in action makes you almost forget the near-constant trade speculation surrounding the former, which is exactly how Irving would prefer it.

"I let the team know out of my own mouth that these trade rumors, anything that's going on with me, do not let this infiltrate our locker room," Irving told reporters. "Don't let this get in the way of what we have building here."

That's the kind of leadership teams should want from a floor general. It's also powerless to stop that string of trade chatter, which feels unavoidable given the timeline crater separating the 19-year-old Flagg from the 34-year-old Irving.

The uber-creative lead guard would work best on a team hoping to contend right now and feeling like it might be one offensive upgrade away from doing it. He isn't for everyone—older, often injured and uncertain for the long haul (player option for 2027-28)—but he is very much for the suitors that make sense.

Possible landing spots: Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons, Miami Heat

3. Franz Wagner, Orlando Magic

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The Magic clearly sought out change when they dismissed former coach Jamahl Mosley this offseason after three consecutive first-round exits. This can't be the change it had in mind: a drop from pretty good to putrid (2-7 with the league's seventh-worst net rating).

Injuries haven't helped, but this core has long been questioned about its composition. So, a clean bill of health wouldn't definitively shore up a defense that isn't defending or an offense that's struggling to make shots from anywhere.

The Magic might have to rethink their long-term (and high-dollar) commitment to overlapping wings Wagner and Paolo Banchero. It could honestly squeeze either out, and the market would be thrilled with either outcome.

Wagner is older and slightly less productive than his costar, and he's had some availability issues of late (94 games played the past two seasons combined), so he could have trouble climbing any higher up the rankings. Still, his blend of polish and potential could appeal both to contenders eyeing a second or third star or rebuilders who are eager to find their next centerpiece.

Possible landing spots: Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs

2. Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic

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If the Magic interpret their sluggish start as a sign to change their formula, then one of their starring, ball-dominant forwards has to go. It could be Wagner, but it could just as easily be Banchero, who has star-level production but not the efficiency or impact of a superstar.

Maybe he just isn't what folks envisioned when he arrived as the top pick of the 2022 draft. Or perhaps Orlando just isn't the right environment to bring out his best as a 6'10", 250-pound primary scorer and secondary shot-creator.

Not all teams will be willing pay a premium to find out. Not when Banchero is basically a few injury-riddled weeks into a five-year, $239.2 million contract.

For folks desperate to find a difference-maker, though, he has the building-block package of size, skill, stardom and ceiling. If he's already this productive in a less than ideal setting (career 22.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists), the imaginaton runs wild thinking what he might do with a roster more tailored to his strengths and weaknesses.

Possible landing spots: Brooklyn Nets, Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings

1. Trey Murphy III, New Orleans Pelicans

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Among players on or near the trade market, Murphy might come closest to offering universal appeal. It's not that he's the best player listed here or the most decorated, but rather that he is (relatively) affordable, scheme- and role-versatile and aged just right to offer established production and a bit of untapped potential.

You could talk yourself into half of the league qualifying as logical landing spots for Murphy. Maybe more. Which probably explains why the Pelicans have held firm on such a steep asking price, reported this summer by HoopsHype's Michael Scotto to be "the equivalent of...three first-round picks."

That price tag is rich, but there are teams that can cover it and would for an athletic big wing who adds value on both ends of the floor and possesses an all-purpose set of supplemental skills.

Muraphy isn't a game-changer, but rather a game-enhancer. Any midseason move involving him would be light on disruption and heavy on impact.

Possible landing spots: Boston Celtics, Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs