We return with a star-studded edition of our Trade Rumor Rankings series, in which we rank the five players who have appeared most often on our Trade Rumors page over the previous week.

Today, we discuss various multi-time All-Stars, former All-NBAers, and some of the biggest names in the NBA today – some healthier than others.

Below, check out the most bandied-about players in the NBA trade market today.

5. Daniel Gafford (Dallas)

Despite the Dallas Mavericks’ plethora of big men on their roster, including Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively and PJ Washington, according to veteran NBA scribe Marc Stein, the team is not currently entertaining the idea of trading its explosive center: 

External interest in Gafford is sure to surface, league sources say, but the Mavericks to this point have not entertained the idea of trading him. How could they with Dereck Lively II, their would-be center of the future, limited to just three games played thus far due to a knee sprain?

Stein would later report that Gafford is viewed as the “most tradeable” Maverick, but that the injuries affecting Davis and Lively complicate the matter to an extent.

Gafford is locked up on a very team-friendly, long-term contract, one that has him signed through 2028-29, when he’ll earn $19.0 million. Considering the future cap jumps the NBA is expected to have, that’s a great deal for an efficient, athletic, team-first player like Gafford.

For the latest Daniel Gafford rumors, click here.

4. Kyrie Irving (Dallas)

Speaking of Mavericks players, with Dallas struggling the way it is this season, it only makes sense that its most talented player, Kyrie irving, is also drawing trade interest. According to Shams Charania, however, the Mavericks are not interested in trading the former NBA champion – and see him as part of their future:

What is the approach about Kyrie? Shams Charania: Teams are actually sniffing around Kyrie Irving: His availability on the court, potentially trade-wise, and his playing status the rest of the season. But my understanding is the Mavericks have made it clear privately that they want Kyrie Irving as a complete part of their future moving forward. He’s still in recovery and rehab from that ACL tear from March. He signed a three-year deal in the offseason, but the Mavericks value his leadership on the court, off the court, and his fit with Cooper Flagg. Cooper Flagg is going to need a point guard whenever he’s ready to be back out on the court, and you just see right now how much this team misses Kyrie Irving some of these close games that they’ve had. And that’s the difference, though, between the Kyrie Irving situation the Anthony Davis situation. They are listening to potential trade calls on Anthony Davis, but with Kyrie Irving, they want him a part of their future moving forward.

However, one anonymous Eastern Conference executive said this week that the Mavs’ best path forward would involve trading the nine-time All-Star:

With the Mavericks being the biggest topic around the league this week, the discussion quickly shifted to the question looming over whomever is tapped to replace Harrison as the lead executive: What does the future hold for Davis and Irving less than three months until the February trade deadline? The belief, from sources I spoke to, is that the Mavs moving on from at least Davis, if not both stars, was the optimal strategy. Those moves would help maximize the 2026 first-round pick in a loaded 2026 draft class — the only selection Dallas controls the rest of this decade — to reposition the franchise around 2025 No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg. “Absolutely,” an Eastern Conference executive said when asked whether trading the two veteran stars was the right path for Dallas.

Irving will be 34 by the time he returns, and although he’s made progress in getting healthy again, the injury he’s coming back from is a major one. So it’ll be interesting to see if the Mavs try to extract full value in an Irving trade now or wait to see how he looks when he returns.

For the latest Kyrie Irving trade rumors, click here.

3. Ja Morant (Memphis)

At the moment, Ja Morant’s play is a far cry from his once-All-NBA level. But rather than believe that to mean he’s washed up at age 26, some believe it might have to do with him wanting out of Memphis: 

Zach Lowe: “I will say with Ja — teams that are watching him, and I talked to one of them over the weekend — they’re throwing his current level of play into the trash. They’re saying, ‘This looks to us like a guy who wants out.’ And they’re going to judge him more by his long-term track record — whatever that even is at this point, given his games played issues over the last few years — than by what they’re seeing right now.” “But, I mean… he’s averaging 18 a game, shooting 36% from the field, 17% from three, and just looks disengaged for half of every game on both ends of the floor.”

Morant is currently averaging 17.9 points and 7.6 assists per game on a paltry 35.9 percent shooting mark. His issues with Grizzlies head coach Tuomas Iisalo are also well-documented, so the theory of Morant mailing it in to get traded isn’t totally ludicrous. 

Regardless, ESPN reported this week that the Grizzlies are expected to explore the trade market for Morant:

Given Morant hasn’t improved as a shooter — he was an abysmal 10-for-60 from 3 before his latest calf injury — it’s easy to see why he’s not the same player who electrified the league and appeared to have Memphis on a championship-caliber trajectory a few short years ago. Sources expect Memphis to explore the trade market for Morant but, like Davis, believe it will be difficult to get value for him. ‘I do think they’ll move him,’ a West scout said.

On the other hand, according to FanSided, Memphis would only trade Morant for an absolute “no-brainer” of a return: 

Memphis is not willing to consider Ja Morant trades unless it’s a no-brainer (which no one is calling with), according to sources. They want to make this work. Morant may have to force the issue if there is to be a trade.

We’ll see how this story progresses, but Morant’s situation in Memphis is one that we will continue to monitor. 

For the latest Ja Morant trade rumors, click here.

2. LaMelo Ball (Charlotte)

A LaMelo Ball-sized bomb was dropped this week in the trade rumor market when Yahoo! Sports reported that Ball is open to being moved following the Hornets’ 2-13 start: 

Following the Hornets’ disappointing road loss to the 2-13 Indiana Pacers — their fourth straight, dropping Charlotte to 12th in the Eastern Conference with a 4-11 record — star guard LaMelo Ball has grown increasingly frustrated with the organization and is open to a trade away from the franchise, multiple league sources told Yahoo Sports.

Ball responded to the rumor emphatically on X…

…and called it false info: 

LaMelo Ball dismissed a Yahoo! report that emerged Thursday indicating Ball is unhappy with the Hornets and open to being traded elsewhere. “It didn’t come from me,” Ball said. “The source wasn’t me, so it’s false info. Got to let them know. I really don’t like commenting on stuff, but it got too big.” He added: “I love being here.”

However, the Hornets are reportedly open to listening to trade offers for Ball: 

Another one we’ll touch on more tomorrow. LaMelo Ball does not want out of Charlotte, to my understanding. I believe that to be true. The Hornets have definitely given other teams the impression they will listen to offers for him, though.

Ball isn’t the most efficient and his impact on winning is highly questionable. His contract (five years, $203.9 million) is also tricky, to say the least. But he’s got superstar potential with his three-level scoring and his playmaking, so maybe someone takes a flyer on him this season in hopes they can unlock the next level in him.

For the latest LaMelo Ball trade rumors, click here.

1. Anthony Davis (Dallas)

This is purely speculation, but Anthony Davis seems like the likeliest star to be traded this season. He’s healthier than Irving, for one, and the Mavericks’ current outlook (they’re 5-12 and don’t seem close to contending) doesn’t seem to fit what Davis (32) is as a player when healthy. 

The most common rumors surrounding Davis’ future attach him to his hometown Chicago Bulls. Just this week, another rumor regarding the topic came out: 

The Bulls could go in a few directions over the next several months, including adding to the current roster. That has led some sources to speculate whether Chicago, with over $80 million in expiring money, could be a suitor for Dallas’ Anthony Davis and bring the Windy City native home. ‘I could see it,’ a West executive, who recently saw Chicago play, said. ‘[Josh] Giddey has worked well with Vucevic, but he could use a roll man to throw it up to.

According to Marc Stein, the Mavericks intend to field offers on the 10-time All-Star:

League sources say that the Mavericks still intend to field any trade interest in Davis that emerges over the next two-plus months … with the prospect of an actual trade obviously dependent on offer quality.

Charania also reported that the Mavericks will be listening to trade calls on Davis, but that teams are waiting to see how the big man looks when he’s back on the court: 

This franchise is moving away from Nico Harrison’s three-to-four-year championship window, and toward trying to find sustained success and sustained growth around Cooper, Flagg and youth. And to that end, sources have told ESPN that the Mavericks will be listening to trade calls for Anthony Davis and seeing and exploring his value. And for that, health will be the biggest key because not only for the Mavericks to evaluate Anthony Davis over a lengthy period of time, an extended period of time on the court, but for other teams that could have interest in him to see what he looks like when he’s back with this team, looks like when he’s back, a lot of evaluation to come around.

However, former Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who still owns a stake in the team, said Dallas won’t trade Davis this season because the team is still trying to win:

Dallas Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban told The Athletic the franchise would not try to trade Anthony Davis this season. “We won’t. We want to try to win,” Cuban said Wednesday in an email when asked if he and Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont would seek a deal for Davis, the oft-injured, 10-time All-Star who was the centerpiece for Dallas in last season’s Luka Dončić trade.

By all accounts, Davis’ trade market will come down to how he looks when he returns from injury.

For the latest Anthony Davis trade rumors, click here.