Who’s buying? Who’s selling? And which stars could be on the move?
There’s several interesting NBA trade narratives heating up as we approach December 15, which marks the unofficial start of the trade season.
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For it’s when most free agents signed in the off-season become eligible to be traded, giving teams more flexibility and when general managers become open for business ahead of the February deadline.
Foxsports.com.au breaks down the NBA trade state of play around the league.
STARS POTENTIALLY ON THE MOVE
Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)
There’s no bigger name in trade circles right now than Antetokounmpo. That trade talk intensified last week as reports emerged that the Bucks superstar is weighing up his future after the team’s grim seven-game losing streak when he was sidelined. And the Greek Freak is hurt again with a calf strain in a big blow to Milwaukee’s hopes of fighting its way back into the season and thus a blow to their case to convince Antetokounmpo to stick around. Of course, such talk is nothing new and has surrounded Antetokounmpo since last year as the Bucks have been on a gradual decline since the 2021 championship. The team Antetokounmpo has been most linked to is the New York Knicks, with NBA insider Jake Fischer reporting the Knicks would be his desired home if he did eventually pursue a trade. But if Milwaukee wanted to go into rebuild mode, other teams would likely be able to table better packages and more valuable long-term assets. The biggest of watch this spaces.
Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving (Dallas Mavericks)
Let’s just combine these two, for they’re in a very similar scenario. Davis and Irving’s futures could well hinge on the fortunes of the Mavs over the next couple of months, as well as simply what sort of market there is for the All-Star duo. It was a much bleaker outlook when Dallas was 5-15 and Davis was sidelined (again). But they’ve won four of their last five, including big victories over Denver and Houston, and suddenly look capable of fighting their way back into the season. Still, this is Cooper Flagg’s team now. And you sense if a team makes a good enough offer, the Mavericks would be willing to deal at least one of Davis and Irving and properly commit to building around Flagg.
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Trae Young (Atlanta Hawks)
You were worried how the Hawks would fare when Trae Young went down with an MCL injury. But the team has gone 12-8 without the star guard and adopted a bigger, more defensive-oriented identity with the likes of Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels and Zaccharie Risacher. Johnson has very much led this new era as the No. 1 option in a stellar All-Star season. Suddenly Atlanta’s front office would be seriously questioning whether it makes more sense to move forward without Young. Obviously Young is a star and the offence can get clunky without him, but there’s something to these longer, athletic line-ups that feel like the direction the Hawks could want to move in. They’d perhaps only move him as part of a bigger deal (more on that later).
Ja Morant (Memphis Grizzlies)
Another season where Morant has been engulfed in drama, injury and more trade rumours. The All-Star guard has been well down on his best and even copped a team imposed one-match suspension for a heated exchange with Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo. At this point, you feel like both parties would be better off going their seperate ways. Morant could get a fresh start in hopes of reinvigorating his career, and Memphis could bring in some assets and prioritise building around its younger crop. The issue is that Morant’s trade value has never been lower and Memphis is building into the season with seven wins from its last 10 games. You could look at that in two ways; that Morant could push them into genuine playoff contention … or it’s time to move on.
Lauri Markkanen (Utah Jazz)
The Finnish star has bounced back to some of his best form, averaging a career-best 27.6 points per game to lead Utah to a promising 8-15 start to the season. Perhaps a little too promising. Much like in recent seasons, Utah will surely wind back Markkanen as the season progresses and give him more rest nights … or trade him. Utah is still in rebuild mode and hunting more lottery picks to form its long-term nucleus. This could be the perfect time to trade Markkanen too after the 28-year old has replenished his trade value and he could be a genuine difference maker for a contender looking to add offensive punch.
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Domantas Sabonis (Sacramento Kings)
Has got to be questioning his future. Just a few years on from when those gloriously fun ‘light the beams’ nights first ignited Golden 1 Center, the 6-17 Kings look closer to a lottery team than a playoff contender. Hoops Hype’s Michael Scotto reported last month Sabonis, currently sidelined by injury, has been “disappointed” with the team’s decline and his drop off in usage under new coach Doug Christie. The All-Star big could well request a trade at this point. And he’s a player Sacramento could actually net a good return in a trade for, unlike its other ageing veterans that have fallen away, if it decided to blow it up.
LaMelo Ball (Charlotte Hornets)
Trade talk around Ball has been on and off throughout his career. But you sense this could be the time when Charlotte actually looks to pull the trigger, if there’s a market for the star point guard. Ball hasn’t yet lived up to expectations after showing enormous potential early in the former No. 3 pick’s career, with ongoing ankle injuries clearly a factor. The Hornets are floundering again at 7-17 and things just aren’t clicking. They’ve found a cornerstone in star rookie Kon Knueppel to pair with Brandon Miller, if he can ever stay healthy. And if Charlotte isn’t going to make genuine inroads, Ball might only be getting in the way of Knueppel and Miller’s development. But again, teams might be spooked by Ball’s chronic ankle issues.
Zion Williamson (New Orleans Pelicans)
Another star whose body has badly let him down so much to the point that you’re sceptical about what sort of trade market there is for him. Williamson is on the shelf again in a brutal start to the season for the NBA-worst 3-21 Pelicans. The former No. 1 pick would be some sort of gamble for a team due to his sheer $39-plus million salary, let alone the prospect of giving up trade assets (not that it would take much, at this point). The caveat here is that New Orleans owes its first-round pick to Atlanta, so there’s no incentive for the Pelicans to tear down their roster and tank. That doesn’t rule out a Williamson trade, as New Orleans could still look to attain other teams’ assets. But it’s just tough to see Williamson commanding much in a deal, if anything. So the only reason New Orleans would make a move is if it felt it was going to improve its team or general direction.
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SO, WHO’S BUYING?
Starting with the Eastern Conference, theDetroit Pistons are a team to watch. They’ve surpassed expectations in a 19-5 start and are building a serious case as the frontrunner to come out of the East.
The question is how close they think they are and whether adding another piece could genuinely take them to another level and compete for a championship. And whether they’re willing to tamper with a nucleus that’s gotten them off this epic start that has them sitting first in the East. The old, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
You can never rule out the Miami Heat having something up their sleeve. They’re another team that started the season better than expected at 14-10, but are seemingly still another move away from being a big player in the season.
There’s rumblings the Heat could be in the hunt for Antetokounmpo, while NBA insider Jake Fischer revealed they’ve had “internal discussions” about Morant and how their “infrastructure could benefit him.”
Speaking of Antetokounmpo, the New York Knicks deserve a mention with the possibility he asks for a trade. But the Knicks being over the second apron would make getting deal for a player on a $54 million contract very difficult to pull off.
The Atlanta Hawks might be the most fascinating suitor for Antetokounmpo, with some seriously appealing assets at their disposal.
The first-round pick tied to New Orleans — currently the favourite to be the No. 1 pick — is one of the most valuable trade chips in the entire league. Particularly if the Bucks wanted to reset.
The prospect of adding Antetokounmpo to a rising core of Johnson, Daniels and Risacher, if the Hawks could keep them all out of a potential trade, would be a tantalising one for Hawks brass and fans alike.
Antetokounmpo would take Atlanta’s defence to another level and seriously catapult the Hawks in the East pecking order and raise their overall ceiling.
Young would surely have to be part of the deal, while you’d think Atlanta isn’t wedded to Kristaps Porzingis either.
There’s a couple of obvious teams in the West that would also be watching the Antetokounmpo situation — and other stars that could become available.
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If the San Antonio Spurs could pair Antetokounmpo with Victor Wembanyana, it might be game over for everyone bar OKC in a scary prospect for the rest of the NBA.
San Antonio has many trade-friendly contracts and appealing young players like Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper, if they were open to moving the duo.
But the 15-7 Spurs also have a seriously good thing going, sitting fifth in the West including going 8-4 since Wembanyana went down with injury.
Similarly, the Houston Rockets have all the tools to consolidate their roster, if they so desire, for a superstar like Antetokounmpo, with ample young pieces and trade chips.
But the 15-6 Rockets are also rolling as is, ranked top four in the league in both offensive rating and defensive rating. And they already have one of the most promising young cores in the league, led by Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson.
Alternatively, the Rockets could explore a smaller move and the potential to add another veteran point guard to help fill the Fred VanVleet void, despite Reed Sheppard’s development.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are another team thought to be in the market for a star point guard and president of basketball operations Tim Connelly is never afraid to shake things up.
Mike Conley is no longer a starting calibre point guard and Donte DiVincenzo, though a valuable role player, isn’t a traditional playmaker that can run an offence.
Plus, Minnesota doesn’t feel like a real threat in the West as constructed, so the likes of Irving, Morant or James Harden could be targets.
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Then there’s the LA Lakers, who are in this conversation by default. But also because they’ve outperformed expectations and look like a genuine contender in the West. Or at least the ‘which team will be OKC’s biggest challenger’ contender.
Therein lies a dilemma many of these teams in the West — and NBA, at large — face; is it worth making an all-in move and surrendering long-term assets when the 23-1 Thunder looks this good?
The Lakers have clearly shifted towards building around Luka Doncic now too, so they might prefer to preserve their picks for when they really recalibrate the roster.
The Golden State Warriors are another side that feel like a piece short and will be exploring all avenues for one last hurrah with Steph Curry after adding Jimmy Butler last deadline.
The Warriors’ offence is ranked in the bottom 10 in the NBA, so they might look at a big name like Markkanen or a role player to provide some needed scoring.
Oh, and a Jonathan Kuminga trade feels inevitable at this point after his relationship with Golden State has turned sour. It’s just a matter of where he goes.
AND WHO’S SELLING?
There’s a lot of the usual suspects.
The Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards are quite clearly in tank mode and will look to move off their veterans or do anything that can net them more draft capital and help them long-term.
In fact, the 6-17 Nets are probably winning more games than they’d like to be. But surely they couldn’t trade Michael Porter Jr. with how good he’s been. At least, not yet. Nic Claxton or Cam Thomas, anyone?
The Wizards have more obvious trade candidates like CJ McCollum and Khris Middleton, with the veteran duo on expiring contracts worth over $30 million each.
The Indiana Pacers are in a unique position. This is clearly a gap year with Tyrese Haliburton on the sidelines and they’ll be wanting to get the best draft pick possible to add to their group next year along with the returning Haliburton.
So while Indiana could look to be sellers, the Pacers also want to be contending again next season and thus wouldn’t want to part ways with anyone they think can help them when they get the band back together.
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Conversely, if Antetokounmpo asks out of Milwaukee in season, the Milwaukee Bucks could go into full tear-it-down mode and dangle the likes of Myles Turner, Kyle Kuzma and Bobby Portis on the trade market.
Already the Bucks have a $113 million black hole of dead money in their books over the next several years after waiving Damian Lillard and stretching his salary.
In the West, the Utah Jazz will no doubt be listening to trade offers for just about anyone sans Keyonte George and Ace Bailey. It’s just a matter of how aggressive the Jazz want to be, with a Markkanen trade one that could really spice up the league.
The Sacramento Kings seem ready to have a fire sale and it might just come down to how deep they cut. NBA insider Jake Fischer revealed the Kings are willing to trade anyone except Keegan Murray and Nique Clifford.
That means Sabonis, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan could all be on the move, but LaVine and DeRozan would’t yield much in a deal at this point.
The Memphis Grizzlies are another team to watch, despite stabilising in recent weeks, after offloading Desmond Bane in the off-season. It showed the Grizzlies knew they weren’t good enough to compete with the best teams and they’re now building a new nucleus with the likes of Zach Edey, Cedric Coward and Jaylen Wells.
There’s already plenty of smoke around a Morant trade and you’ve got to think they’d at least be willing to take calls on Jaren Jackson Jr.
It’s meanwhile hard to see the New Orleans Pelicans being big sellers, given they don’t own their first-round pick. But you still feel like everyone on their roster, perhaps even Trey Murphy, is available for the right price.
Likewise, the LA Clippers’ first-round pick is in the Thunder’s hands (how does Sam Presti keep doing this!?). So there’s no incentive for the Clippers, probably the biggest disappointment this season, to ship out pieces and tank.
But the Clippers are nearly completely out of future draft picks and might be a lost cause anyway. So it wouldn’t be a complete shock if everyone on their roster — including Kawhi Leonard, James Harden and Ivica Zubac — are in a different jersey post deadline.
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The Phoenix Suns are also devoid of draft picks in the fallout from their failed run with Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal.
Therefore, despite Phoenix outperforming expectations under new coach Jordan Ott as one of the big surprise packages, it could be an ideal time to cash in on the value of the likes of Dillon Brooks, Grayson Allen or Royce O’Neale if they got an overwhelming offer.
Unless, of course, the Suns want to keep the vibes as high as possible, after a grim couple of years, and try and make a run. There’s also swaps upon swaps ramifications with Phoenix’s 2026 first-round pick, so it doesn’t make sense for the Suns to tank.
The Dallas Mavericks are a tricky one. They feel more like a seller, if anything, for this is the last year the Mavericks have control of their first-round pick for the rest of the decade.
Getting Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 pick was a godsend and miracle out for the wreckage that’s been the disaster Luka Doncic trade.
So the logical move, if they were going to commit to Flagg as their main cornerstone moving forward, would be to get something in return for their veterans, throw this season and bring in another lottery pick to pair with Flagg, while they have access to their pick.
If not, are the Mavs, despite a promising recent turnaround, really going to be any sort of threat? And can Davis be trusted to stay on the court for any sort of prolonged period? Even if everything went right from here and a pathway to the eight seed opened up, it’s still hard to see them competing with the likes of Denver and Houston in the West, much less OKC.
Feels like a wide range of possibilities, from Davis and Irving trades, to moving the likes of PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford.
UMMM, WHAT ARE THESE TEAMS DOING?
The 9-14 Chicago Bulls are one of the great enigmas in the NBA. Looked capable of a playoff push after an epic 6-1 start, but have suddenly dropped seven in a row to now be clinging onto their play-in spot.
On one hand, Josh Giddey clearly needs help and the Bulls appear to be trying to win games. But Chicago could just as easily go the other way and sell its veterans with an eye for the future.
Nikola Vucevic’s name seemingly comes up in trade rumours every year, with the veteran centre and Coby White among several Bulls on expiring deals. So the might be an appealing trade partner for teams looking to open up salary cap space.
There’s been murmurs of a potential Anthony Davis-Chicago homecoming, but ESPN’s Jamal Collier reported the Bulls wouldn’t trade any of their young core until the team is closer to contention. That suggests the Bulls aren’t going to do anything too extreme.
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The Charlotte Hornets are another tough one to figure out. They have enough pieces to be more competitive, at least on paper, than their 7-17 record suggests.
That has all the makings for a team ready to shake things up, with Ball and Miles Bridges the ones you sense could be offloaded to prioritise young duo Knueppel, 20, and Miller, 23, in leading roles.
Therefore, you could picture the Hornets accepting they’re not quite ready yet and either standing still or selling some pieces. Or you could see them exploring a mini shake-up with a win-now move like trying to add a more seasoned big.
On a similar note, the 14-11 Cleveland Cavaliers have very much underwhelmed after going into the season as the favourite to come out of the East.
This isn’t to say the Cavs are going to be sellers, but they might be prepared to do something bold and break up their star core — either for another top-liner or with an ‘addition by subtraction’ approach.
Finally, it’d be remiss not to at least mention the Boston Celtics.
They had ‘sellers’ written all over them going into the season after moving Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday over the summer to signal this was going to be a gap year with Jayson Tatum sidelined.
Yet Boston sits third in the East at 15-9 amid a five-game winning streak and all the talk is that Tatum is doing everything he can to get back this season, which still feels unlikely.
There’s still a scenario where the Celtics cop a big injury or two and decide to pack it in, particularly given they own their first-round pick.
But with the East the most wide open it’s been in some time and the ultra competitive Joe Mazulla at the helm, perhaps even they don’t know right now what the ideal plan should be come February.