The end of December is not only a time to celebrate all of your achievements over the last year and the holidays with friends and family, but it’s also for trade talks and intel spreading across the NBA. With the holiday season upon us, there is no better time to unwrap the latest trade intel and news from across the league, especially with representatives and front-office personnel meeting face-to-face with one another in Orlando for the G League Winter Showcase.
In what has essentially become the adjacent event to the Winter Meetings in MLB, the NBA G League Showcase is an annual scouting event where the games and on-court product have basically become a second thought in recent years. While the performances and direct scouting of G League players remain pertinent to all 30 teams, many executives take this short “vacation” to Florida before the holidays to really gain a better understanding of what this season’s trade market will look like.
After all, many players who signed contracts in the offseason became trade eligible on Dec. 15, and pretty much every other player across the league becomes trade eligible on Jan. 15.
In fact, the only notable players, by rule, who can’t be traded after Jan. 15 are Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, De’Aaron Fox, PJ Washington, Aaron Nesmith, and Toumani Camara.
Believe it or not, there are only six weeks left until the 2025-26 NBA trade deadline on Feb. 5, and we have already heard plenty of rumors about All-Star talents like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Davis, Domantas Sabonis, Ja Morant, and others. The stars always dominate questions around the trade deadline, which is why Giannis has been the hot-ticket item around the NBA.
However, all of these stars have not been the focal point of league chatter recently in Orlando.
Instead, the league as a whole is seeking knowledge as to what the rest of the trade market will look like, specifically, some decisions the Chicago Bulls have to make regarding 25-year-old combo guard Coby White.
Guard trade market starts with Bulls, Coby White
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This past summer was an eventful one for the Chicago Bulls.
After trading Zach LaVine to the Sacramento Kings at the trade deadline in the three-team deal that sent De’Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs, the Bulls found themselves needing to come up with a plan for how they wanted to attack their immediate future, especially from a financial perspective.
That is why Josh Giddey’s restricted free agency loomed large, along with the prospect of bringing back Tre Jones, who came over from the Spurs at the deadline. Jones signed a new three-year contract in July, and the Bulls moved Lonzo Ball to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Isaac Okoro.
Head coach Billy Donovan signed a contract extension near the end of July, and it was not until near the start of training camp that Giddey and the Bulls’ standoff ended with a four-year, $100 million contract. Amid all of these deals and changes Chicago made in the backcourt, Coby White stood out like a sore thumb.
White, who is in the midst of his seventh season with the Bulls, finds himself in the final year of his contract and on the verge of becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2026. The Bulls’ combo guard has taken a massive leap over the last two years as a primary scoring weapon in Chicago, which has generated plenty of trade interest over the last year.
While the Bulls were adamant about not trading White last season or this past summer, he has become arguably the best guard on the market ahead of this year’s trade deadline because of his pure scoring abilities and obtainable contract. White is only making $12.88 million in the final year of his contract.
A lot of organizations pinpointed the Bulls as a hub of trade intel at the NBA G League Showcase, not only because of the talk surrounding White, but because of all the teams that have already spoken with Chicago this season about a multitude of trade information spanning well past their own players, league sources told ClutchPoints. Although the Bulls will be entering this year’s trade deadline as sellers once more, sources described such a label as “sellers with a purpose.”
Unlike the Sacramento Kings, who appear to be on their way to a full roster reset in the near future, the Bulls will be very selective with who they trade and where they potentially trade certain players to.
White is certainly at the forefront of the Bulls’ discussions right now with rival teams, as several representatives from a few teams, in both conferences, told ClutchPoints how the general feeling is that Chicago is essentially looking to create a bidding war for the combo guard in the final year of his deal. The Bulls’ mindset is that they will be able to get at least one unprotected first-round pick for him.
Intel surrounding White has picked up, a notion that NBA insider Marc Stein also recently reported on, as well, claiming that teams that have contacted the Bulls have been left with the impression that they’re “more open to trading” him than ever before. That seems to be the general consensus coming from the G League Showcase, and early indications suggest that there are a couple of teams that would be willing to pursue White, not knowing whether he would commit to them in free agency.
In such a case, White would basically be a “rental” for a team’s playoff run and potential championship push. One team, which is not reportedly pursuing White but makes sense in this type of scenario, would be the Denver Nuggets, given their backcourt needs and title aspirations.
Then again, White’s unlikely bonuses and slightly higher apron salary would complicate such a move for Denver unless they wanted to trade Peyton Watson, which has been brought up as a possibility by The Denver Post. Watson has been everything the Nuggets have needed on the wing, but he will be a restricted free agent and is likely out of Denver’s price range.
There is nothing to suggest that the Nuggets are a team pursuing White, though, so who are his main suitors?
More than six different teams around the league have already been in contact with the Bulls inquiring about White, notably the Minnesota Timberwolves, sources confirmed. Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times first reported the Timberwolves’ trade interest in White, though The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski followed up by saying nothing was imminent. Three intriguing Eastern Conference teams brought up in conversations with league executives at the G League Showcase as potential landing spots for White include the Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks, and Cleveland Cavaliers.
Nobody really ever knows what the Magic are planning to do, as their acquisition of Desmond Bane in the offseason surprised many. With their upcoming high payroll and having four players making over $30 million next season, it’s unlikely Orlando would have interest in committing to White long-term.
However, this is another potential “rental” spot for White, as word surrounding Orlando is that this team wants to add secondary scoring help. The Magic’s depth has been challenged a lot because of injuries over the last year, and it appears as if they are indicating that they would be willing to move on from Jonathan Isaac and second-round assets to add scoring depth, sources said.
Chicago and Orlando have done business before when Nikola Vucevic was traded to the Bulls in 2021, so maybe there is something these two front offices could do again.
That takes us to the Hawks, another intriguing team brought up by league personnel as a team to watch, not just in terms of White and the Bulls, but the trade market as a whole.
Hawks looking to buy… but at a certain price
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When the Hawks traded for Kristaps Porzingis and signed Nickeil Alexander-Walker this past offseason, many rival organizations in the East immediately looked at Atlanta as real postseason threats.
So far this season, the Hawks have underperformed with their 15-15 record. At the same time, this organization certainly has the talent to kick things into a higher gear the rest of the way with Jalen Johnson playing at an All-Star level, Trae Young returning from his knee injury, and Onyeka Okongwu continuing to emerge as one of the better two-way stretch centers in the NBA.
What stands out about the Hawks so far is that they have struggled to receive adequate production in their backcourt behind Young and Alexander-Walker. This team has also been without Porzingis for over half the season so far as he continues to deal with complications of his Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), an autonomic nervous system disorder.
Atlanta is in a very peculiar position leading up to the trade deadline because league personnel don’t believe Onsi Saleh and his front office will be full-blown buyers this season, where they would sacrifice assets to go into a win-now mode. Instead, the Hawks are being labeled as a team that will be selective and set themselves up to enter next season with some cap flexibility.
It doesn’t appear as if Atlanta wants to tie itself down to long-term money at the deadline since Dyson Daniels’ contract extension kicks in during the 2026-27 season, and Young has his $48.9 million player option.
Although the Hawks have explored and discussed a potential path to pursuing Dallas Mavericks star Anthony Davis, there has been no movement on this front, sources said.
Trading Porzingis, given his health problems, and finding another frontcourt option to pair with Okongwu is certainly an option at this time for Atlanta. But rival teams in both conferences don’t think the Hawks would sacrifice the assets and Porzingis’ expiring deal for Davis. Instead, many around the NBA expect them to make a marginal move if they want to move on from Porzingis, which leads to the idea of a potential trade with Chicago.
Vucevic is a stretch big man like Porzingis, who is making about $9 million less than the current Hawks big man. Atlanta is currently $5.4 million below the tax line, and they would like to remain in this standing, but they could achieve this while also potentially flipping Porzingis’ expiring contract and draft assets for both White and Vucevic, two immediate upgrades to help them make a deep playoff push.
Again, this is simply a proposal from league personnel, and there is nothing to suggest at this time that the Hawks are actively pursuing Vucevic or White. However, this is the type of “marginal move” the Hawks are said to be more interested in pursuing should a decision to trade Porzingis be made.
A known fact about the Hawks is that their first-round pick swap this year with the New Orleans Pelicans won’t be traded, no matter what. With a projected top-five pick and their youth continuing to grow, the Hawks don’t face any sense of urgency to pull off a major roster move at this year’s trade deadline, something they almost did during the 2024-25 season for Brandon Ingram.
Right now, Atlanta seems to be weighing all of its options between now and the trade deadline, waiting to see what players become available and what Porzingis’ outlook will be the rest of the season.
Surprisingly enough, the Cavaliers are right next to the Hawks in the standings, a position they did not think would be in after winning 64 games last year and entering the 2025-26 season as the only second-apron team.
Cavaliers facing trade deadline dilemma
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Nothing has gone right in Cleveland so far this season.
Max Strus has not played at all yet after undergoing offseason foot surgery, and Evan Mobley is currently sidelined with a calf strain. Not to mention, both Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen have missed time and have yet to look like the All-Stars they were a season ago because of their injury concerns.
Donovan Mitchell has been the only consistent threat for the Cavs, and he alone hasn’t been able to carry this organization in the Eastern Conference through the first two months of the season.
Pressure is mounting for the Cavs as the calendar prepares to flip to 2026, especially with owner Dan Gilbert reportedly “very unhappy” with the way this season has gone thus far. Does this mean we should be preparing for the Cavs to take apart their “core four” before this year’s trade deadline?
That is not necessarily the case. Mitchell and Mobley are not going anywhere, and Cleveland doesn’t have any reason to give up on Garland and Allen yet. Although the Cavs are likely to make a change to their roster early in the new year, many around the league have downplayed Koby Altman making a drastic change to his roster, sources said.
Instead, it is expected that the Cavaliers will make a move to adjust their secondary talent, possibly seeking more depth behind Mitchell and Garland, an area where Ty Jerome’s offseason departure is being felt.
Looking ahead, the future of Mitchell, Mobley, Garland, and Allen is certainly worth discussing. However, that seems to be something the Cavaliers will address in the summer rather than make a rash decision before Feb. 5.
Outside of their core, De’Andre Hunter’s future has suddenly become a key talking point regarding potential changes the Cavs will explore. Hunter was recently taken out of the starting lineup by head coach Kenny Atkinson, and his $23.3 million contract for this season gives this team a path to making a change as a second-apron organization.
It is unknown what Hunter’s market would look like before the trade deadline, but he is the perfect example of what this year’s trade season looks like. This is essentially a market that will be created as players pop up instead of teams specifically pinpointing certain targets and reaching out about one specific player.
Teams that are looking to buy could be pleasantly surprised if a player like Hunter or Milwaukee’s Bobby Portis all of a sudden becomes available on their own or as an extension of a trade that can be expanded to multiple teams. There is a very real possibility of multiple trades involving three or four teams before this year’s deadline as a result of this and many teams’ cap positions.
Should Hunter hit the trade block and the Cavs want to unload his salary, keep an eye on teams like the Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers, and Dallas Mavericks — all of whom are in need of more help on the wing.
While this is not definitively saying these are four teams targeting Hunter, as there have been no indications that these teams are pursuing him, all four places make sense as potential fits.
As far as possibly pursuing White in a trade with Chicago goes, these two teams swapped Okoro and Ball this past offseason. Ball has not worked out as Garland’s backup so far, and White is the type of dynamic scoring guard who would thrive in Atkinson’s system. One Eastern Conference executive told ClutchPoints that such a move could signal Cleveland wanting to replace Garland with White in the offseason.
Do not count out the Cavs pulling off a sneaky move and adding an unexpected name at the trade deadline to try and get back on a championship-contending path.
Other than Hunter, another domino expected to fall for the Cavs before this year’s trade deadline is Dean Wade. Multiple teams called the Cavs this offseason before free agency began, inquiring about Wade’s availability, sources said. Among the teams with heavy interest in Wade, the Houston Rockets stood out as a prime suitor. This was, of course, before the Rockets signed Dorian Finney-Smith.
The writing is on the wall for Wade to find a new home before this year’s trade deadline, and it’s likely the Cavs will move him, in addition to possibly trading Hunter, in attempts to move out of the second apron.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks’ trade plans
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And once again, we are discussing the Milwaukee Bucks leading up to this year’s trade deadline.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has remained sidelined since suffering a right soleus muscle strain on Dec. 3, and the speculation surrounding him possibly being traded has sent the NBA trade machines into working overtime. But the Bucks’ mindset has not changed, and all indications continue to point to Giannis remaining in Milwaukee through the 2025-26 season at the least.
As for what the Bucks’ next steps are, general manager Jon Horst is expected to make a big move to add talent around Giannis and starting center Myles Turner, league sources said. At the NBA G League Showcase in Orlando, the one name that was floated around the most for the Bucks was Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant.
Some believe the Bucks, who already have a working relationship with Portland dating back to their Damian Lillard trade, have a path to landing both Grant and Robert Williams III as impactful trade deadline additions to improve the team on both ends of the floor.
Williams, who is in the final year of his contract in Portland, is expected to generate plenty of interest as the deadline nears due to his ability to play well above the rim and be a shot blocker on defense. Between Bobby Portis, Kyle Kuzma, and another smaller contract, Milwaukee has the cap flexibility to pull off such a trade for the two Blazers veterans.
Not much has been said about Zach LaVine and the Bucks as of late. The Sacramento Kings have made it known that everyone on their roster, other than Keegan Murray and Nique Clifford, are available in trade talks, and Milwaukee has done extensive scouting on the possibility of adding LaVine since the trade deadline last season.
However, his contract would be tough for the Bucks to maneuver, and many front-office personnel have downplayed the potential of such a move between Sacramento and Milwaukee.
Other than Grant, two other names who have been linked to Milwaukee are Miami Heat wing Andrew Wiggins and Washington Wizards wing Corey Kispert, sources said.
Wiggins, who was drawing interest from the Bucks over the summer, continues to be a name associated with Milwaukee’s trade deadline plans. From the Heat’s perspective, though, they seem to be working on their own plans to upgrade their roster, and it’s unknown whether Miami would surrender Wiggins in a trade that doesn’t land them an All-Star-level player like Giannis or someone else.
The Washington Wizards are rebuilding, and they appear to be open to receiving calls about any of their players outside of their recent first-round picks. Kispert is an interesting name who could help a lot of contending teams when healthy, and he finds himself in the first year of a team-friendly four-year, $54 million contract.
Although Kispert has only played in 17 games this season due to a fractured tip in his right thumb, he has averaged 8.9 points and 2.5 rebounds per game while shooting 50.5 percent from the floor and 40.3 percent from 3-point range. The Wizards forward is definitely a tier below Grant and Wiggins regarding the Bucks’ plans before this year’s trade deadline.
Another Wizards player drawing attention from teams around the league is veteran guard CJ McCollum. While McCollum has not been mentioned as a potential target for the Bucks, he has been brought up in connection with the LA Clippers, sources said.
A lot of uncertainty still surrounds the Clippers this season, and nobody around the league knows what they have planned yet in the six weeks leading up to this year’s trade deadline. Tyronn Lue and management are still indicating that this group will push for the playoffs, yet that just became even more difficult with Ivica Zubac spraining his ankle.
Some around the league tend to believe McCollum is obtainable for two or three second-round picks, and with him being on an expiring contract, he would make sense for the Clippers, a team looking to make a last-ditch effort to contend this year.
The Wizards will listen carefully to any potential trade conversations that come their way, whether it revolves around Kispert and the Bucks, McCollum and the Clippers, or someone else. Keep an eye on Marvin Bagley III drawing attention before the trade deadline, as he’s a big man on a minimum contract who is starting to generate interest from teams wanting to add size in their frontcourt.
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Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones have been two of the most discussed players regarding this year’s trade deadline, with the New Orleans Pelicans struggling to get out of the gates this season. Both players have been mentioned as trade targets of multiple teams in previous seasons, yet the Pelicans have never made Murphy or Jones available.
That is basically where New Orleans finds itself yet again inching closer to the trade deadline, as they are not actively exploring trade opportunities to try and get the best offer for either player, sources said. At the same time, the Pelicans have been open to receiving calls about any players outside of Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears, and they have discussed their high asking price for Murphy and Jones with teams calling about both wings.
So far, there has been no real trade momentum surrounding these two entering the final week of 2025. Both Murphy and Jones will remain the most talked-about trade assets between now and the trade deadline, yet league sources in both conferences are downplaying the possibility of New Orleans actually trading one or the other.
Rival scouts in the West believe the Pelicans will instead look to make smaller moves involving Jose Alvarado, Saddiq Bey, Jordan Hawkins, and Jordan Poole for draft picks. All four players are listed in the order of how likely they are to be traded this season.
In regard to Murphy and Jones, the thought from teams outside of New Orleans is that their asking price is too high right now. The Pelicans have not budged from their stance in the offseason, and if there is one executive who won’t be bullied into making a deal, it’s Joe Dumars.
Even so, Jones has remained a top trade target for Western Conference contenders like the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors, sources said. The Lakers are continuing to evaluate the trade landscape as a whole using their plethora of expiring contracts. It doesn’t appear as if LA is completely shutting down the possibility of utilizing future draft capital for a substantial upgrade.
Golden State continues to search the market for different avenues that will be made available to them, both utilizing Jonathan Kuminga’s contract and not including him since he isn’t trade eligible until Jan. 15. As described by multiple sources on the scene in Orlando this past weekend, the Warriors have been one of the more aggressive teams on the market since the start of December, gathering intel on what players are and aren’t obtainable before the trade deadline.
It is known by other teams, including the Pelicans, that the Warriors want to add an athletic forward at the deadline, along with some frontcourt help alongside Al Horford and Quinten Post. Such a frontcourt upgrade would likely be a bigger body who can help Golden State in terms of rebounding and defending the rim, two areas Horford and Post are not known for right now.
Although Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton has been mentioned several times in connection with the Warriors, it is more likely that this organization will target big men whose contracts don’t exceed $15 million in annual value.
The Warriors have held trade dialogue with several teams around the league as 2025 wraps up, including the Nets, Pelicans, and Bulls, sources said. Both Chicago and New Orleans still hold a level of interest in Kuminga, yet neither organization is completely sold on him being a potential building block for their long-term futures.
As of right now, it no longer seems like the Sacramento Kings are a realistic option for a Kuminga trade before Feb. 5 unless another team with the assets Golden State wants is involved. The Warriors continue to signal that they don’t want Malik Monk, who has been made available in trade talks since July. There is virtually no interest in Monk around the league because of his contract.
Murphy and Jones, like Coby White, find themselves as the most heavily pursued players leading up to the 2025-26 NBA trade deadline. Over the next six weeks, decisions made regarding these three players will hold the most impact outside of what happens with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Anthony Davis.