We’re still early days in the NBA season, but teams are registering important data points and what moves they could make ahead of next year’s February 7 trade deadline.
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The majority of free agents signed in the off-season become eligible to be traded from December 15 onwards, so expect the rumour mill to heat up.
Below foxsports.com.au has ran through the NBA players most on trade watch this season.
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D’Angelo Russell (LA Lakers)
It’s been a rough start to the season for Russell, despite the 7-4 Lakers’ promising play, including the guard getting recently moved to the bench by new coach JJ Reddick. In fact, Russell played just 20 minutes in the second unit in LA’s win over Memphis. It comes after the Lakers prioritised Austin Reaves as their third option behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis to start this season to show Russell had moved down in the pecking order. The Lakers are typically busy at the trade deadline and will again be contemplating moves to bolster their line-up to maximise the rest of their time with the James-Davis pairing. Anything significant would likely involve moving Russell’s expiring $18 million deal and/or Rui Hachimura’s $18 million contract. Point guard is also a position LA could look to upgrade, which would make it even more likely Russell is part of a trade.
Clint Capela (Atlanta Hawks)
Seemingly one of the names that gets talked about every year. Capela is on a $22 million expiring deal — an asset Atlanta could look to cash in on by sending him to a contender wanting to bolster its frontcourt. It feels like it’s only a matter of time before Onyeka Okongwu takes over the starting centre role in Atlanta, with the emerging big man playing more minutes (23.5 per game) than Capela (22.3) for the first time this season since they’ve been playing together. The Hawks could just as easily ride things out and try to be as competitive as possible with their mix given they have one of the more solid one-two centre punches in the NBA. But given they’re largely prioritising development and their future, Capela has to be on trade watch.
Jerami Grant, Anfernee Simons, DeAndre Ayton, Robert Williams (Portland Trail Blazers)
A few Portland options here and it’s tough to say which is the most likely to get traded. It could well be Grant given the Blazers have a strong wing depth and would want to give more runway to the likes of Shaedon Sharpe, Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara. Not to mention how many teams could use a forward upgrade like Grant. The same goes with Anfernee Simons to give Scoot Henderson an opportunity to start. Portland also has rookie centre Donovan Clingan waiting in the wings to get more minutes, casting doubt around the futures of Ayton and the oft injured Williams. Clingan showed what he can do with Ayton and Williams sidelined in the team’s win over Minnesota, with the Pick 7 racking up career highs in points (17), rebounds (12) and blocks (eight). Williams and Clingan will largely share minutes behind Ayton, but it’s virtually impossible for all of them to get proper court time. Portland at large has to be one of the biggest teams on trade watch.
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Zach Lavine, Nikola Vucevic (Chicago Bulls)
Another obvious team on trade watch, even despite the Bulls’ split 5-7 start to the season that has them currently in the East’s sixth seed. Still, it’d be surprising if at least one of LaVine or Vucevic, who’ve both produced strong starts to the season, isn’t moved by the trade deadline. The priority right now should be giving the likes of Josh Giddey, Coby White and Patrick Williams bigger roles, with a usage- heavy player like LaVine taking away touches and potentially halting the development of others. Moving LaVine’s lucrative contract, that goes up to $48 million in the final season in 2026/2027, could prove tricky in the new CBA climate though, while Vucevic signed a more reasonable three-year, $60 million deal last year that could appeal to rivals. The Bulls also have a very guard heavy roster, so they could look to retool in some form, but it’s uncertain what the franchise’s exact plan is — and if it wants to be sellers — or have a run with this group in the shallow Eastern Conference.
Brandon Ingram (New Orleans Pelicans)
Currently the last man standing in New Orleans and leading the team in scoring at 22.5 points per game amid wholesale injuries to the likes of Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray and CJ McCollum. We know Ingram was reportedly shopped in the off-season but nothing happened, making him one of the players most likely to get traded by the February deadline. The forward is on an expiring $36 million and about to become a free agent, plus the Pelicans last month signed Trey Murphy to a four-year $112 million extension and likely want to push him into a bigger role. There’s just not enough shots to go around on this team even if we haven’t gotten a proper look at it as assembled, with Williamson, Murray and Murphy the core New Orleans will likely look to build around. A player that needs the ball to be effective means Ingram only fits into certain situations and possibly explains why he hasn’t been traded yet.
Jimmy Butler (Miami Heat)
Probably the biggest name potentially on the trade block. There’s always a heightened level of interest on a star that’s on an expiring deal, with Butler able to opt out of his contract and become a free agent. It comes after Butler, 35, reportedly wanted a contract extension from Miami in the off-season but never received one amid concerns on whether he could stay healthy. Asked about giving Butler a max extension, Heat president Pat Riley said: “That’s a big decision on our part to commit those kinds of resources unless you’re somebody who’s really going to be there, available every single night.” Well, Butler is currently sidelined with an ankle injury, while Miami is 4-6 and just hasn’t looked that good and no longer feels like a contender. There’s enough evidence to suggest the two parties could be headed for a break up, while Miami could risk losing him for nothing if it doesn’t pursue a trade.
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Jonathan Kuminga (Golden State Warriors)
The Warriors have started the season better than expected, currently sitting second in the West at 9-2. This is a seriously deep with so many weapons, but Kuminga has slid down the pecking order and been moved to the bench in a sixth-man role. Basically all Kuminga’s numbers are down from last season including minutes (24.3 per game), while the Warriors opting not to give him an extension suggests the former Pick 7’s future might not be in Golden State. The 22-year old is about to come off a $7 million deal, but according to the Athletic, was wanting an average annual salary of $35 million on his new contract. If the Warriors look to package up some of their depth to add another star in hopes of making one last push with Steph Curry, there’s a strong chance Kuminga is part of a deal as one of their most interesting trade chips. But the place Kuminga lands would need to stump up funds to retain the forward in free agency, with restricted rights meaning they could match any offer.
Colin Sexton, Jordan Clarkson (Utah Jazz)
Hard to separate these two as potential trade candidates. It’s surprising neither hasn’t already been moved, with the Jazz instead trading another veteran, Kelly Olnyk, last deadline. Not only would Utah want to give maximum touches to Keyonte Gegorge in the backcourt and prioritise minutes for younger players, but also potentially get value out of their remaining veterans like Sexton and Clarkson while they can. Utah is also a team expected to enter tank mode more aggressively as the season wears on to boost its lottery chances of landing highly-rated No. 1 draft prospect Cooper Flagg. So it’d be surprising if the Jazz aren’t a seller, but it won’t be moving Lauri Markkanen, who signed a five-year, $238 million extension that precludes him from being traded for six months and through the February 7 trade deadline.
Kyle Kuzma, Jonas Valanciunas (Washington Wizards)
Another team on sellers watch. There could be an even greater urgency to do that now the Wizards actually have a promising crop of young players they’d be keen to develop in bigger roles including exciting signs from Alexandre Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly and Bub Carrington. Coulibaly in particular looked great when Kuzma was sidelined in a glimpse of what the team could be without the gun forward. Kuzma was on trade watch last season but nothing came to fruition, while his roughly $21 million annual salary would be appealing for rival teams. Meanwhile, Valanciunas might’ve just signed a three-year, $30 million deal with Washington in free agency, but flipping him for a draft pick or other asset otherwise would be smart business … and to give Sarr a completely clear runway at centre.
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Cam Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith, Dennis Schroder (Brooklyn Nets)
And basically any other Nets veteran. Brooklyn has had a promising start to the season at 5-7 … almost a little too good for a team that was expected to be in the lottery mix. Granted, it’s only mid-November, but if you’re the owner or front office, how do you force a team to be worse? Take away the good players. The likes of Johnson ($22 million), Finney-Smith ($14 million) and Schroeder ($13 million) are all on movable contracts and would all be of interest around the league. Given how weak the East looks, it might take an intervention to weaken Brooklyn’s roster and put it in the race for Flagg. Brooklyn also has the assets to be buyers, but there’s no obvious name available that’d truly raise their ceiling to the point of being true contenders in the East.
Jabari Smith, Tari Eason (Houston Rockets)
Even Ime Udoka probably doesn’t know what his best five-man line-up is, such is the depth and talent on this Rockets roster. But is there such a thing as being too deep? The 8-4 Rockets are playing well right now, in the midst of a three-game winning streak to climb into the West’s three seed. Despite starting on the bench, Eason (averaging 14.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.6 steals, 1.5 blocks over the last two weeks) has been outplaying Smith in recent times and finishing games, with Udoka seemingly a bigger a fan of Eason’s more defensive-minded approach. Of course, the Rockets invested heavily in Smith though as the No. 3 pick in the 2022 draft. So one of two things could happen here. A team could try and pry one of the two out of Houston, perhaps Smith on the cheap while his value is down. Or the Rockets could pursue a trade for a star and package up players like Eason and/or Smith as part of a bigger move.
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