The NBA trade rumor mill reached an August pinnacle this week with a five-team trade, but fear not. Things are slower now, but there is more action to come. Let’s start in Cleveland …
There was significant surprise around the NBA in the wake of the Cavaliers’ massive Peyton Watson trade, but it was not because Cleveland finally pulled off a deal for a small forward and now has an absurdly talented starting five. The surprise was what James Harden got out of the deal.
Around the league, the expectation was for Harden to land a deal in the two-year, $60 million range. He is 37, and has been a below-average shooter (42.3% from the field, 36.8% from the 3-point line) over the last three seasons.
Instead, the Cavaliers handed Harden three years and $97 million, with no opt-outs. He was being rewarded for the patience and willingness he showed to help the organization by waiting to sign and helping to bring Watson to Cleveland. But Harden is still a player in decline, and the Cavs will pay him more than $30 million in his age 39 season.
NBA Trade Rumors: Is a Nuggets Blockbuster Inevitable?
In the end, the Nuggets will almost certainly re-sign Nikola Jokic next year, at the massive five-year, $350-360 million number that he’s eligible to get. That will give Denver something close to the situation that the Celtics felt they had to avoid when they traded away Jaylen Brown last month–with Jamal Murray at $50 million next season, $54 million the following year and $57.5 million in 2028-29, the Nuggets will be at about 70% of the salary cap for two players.
That’s why there has been chatter around the league that a Murray trade could be an inevitable part of the Nuggets’ future. With the Watson trade and the trade of Michael Porter Jr. last year, the Nuggets are showing that it is almost impossible to have two players making that much money and have quality depth at the same time. It’s one or the other, and once Jokic re-signs, the Nuggets will have a hard decision to make on a Murray trade.
Warriors Have Some Jimmy Butler Hope
No one will say so officially, of course, and it all may fall apart as things progress–setback is all too common a word when it comes to knee injuries–but there is optimism around Warriors forward Jimmy Butler as he works his way back from a torn ACL he suffered in January. Butler, who was considered a major Warriors trade chip because of his expiring contract, has been back on the court working out and there is hope he will be back on the floor before the end of the 2026 calendar year.
Butler, at 36, has motivation. He will hit free agency in 2027, though the Warriors can re-sign him to a contract extension in the second half of the year. Certainly, a contract like Harden’s will push him to get back on the floor to give him as much time as possible to prove he’s worth something in the range of three years and $97 million.
If he can’t get back and get into form, it’s a steep drop from where Harden is to where 37-year-old DeMar DeRozan is–hunting for a low-level contract on a contender. And at Butler’s age, once he drops out of the $30 million AAV range, there is no getting back to that height.
NBA Trade Rumors: QO or No QO for Bennedict Mathurin?
Now that the dust has settled on the five-team Watson trade, Bennedict Mathurin’s situation with the Clippers only becomes more tenuous. The team added Max Strus to a roster already crowded with guards, as the team hopes to play Darius Garland and Keaton Wagler together, and now has Strus, Gradey Dick (when the Kawhi Leonard trade goes through) and Kris Dunn potentially operating as shooting guards.
A sign-and-trade for Mathurin continues to be a possibility, but if he sees himself as a $20 million AAV player, that would not make much sense–there isn’t really $20 million in space out there for him. If Mathurin accepts a lower contract number in a sign-and-trade he has got to be locked in for three years.
Few would advise restricted free agents to take the qualifying offer, but in Mathurin’s case, a one-year, $9 million contract and a chance to his unrestricted free agency next summer might be his best option.
It is worth noting, though, that the Clippers could still keep Mathurin or enact a sign-and-trade, as they’re hard-capped at the first apron but still have more than $20 million underneath that.
On to the Big Board …
GettyBennedict Mathurin
NBA Trade Rumors: Guards on the Market
Jamal Murray, Nuggets. Maybe? It’s not likely to happen now, but the finances in Denver are grim. It’s not hard to see a Jaylen Brown situation here.
Shaedon Sharpe, Trail Blazers. (Remaining contract four years, $90 million.) Sharpe averaged 20.8 points last season, but he is not a high-efficiency guard, and that will hurt his value on the market. Portland is not looking to thin out its guard logjam–yet. But that figures to change, with Sharpe likely the one to move.
Jordan Hawkins, Pelicans. (Remaining contract: one year, $7 million.) Hawkins never lived up to his lottery billing after his impressive UConn tournament run in 2023, so the fact that he is on the trade block is probably not exactly newsworthy. Still only 24, but he is a career 37.4% shooter.
Ty Jerome, Grizzlies. (Remaining contract: two years, $19 million, including player option.) Jerome took advantage of the mess in Memphis last year and averaged 19.7 points, shooting 42.0% from the 3-point line. The Grizzlies will need to thin out their roster, and the 29-year-old Jerome really does not fit here. He would have good value if Memphis wants to flip him for future assets.
Dalton Knecht, Lakers. (Remaining contract: two years, $10 million, including two teams options.) Knecht showed some promise as a rookie but fell off in Year 2 and is now a contract filler in a potential trade. It has been surprising that no team has been willing to gamble on his upside–he is only 25.
NBA Trade Rumors: Plenty of Wings Could Hit the Market
Moses Moody, Warriors. (Remaining contract: two years, $26 million.) Moody is potentially going to be ready for the start of the season, and is said to be staying put. But if the Warriors do anything trade-wise this summer, speculation holds it will involve Moody.
Trey Murphy, Pelicans. (Remaining contract: three years, $88 million.) There have been rumblings that the Pelicans would deal Murphy, and equal rumblings have indicated they won’t. Murphy is a favorite in NBA trade rumors, but New Orleans is slow-playing any potential trade.
Saddiq Bey, Pelicans. (Remaining contract: one year, $6.5 million.) Bey came back with a strong season last year after tearing his ACL, averaging 17.7 points and shooting 45.1% from the field and 36.7% from the 3-point line. It was for a bad team, but he showed he still could be an adequate wing off someone’s bench.
Patrick Williams, Bulls. (Remaining contract: three years, $54 million,) It would be symbolic and probably cathartic for fans to see Williams dumped as a new front office and coaching staff comes in. But Williams’ contract is prohibitive.
Jonathan Kuminga, Hawks. (Remaining contract: Free agent.) He is the last remaining free-agent prize who might not be all that prized, it turns out. The Lakers, Bucks, Kings and Timberwolves are among the teams interested, but it’s hard to find a path to make a deal happen for most teams. Kuminga is desperately looking for a sign-and-trade (Atlanta has his rights) to rescue his summer.
Michael Porter Jr., Nets. (Remaining contract: one year, $40 million, partial guarantee.) Porter will wind up in the trade-candidate bin if extension talks falter.
Derrick Jones Jr., Clippers. (Remaining contract: one year, $10 million.) Jones is a defensive ace still, and his expiring contract gives the Clippers some wiggle room to move him. They’re caught in the Aspiration pause, however.
Kyle Kuzma, Bucks. (Remaining contract: one year, $20 million,) His expiring contract is attractive and if the Bucks pull a sign-and-trade for Peyton Watson, Bennedict Mathurin or Jonathan Kuminga, he could be involved.
DeAndre Hunter, Kings. (Remaining contract: one year, $25 million.) The Kings want to keep him as an expiring contract they could potentially flip, but he’s being mentioned as a possible target in the summer market.
Royce O’Neale, Hornets. (Remaining contract: two years, $21 million,) The Hornets would not be able to trade O’Neale with anyone else yet, so they could wait on a deal. But the team has gotten calls about moving him on after he was traded last month.
Jake LaRavia, Lakers. (Remaining contract: one year, $6 million.) Hustles, plays every game, but inconsistent. His contract makes him an attractive piece, though, as the Lakers figure out how to finish their roster.
Herb Jones, Pelicans. (Remaining contract: four years, $82 million, including player option.) Jones is a popular name on the market, but the Pelicans are said to want two first-round picks, and with Jones having struggled with injuries and his 3-point shot in the past two seasons, that’s probably too steep. His remaining contract scares off potential suitors, too.
Cam Johnson, Nuggets. (Remaining contract: one year, $23 million.) The Peyton Watson move probably means Johnson stays put, but he will be very trade-able in the coming months before the deadline. Johnson was a disaster in his lone season in Denver, and he has been a prominent feature on the NBA trade rumor mill for years now. He still has enough of a reputation around the league to warrant trade interest, but the Nuggets value the fact that he has an expiring contract.
PJ Washington, Mavericks. (Remaining contract: 4 years, $90 million.) Like Gafford, Washington is aging out of the Mavericks’ timeline, as he turns 28 this summer. He’s a stretch 4 who plays good defense, but his shooting has been suspect–he made just 32.5% of his 3s last year. Like Gafford, they’re hoping to get a first-round pick, but the contract is prohibitive.
GettyRoyce O’Neale
NBA Trade Rumors: Big Men Can Be Expensive
Jalen Smith, Bulls. (Remaining contract: one year, $9 million.) Plenty of teams are still on the hunt for a backup center, and Smith would be a nice fit in multiple situations. The Bulls could cash in for younger assets.
Nikola Jovic, Heat. (Remaining contract: four years, $62 million.) There is trepidation about trading for Jovic, who is certainly available and is still only 23 years old. But the remaining contract is a hefty bite for teams to take. Are the Mavericks the answer?
Grant Williams, Hornets. (Remaining contract: one year, $15 million.) The Hornets are not quite done with their roster, and Williams’ expiring deal has some value. He can still be a worthy big man off the bench.
Zeke Nnaji, Nuggets. (Remaining contract: four years, $32 million.) Dumping Nnaji would get the Nuggets under the second apron and free them up to resolve Peyton Watson’s situation. The Hornets are a potential landing spot.
Jarred Vanderbilt, Lakers. (Remaining contract: two years, $26 million.) The Lakers have been trying to find a taker for Vanderbilt, but no one has been eager to take on his contract. It’s possible the Lakers will use him in their rotation, much to JJ Redick’s chagrin, and attempt to trade him during the season.
Aaron Gordon, Nuggets. (Remaining contract: three years, $110 million.) Someone may have to go depending on how the Peyton Watson ordeal finishes. It could be Gordon, though his recent injury history makes that tough.
Daniel Gafford, Mavericks. (Remaining contract: 3 years, $54 million.) Gafford will be 28 in October, and with the Mavs focused on getting younger, moving him along has been one of the team’s top options. They’re hoping to get a first-round pick for Gafford, but that might be a big ask because of his contract.
NBA Trade Rumors: James Harden Surprise, Warriors’ Good News & Bennedict Mathurin