The NBA trade rumor mill will have a new wrinkle in 2026-27, it seems: The expiring contract is regaining prominence as a trade chip!
It was an interesting way for longtime Warriors beat writer Marcus Thompson to put things when it comes to the state of affairs for the Bay Area NBA team. Speaking on Kevin O’Connor’s podcast, Thompson noted that if the Dubs have a notably poor start, “we could really fully be saying goodbye, right? Draymond (Green) could be traded at the trade deadline.”
Certainly, that is possible. It’s long been debatable what Green’s trade value is for other teams, because he has been a player who is so ingrained with the Warriors and who plays in a system that allows him to showcase his best assets–while understanding how to put up with his worst of his temper–that if he landed elsewhere, he would not be the same player. And that was before he got old.
But that’s not the most interesting thing about the Warriors trading Green. What is interesting is that he is on an expiring contract.
NBA Trade Rumors: Free Agency Making a Return
Fact is, over the course of this decade, expiring contracts have lost value as the major chips they once were. Teams used to covet expiring deals as a fast-track way to unload contracts and create space for free agency the following summer, but as free agency in the NBA has dwindled as a team-building method, you don’t see teams chasing expirings anymore. Teams want solid contracts, or players they can extend.
But that may be changing. It’s only a slight crack in the current system, but there is an obvious move away from automatically giving extensions to players, and more of a move create flexibility–and, in doing so, leaving more players unsigned and more teams with cap space. In other words, a return–again, only slightly–of free agency in the NBA.
“It is moving more that way,” one prominent NBA agent said. “It’s not 2010, but you can see that if you’ve got a guy who can play and he gets to free agency, there can still be money for him on the market. We’ll see how it plays out, but there should be a bunch of teams that can have cap space to do some things. It does not have to be extend, extend, extend.”
Warriors Could Use Draymond Green for a Star
Back to Draymond Green and the Warriors, then. His contract could be used to create cap space. Or it could be used by a team to avoid second apron trouble, and hand Golden State a star without going to free agency.
Take Orlando, for example. This is strictly speculation, but suppose the Magic peter out again early this season and are looking at their books, with a potential Anthony Black contract added, and decide it is time to jettison Paolo Banchero, who makes $41 million this year. The Warriors could package Green (who waived his no-trade clause and can be dealt after December 15) and Moses Moody ($12.5 million) to the Magic, and come away with a 23-year-old star, though one they will owe $240 million over five years.
The Magic will come away with a player they can use, Moody, and will remove $27.7 million from their books when Green hits free agency. If the Warriors added a first-round pick, something like that would work. Green’s value to the Magic is not as a player–it’s as a $27.7 million eraser.
NBA Trade Rumors: Top Expiring Deals
Keep an eye on expiring contracts, then. Green will be one of 15 players entering the 2026-27 season on an expiring deal worth more than $20 million. Not all of those guys are realistic trade candidates (and we’re not counting player options), including Stephen Curry, Kawhi Leonard and maybe Fred VanVleet and Miles Bridges. All four could soon get extensions.
But here’s your $20 million-plus expiring contract list heading into the year:
- Stephen Curry, Warriors, $62.6 million
- Jimmy Butler, Warriors, $57 million
- Kawhi Leonard, Raptors, $50 million
- Zach LaVine, Kings, $49 million
- Michael Porter Jr., Nets, $41 million
- Jordan Poole, Pelicans, $34 million
- Tyler Herro, Bucks, $33 million
- RJ Barrett, Raptors, $30 million
- Draymond Green, Warriors, $27.7 million
- Fred VanVleet, Rockets, $25 million
- De’Andre Hunter, $25 million
- Cam Johnson, Nuggets, $23 million
- Miles Bridges, Suns, $22.8 million
- CJ McCollum, Hawks, $21 million
- Kyle Kuzma, Bucks, $20.3 million
OK, now on to the Big Board of candidates …
NBA Trade Rumors: Point Guard Candidates
Darius Garland, Clippers. (Remaining contract: two years, $87 million.) The Aspiration-Kawhi Leonard punishment could set into motion a series of events that winds up with Garland being placed firmly on the market as the Clippers seek to recoup as many future draft picks from the roster. Anyone want to give up two picks for him?
Kyrie Irving, Mavericks. (Remaining contract: two years, $82 million, player option in second year.) Marc Stein mentioned him, so we’re putting him on the list, but nothing is imminent. Like a lot of veterans, the idea is to play him through January, build value and see if something can be done at the deadline.
Dejounte Murray, Pelicans. (Remaining contract: two years, $63 million, player option.) Teams will want to see how he looks now that he should be fully healed from his Achilles tendon injury, but expect him to be a trade candidate as the deadline nears.
Jamal Murray, Nuggets. (Remaining contract; three years, $161 million.) 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.
Mikal Bridges, Knicks. (Remaining contract: four years, $150 million.) It would make sense for the Knicks to give them flexibility going forward, so we’ll slide him on this list. But the Knicks appear determined to try to hammer the team under the second apron for as long as it can stay there–there will be a breaking point, though.
Shaedon Sharpe, Trail Blazers. (Remaining contract four years, $90 million.) Sharpe is out with a torn meniscus, a tough break for him and the Blazers that will probably remove him from trade consideration. Still, he averaged 20.8 points last season and Portland has a guard logjam.
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, but the Grizz do not have much else at point guard.
Dalton Knecht, Lakers. (Remaining contract: two years, $10 million, including two team 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.
Jaden Hardy, Lakers. (Remaining contract: one year, $6 million.) The Lakers need to drop a player, and Hardy is a good candidate if they can find a taker.
NBA Trade Rumors: Wing Candidates
Brandon Ingram, Raptors/Clippers. (Remaining contract: two years, $82 million, player option.) The Clippers should be seeking to do what they can to pile up draft picks, and moving off of Brandon Ingram next offseason could fetch them one.
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. They were hollow numbers on 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.
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. They appear to be faltering, so watch from him to be a name on the market in the coming months.
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. If Sacto can get back an asset without taking long-term money, he could be dealt at the deadline.
Royce O’Neale, Hornets. (Remaining contract: two years, $21 million,) The Hornets still have some sorting to do. O’Neale is not a long-term piece, of course, but he has value. The team could hang onto him, see how he fits and flip him at the deadline.
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 are still figuring out the back end of 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 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 tradeable in the coming months before the deadline. Johnson struggled in his lone season in Denver, and he has been a prominent feature on the NBA trade rumor mill for years now. But teams wanted the Nuggets to include picks in a Johnson deal, and that was not happening. He still has enough of a reputation around the league to warrant trade interest, but the apron-addled Nuggets value the fact that he has an expiring contract. They need that space for Nikola Jokic next summer.
PJ Washington, Mavericks. (Remaining contract: 4 years, $90 million.) Like Daniel 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 in a deal for him, but the contract is prohibitive and the production is not worth it.
Centers/Power Forwards Trade Candidates
Paolo Banchero, Magic. (Remaining contract: five years, $245 million, player option.) Good luck finding a taker for that deal.
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 or wait and move him during the season.
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.
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.) The Nuggets shopped Nnaji this summer, but there were no takers. He does not have a weighty contract, but four years is lengthy for him.
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 in the coming months because of the Nuggets’ impending financial crunch. If it is not Jamal Murray, 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 goals.
NBA Trade Rumors: Warriors’ Draymond Green & Expiring Contracts to Deal