We’re in early September, and while it is still 85 degrees in the Boston area, the basketball season is right around the corner. Media days are just three weeks away. And while the NBA trade rumor mill might be on hiatus for the time being, it’s going to kick back into gear very soon, as our focus shifts from summer deals to what might happen at the trade deadline in February, if not before that.
For the last two months, we’ve had some questions that did not exactly get answered in the summer but should still be pertinent as the summer turns to fall and the NBA season gets rolling. We asked league executives from each conference their thoughts, and here’s what we’ve got …
NBA Trade Rumors Questions: Top Target, Lakers
Question 1: Who Is the Top Trade Target?
Of course, figuring out who will be at the top of the pile when it comes to trade talk will depend on how the season plays out. If Anthony Davis plays well but the Wizards struggle to win games, he could well be the No. 1 target. It could be Kyrie Irving in Dallas, or Darius Garland in LA. But if the past eight months have taught us one thing on the NBA trade rumors market, it’s that everyone loves Trey Murphy of the Pelicans.
Eastern Conference executive: “There were probably 29 teams calling New Orleans about Trey Murphy. I mean, you look at a team like the Knicks and you have Jalen Brunson and (Karl-Anthony) Towns, but the driving force there is that they have two-way wings. Not 3-and-D guys, but guys who can score 25 points and hold the guy they’re guarding to 10. It’s hard to find. And he is on a good contract. So everyone is going to be calling them again.”
Question 2: Can the Lakers Make a Trade?
They’ve been trying. In fact, with 16 guys on the roster, they’re still trying. They’d most like Jarred Vanderbilt to go, as he has two years and $26 million on his contract. They’re likely to play Vanderbilt this season, rehab his value and see fi they can deal him off later. But only having three second-round picks (none until 2031) and one pick swap (in 2032) to trade hurts their chances at persuading another team to make a deal.
Western Conference executive: “It’s tricky for them because they’re up against it, they don’t really have anything that can get another team to take on bad money. They tried all summer, and they will keep trying. But you can’t get something for nothing.”
Big Question on the Sixers
Question 3: What if Things Don’t Work Out for the Sixers?
The Sixers are simply loaded with talent this season, having made the stunning trade for Jaylen Brown, then getting LeBron James to sign on as a close-out to his career, an odd move for a player who did not like being the third banana in Los Angeles last year. Players on this team will need to sacrifice and get comfortable in roles they’ve never played before, but … who sacrifices? What’s the offensive pecking order on a team that has Joel Embiid as the franchise stalwart, Tyrese Maxey as the longtime No. 1-or-2 option, rising newcomer VJ Edgecombe and now Brown and James, guys who combined to take 37 shots per game last year?
Eastern Conference executive: “One of the concerns I would have is I don’t know that, if this all does not work out, there is an easy solution. There is no one easy to trade on this roster, and say, ‘OK we can move this guy and the roster makes more sense.’ Maybe Brown would be the best choice. Good luck if you want to trade Embiid. LeBron, you can’t trade him. you can’t trade Maxey or Edgecombe, they’re your future. Maybe Jaylen, then.”
Surprise Team Could Be Busiest on the NBA Trade Rumor Mill
Question 4: Which Team Will Be Active on the NBA Trade Rumor Market?
There will be ample candidates, but our Western Conference exec has an interesting target: the Memphis Grizzlies. The team has 19 players on the roster now, so something will have to give, but beyond that, it is a team that has good, young talent, an innovative coach who will play 10 or 11 players early in the year to wear down foes and a big, ripe $28 million traded player exception that expires in February.
Western Conference executive: “The Grizzlies, they don’t get a lot of attention, but they are in a really good position. They have a ton of young size, they have plenty of room to make a move, they have the big TPE from Jaren Jackson (trade to Utah), they have a ton of picks (12 first-rounders, nine second-rounders). I think the sense is that they are going to wait, see how this group comes together, and make their move next summer. But the TPE expires, and if they get off to a good start, you know, you strike when the iron is hot.”
Question 5: What Will the Warriors’ Approach Be?
The Warriors can go in any number of different directions this season. They hope to get off to a good start, stay in the mix in the West, then get Jimmy Butler back at midseason and take off from there. But they could get off to an especially hot start and trade Butler with first-round picks for a star. Or they could struggle, and peddle off pieces to create cap space for next summer, in hopes of one last push with Stephen Curry.
Western Conference executive: “Health killed them last year. I think they’re going to wait and see who is healthy, whether that is Jimmy or Moses Moody or even Steph with his knee, (Kristaps) Porzingis can’t stay healthy, Al Horford is 40. If they can’t stay healthy, you probably have got to sell and reset for next summer.”
NBA Trade Rumors: Could Clippers Shop Darius Garland?
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.
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. From the field.
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. Using him in a Jonathan Kuminga deal was their dream scenario, but now they just want to be rid of him.
NBA Trade Rumors: Trey Murphy & the Wings
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. 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.
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.
Checking the Center Market
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: Lakers Deals, Warriors Stance, Trey Murphy & More Questions