When it comes to NBA trade rumors, the guys who are most likely to be traded are those who are aging, overpaid and have lost a step. That’s just usually how things work. It’s hard to trade for a star in his prime, though the second apron era is changing that, even if slightly. This summer, we had a trade for a well-aged star (Kawhi Leonard) and for a star with injury concerns (Giannis Antetokounmpo) but also for a 29-year-old who’d just averaged 28.7 points (Jaylen Brown).
The market is a bit unpredictable these days. There are not many stars who can be completely ruled out of the trade discussion. Cooper Flagg. Victor Wembanyama. Jalen Brunson. And, yes, despite a brief fever dream among some NBA observers, Stephen Curry is not being dealt by the Warriors.
But as the opening of training camp nears around the NBA, the big question for the trade market is if–and perhaps when–some of the biggest names out there are made available for deals. It might not happen by the deadline, but the groundwork could be laid for a surprise blockbuster or two across the league.
NBA Trade Rumors: Nikola Jokic, Anthony Edwards & Luka Doncic Are the Big Fish
Nikola Jokic, Nuggets. Jokic won’t like it much, the Nuggets organization won’t like it much, and fans won’t like it much. But the fact is that Jokic is heading into a $62 million player option for 2027-28 and is able to become a free agent next summer. He has said he has no desire to leave Denver, and there is reason to believe him. There are financial benefits (a five-year, $360 million contract) to waiting until next summer to sign, and there’s a 95% chance that’s how all this plays out. But that 5% chance that the Nuggets have injuries and stink this year, spurring Jokic to ask for a trade, is the only reason he will be a trade topic. He could shut it down by taking a lesser extension. He’s chosen not to, so the Nuggets and their fans will deal have to deal with a year of rumors. Star trade meter: Put it at a 3 out of 10, with a lot of talk coming but not much action.
Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves. Edwards have three years left on his deal, so it is certainly not time for the Timberwolves faithful to panic. But this is a big year. We’ve seen that the Wolves have done well to insert themselves into the Western Conference conversation, without truly matching up against the Thunder and Spurs. If the LaMelo Ball experiment is a flop, and with Rudy Gobert now 34 years old, it’s possible that Edwards will look around and decide he wants out. It’s a longshot–the sense with Edwards is that he wants to build a champ in Minnesota. But if he declines n extension after this season, the chatter will begin. Star trade meter: Let’s call this TBD, because a Wolves trip to the Western Conference finals will give a much different answer than a Wolves flameout in the postseason’s first round.
Luka Doncic, Lakers. Everything points to Doncic being excited for his part in bringing the Lakers into the future and his role as the leader of the team. The front office remade the roster around him, hoping to find the right complimentary pieces, and Doncic has been supportive. But he has two years on his deal, plus a player option in Year 3. As an organization, the Lakers are hitting choppy waters, to say the least. If the Lakers are a mediocre team this year, Doncic will be heading into the final year of his deal and could decide he would like to be elsewhere. Again, he wants to lead this team, but if things take a bad turn, he would have the power to push LA into moving him. Star trade meter: 4 out of 10. Luka and the Lakers are saying all the right things about each other. We’ll see if there is real commitment there, on both sides.
NBA Trade Rumors: The Second Apron Spares No One
Karl-Anthony Towns, Knicks. Towns has been eligible for an extension for months now, and there has been speculation that he could give the Knicks a break and sign for something less than the max. The Knicks will need that sacrifice in order to stay underneath the second apron. But Towns has a player option for next season and if no deal comes through, there will be at least a chance that he leaves New York–which will open up chatter around him at the trade deadline. The Knicks have second apron concerns going forward, and KAT will be part of that. Star trade meter: 5 out of 10. An extension will end the speculation. But there is no extension yet.
Chet Holmgren, Thunder. This is not so much about Holmgren as it is about the Thunder. The team had a plan to handle the second apron this season, and a few key moves–unloading Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins and Lu Dort, plus the Isaiah Hartenstein contract–got them there. Next summer, though, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s supermax contract kicks in, and OKC will have to wrestle with the possibility of paying Holmgren and Jalen Williams 50% of the cap and SGA 35% of it is doable. The Thunder are at about $207 million in contracts for seven players, not counting the five team options the team has and the potential extension for Cason Wallace. There is room, if the second apron grows to $233 million or so as expected. But there is not room for everyone, and instead of the kinds of moves around the edges the Thunder put forth this summer, they could need a major swing to move off a salary and regain some cushion. Star trade meter: 7 out of 10. Maybe the Thunder can keep tinkering around the edges. They have the draft picks. But moving Holmgren or Jalen Williams is an easier path.
Can Jaylen Brown & Devin Booker Make it Work Where They Are?
Devin Booker, Suns. Booker is not agitating to leave Phoenix, and, indeed, he appears to be one of those stars who is willing to trudge forward with his organization, come what may. But he is in the category of “good player, bad situation” which means he is going to get tossed into the trade talk mix. The Suns won 45 games under new coach Jordan Ott last season, and added Miles Bridges. They could take another step forward. It’s just as easy to imagine that they will regress, though, and with Booker turning 30 at the end of next month, he might have a long think about his future. Star trade meter: 6 out of 10, though in the future. Not now, and probably not next summer, but eventually Booker might decide he wants to play for a winner.
Jaylen Brown, Sixers. Yes, yes, Brown was just traded to the Sixers. And one reason that LeBron James wanted to go to Philadelphia was the addition of Brown. But play it out: The Sixers need to get shots for homegrown stars Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, and now need shots for James and Brown. It’s not just James who will need to sacrifice, but everyone will need to sacrifice. Even if there is no bad blood or resentment among the group, it’s still going to be hard to ask all five starters to change the way they play, to change how they’ve played as the lead dogs on their teams for their entire lives. We’ve seen that Big Threes do not work so well anymore–why do we assume a Big Five will work? In other words, things might not go smoothly in Philly, and if the team decides it would be better with one fewer star in the lineup, Brown would likely be the one to go. Star trade meter: This is TBD, too, but a difficult season will get this up to a 7 out of 10.
NBA Trade Rumors: Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, Anthony Edwards & the Star Trade Meter