Ultimate NBA trade guide: 100 candidates who could move as basketball trade season unofficially begins

Dec. 15 is the unofficial start of NBA trade season, and these are the names to watch between now and the Feb. 5 deadline

NBA trade season unofficially begins on Monday. As always, Dec. 15 is when the majority of free agents from the previous offseason can be legally traded. This year, around 17% of the NBA became trade-eligible on Dec. 15. More than that, teams have now had around two months to evaluate their rosters. They have an idea of where they sit in the league hierarchy. They know what they have available to trade and what holes they should be trying to fill.

So now that rumors can start to become reality, let's lay the groundwork for the month and a half or so ahead. At any given time, almost the entire NBA is theoretically available for trades, but some players are substantially likelier to move than others. So let's go through the 100 most plausible trade candidates available between now and the Feb. 5 trade deadline. Which stars could move? Which young players are on the block? What contracts are teams looking to dump? We'll look for answers below.

Tier 1: Stars, likely available

1. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks: $54,126,450 (2025-26 salary)
The biggest domino of the trade deadline. Maybe the biggest domino of any trade deadline. Players this good are practically never traded in their primes, and when they are, and it isn't out of nowhere in the middle of the night like it was for Luka Dončić, it almost always comes in the offseason. Making a blockbuster is harder in the middle of the season. There are roster limits. Teams have less financial wiggle room. But the moment Antetokounmpo says the word, suitors will line up out the door. For now, the Bucks are continuing to pretend everything is fine. It seems like a matter of "when," not "if" here.

2. Anthony Davis, Mavericks: $54,126,450
A trade seemed certain the moment Nico Harrison was fired. Now, there's a bit of uncertainty. The Mavericks are playing well. Kyrie Irving could return. Could Harrison's dream be fulfilled by his successors? That's the question mark here. We have no idea who's really calling the shots in Dallas right now, or how the might change before the deadline. A Davis trade is the best chance that Mavericks have at restocking the future cupboard for the Cooper Flagg era. In addition to any assets acquired directly, this is the last of its own first-round pick Dallas controls until 2031, effectively making this their last chance to tank. Will they take it?

3. Lauri Markkanen, Jazz: $46,394,100
This marks another trade deadline featuring Markkanen rumors. The rumors previously went nowhere because of Utah's impossibly high trade standards. Austin Ainge lightened them on lesser veterans like John Collins, Collin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson over the summer. There is no indication yet that he's willing to do the same for Markkanen, but there's a real imperative to move him if any decent offer presents itself. The Jazz owe their top-eight protected first-round pick to the Thunder, and they've already won enough games to make that situation somewhat precarious. The Jazz have a history of sticking their thumb on the tank scales in February. Markkanen is their only real lever left on that front.

4. Trae Young, Hawks: $45,999,660
Atlanta has cooled off a bit, but is still 12-9 without Trae Young this season. That's a roughly 57% winning percentage. For his career, Young has won around 45% of his games. There's a real argument to be made that this Hawks team is better, or at the very least more versatile and flexible, without its supposed franchise player. Couple that success with Young's player option for the 2026-27 season and Atlanta's hesitance in making a competitive extension offer and you have a situation that's ripe for separation.

5. Domantas Sabonis, Kings: $42,336,000
Anyone and everyone in Sacramento is available as the Kings seem to finally have seen the light on their doomed plan to remain competitive after trading De'Aaron Fox. Sabonis is the best player on the team, but he's having the worst year of his career watching his faded All-Star guard teammates dribble and he's locked into two more years of max money in a league that increasingly turns its nose up at centers who don't really protect the rim. There will be a market for Sabonis, but will it be strong enough to convince the Kings to pull the trigger?

6. Ja Morant, Grizzlies: $39,446,090
It's not entirely fair to hold this against him considering all of the other injuries Memphis has endured, but the Grizzlies are 4-9 with Ja Morant on the floor and 7-5 without him as of this writing. His shooting numbers are atrocious. He disliked last year's offensive changes and clashed with new head coach Tuomas Iisalo early this season. Given his injury history, off-court issues and athleticism-based style, there's a ton of risk involved in any sort of Morant trade. Move him too early and risk watching him return to form elsewhere. Act too late, and you might be stuck with an unmovable max contract.

7. Zion Williamson, Pelicans: 39,446,090
Williamson is a star by reputation only at this stage. He's valuable for his non-guaranteed contract more than his production. He won't net much, but the Pelicans are fully Derik Queen's team now, and the two of them are not compatible. Expect Williamson's tenure in New Orleans to end reasonably soon one way or another. Maybe he's dealt in February. Maybe he's waived in July.

8. LaMelo Ball, Hornets: $37,958,760
Reports earlier this season indicated that Ball might be open to a move. He denied them. But would the Hornets prefer to act quickly rather than let the situation deteriorate? Ball has three max seasons left on his deal, has never grown defensively, still takes more questionable shots than good ones and has never quite overcome those persistent ankle issues. With Kon Knueppel soaring, the Hornets may no longer need Ball as their centerpiece, but someone else should take a shot at his rare talent if given the chance.

Tier 2: Stars, maybe available?

9. Kawhi Leonard, Clippers: $50,000,000
Can he even legally be traded? It's hard to say with the results of the NBA's investigation into his dealings with Aspiration still pending, but reporting has indicated that the Clippers plan to be done with Leonard when his contract expires. Yet their season is already in the toilet. Leonard is playing well, at least when he shows up to work. In an NBA increasingly afraid of committing assets to win-now moves with Oklahoma City's shadow looming over every transaction, perhaps a high-salary, low-asset swing at Leonard could be the sort of low-risk, high-reward move an aspiring (pun intended) contender could look to make this deadline season.

10. James Harden, Clippers: $39,182,693
Why would the Clippers trade their one reliable star? Because he's 36 and they're so depleted of assets that if someone wants to kickstart their future, they should probably listen. The Clippers were the only interested party the last time Harden was available. Maybe a few strong years in Los Angeles have changed that. He's not quite making max money anymore, and any contender that adds him will have another lead scorer to ease pressure for his... let's say playoff misadventures.

11. Kyrie Irving, Mavericks: $36,566,002
The buzz around Irving hasn't been quite as prolific as it has been around Davis, and there are a number of reasons for that. If Dallas wants to tank, it can simply hold the recovering Irving out all season. Guards are more common than bigs, and Irving's ACL injury will surely scare off potential suitors, so there might not be a sensible trade to be found. He's also just earned more equity in Dallas than Davis has. He helped them get to the Finals! But if Dallas goes full bore on a rebuild, yes, Irving offers will at least be considered.

12. Jaren Jackson Jr., Grizzlies: $35,000,000
It hasn't gotten nearly the same publicity as Morant's issues, but Jackson is quietly having a down year as well. He's fortunately far more tradable if the Grizzlies do decide to pull the trigger on a reset, which the emergence of Zach Edey at center opens the door for. He's a unicorn, one of the few bigs in all of basketball who protects the rim and makes 3s, and one who grew by leaps and bounds as an individual creator over the past few seasons with Morant so frequently out. He'd net a substantial package if made available, though the renegotiated and extended contract he signed over the summer does make his salary a bit harder to move.

13. Tyler Herro, Heat: $31,000,000
Yet another case of an All-Star whose team has played better without him this season. In Herro's case, that's a bit of a longer-term trend. The Heat reached the 2023 Finals largely without Herro. Miami's offensive regression was inevitable and out of Herro's control. His defensive issues are well-documented, and the Heat are always big-game hunting. Almost any star trade the Heat pursue would probably involve Herro, but considering the Heat didn't extend him over the summer, they might be a bit more open to moving him in other types of trades than we would have assumed a year ago.

Tier 3: Probably not available, but worth the call

14. LeBron James, Lakers: $52,627,153
We should've been past this. Then Rich Paul said he didn't think the Lakers were contenders, Austin Reaves suffered a calf strain, and boom, we're back to wondering if James wants to finish the season as a Laker. His no-trade clause and huge salary make a trade difficult. The logical landing spot of Cleveland has too many salary hurdles to clear to make a deal feasible. The other most frequently cited option, Golden State, has no easy way of matching money. There isn't an obvious trade here, and the Lakers have largely met expectations on the floor. But the James camp started these rumors with their incendiary statement in June. Until the deadline passes, we can't rule anything out.

15. Pascal Siakam, Pacers: $45,550,512
This would go completely against Indiana's organizational character. Here's the counter: The Pacers quietly started winning games again, which sort of defeats the purpose of this gap year. Siakam is 31, and while he's still playing at an All-Star level, it's worth wondering if the Pacers should lean younger to maximize Tyrese Haliburton's prime. The Pacers are fairly close to next year's luxury tax without accounting for a new starting center or Bennedict Mathurin, who's played very well in a bigger role this season. Indiana certainly isn't looking to trade Siakam, but likely wouldn't turn away especially aggressive calls either.

16. Darius Garland, Cavaliers: $39,446,090
Injuries have mostly ruined Garland's season thus far... but it seems as though we have a version of that conversation at some point every year now. Cleveland is $22 million above the second apron. Acceptable for the 64-win juggernaut the Cavaliers were a year ago. Less so for this year's diminished team. The offense, so egalitarian last season, has been almost entirely claimed by Donovan Mitchell. If someone has a good offer built around multiple role players and picks, Cleveland would likely be more amenable than ever.

17. Derrick White, Celtics: $28,100,000
Speaking of gap year teams, Boston's Jayson Tatum-less season has thus far been more successful than Indiana's year without Haliburton. Jaylen Brown has played himself out of any trade talks. But Derrick White? He's had a shakier season, but more importantly, he might be Boston's best path out of the tax. The Celtics broke up last year's team to avoid a half-billion dollar payroll and roster-building penalties brought about by the second apron, but looming over their upcoming retool is the dreaded repeater tax, which is more punitive than ever. The logical approach for Boston would be to duck the tax this year and next year in order to reset their clock. Moving White is the easiest way to do that, and guards as versatile as he is tend to net substantial packages in return. The Celtics need to shed around $12 million to duck the tax, any that will come up with every Celtic on this list.

18. Trey Murphy, Pelicans: $25,000,000
Everyone wants Murphy. New Orleans should be perfectly happy keeping him. He's young and on a very reasonable long-term deal. But hey, when you're rebuilding as the Pelicans are and someone wants to hand you a pile of picks, you listen. If New Orleans is willing to stomach making the team worse and therefore handing Atlanta a better pick, there will be offers worth considering here. And hey, the benefit of making yourself worse this year is that it makes you worse next year, when you actually do control your own first-round pick. 

19. Jarrett Allen, Cavaliers: $20,000,000
Everything we said about Garland applies to Allen. Here's the cherry on top: Evan Mobley is playing more center than ever this season, about 72% of his minutes, according to Basketball Reference. He might have outgrown his double-big partnership with Allen, who may be having a down year, but could certainly be someone else's sole starting big man. He'll be easier to trade now, at this $20 million cap figure, then he will over the summer, when his pricier contract extension kicks in.

20. Ivica Zubac, Clippers: $18,102,000
Leonard is the best Clipper. Harden is the most reliable. But Zubac probably has the most trade value. He's somehow still only 28, he made an All-Defensive Team a season ago, and he's locked into two more cheap years thank to a contract extension he signed with the Clippers. The center market, at least outside of the star tier, starts with him. It's just a matter of whether or not the Clippers want to move him. He could pretty easily be a part of whatever their post-Leonard reboot looks like, so nobody is going to steal him. He'll only get traded for fair market value.

21. Herb Jones, Pelicans: $13,937,574
A bit older than Murphy, and a bit less valuable because of his inconsistent shooting, this is probably the more gettable Pelicans wing. Jones should appeal to any team in search of perimeter defense. He can truly guard all five positions, and elite wing defense is frankly a luxury for a team with as many long-term questions as New Orleans. Some contender should give New Orleans a haul for him, but for now, the Pelicans have not appeared especially receptive to Jones inquiries.

Tier 4: Only for Giannis

22. Karl-Anthony Towns, Knicks: $53,142,264
He's not shooting well, but just about everything else is working for Towns this season. He's even functioning within an improved New York defense. He won't excite anyone on a supermax contract, but if Antetokounmpo forces his way to New York, Towns could at least be a bridge star for the Bucks while they figure out a new long-term plan.

23. OG Anunoby, Knicks: $39,568,966
The superior Knicks wing. Either Anunoby or Mikal Bridges, perhaps even both, would need to be in an Antetokounmpo trade both for value and salary-matching. The Knicks would likely push the Bucks to take Bridges instead, but if push came to shove, Anunoby probably wouldn't be a deal-breaker.

24. Draymond Green, Warriors: $25,892,857
There's already been reporting on Antetokounmpo as the only player in the NBA that could compel the Warriors to trade franchise icon Green. Of course, that won't be especially convincing for the Bucks, who have no need for a declining legend. He'd likely be directed to a third team, with picks and youth going to Milwaukee.

25. Mikal Bridges, Knicks: $24,900,000
The inferior Knicks wing, but the more durable one, and even on his new extension, he's slightly cheaper. He can't move until the end of January because of his offseason extension, but if the Bucks wanted picks and youth for Antetokounmpo, the Knicks could surely find it by shopping Bridges.

26. Josh Hart, Knicks: $19,472,240
The oft-forgotten Knicks wing. Josh Hart isn't as versatile as Anunoby or Bridges, but he's having arguably the best season of his career now that he's playing a more manageable minutes load. He's making his 3s, providing solid secondary playmaking, defending, and just generally doing all of those little Josh Hart things that coaches appreciate more than statisticians. He's not a priority for the Bucks, but he's an asset they'd take if push came to shove.

27. Zaccharie Risacher, Hawks: $13,197,720
It's pretty rare to throw a No. 1 overall pick into trade rumors this early into their careers, but Risacher was more of a compromise pick in a bad draft than a true top prospect. He's statistically regressed in his season season, especially as a shooter, but he's also a big wing simultaneously playing for a team with a million big wings and in a league with too few. He's more valuable somewhere else than he is in Atlanta. He's not the best chip the Bucks would want in an Antetokounmpo deal, but he'd be on their long list.

28. Reed Sheppard, Rockets: $10,603,560
If the A-list youngsters are off-limits, Sheppard is probably the first gettable one for Milwaukee. Even then, it's no gimme. Houston needs as much shooting as it can keep to build around Antetokounmpo if it chooses to pursue him. Sheppard represents an outsized percentage of their team shooting by himself. His defensive flaws might become an issue for Houston deep in the playoffs, but his offense is real and potentially on an All-Star trajectory. Again, not the best asset Milwaukee would want in this sort of trade, but still a valuable one.

29. Ausar Thompson, Pistons: $8,775,000
Amen, currently the superior Thompson twin, has probably played himself out of any trade talks. Ausar might be gettable for someone as good as Giannis. He has his brother's nuclear athleticism, but is even rawer on offense and lower on Detroit's organizational totem poll. He's probably the best trade asset in this section save perhaps Sheppard. He has All-Star physical tools.

30. Dyson Daniels, Hawks: $7,707,709
Better than Risacher, but again, not quite Atlanta's best asset. We're getting closer, though. Daniels won Most Improved Player last season and nearly took home Defensive Player of the Year as well. His shooting has nosedived this season, but he's a rare transition playmaker with solid touch inside of the arc. 

31. Kel'El Ware, Heat: $4,443,360
We have another possible unicorn on our hands here, folks. The fit in Miami has gotten trickier. Though he and Bam Adebayo are both taking and making 3s this season, they create spacing problems when paired together. Give Ware his own front court as a solo center, and he could soar. Of course, given some of the motor concerns that existed when he was a draft prospect, taking him out of Miami might also sap some of the appeal. He's a high-risk, high-reward target, and if Antetokounmpo goes to Miami, he'll be the centerpiece of such a deal.

32. Brandin Podziemski, Warriors: $3,687,960
It's funny that we keep having to put Podziemski in groups like this. The Warriors should be more open to trading him. He's seemingly plateaued in his third season, and now even Pat Spencer is outplaying him. The All-Star potential Golden State seemingly saw a few years ago is starting to fade. Now he's just a solid, rotation-level guard. That's a chip the Warriors would throw in a Giannis trade. But given their organizational belief in him, it's hard to imagine them including him in any other deals. They just value him more than the league seemingly does.

Tier 5: Maybe for Giannis (and still probably not)

33. Franz Wagner, Magic: $38,661,750
Orlando may be ambitious enough to take the Giannis swing if this drags into the summer. For now, having just made the Desmond Bane trade and largely seeing positive results early in the season, the Magic would probably prefer to wait and see how they do in a weak East. Besides, that gives them more time to evaluate Wagner against Paolo Banchero and see which they'd prefer to move, as Banchero's rookie extension makes him difficult to trade at the moment. Neither is moving yet unless it's for an Antetokounmpo-level upgrade.

34. De'Aaron Fox, Kings: $37,096,620
We're already hearing that the Spurs don't want to trade Dylan Harper or Stephon Castle. Well, who does that leave? Trading Fox would be difficult on a number of levels. He legally can't even move until Feb. 4, six months after his extension and only one day before the deadline. Perhaps more importantly, trading Fox to Siberia a year after he forced his way to your team not only sends a bad message to other players, but alienates Rich Paul, the most powerful agent in the NBA right now. That's a dangerous game to play this early in a roster build. The Bucks might like the idea of Fox giving them an All-Star in his prime to keep the team afloat post-Giannis, but they'd have to hope his long-term contract convinces him to play nice. Considering how well the Spurs are playing right now, though, they're probably sitting out the Giannis sweepstakes if they have to make up their mind by February.

The Spurs and Thunder just gave us our first taste of the NBA rivalry that could define the next decade

Sam Quinn

35. Alperen Sengun, Rockets: $33,944,954
Houston and San Antonio are in similar camps. They're playing so well that there's no great need to force a Giannis trade unless the price is right. Sengun has been Houston's best player this season, and he's eight years younger than Antetokounmpo. Maybe they'd revisit the idea over the summer if the playoffs go badly. For now, the Rockets won't mess with a good thing.

36. Jalen Johnson, Hawks: $30,000,000
Would the Hawks really trade Giannis-lite for the original model? Probably not, especially with an eight-year age gap. Keep in mind, though: Johnson's agent, Rich Paul, explicitly said that the Bucks should try to trade for Johnson, who is a Wisconsin native. That might signal that Johnson wouldn't mind returning to his hometown. But for now, the ball is in Atlanta's court, and Johnson is the breakout player on a team with realistic Finals hopes in the next few years. If they make an Antetokounmpo trade, it's far likelier that they build it around that unprotected 2026 Pelicans pick they just got over the summer.

37. Austin Reaves, Lakers: $13,937,574
The issue here is less whether the Lakers would give up Reaves for Antetokounmpo -- they almost certainly would, given their fixation on superstars -- and more whether Reaves would join the Bucks. He's an impending free agent that will receive max offers from multiple cap space teams, and there are plenty of desirable ones out there. The Nets and Clippers for their markets. The Jazz and Wizards if he wants to be a No. 1 option. He'd have to agree to stay in Milwaukee for this trade to work. All the Bucks would have to offer would be a fifth year on his contract and slightly bigger annual raises. Maybe he'd take that. Until we know he would, the Lakers aren't a serious suitor.

38. Dylan Harper, Spurs: $12,370,320
The Spurs are already 18-7. They're one of two teams to beat the Thunder head to head. They may not be ready to win the title yet, but it won't be long until they are without any further outside help. Giving up a rookie this good for a 31-year-old, any 31-year-old, would be downright irresponsible. Harper may not be Antetokounmpo, but he could be a level or two lower for a whole lot longer.

39. Amen Thompson, Rockets: $9,690,600
Thompson's foray into point guarding has been a pretty mixed bag so far this season, but even if he's never a primary ball-handler, he has so many other valuable traits that it hardly matters. He'll still be an all-world defender, elite positional rebounder, transition terror and downhill nightmare even in the half court. In other words, he'll be a worse version of Antetokounmpo that is, once again, substantially younger and cheaper.

40. Stephon Castle, Spurs: $9,560,520
Castle is probably slightly more gettable than Harper. It's just a function of being a poor 3-point shooting on a star-laden roster. Having this many players who need the ball isn't optimal, and when Castle doesn't have it, in the playoffs, he won't be guarded. The difference between Castle and, say, Josh Giddey is that he has practically every other trait an All-Star guard needs, so the Spurs can afford to play this out for a few years and see how it goes before rushing a trade. If they did ever move Castle, it would be on their terms and for a haul in return. Something seems like it would have to change quickly for them to offer him for Giannis.

41. Jalen Duren, Pistons: $6,483,144
Thompson likely outranked Duren on Detroit's organizational totem poll before the season. The Pistons didn't give him a rookie extension, after all. But Duren's All-Star turn has changed things. The Pistons are arguably the best rim team in the NBA and he's the literal and figurative of center of that dominance. Once again, we have the age vs. beauty debate. Giannis is better than Duren. Does that offset a nine-year difference? Probably not with the Pistons atop the Eastern Conference. 

Tier 6: Matching salary, multi-year contracts

42. RJ Barrett, Raptors: $27,705,357
Toronto has been linked to several All-Stars in the rumor mill, but the Raptors have to match money somehow. Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram seem to be the core. Immanuel Quickley and Jakob Poeltl have negative-value contracts. That leaves Barrett, owed a hefty salary just this year and next year. The Raptors would miss him. He's a better player than he was in New York. But Toronto's starting lineup has underwhelmed this season. The Raptors win games on the bench, so there are plenty of replacements available.

43. Fred VanVleet, Rockets: $25,000,000
Something to keep in mind: VanVleet has the right to veto any trade thanks to his player option for next season. It would be easy to assume the Rockets will turn his salary into something productive for their playoff run, but they'll need his cooperation to do so. They could also just as easily keep him and plan to bring him back next year.

44. Dorian Finney-Smith, Rockets: $12,700,000
This is what happens when you miss the entire beginning of a season due to injury. If the Rockets want to upgrade and have to choose between someone they're using and someone they aren't, well, who are they gonna pick? With non-guarantees on the back end of his deal, his contract is pretty easily movable.

45. Jarred Vanderbilt, Lakers: $11,571,429
Yes, the Lakers would love to get out of the next two years of Vanderbilt money they owe. He's in and out of the rotation and they have major cap space ambitions. Sadly, with so many expiring deals on their books, foisting his money on a trade partner will be a pretty tall order.

46. Buddy Hield, Warriors: $9,219,512
Buddy Hield isn't even making shots anymore. Considering how little else he brings to the table, it's probably time for the Warriors to think about using his money to bring in reinforcements.

47. Dalton Knecht, Lakers; $4.010,160
The Lakers tried to trade him to Charlotte last February. That didn't work out. Knecht has barely played since. Maybe another team, one with less history and baggage, could find the shooting touch that made him such a promising draft prospect.

Tier 7: Matching Salary, expiring contracts

48. Khris Middleton, Wizards: $33,296,296
One of Washington's two big salaries. The Wizards have nearly limitless cap flexibility. If someone wants to dump a bad long-term contract, they can pay the Wizards to do so while taking back Middleton. He is also a buyout candidate as a veteran who'd likely prefer to win in his final years.

49. C.J. McCollum, Wizards: $30,666,666
McCollum, unlike Middleton, is still producing somewhat reliably. If he gets traded his new team might actually keep him, but there are a whole bunch of contenders hoping that won't be the case. He has a chance to be the Belle of the Buyout Ball.

50. Terry Rozier, Heat: $26,643,031
The Heat don't even know if he can legally be traded, but there is precedent for someone getting traded while on administrative leave (Kevin Porter Jr.). If the Heat just want to use his salary to match money, odds are, the NBA would allow it so long as his new team waived him upon completing the deal (which they almost certainly would).

51. Tobias Harris, Pistons: $26,634,146
Harris is Detroit's ticket to a big addition, and he even plays the position they're most linked to on the trade market in power forward. But Harris is a beloved teammate in a young locker room. The Pistons won't give him away just for the sake of making a move. They'd have to upgrade.

52. Harrison Barnes, Spurs: $19,000,000
Barnes is in the same position as Harris. He's the obvious matching money if his young contender wants to upgrade, but he's also playing well and is so well-liked that moving him would have to be a genuine improvement to be worthwhile.

53. Rui Hachimura, Lakers: $18,259,259
The Lakers have probably just outgrown Hachimura. They need athleticism, defense and off-ball play. Hachimura is slow and wants to dribble. He's the best player they have on an expiring deal (well... aside from LeBron), so there's a chance someone views him as a positive-value asset. He's grown into a 3-point sniper as a Laker, if nothing else.

54. Gabe Vincent, Lakers: $11,500,000
Laker fans have been begging for a Vincent trade for two years. Now that two-way guard Nick Smith is shining, Vincent probably doesn't have a place on this team long-term. He's too small to give them the defense they need.

55. Maxi Kleber, Lakers: $11,000,000
The Lakers have toyed with the idea of Kleber as a real rotation player, and while the lineup data is positive, there's a lot of shooting luck baked into that tiny sample. He's just too frail to be relied upon, so if the Lakers swing for an upgrade, he's the likeliest contract they move.

56. Mike Conley, Timberwolves: $10,774,038
The Timberwolves have been linked to just about every point guard on the market, and Conley is now in his age-38 season. They'd love to have him as a locker room figure. He's aged out of contributing in a playoff setting. If they get their point guard, Conley will be part of the money match going out.

Tier 8: Cap dumps, multi-year contracts

57. Paul George, 76ers: $51,666,090
Joel Embiid's contract is probably well and truly unmovable, but George's? Well, it's a year shorter, and George is... slightly more reliable. Daryl Morey loves hunting stars. There are a bunch on this year's market. If he's willing to dangle those incredible Clipper picks he got in the James Harden trade, he might be able to get an upgrade and get off of George.

58. Zach LaVine, Kings: $47,499,660
Look, we didn't think the Bulls could move this contract. They found a sucker in Sacramento. LaVine has played well and stayed reasonably healthy for a year-and-a-half now. Will it be easy? No. But it's not an impossible dump as the Kings pivot toward a tank. Don't be surprised if a desperate team like Milwaukee takes a swing purely on the basis of the low cost.

59. Jordan Poole, Pelicans: $31,848,215
The Pelicans made so many puzzling moves last offseason that this one slid under the radar. Why on Earth did they turn McCollum's expiring deal into Poole's two-year pact? That's been a disaster. If the Pelicans do listen to offers on Murphy and Jones, you can bet they'll try to foist this contract onto that team as the trade tax.

60. Dejounte Murray, Pelicans; $30,801,103
Murray's contract is a year longer than Poole's. He's recovering from a torn Achilles. The Pelicans drafted Jeremiah Fears to replace him. Oh, and he criticized the team pretty vocally last offseason. Just like Poole, Murray could be a tax in any Jones or Murphy trade.

61. DeMar DeRozan, Kings: $24,750,000
Aside from a declining free-throw rate, DeRozan is still mostly the same player with the same foibles at 36. He won't shoot 3s or defend. He'll get you buckets. His contract is only partially guaranteed for next season, so maybe the Kings can move it by taking back a bigger long-term deal and getting an asset in the process.

62. Kyle Kuzma, Bucks: $22,410,605
Kuzma could be collateral damage of the Giannis situation in either direction. Either the Bucks force the next Giannis team to take on his contract, or they use his cap figure to try to make one last desperate win-now move to compel Antetokounmpo to stay. Either way, it's safe to say that last deadline's swing for Kuzma was a miss. He's just too inconsistent.

63. Malik Monk, Kings: $18,797,619
The Kings spent all offseason trying to dump him in order to create minutes for Russell Westbrook. They failed, then signed Westbrook anyway. Maybe Golden State's struggles to generate offense when Stephen Curry rests will reignite talks around Jonathan Kuminga.

64. Klay Thompson, Mavericks: $16,666,667
The cheapest of the three aging Dallas Hall of Famers, but the least valuable. At least he's started to make his shots again after a terrible start. Keep an eye on Thompson in any possible Davis deals. The Mavericks would love to duck the tax in such a trade.

65. Dennis Schröder, Kings: $14,104,000
The notion that the Kings were stealth tanking all along almost makes sense until you remember that they gave Schröder -- now on his ninth team since the beginning of the 2021-22 season -- a three-year deal. With Westbrook outplaying him this season, the Kings would probably be eager to get out of the Schröder business entirely.

66. Sam Hauser, Celtics: $10,044,644
Boston's easiest path to ducking the tax starts with getting someone to simply take on Hauser's contract. The Nets can take it with cap space and a handful of other teams have exceptions he'd fit into. This offseason, that was probably a reasonable task. His shots aren't falling this year, though, so his value has likely dipped enough to force the Celtics to attach assets.

67. Zeke Nnaji, Nuggets: $8,177,778
The most impactful sub-mid-level contract disaster in the NBA. Nnaji's money has been hamstringing the Nuggets for years of transaction cycles now, and with a monster tax bill coming next season, Denver will be more motivated than ever to duck the tax this year. If there's any way for them to get off of Nnaji, they'll explore it.

68. Clint Capela, Rockets: $6,700,000
The Rockets are roughly $6.7 million above the tax line. Basically, that's Capela's salary. With years of tax payments coming, it would probably behoove the Rockets to duck the tax if possible, and the Capela signing was mostly about getting Steven Adams through the regular season. By February, that task will be mostly complete. Still, Capela took a discount to return to Houston, so odds are, he has assurances that he wouldn't be moved this callously.

69. Jaden Hardy, Mavericks: $6,000,000
Hardy looked like a keeper when he was getting Finals minutes two years ago. He's stagnated since then and now seems like the sort of Harrison-era holdover likely to be dumped by whoever takes over the team next. He's never played or scored less than he is this season.

Tier 9: Cap dumps, expiring contracts

70. Anfernee Simons, Celtics: $27,678,571
This is the contract Boston probably starts its pursuit of tax savings with. He's not a core player like White or even a possible long-term rotation piece. He's an expiring deal that by and large hasn't worked out as a Celtic. Expect Boston to try to parlay this contract into a smaller one, perhaps with more years, in its pursuit of tax savings. If that smaller contract happens to belong to a center they can use? Then all the better.

71. Tyus Jones, Magic: $7,000,000
Jones has been a mess this season, and with Anthony Black looking like a long-term keeper, the Magic really need to delay their tax clock as long as possible. Getting off of the Jones contract does that for Orlando, though there are other feasible means (potentially a Jett Howard dump, for instance).

72. Nick Richards, Suns: $5,000,000
This is Phoenix's no-brainer cap dump. The Suns are just barely over the tax and Richards is their fourth-most important center. They'll move him and get under the line.

73. Garrett Temple, Raptors: $2,296,274
The Raptors are less than $1 million above the tax line, so moving a minimum salary out and then replacing him with a pro-rated minimum later in the season is the easiest path to getting under. Temple is the only older minimum here. He's a locker room presence at this point, nothing more.

74. Hunter Tyson, Nuggets: $2.221,677
Denver is in the same position as Toronto: just barely above the line, likely to get under it with a small move. The Nuggets have two young players on minimum deals who don't really play. One of them is gone. Tyson is one possibility...

75. Jalen Pickett, Nuggets: $2.221,677
...Pickett is the other. It will all depend on which the new Denver front office prefers. But in all likelihood, one of them is gone for the sake of the tax.

Tier 10: Good veterans, bad teams

76. Michael Porter Jr., Nets: $38,333,050
Porter has credibly competed for an All-Star spot this season. The player he is today is worth multiple first-round picks. He's never been this player at any other point in his career, even if it was closer to his draft projection, and injury concerns always exist with him. The truth is somewhere in between that dream valuation and the cap dump he just was for Denver. The Nets want to lose. They've been pretty open about that, and traded several players over the last year for that purpose. If someone offers a first-round pick for Porter, he's probably gone.

77. Nic Claxton, Nets: $25,352,272
He can't shoot like Turner, but he's a better defender and has unlocked a lot of other useful offensive tricks in this rebuild. His playmaking would help so many teams, and his contract descends in annual value. The Nets are never known to have received a first-round offer for him, but if one comes, that's likely enough in their effort to lose.

78. Myles Turner, Bucks: $25,318,251
Turner has had a down year and is on a big long-term contract, but he falls into that same unicorn archetype we keep falling back on: bigs that can defend the rim and shoot. They're worth their weight in gold. Turner won't fetch a huge return at this point, but there are contenders who would love to have him if the Bucks pivot into a rebuild.

79. Nikola Vučević, Bulls: $21,481,481
We've done this dance for a few deadlines now. If you need defense out of your center, Vučević ain't your man. If you need low-maintenance offense at a reasonable salary? Now we can talk. The Bulls need to find a younger big man anyway, and their dip after a hot start probably makes them sellers.

80. Collin Sexton, Hornets: $18,975,000
Count me as the last believer that Sexton's defense can be salvaged in the right situation. Offensively, you know what you're getting: a microwave scorer that can make 3s and get to the rim. Probably a bit pricey for a reserve at this point, but certainly helpful in the right context.

81. Daniel Gafford, Mavericks: $14,386,320
Dereck Lively's latest injury makes a trade less likely than it seemed a month or two ago, but Dallas still has an imbalanced roster, and there are teams looking for a starting center who'd probably pay a reasonable price to get Gafford.

82. Bobby Portis, Bucks: $13,445,754
Portis might just be a Bucks lifer at this point, but Milwaukee has so little tradable salary at this point thanks to the Damian Lillard waive-and-stretch that Portis is one of their only paths to a win-now trade. And if the Bucks have to rebuild? He'd appeal to plenty of teams with thin front courts in need of bench scoring.

83. Coby White, Bulls: $12,888,889
Chicago's season started to turn for the worst right around White's return. That's not his fault, but it doesn't bode well for his chances of getting starter money from the notoriously thrifty Bulls. There seems to be plenty of interest on the open market, so expect Chicago to make a puzzling trade for a disappointing former lottery pick as they usually do in these situations.

84. T.J. McConnell, Pacers: $10,200,000
This is a slightly more reasonable Pacers trade. McConnell is 33. He's down to his last few productive years, and we watched him almost swing the Finals last year. He should be on a contender. Contenders should be willing to pay the Pacers for that privilege. And if it helps the Pacers duck the tax next season? All the better.

85. Derrick Jones Jr., Clippers: $10,000,000
Jones is injured right now, yet another blow to the messy Clippers. When he comes back, he's a pretty standard, valuable wing piece. He's become at least a passable shooter. He probably shouldn't play with anyone else who's shaky (as we saw with Kris Dunn last postseason), but if he's the worst shooter on the floor, his defense is still tremendously valuable.

86. Naji Marshall, Mavericks: $9,000,000
Ironic that he shows up right below Jones on this list as the Mavericks effectively swapped one for the other. Marshall hasn't established as much of a track record as an average shooter as Jones has, but he can do more with the ball in his hands. Jones is better at defending guards. Marshall is better at defending forwards. It's a matter of preference.

87. Kris Dunn, Clippers: $5,426,400
Dunn shares a lot of parallels with Jones. They're both stellar defenders who have worked hard to at least become passable, low-volume shooters. Dunn is smaller, but he's a point guard-level playmaker, which is rare for defense-first players.

88. Gary Trent Jr., Bucks: $3,697,105
Trent can veto trades, and he might just because he's taken discounts in order to build up Bird Rights in Milwaukee that he'd lose upon getting traded. But if the Bucks are headed for a rebuild, his best chance at maximizing his market value would be to land on a winner. He thought that's what he was doing by joining the Bucks in the first place.

Tier 11: Does the market want them more than we do?

89. Jonathan Kuminga, Warriors: $22,500,000
There was some hope early in the season that Kuminga -- who is not eligible to be traded until Jan. 15 -- would finally figure out how to function in Golden State. That has since passed. He's getting DNP-CD'd now. It's over. The Warriors will use his salary for whatever deadline machinations they have in mind. It seems as though the Kings and Suns are still interested. But they've mismanaged the Kuminga situation at every turn and will now give up a once-promising prospect for pennies on the dollar.

90. Jaden Ivey, Pistons: $10,107,163
Ivey is still on a minutes-limit, but remember, he was a 30-minute starter before he got hurt last season. The Pistons are a No. 1 seed now. That sort of role isn't available to him anymore, not with Caris LeVert in place, Duncan Robinson's shooting being a necessity and Daniss Jenkins shining on a two-way deal. This is a situation in which Ivey probably wants or should want more than the Pistons can give him. In those scenarios, it makes sense, as the Warriors have learned with Kuminga, to act quickly rather than to drag things out. Someone will want to give Ivey a chance as a starter. The Pistons could get good value back from that team.

91. Bennedict Mathurin, Pacers: $9,187,573
Mathurin has taken a real leap in his fourth season. Not coincidentally, that has come with Indiana in a gap year. There are shots and minutes available here that he wouldn't normally have access to. The Pacers are sneakily pretty close to the tax line for next year. Maybe they'd pay it for the right player, but without a starting center in place yet, it seems unlikely that they'd give Mathurin starter money. Someone else could. The obvious solution here would be to dangle Mathurin on the trade market for a center now, before he hits restricted free agency.

92. Jeremy Sochan, Spurs: $7,096,231
Sochan's minutes have dipped dramatically in his fourth season. He's still a great defender and crafty playmaker, but the Spurs are a contender now. The can't afford to throw developmental minutes his way. If he wants a bigger role, it will have to come elsewhere. The Spurs have the financial flexibility in the short term to match an offer sheet in restricted free agency. The bigger question is whether or not they'd want to.

93. Rob Dillingham, Timberwolves: $6,576,120
The Timberwolves took a big swing when they traded up for Dillingham at No. 8 overall. They haven't been able to find minutes for him since. That's partially due to his own struggles and partially due to the win-now nature nature of their team. A rebuilder could probably take a closer look at him, and hopefully net the Timberwolves a veteran point guard.

94. Cam Thomas, Nets: $5,993,172
Thomas fancies himself a star. He has the scoring average and nothing else required. If the market agreed with him, he wouldn't have signed the qualifying offer over the summer. It seems as though he and Brooklyn are headed for a divorce. It's just a question of whether someone wants to trade for him now or if he has to venture into free agency to find his new team. He's barely played this year due to a hamstring injury, so his stock is even lower now than it was in July.

95. Tari Eason, Rockets: $5,675,766
Houston would probably love to keep Eason long term. The question is whether doing so will be financially prudent. He should field offers at least at the mid-level exception, and with a hefty Thompson extension looming, the Rockets may have to draw the line somewhere. They're so deep on the wing that they could afford to trade Eason for a pick ahead of free agency if the wanted. After all, he's been out for the past month.

96. Guerschon Yabusele, Knicks: $5,500,000
It just hasn't worked out for Yabusele in New York. After playing starter minutes last season in Philly, he hasn't been the same impact player in a smaller role with the Knicks. Expect them to use his contract to trade for a bench upgrade elsewhere.

97. Devin Carter, Kings: $4,923,720
Hey, the last former lottery pick guard the Kings traded worked out pretty well. Carter isn't Tyrese Haliburton, but the notion of the Kings giving up on a player early shouldn't dissuade other teams who know their track record. Anyone who liked him in the draft will sniff around now.

98. Jose Alvarado, Pelicans: $4,500,000
Why the Pelicans never embraced him, we'll never know. Alvarado is a lot like McConnell: he won't play major minutes, but he's so intense and aggressive in the minutes that he does play that he can swing games in a backup role. Some eager contender should scoop him up and be very happy with his production.

99. Keon Ellis, Kings: $2,301,587
Here's the King the whole league is waiting to steal. Sacramento could have declined Ellis' team option last offseason, made him a restricted free agent and then used their leverage to re-sign him to a favorable long-term deal. Instead they kept his low cap figure this year in exchange for granting him unrestricted free agency next summer. It's exactly the sort of shortsighted move we've come to expect from the Kings. Ellis is the best defender on the roster and he barely plays. He'll make Sacramento look foolish on his next team. Anyone could use a starting-caliber 3-and-D guard making a minimum salary.

100. Chris Paul, Clippers: $2,296,274
The Clippers have already sent him home. He might be traded eventually. It could be to a team that wants to play him. It might be in a move to a clear a roster spot and get his money off the books. But he feels about as close to a trade lock as this list has to offer.