With less than three weeks to go before the NBA trade deadline and with two major deals already done with the Raptors involving OG Anunoby to the Knicks and Pascal Siakam to the Pacers, there's still a world of speculation, smokescreening, and trade rumor slop out there to digest. Here's a look at all 30 teams, and what league sources or known reporting has suggested as far as teams' intentions at the trade deadline.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Boston Celtics
Boston is typically a super-active team; their front office does its due diligence and tries to be involved constantly in upgrades. The Celtics are obviously cap-strapped and limited in who and what they can move. They do have their pick until 2028, so they have that to work with. The Celtics are expected to be interested in wing and center depth to try and round out the roster but are said to be committed to Luke Kornet.
Milwaukee Bucks
It will come as no surprise that Milwaukee is expected to look for a defensive wing to help their porous perimeter defense for the stretch run. Bobby Portis has one more season left on his deal for $12.6 million, making him an ideal candidate to move, but the Bucks' frontcourt depth is already slim behind Brook Lopez. Pat Connaughton is the other name discussed as the Bucks were involved in talks for Indiana's Buddy Hield this summer involving Connaughton.
Philadelphia 76ers
The most interesting team among the East contenders, the Sixers are still looking for upgrades despite how well the James Harden trade worked for them. But their interest in star players comes with the same caveat that exists for the Lakers; the star player has to be a two-way player who can defend, limiting their interest in Chicago's Zach LaVine.
Tobias Harris, as it ever was, is the name often considered to be the main salary centerpiece of a deal. Given Indiana and Sacramento's interest in small forward upgrades, the possibility of a multi-team deal involving Harris is notable. Outside of Daryl Morey's pragmatic value in acquiring as much star talent as possible, the Sixers are interested in backup point guard help.
They have interest in the Wizards' Tyus Jones but are only willing to commit second-rounders for a starter in Washington looking for starter money this summer. (UPDATE: League sources familiar with the Sixers' plans indicated after publish this is inaccurate and the Sixers are "not pursuing Tyus Jones.") The Sixers have a whopping $103 million in expiring contracts.
Cleveland Cavaliers
With the important caveat that everything changes should Donovan Mitchell demand out (as is the case with every major star in the league), there's a consensus the Cavs will leave Mitchell's looming 2025 free agency and the incessant talk of his eventual desire to play in New York as a problem for their future selves this summer. There's been nothing on the Mitchell front beyond the usual "Miami is interested" talk that comes withe very single star.
Meanwhile, the Cavs are said to still be looking for the 3-and-D player they've worked hard to find. No rotation player outside of Sam Merrill is shooting above league average (36.7%) from 3.
New York Knicks
The Knicks are an interesting one; they're not going to stop shopping for another star. They will continue to be on the line if a major star suddenly becomes available. But they're also working on smaller additions after the OG Anunoby trade. Ian Bagley reported they have interest in Bruce Brown, recently acquired by the Raptors in the Siakam trade.
New York has also looked at center additions with no set timetable for Mitchell Robinson's return. Daniel Gafford is a name they're interested it, league sources have said.
Miami Heat
As stated above, Miami continues to be looking for any star that comes available. But beyond that, there's very little indication of anything the Heat are known to be looking for. Executives are interested to see how the Heat manage Jimmy Butler being extension eligible with a player option for 2025-26 at $52 million.
Indiana Pacers
The last question with the Pacers after the Siakam trade is whether they will move Buddy Hield as an expiring at the deadline, but there's been nothing mentioned in league circles. Two rival personnel figures were impressed that the Pacers managed to get Siakam without giving up Isaiah Jackson, Jarace Walker, or Ben Sheppard.
Orlando Magic
No extension for Markelle Fultz, leading to suggestions he might be someone they look to move at the deadline. Marc Stein has reported that they have explored moving Wendell Carter Jr. as well.
The latter note is a big deal; this is a market desperate for center help. After the mid-to-late 2010's were dominated by smallball, every team knows they can't survive without rim protection and size. WCJ is one of the better center defenders in the league with some offensive chops as well, but the Magic have been so incredibly good with Goga Bitazde, it's opened up opportunities for them to move WCJ for a relative haul.
Chicago Bulls
Still no takers for Zach LaVine, and there's increasing expectation of him remaining in Chicago. Fair or not, LaVine is seen as a distressed asset on account of his play style, injury history and most importantly contract that takes him through 2026. As previously reported here, the Bulls continue to shut down calls for Alex Caruso, but some insiders do wonder if DeMar DeRozan on an expiring contract will have a new home by All-Star.
The Bulls will likely get calls about Ayo Dusunmu before the deadline.
Atlanta Hawks
The assumption is that the Hawks will wait until the week of the deadline but move multiple players. Dejounte Murray is the headliner and considered to be the best player on the market; he'll continue to have different teams putting offers in. Clint Capela is the contract the Hawks most want to move, as has been the case for almost a year now. DeAndre Hunter is considered available.
The Knicks, Rockets, Bulls, and Mavericks are teams believed to be interested in buying low on second-year man AJ Griffin who has fallen out of the rotation.
Brooklyn Nets
Curiously, not a lot of noise about the Nets. They're mentioned on the fringes of the conversation for most of the big-name targets, from Dejounte Murray to Zach LaVine to Donovan Mitchell. But outside of "It's going to take at least one first to get Dorrian Finney Smith or Royce O'Neale," I haven't heard much. You would think with the season slipping away, they'd be pursuing shakeups but the front office seems content to use this season to assess things, though a deal for their expiring contracts seems likely.
The Lakers are known to have interest in Spencer Dinwiddie and is likely to generate a market before the deadline.
Toronto Raptors
They're not done. Word is that everyone who isn't Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, or Jakob Poeltl is available. The Raptors want to reset their timeline in terms of the age of their players. Curiously, Poeltl is 28.
Gary Trent Jr. is the name most frequently discussed, with the Lakers and Nets among the teams with interest.
Charlotte Hornets
Terry Rozier's name has started to come up despite being signed through 2026. (His 25-26 season is not fully guaranteed but guaranteed for $24 million.) Miles Bridges, who put his wife in the hospital two years ago, is a popular trade target. Sacramento, Detroit, and Dallas are mentioned as teams who have shown interest.
Detroit Pistons
As you would expect, Detroit would like to upgrade the roster so they are not the worst team since the 2012 Charlotte Bobcats.
The Pistons continue to view Bojan Bogdanovic as the veteran they need in the locker room, but his value on the trade market will likely come to exceed that. The Pistons are looking for various upgrade options but are also said to be limited in the amount of salary they can take on.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Minnesota Timberwolves
All quiet on the Northern Front, as the Wolves seem content to let this group see how far it can go before making changes. There continue to be random flares about Karl-Anthony Towns but by all accounts, it seems unlikely the team No.1 in the West will do anything dramatic before the deadline.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Cry for them to "cash in" all you want, there's no indication that OKC will do anything dramatic at the deadline. The front office is dedicated to approaching their rebuild with the right amount of patience. That doesn't rule out a move around the margins for a veteran center or wing.
Denver Nuggets
Denver will be look for veteran frontcourt options either at the end of the deadline or in the buyout market. They're one of several teams linked to PJ Tucker. But Denver's more than comfortable with their eight-man rotation towards making a run at the repeat.
L.A. Clippers
Speaking of, the Clippers do not want to trade Tucker to a contender where they might face him again in the posteseason. Other than that, the Clippers feel confident with what is their best chance at a title since 2021.
New Orleans Pelicans
Jarrett Allen is the name most commonly associated with the Pelicans. They're looking to reset their center position a little more in the age timeline of their stars Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson. Jonas Valanciunas on an expiring contract could wind up being moved which would be smart given how much interest there is in centers across the league, and his $15 million expiring deal will be an asset.
The Pelicans are thought to be open to moving Herbert Jones. They're high on Jones, but it'll be difficult for the team to pay their stars, Jones and Trey Murphy III.
Sacramento Kings
After missing out on OG Anunoby and then Pascal Siakam, the Kings will continue to look for a forward upgrade. Jerami Grant, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Herb Jones are among the names they're expected to explore options for. If the Sixers decide to get spicy and need a third team to move Tobias Harris to, the Kings could have interest.
Dallas Mavericks
The Mavs are another team looking for small forwards, with Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reporting they're interested in Grant, Andrew Wiggins, PJ Washington, and Dorian Finney-Smith. The market for Tim Hardaway Jr., the most appealing asset they're willing to part with, remains minimal. The Mavs are also said to have interest in Daniel Gafford, as they would like one more available big.
Phoenix Suns
Fischer reports the Suns are active in trying for yet another upgrade with a package of Grayson Allen and Nasir Little among other pieces. There are also reports the team may be looking to move Jusuf Nurkic for a center upgrade. Phoenix doesn't have a lot of wiggle room with their three stars on such big contracts.
Utah Jazz
You can stop calling about Lauri Markkanen. It's not happening. Not yet, anyway. The Jazz and Markkanen will work on a long-term extension this summer and the most likely outcome is he stays with Utah on a max. But that's a summer question and there's no shot the Jazz trade Markkanen before the deadline.
Talen Horton-Tucker, Jordan Clarkson, and Kelly Olynyk are gettable for the right price, but that phrase with Danny Ainge is often a tough pill for teams to swallow.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers want guards, but they need to at least be passable on defense, which is why there's zero expectation at this point for them to add Zach LaVine. Dejounte Murray is most likely their top target, but Malcolm Brogdon, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Tyus Jones (who is looking for a starting spot and the money that comes with it) are other names to keep an eye on.
The Lakers, as was the case in June, will have a hard time finding a taker for D'Angelo Russell in such a deal, and Rui Hachimura's value has dipped some as well. The Lakers' interest in a trade is significant, but given that they may be dealing from a serious position of compromised leverage, there's skepticism a deal will surface.
Houston Rockets
The Rockets want a center. They're a team that's called to discuss Daniel Gafford with the Wizards, sources say, and Kelly Olynyk is on their short list as well. There's no indication they'll look to make a major move with the starters despite a lot of awkward sideways glances in the direction of former 2nd overall pick Jalen Green. The team remains committed to helping Green find his role on a better team.
One executive did suggest, speculatively, that they might be a landing spot for Clint Capela given his familiarity with the franchise.
Golden State Warriors
No one knows. That's the reality. They would like to move Andrew Wiggins for an upgrade. They're willing to part with the unhappy Jonathan Kuminga. Moses Moody would take a big price. The issue at this point is that the Warriors may have gone past the point of no return on the season.
Setting aside the trauma the team suffered with the death of beloved assistant Dejan Melojević, which is obviously bigger than basketball and will pause any considerations on the basketball operations side for some time, the Warriors do not have a clear path out of their current basketball mess.
They don't appear one or two moves away. The core of their championship dynasty are the ones who have slid the most and swapping out Wiggins for another forward no longer seems like something that will boost them back to contention. But moving Klay Thompson or Draymond Green — beyond depriving them of spending their entire careers in yellow and blue and the emotional toll on Steph Curry — may not generate enough in return at this point to do anything meaningful beyond reduce the luxury tax bill.
That luxury tax bill is $186 million, currently, however.
Everything is on the table for the Warriors and it'll be interesting to see if they find a way to improve the team, reduce the tax bill, or both.
Memphis Grizzlies
I've been a little surprised to hear Memphis isn't punting on the season. They continue to look for options to improve the roster by trading younger players like Jake LaRavia, Ziaire Williams, and David Roddy. They've found two needles in a haystack with two-way player GG Jackson and Vince Williams, which might let them tinker a bit more. I'm not expecting much on the market for Memphis, but they're known as a buyer.
Portland Trail Blazers
Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report has reported that Jerami Grant doesn't desire a trade and that the front office is not interested in such a deal. Now, why it is that Grant continues to be discussed routinely as a trade target for various teams if that's the case is a mystery.
Malcolm Brogdon, however, has no such real restrictions and there's a pretty healthy belief the Blazers will try to move him before the deadline. Brogdon has value as an impact player who won 6th Man of the Year last season, but his injury concerns take him off the list for several teams. Nothing else is really expected from the Blazers, with Anfernee Simons and Shaedon Sharpe still considered key building blocks.
San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs are not looking to sell off veterans for draft picks or build for long-term planning. League sources have said the Spurs have called several teams looking for ready-made players they can win with. The Spurs won't put themselves at risk for much, but they'll use veteran players like Cedi Osman and Doug McDermott to explore their options. The Spurs are more likely to go after under-the-radar role players than stars, however.
