The Whiteboard: 5 NBA stars on the chopping block and where they should land

The 2025 NBA trade deadline is right around the corner and there's plenty of buzz to go around. This was not the most transformative offseason in recent memory, but we did see several stars change teams, from Paul George in Philadelphia to Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges in New York. The next wave of foundational change is on the horizon.

Several bonafide All-Stars have come up in trade rumors this season. It's unclear how much traction there is with these big names, but circumstances favor at least a couple major swings. The new CBA makes it harder than ever for contenders to navigate blockbuster trades, but that won't stop the truly aggressive (or desperate) front offices from taking a hack at it.

It's generally pretty easy to pinpoint All-Star trade candidates. Anybody on stuck on a bad team (Zion Williamson) or in a contract year (Jimmy Butler) or both (Brandon Ingram) is vulnerable. Let's dive into five players who seem to be making the rounds and pinpoint their ideal landing spots.

Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls → Denver Nuggets

Sometimes the obvious landing spot is the best landing spot. The Denver Nuggets have already been connected to Zach LaVine, which feels notable when the Chicago Bulls have been trying — and failing — to find a suitor for the better part of a year. At this point, Chicago would gladly dump LaVine's salary just to dump it. The Nuggets can oblige.

Any trade with Denver will have to center on Michael Porter Jr., so it's not like Chicago would be going home empty-handed. It really comes down to what else Chicago is willing to take back. Zeke Nnaji's four-year, $32 million contract would make the money work, but that's an undesirable asset. Are the Bulls willing to eat bad money without draft compensation? Maybe not, especially when LaVine is playing so well.

His contract has really warped the discourse, because LaVine is still an excellent player. His shot-making versatility and secondary playmaking chops would play beautifully in Denver, as the Nuggets need a bit more halfcourt juice alongside Nikola Jokic. LaVine eases the burden on Jamal Murray and gives Denver another potent two-man tango partner for Jokic. This would meaningfully improve the Nuggets' standing in the West and give LaVine's career a shot in the arm.

Brandon Ingram, New Orleans Pelicans → Miami Heat

Brandon Ingram has also been showing up in trade rumors since the summer. The New Orleans Pelicans would love to move him, but there just isn't a taker willing to meet their asking price. Those conversations have stalled to the point where Ingram is even willing to consider a short-term extension, rather than holding out for the four-year max contract he initially desired.

Even with the shifting landscape, however, it still feels exceedingly plausible that Ingram would change teams at the trade deadline. All it takes is one team desperate enough to target the one-time All-Star and former No. 2 pick. For all his faults, Ingram is the rare 6-foot-8 playmaking wing, averaging 22.2 points and 5.8 assists on .465/.374/.855 splits. That is an archetype every team covets.

What Ingram needs is the right infrastructure around him. The fit next to Zion Williamson in NOLA was never ideal, and the Pels' ongoing injury woes just make it impossible to establish a rhythm. Most players should, in their heart of hearts, want to play for Erik Spoelstra and the Miami Heat. There isn't a better organization when it comes to maximizing an individual skill set and finding a player's niche in the collective.

We know Jimmy Butler is coming up in trade rumors (more on that momentarily). The Heat presumably want a star who better aligns with Bam Adebayo's competitive timeline. Ingram fits the bill, giving Miami another shot creator to cultivate on the wing.

De'Aaron Fox, Sacramento Kings → San Antonio Spurs

De'Aaron Fox rumors are beginning to percolate after a recent meeting between Rich Paul and Sacramento Kings leadership. The 27-year-old point guard hasn't demanded a trade yet, but he's in the penultimate season of his contract and the Kings are rapidly descending the Western Conference standings. At a certain point, tough decisions need to be made.

It's hard to chart a viable path forward for this Kings team. All the "stars" are productive individually, but Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, and Fox haven't been able to lift this team out of the NBA basement yet. Mike Brown is a good coach. There are strong pieces in the supporting cast. And yet, it all feels a bit hopeless. This Kings team just isn't built to win at the highest level.

If Fox does end up on the trade block officially, the San Antonio Spurs are expected to take interest. As they should. Ever since his arrival last season, the Victor Wembanyama discourse has centered at least partially on the remarkably poor supporting cast around him. Wemby has made do with a patchwork roster, but he would benefit tremendously from a real point guard — ideally one with a bit more longevity than Chris Paul, who's more of a stopgap and a mentor.

Fox would benefit Wembanyama tremendously, translating an explosive first step and constant rim pressure into easy dump-offs in the lane or kick-outs for spot 3s. Wembanyama would have his pick-and-roll partner for the next half decade at least, assuming Fox is willing to ink an extension. The Spurs don't have much long-term money lined up, so there's room to pay Fox and still maneuver for another major addition down the line.

Wemby's too good to tank, so this move is well within the realm of reason for San Antonio.

Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans → Golden State Warriors

Zion Williamson is an enigma. When healthy, there are few more dominant offensive engines in the NBA. That "when healthy" bit tends to get tricky, though, as Williamson has only appeared in 60 games twice over his five-year NBA career to date. He's on track to miss that benchmark for a fourth time this season.

He's 24 years old and he's under contract through 2028, which is incredibly rare for All-Stars on the trade block. Once viewed as a foundational piece in New Orleans, Williamson could bring uncommon upside at a discount rate to his next team, should the Pelicans actually bite the bullet and trade him. It's risky, though, and that risk has the potential to sink a franchise.

So... why should the Golden State Warriors take the bait? Well, because Stephen Curry deserves to go out swinging. We've seen the Dubs try and fail to add another star since the early summer months. Williamson's health is an open-ended question mark, but if he's right, the impact on Golden State's offense would be pronounced.

Just imagine defenses trying to keep Zion out of the paint while also accounting for Steph's 3-point marksmanship. There are potential defensive concerns with a "small" Zion-Draymond Green frontcourt, but Green can clean up more messes than anybody else his size. Williamson is essentially a point guard in a linebacker's frame, plowing lanes to the basket and keeping defenses in a constant state of collapse. There isn't a better wing finisher at the rim, and nobody gets to the rim more prolifically, even if defenses know that's where he is going.

It's a risk worth taking for the desperate Warriors, who'd hope to luck into a healthy postseason run with Zion and Steph before the latter hangs 'em up.

Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat → Houston Rockets

The Miami Heat are not going to trade Jimmy Butler, according to Pat Riley.

Do we believe him? Absolutely not. There has been far too much smoke to the opposite effect, with Butler in the final year of his contract and the Heat plainly unwilling to extend him. This is all a leveraging ploy from Riley. Of course the Heat want teams to think everything is kumbaya and Butler is happy in South Beach, but the All-Star himself refused to comment when asked about his future in a Heat uniform.

Butler is 35 and it's unclear what his future holds, financially or otherwise, but the Heat would be wise to explore exit strategies if there's no path forward. Finishing the season out with a first-round exit before Butler bolts in free agency accomplishes nothing. If Miami does put Butler on the chopping block, the best landing spot is also the most sentimentally potent — his hometown team, the Houston Rockets.

There's something to the idea of Butler returning home to lead a young team into the future, operating as the bridge star for an up-and-coming Rockets team that is closer to contending in the West than most folks realize. The Rockets currently occupy the No. 2 seed, but generating halfcourt offense in crunchtime has been a struggle. Butler gives them a legitimate star engine to reorganize the offense around, not to mention a fiery veteran leader who should strike a chord with the likes of Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, and Reed Sheppard.

Houston has the flexibility to keep Butler beyond this season, should he want to return. His championship odds legitimately increase with the Rockets, and he gets to help a young nucleus take the next step. Not often do veteran stars get the chance to embrace a mentorship role while also winning a bunch of games. Butler would get that rare opportunity with the Rockets.

This should happen, especially since the price is sure to be dirt cheap relative to Butler's impact on winning.

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NBA news roundup:

• Before Pat Riley's unequivocal statement on Butler's availability, the Miami Herald reported that Jimmy Butler was upset by the Heat's unwillingness to deny an ESPN report about his name circulating the trade market. Well... let's see where this saga goes next.
• Before their Christmas Day loss to LeBron James' Lakers, the Warriors held a players-only meeting led by Stephen Curry, per ESPN. "It is an inflection point on obviously which direction our season can go," the point guard said after Golden State fell to 10th place with the defeat.
• A recent report from The Athletic brought up Michael Porter Jr. as a hot topic in trade circles, but the Nuggets swingman isn't worried. "There's nothing serious going on, and if there was, they would let me know." Porter did, however, acknowledge that any trade would probably come as a blindside.