The NBA playoffs are hot and heavy this season, with major upsets of the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets shaking up the foundation of the playoff bracket. The San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder are still the front-runners, but the New York Knicks look as good as anyone in the postseason. It’s been an exciting postseason.
However, nothing is as exciting as offseason rumors, and the rumor mill has been INSANE already. We’re hearing about the futures of multiple stars, whether through trade or free agency. The interesting free agents start with LeBron James, who is looking for where to spend his career’s twilight years. After LeBron, the free agent crop drops off precipitously. So, we look at trades.
Who are the top trade candidates from the eliminated teams? There is one sure choice at the top.
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
Giannis Antetokounmpo is the number one option to watch this offseason. It appears his time with the Milwaukee Bucks is over. He’s still one of the best players in the league, but a plethora of mistakes by management had them blowing the roster around Giannis, and it finally came to a head this season when they missed the playoffs.
Things got worse in the NBA Draft Lottery, with the Bucks falling to 10th in the NBA Draft. Not many expect a huge difference maker to fall to 10 in this draft. So, the Bucks have to lean on getting the proper return for their star. They have nothing close to a championship roster, and Giannis is 31 years old. He’s still in his prime, but he is coming towards the end of that prime, and he will want to prioritize the best years of his career.
There are so many rumors about what he wants from this trade front. In reality, we don’t think many actually know what he wants. He could want to go to the East Coast, or he could be open to spending some years next to Steph Curry. Maybe he wants to play for the Knicks, or maybe he would accept a move to the Nets. Anything is possible here, as the Greek Freak hasn’t said much himself. Even so, we’d be floored if he started next season as a member of the Bucks.
2. Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
There’s some weirdness happening in Boston. Nobody will say that the Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum experiment hasn’t worked because they’ve already won a title, but what have they done together outside of that title? This season, they were upset by the Philadelphia 76ers. Last season, the Knicks knocked them out, and Tatum tore his Achilles. Prior to winning the title, they also lost series to the Heat, Warriors (in the NBA Finals), and Nets.
It’s been an interesting run for Tatum and Brown, but it’s not as successful as we seem to remember. Don’t get us wrong, this is still one of the best duos in the NBA, but there are better duos in the league. And after spending an entire season playing as the team’s star, some of his postgame and postseason comments seem to show a guy who desires that life again.
Every team would line up to trade for Brown, even with his $285 million contract that probably needs an extension soon. Brown showed he could be a 1A star when called upon. Nobody wants to give up the seat once they get it. Brown is no different. Will this come to a head and force a trade? We’d lean that it probably will, but if it happens this offseason, it still needs to be seen.
3. Kyrie Irving, Dallas Mavericks
Kyrie Irving is a name many of us likely haven’t heard in a while. He was still a member of the Dallas Mavericks this season, but that might not last long. The Mavs already traded Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards. Now, another great veteran could be on his way out.
Irving is being discussed in a ton of mock drafts, but that seems to be the extent of the conversation right now. We don’t have anything concrete, and the injury really does muddy the waters here. Irving hasn’t played basketball in over a year while he was recovering from a knee injury. Maybe Irving would have forced his way back if his team had been even remotely in the playoff race.
We have to work with the information we have, and it’s a hope and a prayer that Irving is even a high performer for his current or next team. The Dallas Mavericks are still in a rebuild, which is why Anthony Davis is in Washington. There was a thought that Dallas was building for a championship, but now they are building for the future. Cooper Flagg was good, but he isn’t ready to compete yet. It’s best to have another year of development for everyone, and that would require Irving to play on another home court.
4. Jimmy Butler, Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are trying to do something crazy this offseason. They want to make the most out of the end of Steph Curry’s best years. They didn’t do that this season, winning just 39 games and missing the playoffs. Curry’s squad made the play-in, but they couldn’t make it out of that.
We expect the Warriors to be in on everyone. To make a trade happen, they have to match salaries. That’s where Jimmy Butler comes in. Butler is set to make $56 million next season, but it’s the final year of his contract. The Warriors can use that to match salaries, and then they can get as many draft picks as they want.
We do think Butler will only be used as trade fodder for a bigger name. Butler is coming off a torn ACL, and the Warriors can’t take a chance that he is a shell of himself. It's another example of a team trading for a guy coming off a season-ending injury. Plenty of other teams can make that leap to see if Butler has something left in the tank. Unlike the rest of the guys on this list, Butler might not want to leave, but he might be escorted out to improve the Warriors’ roster.
5. Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies
Ja Morant is getting traded. That seems inevitable at this point. The Memphis Grizzlies built everything around him, and it looked smart when they were a two seed in the Western Conference. Now, it’s all fallen apart, and the Grizzlies have no direction. They need to hit a hard reset, and that includes trading Morant while he still has value.
This past season. Morant had his worst season in a while. He didn’t get into a ton of off-the-court issues like in seasons past, but he just wasn’t nearly as good. He played just 20 games, and he averaged fewer than 20 points per game for the first time since his sophomore season in the league.
Morant was expected to grow into a superstar, but that hasn’t come to fruition yet. Something happened that knocked him off his path, but if there was ever a “change-of-scenery” candidate in this league, Morant is him. He used to be one of the most popular players in the league. Now, you can’t find a young person brave enough to wear his jersey. His explosiveness is still there somewhere, but before the injuries completely catch up to him, the Grizzlies are going to sell high on him.
6. DeMar DeRozan, Sacramento Kings
Did you know that DeMar DeRozan is in the top 20 scorers in the history of the NBA? This is a legend of the game that has been playing outstanding basketball under the radar for more than a decade. Even with the huge counting statistics, DeRozan hasn’t been given the respect that most with his stat line would get. It doesn’t help that he doesn’t have too many wins under his belt. It doesn’t help him to play for the Sacramento Kings.
The Kings are another team that seems like they have no direction. They could be a playoff team, but who wants to be the 6-12 team in the Western Conference? The ceiling is way too low, and the floor is in the basement. DeRozan doesn’t want to spend the final years of his impressive career fighting an uphill battle with a terrible team. Let him be a final piece for a championship roster.
DeRozan would be on a roster that is ready to compete. Could he go back to the Spurs if other moves are made? Is he willing to take a chance on a team that might not be completely ready, like the 76ers? There are so many different directions that this can go in. Ironically enough, even his trade rumors are falling under the radar.
7. Anthony Davis, Washington Wizards
Anthony Davis was just traded, but it isn’t news that the Washington Wizards weren’t his desired destination. Will that change now that the Wizards have the rights to the number one overall pick? Davis has a chance to play alongside A.J. Dybantsa, but he also has a chance to chase another ring. He only has that one from his time with the Los Angeles Lakers, and now he’s on a team that’s still rebuilding.
It’s an odd roster, with Trae Young and D’Angelo Russell. There’s a reason they were in line to get the first-overall pick. They deserved it. This team was really bad, and Davis didn’t suit up for them that often. Requesting a trade won’t really hurt anyone’s feelings.
Davis is still a decent player, but he’s not the star he was in the past. We can see a team paying legit capital for him, but he’s not worth a plethora of assets like he was in the past. That’s especially true with how many stars are actually going to be available this offseason. Davis might act as a silver medal for a team that misses out on Embiid or Giannis.
8. Kevin Durant, Houston Rockets
Another year, and Kevin Durant is on the trade block again. Just one year after he was traded to the Houston Rockets, Durant isn’t looking any closer to adding a championship to his resume. With that, many are wondering if it makes more sense for the former MVP to find his next destination.
There are a ton of interesting landing spots for Durant. Would he return to the Oklahoma City Thunder to ring chase, or could he join Victor Wembanyama in San Antonio? Maybe he looks at the Eastern Conference landscape and sees an opportunity. Right now, the New York Knicks look unstoppable. The Detroit Pistons are up-and-coming. The Cleveland Cavaliers could be looking for another star if things don’t work out this season.
Either way, Durant will be in rumors. He is in rumors all the time. The Rockets lost in the first round this season to the Los Angeles Lakers, and then LeBron James’s squad got swept by the Thunder. He’s not close, and he’s coming to the end of his run as a superstar. His statistics are still great (26 points per game, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists), but they aren't translating into wins anymore. It's been seven years since Durant left the Warriors. His next team will be his fourth team since then. Still, this seems like it might happen.
9. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
Joel Embiid was once considered one of the best players in the NBA. He was winning MVPs for the 76ers, but he’s never made it past the second round in the playoffs. In fact, the 76ers haven’t been to the conference finals since they made the NBA Finals in 2001. Embiid was the one piece from “The Process” that actually worked out. And now, he may be out the door, allowing for a younger and more impactful roster to build around Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe.
Embiid will have a ton of options, which might surprise some. His contract is insane, paying him $57 million next season. He has a player option for $67 million in 2028-29. Only a select few teams can make that contract work under the salary cap threshold and matching contracts in a trade.
We saw against the Boston Celtics that Embiid can still be a difference maker. Then, we saw against the Knicks that he can be neutralized. He’s not the dominating force he was just a few years ago. He’s not Nikola Jokic at the center position, but on the right team (which might ironically be the Knicks), he can be the piece that puts a team over the top. And with a whole new management group coming in after Darryl Morey was fired, changes should be expected.
10. Michael Porter Jr., Brooklyn Nets
Michael Porter Jr. was sent to the Brooklyn Nets, and for the first time, he had a chance to show that he can be the top guy on a team. Of course, the Nets were terrible this season, so it wasn’t the best endorsement of his talents, but he showed that he’s at least capable of scoring more than 24 points per game.
Unfortunately, Porter’s biggest issue crept up after two very healthy years with the Nuggets. The Nets only had Porter for 52 games, missing 30 on the season with back, knee, and hamstring injuries. The latter of which took him out and ended his season.
The Nets fell in the NBA Draft Lottery to the sixth-overall pick, moving them outside the reach of a transcendent star. Now, their options are trading up or selling again. Porter could be part of their sell-off. He is always an injury risk, but after two injury-free seasons, he has had such a strange year with injuries. We do see the Nets making a move, and Porter is the asset that makes the most sense. He has one season left, which pays him north of $40 million. Then, he's a free agent. A small-market team might be willing to take a shot on him.
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