The 2026 NBA trade deadline was not short on surprises. From James Harden going to the Cleveland Cavaliers and Jaren Jackson Jr. getting traded to the Utah Jazz to Anthony Davis and Trae Young joining the Washington Wizards, rosters transformed in unexpected ways.
While some of the rumored trade targets did get moved — Davis, Young, Ayo Dosunmu and Coby White chief among them — several of them stayed in place for now. That doesn't mean their long-term futures are resolved, though.
Barring a drastic turnaround, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks figure to dominate the offseason headlines, particularly if they wait to trade him until they can offer him a four-year, $270-plus million extension on Oct. 1. He won't be the only star who finds himself back in the rumor mill, though.
Here's our best guess at four rumored trade targets who stayed put at the deadline but will get moved this offseason.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
Let's start with the big fish.
Much like this year's trade deadline, the Bucks could hold up the entire offseason market if they try to stall before entertaining trade offers for the Greek Freak. He'll have only one guaranteed season left on his contract, though, so he can effectively force the Bucks to trade him by pledging not to re-sign with them as a free agent in 2027.
The Golden State Warriors swapped Jonathan Kuminga for Kristaps Porziņģis at the trade deadline, but they still have pathways to acquire Antetokounmpo. The Minnesota Timberwolves, Miami Heat and New York Knicks still figure to be interested as well. A wild card could also join the proceedings, particularly depending on how the draft lottery shakes out.
Given the months of smoke around Antetokounmpo's future in Milwaukee, the Bucks seem like they're fighting an uphill battle to keep him beyond this season.
Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies
Unlike Antetokounmpo, who has multiple realistic suitors, Ja Morant appears to have generated tepid interest at the trade deadline.
The Grizzlies did trade Jackson to the Jazz, further cementing the teardown they began over the offseason when they sent Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic. Morant is now the lone remaining member of their former Big Three, which suggests he's the next out the door.
The Grizzlies are poised to pivot around the likes of Zach Edey, Cedric Coward and whomever they select with their first-round pick this year. They also acquired recent first-round picks Taylor Hendricks and Walter Clayton Jr., both of whom are in their age-22 season, in exchange for Jackson.
Morant still has two years and roughly $89 million left on his contract after this season, which appears to be the main reason for the lack of interest in him. Between multiple injuries and a pair of league-issued suspensions, questions about Morant's availability give him a negative-value deal at the moment.
Once the main offseason deck chairs shuffle, at least one team will have missed on its primary target and will need to pivot. The Grizzlies figure to be open for business all offseason on Morant as they look to move fully into their youth movement.
Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings
The Toronto Raptors were reportedly pursuing Domantas Sabonis at the trade deadline, but Jakob Poeltl's back injury ruined any chances of a deal.
Sam Amick and Eric Koreen of The Athletic called the Raptors a "serious suitor" for Sabonis in early February. However, they noted that any deal would require Toronto to find a third team to take on the four years and $103-plus million remaining on Poeltl's contract.
"Unless you see a deal unfold in which Poeltl heads elsewhere to make room for Sabonis, this is an ongoing discussion that will likely resume in the offseason," they wrote. "There’s genuine interest from the Raptors in Sabonis, though."
Poeltl has played in only 22 of the Raptors' first 55 games due to a back injury, although he did return in the final game before the All-Star break. If he can stay healthy over the rest of the season and resemble his former self, perhaps they'll be able to loop in a third team to take him on in an offseason Sabonis trade.
Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers
James Harden? Gone. Ivica Zubac? Gone. Kawhi Leonard? Still in Los Angeles…?
In the Clippers' defense, they didn't approve trade Harden or Zubac until they were less than 72 hours away from the trade deadline. Even if they had wanted to trade Leonard, the clock might have run out on them. But it also might be impossible to properly assign him a trade value right now.
Leonard is currently having one of the best (if not the single best) seasons of his career. He's also about to be on an expiring contract, is turning 35 at the end of June, has a long injury history and oh, yeah, is also facing salary-cap circumvention allegations.
Teams might not have wanted to trade for Leonard without knowing the fallout from the league's investigation. The NBA technically has the power to void Leonard's contract, which would have been a disaster scenario for any team that coughed up actual assets for him.
Leonard and Darius Garland should be enough to keep the Clippers in the Western Conference play-in mix, but it's unclear if they have a quick path back toward the top of the conference this offseason. If not, it might make sense for Leonard to go play out the final season of his contract as a hired gun, much like he did with the Toronto Raptors in 2018-19.
Would the Warriors trade away Jimmy Butler and draft picks if they could land Leonard? Would the Heat, Wolves, Knicks and/or a wild-card team jump into the bidding as well? We'll likely find out this offseason.