The 2026 NBA Draft has come and gone, with a significant influx of talented, ready-made contributors hitting the league. We know about the top prospects — AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer — but all through the first round, teams upgraded their rotations and pushed established veterans to the brink.
For these five NBA vets in particular, a trade feels much more likely now than it did even a week ago, as their replacements are already in-house:
Bradley Beal, Los Angeles Clippers*
Bradley Beal has a $5.6 million player option. He could opt out and look to sign with a more established contender, as he's already receiving $19 million from the Suns, who waived and stretched his contract a year ago. That said, Beal probably won't make more than the minimum elsewhere. If he wants to max out his earnings, he probably stays in Inglewood — or attempts to, at the very least.
The Clippers selected Illinois combo guard Keaton Wagler with the No. 5 overall pick, hoping to partner him with Darius Garland for the foreseeable future. Kris Dunn is an excellent slasher and defender off the bench, while Bennedict Mathurin and Bogdan Bogdanović (if the latter sticks around) are also slated for their share of ball-handling reps.
Beal, coming off of season-ending hip surgery, is at a career crossroads. It's unclear how much he can realistically help a team at this point. That said, could a contender looking for guard depth point to Beal as a cheap bench upgrade? Absolutely. Philadelphia, Denver, Houston, Orlando, Cleveland — so many teams could use another spark in the second unit.
Nikola Topic, Oklahoma City Thunder
Nikola Topić has been put through the wringer since OKC made him the 12th overall pick in 2024. A torn ACL, testicular cancer and back surgery. He has a total of 10 games played through two NBA seasons. None of that is his fault. And it's still to early to write him off as a big, skilled guard with a unique penchant for snaking to the rim and collapsing the defense.
In many ways, Topić aligns beautifully with OKC's offensive identity. And yet, it feels like Sam Presti has moved on already. The Thunder backcourt is loaded. There already aren't enough minutes for Ajay Mitchell when the team is at full strength. Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace and Jared McCain are invaluable role players. And OKC selected Bennett Stirtz, an established 22-year-old point guard, 16th overall in this week's draft.
Stirtz, like Topić, has certain defensive shortcomings that OKC will need to scheme around. But he's such an advanced scorer and facilitator, shooting 70 percent at the rim as a senior at Iowa while playing almost every minute with a sterling 2.4 assist-to-turnover ratio. Stirtz is going to force his way into the rotation. Topić, meanwhile, just has not established a foothold with the Thunder.
Again, that's not his fault, but OKC is still working through a roster crunch. Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe were dealt for second-round picks, below market value, as pure salary dumps. Lu Dort's future has come into question. If OKC can find a team to take a flier on Topić — and a smart rebuilding team would take a flier — he will probably end up on the move.
Dalton Knecht, Los Angeles Lakers
Dalton Knecht has basically fallen out of the Lakers rotation two years in. And when L.A. moved up to select Cameron Carr 24th overall on Tuesday, that felt like the end for Knecht. Unless the Lakers plan on burying him on the bench, the next step is obvious: trade him, recoup value and move on.
Knecht enters his third NBA season as a 25-year-old with minimal production on his résumé, so it's not like the Lakers can expect a massive return. The days of flipping Knecht and a couple picks for Mark Williams at his peak are over. Still, there's probably another team somewhere that was high on Knecht back in 2024 — and that may be willing to give him a new lease on his career.
Ironically, Carr arrived at Tennessee as a freshman when Knecht had his big breakthrough as a senior, so they're former teammates. Former teammates who happen to offer very similar pathways to value. Carr is another off-ball sniper. He just happens to be a better shooter, a better athlete and a better defender. The Lakers are going to have a much easier time keeping Carr on the floor and benefitting from his deep range. The gravitational push-pull between Carr and Luka Dončić could send opposing defenses into a tailspin.
Luke Kornet, San Antonio Spurs
Luke Kornet was an impactful and productive backup center for the Spurs last season in the first year of a four-year, $41 million contract. But he was exposed in the playoffs. OKC torched San Antonio in the Kornet minutes. It was even less bearable against the Knicks in the NBA Finals.
Kornet should still appeal to teams as a floor-spacing, finishing 7-footer with strong connective traits. He's locked up on a reasonable contract and could provide useful depth in Philadelphia or Detroit, for example. The Spurs, however, selected Jayden Quaintance with the 20th overall pick, then moved back into the first round to acquire Tarris Reed Jr. — a more NBA-ready big man — with the 26th pick. The Spurs also added Duke defensive maestro Maliq Brown in the second round.
The Spurs functionally overhauled their backup center room overnight. Victor Wembanyama will still soak up the majority of starting minutes, but Reed can probably step in as the primary backup on day one. He offers a lot more range and physicality than Kornet. Quaintance probably won't debut until 2027, but if he can ever get healthy, he will hold down a major role in the Spurs frontcourt.
Kornet was the weakest link in the Spurs' postseason rotation. That doesn't mean he is not worth trading for, but it does mean San Antonio could look to use his roster spot and salary at a different position.
PJ Washington, Dallas Mavericks
Daniel Gafford's name has popped up in trade rumors a lot, but honestly, the Mavs' center depth chart is not as clouded as folks make it out to be. Dereck Lively is still working his way back from a foot injury. The Mavs would be wise to keep Gafford around as insurance on an extremely favorable contract.
PJ Washington, however, feels more expendable after the Mavs selected Morez Johnson Jr. — a Dusty May favorite — with the ninth overall pick. Johnson was arguably the easiest Michigan player to project in a major role as a rookie. He's so versatile on defense, with a pro-ready, 251-pound frame and elite instincts, both as a helper and as a rim protector. Dallas will give Johnson reps at the five, but if the 3-point shooting translates, he more fits the mold of a switchy, off-ball roamer at the four.
Washington has produced in Dallas, averaging 14.2 points and 7.0 rebounds on .450/.325/.687 splits last season, but he's far more inconsistent on the defensive end than Johnson. He also does the "small stuff" — power finishes at the rim, sharp connective passes, dirty work on the glass — less well.
Johnson has the built-in trust of May, too. You know the Mavs' new head coach is going to play the guy who set the tone in practice all year for a championship team at Michigan, and who often served as a defensive baseline for a team that featured two other lottery-level frontcourt players.
If the Mavs can find a taker for the remaining four years and $86 million on Washington's contract, this front office is smart enough to pull the trigger.
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