NBA Trade Block Big Board: Top 10 Targets and Realistic Deals

The NBA landscape could shift dramatically over the 2024 offseason.

And if it does, the trade market will be where those sweeping changes surface.

A wide number of teams either fashion themselves as championship contenders or at least hold hopes of joining the heavyweight ranks soon. Since essentially all of their championship plans went awry this season, though, they could all be in the market for needle-movers.

And it’s possible a bunch of big names might be on the market.

Some players are already swirling around the rumor mill, while simple logic makes others appear as potential trade candidates. So, let’s identify and rank the best players realistically—a term generously applied here—on this summer’s trade market and broker some blockbusters to find them hypothetical new hoops homes.

The trade: Trae Young to the Orlando Magic for Cole Anthony, Jonathan Isaac, Jett Howard, the No. 18 pick and a 2025 first-round pick (top-five-protected, via DEN)

The Hawks seem determined to break apart their backcourt, and many believe their “preference” would be parting with Young rather than Dejounte Murray, per NBA insider Marc Stein. Despite being a 25-year-old three-time All-Star, Young could be tricky to move given his defensive limitations and sky-high salary (three years, $138 million remaining).

The Magic, though, are desperate for offense, potentially loaded with enough defensive talent to take on a sieve like Young and have the flexibility needed to take this financial hit. And if they could power-up their 22nd-ranked offense without losing any essentials—Anthony is a spark plug, Isaac is unreliable, Howard hardly played as a rookie and the picks aren’t great—this might be an offer they can’t refuse.

The Hawks, meanwhile, would trim their payroll, add a pair of plug-and-play contributors (three if Howard forces his way into the rotation) and gain more trade chips to throw around should the right player become available.

The trade: Alex Caruso to the Los Angeles Lakers for Jarred Vanderbilt and a 2029 first-round pick (top-four-protected)

While the Lakers could try the third-star route this offseason, they are “leaning more toward upgrading the supporting cast,” per The Athletic’s Jovan Buha. This deal would not only deliver one of the Association’s best role players, it would also reunite LeBron James with a key piece of their 2019-20 championship team and someone he wished had never left.

Caruso would immediately become L.A.’s top perimeter defender while also making his mark as a spot-up shooter, secondary playmaker, transition attacker and right-place, right-time cutter. If he didn’t crack the starting five, he would absolutely snag a spot with the closing group.

The Bulls previously put a high trade price on Caruso, but they might think this suffices if they’re fans of Vanderbilt, who is an impactful and versatile defensive stopper in his own right. A lightly protected future first from a team built around a 39-year-old James and a 31-year-old, oft-injured Anthony Davis is about as valuable as a draft asset can be.

The trade: Jonathan Kuminga, Andrew Wiggins, Kevon Looney and 2026 first-round pick (top-five-protected) to the Atlanta Hawks for Dejounte Murray and Bogdan Bogdanović

Fresh off a breakout season, Kuminga has been described as being “pretty much” untouchable. Maybe this is a case of semantics, but that doesn’t read the same as “actually” untouchable.

There are moves the Warriors would have to consider to send out their promising swingman, and this might be one of them. They need to give Stephen Curry championship-level support quickly, and this would deliver two plug-and-play impact players at an otherwise manageable cost. Wiggins is overpaid if he plays like he has the past two seasons, Looney might be on his way out, and trading a single first-rounder wouldn’t totally deplete the Dubs’ collection of trade assets.

Golden State needs more athleticism, point-of-attack defense and shooting on the perimeter, and this deal would deliver all three. Murray is a former All-Defensive honoree who just had the best shooting season of his career (2.6 threes per outing with a 36.3 percent splash rate). Bogdanović makes things happen on or off the ball, and he processes the game at a high enough level to enjoy a seamless fit in this system.

The Warriors and Hawks would both need to trim their payrolls first to make this allowable under the collective bargaining agreement, but it’s easy to imagine both picturing a big enough reward here to willingly jump through those hoops.

The trade: Karl-Anthony Towns to the New Orleans Pelicans for Brandon Ingram, Larry Nance Jr. and a 2027 first-round pick (via MIL)

The idea of the Timberwolves, who just ventured deeper into the playoffs than they’d been in 20 years, trading away Towns should be outlandish. Here’s why it isn’t: Minnesota is facing a colossally expensive—and potentially untenable—financial future, all while uncertainty remains about the organization’s ownership.

If the Wolves determined they had to cut costs, Towns would be the odd man out. He might be mega-talented on the offensive end, but he is limited defensively and possesses a spotty playoff track record. That could make his four-year, $221.1 million deal hard for them to justify.

The Pelicans could seek him out, anyway. They need a better frontcourt fit for Zion Williamson, and they don’t seem interested in keeping Brandon Ingram around. Towns could handle second-scoring duties while also unlocking plenty of possibilities on pick plays with Williamson and spacing the floor for the bouncy big man to attack.

Minnesota, meanwhile, could look to gain more creation and mobility by slotting Ingram in between Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels. The Timberwolves would still have Rudy Gobert and Naz Reid to hold down the interior—with Nance’s arrival adding some small-ball wrinkles—so when they wanted to play big, they could.

The trade: Brandon Ingram to the Sacramento Kings for Harrison Barnes, Kevin Huerter, the No. 13 pick, a 2025 second-round pick (via POR) and a 2027 first-round pick (top-five-protected)

Ingram needs a new contract between now and next offseason, and the Pelicans don’t seem keen on providing it. Perhaps the Kings feel differently. They could use a momentum boost after slipping from No. 3 to No. 9 in the Western Conference, and their window to contend might be smaller than people think with De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis both firmly in their primes.

Sacramento sometimes struggled to find a tertiary scorer and table-setter, and that will only get more difficult if Malik Monk exits in free agency. Ingram not only fills those voids, but he maximizes this offense without forcing it to sacrifice size the way a Fox-Monk backcourt does.

As long as Ingram’s next contract is relatively affordable—it should absolutely reflect the fact he’s played 65-plus games once in eight seasons—the Kings can lock him into their core and hope to contend sooner than later, which feels doable with the right amount of development from Keegan Murray.

For the Pelicans, meanwhile, this would be all about creating flexibility to refashion this roster around Zion Williamson. A current lottery pick, what should be an early 2025 second-rounder and a lightly protected future first are all assets other teams would be angling to get. Plus, the mid-sized salaries of Barnes and Huerter could help make the math work in a separate significant swap.

The trade: Dejounte Murray to the Charlotte Hornets for Grant Williams, Nick Richards, Nick Smith Jr., a 2027 first-round pick (top-two-protected, via DAL) and a 2027 first-round pick (lottery-protected, via MIA)

Until Atlanta actually breaks up its backcourt, it feels safe to consider both Murray and Trae Young as realistic trade candidates. And if the Hawks want to maximize their return, it might behoove them to move the more coveted Murray, who isn’t nearly as ball-dominant and could be an asset instead of a liability on defense.

Murray could be an incredible complement to LaMelo Ball, and the age gap between them isn’t enormous (five years). Each could create shots for the other, and Murray would tackle the defensive assignments in the backcourt Ball couldn’t handle. Tack on Brandon Miller, a hopefully healthy Mark Williams and whomever the Hornets select with the upcoming No. 6 pick, and that’s an intriguing nucleus with some really interesting high-end outcomes potentially ahead of it.

As for the Hawks, they need to have fans of these three incoming players in their front office to make this work, but that’s at least possible. Williams could increase the frontcourt’s versatility, Richards could soak up backup minutes whenever Atlanta finds a taker for Clint Capela, and Smith could blossom as an instant-offense sub sooner than later. Throw in a pair of lightly protected picks—Miami’s 2027 first becomes unprotected in 2028 if it doesn’t convey—and Atlanta either has the shelves restocked for a youth movement or perhaps boasts the assets needed to get Young a new co-star.

The trade: Mikal Bridges to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Josh Giddey, Kenrich Williams, Ousmane Dieng, the No. 12 pick, a 2025 first-round pick (lottery-protected, via MIA) and a 2028 first-round pick (via DAL)

All indications coming out of Brooklyn suggest Bridges isn’t available. Trade offers will keep coming, though, at least until the franchise shows any semblance of hope for competing at a high level while the 27-year-old (28 in August) swingman remains in his prime.

The asset-rich Thunder should see if an offer like this could pry him loose. He would be an effortless fit on this roster, adding even more length and athleticism to their perimeter collection while also scratching itches for shot-making, scoring and a pinch of creation. He may not be a true No. 2 co-star for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but between Bridges, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City should have someone capable of rising to that role on any given night.

The Nets, meanwhile, seem disinterested in a rebuild since they won’t control their draft picks for the next decade (half-joking), but this is the kind of package that could help get things turned around. The current pick is in the lottery and the others could wind up landing there—Miami’s 2025 first becomes unprotected in 2026 if it doesn’t convey—and both Giddey and Dieng have non-zero chances of becoming building blocks. Williams can capably handle rotation minutes for however long Brooklyn would keep him, but at some point, a win-now club should come calling with a future-focused offer that likely shakes him loose.

The trade: Darius Garland to the New Orleans Pelicans for Brandon Ingram and a 2025 first-round pick (top-seven-protected)

The Cavaliers “don’t appear very motivated” to move any of their core four—Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen—according to Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer. Within that report, though, Fischer cited the “possibility that Garland’s representation at Klutch Sports could move to request a trade if Mitchell extends long term.”

So, regardless of what Cleveland wants, Garland could wind up wanting out—and New Orleans should gladly offer that opportunity.

A dot-connecting distributor could do wonders for the Pelicans, and the last time Garland had control of an offense, he averaged 21.7 points and 8.6 assists while booking his first-so-far All-Star trip. New Orleans would probably have to follow this deal by trading away CJ McCollum, but the chance to have Garland’s shot-making, handling, creation and vision alongside Zion Williamson would be worth the extra effort.

Cleveland could use this trade to finally address its need for a difference-making big wing. Ingram has some injury issues and must be paid soon—hence the protected first being packaged with him—but he’s still a 6’8″ scorer with the handles to free himself and the willingness to create for teammates. He could be a great complement to Mitchell, and if his three-pointer ever returned to the form he flashed early in his career—2.4 threes per game on 38.6 percent shooting between 2019-20 and 2020-21—Ingram might alleviate, or at least not exacerbate, some of the Cavs’ spacing issues.

The trade: Donovan Mitchell to the Brooklyn Nets for Dorian Finney-Smith, Cam Thomas, Dennis Schröder, a 2027 first-round pick (via PHO) and a 2029 first-round pick (via PHO)

With Mitchell down to the final season on his contract with the Cavaliers, he’ll either sign an extension or be traded away. Per Terry Pluto of cleveland.com, the club has “zero intention of opening the 2024-25 season with Mitchell heading into his free agent year.”

Cleveland seems to like its chances of getting Mitchell’s commitment, but until pen gets put to paper, it’s reasonable to consider him a trade candidate.

If the Nets want to win with Mikal Bridges, they need a star of Mitchell’s caliber. And they should feel decent about their chances of getting a long-term commitment from him, since their home state is also his. They also collected enough assets while disbanding their Big Three roster that they should have enough to trade for someone of his ilk.

While the Cavs would likely seek more than two first-rounders in most deals for Mitchell, this might be the exception. The Phoenix Suns’ future looks so bleak that unprotected picks that are years away from conveying have incredible value on the trade market. Then, tack on a scoring-guard replacement in Thomas, a three-and-D forward in Finney-Smith and a high-end reserve in Schröder, and this might be enough for Cleveland to bite.

The trade: Kevin Durant to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Lu Dort, Josh Giddey, Jaylin Williams, the No. 12 pick, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 first-round pick (via DAL) and a 2029 first-round pick

The way Suns general manager James Jones sees it, there is “no scenario” in which Durant gets moved this offseason. Or either of his co-stars, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, for that matter.

Forgive us for remaining skeptical that Phoenix is fully committed to seeing this through. Its asset collection is essentially empty, and its present featured nothing better than a 33-loss regular season and zero playoff wins. The Suns could have real questions about this core’s ability to contend already, and they might have to pivot toward finding Booker more help that better fits his timeline.

This package would allow that. Dort, Giddey and Williams could all step into rotation roles for the Suns next season and each would fill a need: Dort with his perimeter defense, Giddey with his distributing and Williams with his shooting, lateral quickness and athleticism at the center spot. Then, Phoenix also nets three future unprotected firsts, which could immediately be re-introduced to the trade market for more immediate assistance.

Oklahoma City, meanwhile, reunites with Durant and banks on his ability to fill the second-scorer’s void alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. This supporting cast would still be loaded around him—virtually the entire roaster offers upward mobility—and there would even be enough draft picks left over to either pursue additional upgrades on the trade market or keep the pipeline open to young, cost-controlled talent.