The 2024-25 NBA season is in full swing, and as teams jockey for position in a tightly contested league, trade rumors have once again taken center stage. But only some floating trade ideas deserve to see the light of day. Some proposals are implausible and outright terrible, and we have collected five trade ideas that simply won’t happen—and shouldn’t even be considered this season. Let’s break them down one by one.
Brandon Ingram – Atlanta Hawks
Proposed Trade Details
Atlanta Hawks Receive: Brandon Ingram, Jordan Hawkins
New Orleans Pelicans Receive: Clint Capela, DeAndre Hunter, 2029 First-Round Pick (ATL)
This trade is a disaster waiting to happen for the Atlanta Hawks. Adding Brandon Ingram (22.2 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 5.2 APG) to a roster already centered around Trae Young swingman Jalen Johnson (19.6 PPG, 10.1 RPG) and rookie Zaccharie Risacher (10.9 PPG, 3.3 RPG) sounds flashy on paper but spells doom in reality. Ingram is an isolation-heavy scorer who thrives with the ball in his hands, much like Trae. How do you divvy up possessions without completely wrecking the offensive flow?
This team already struggles with consistency and balance, ranking 18th in offensive rating and 18th in defensive rating, and Ingram’s arrival only muddles things further. Jordan Hawkins may provide shooting, but he’s a youngster who’s not ready to fill the gaps left by Clint Capela and De’Andre Hunter.
Defensively, Atlanta gets even worse. Losing Capela, their anchor in the paint averaging 9.4 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game, leaves a glaring hole down low. Hunter, while inconsistent offensively, is still a versatile defender capable of guarding wings and forwards. Swapping these two for a ball-dominant scorer creates a top-heavy team with no defensive backbone. For a franchise trying to climb back into playoff relevance, this move sends them spiraling in the wrong direction.
Atlanta’s strength lies in its young, balanced roster. Mortgage that for Ingram’s questionable fit, and the Hawks risk losing their identity entirely. With a 14-13 record this season, they need adjustments—but not this kind.
Trae Young – Brooklyn Nets
Proposed Trade Details
Brooklyn Nets Receive: Trae Young
Atlanta Hawks Receive: Ben Simmons, Cam Thomas, Jalen Wilson, 2027 First-Round Pick (PHI)
Sending Trae Young to the Brooklyn Nets would be a basketball catastrophe for Brooklyn. Sure, Trae is a dynamic scorer and playmaker, averaging 21.5 points and 12.1 assists this season, but what do you sacrifice for his talents? Defense, depth, and chemistry. The Nets, with their current identity as a gritty, balanced squad built around players like Mikal Bridges and Nic Claxton, would be throwing it all away to gamble on a one-dimensional star.
Swapping Cam Thomas (24.7 PPG), for Young leaves Brooklyn with a glaring defensive deficit with not much upgrade offensively as a whole. Trae is one of the worst defenders in the league, and a backcourt led by him would be a turnstile for opposing offenses despite the point guard’s offensive dominance. Furthermore, Jalen Wilson and the 2027 pick would hardly soften the blow of losing two critical contributors.
Brooklyn doesn’t need a star who demands the ball on every possession. Their average play this season (10-15) has come from lack of cohesion, inconsistent defense, and failing to share the load. Adding Trae wrecks that delicate balance and ensures they’ll get bounced from the playoffs before the ink on the trade papers dries.
Kyle Kuzma – Sacramento Kings
Proposed Trade Details
Sacramento Kings Receive: Kyle Kuzma
Washington Wizards Receive: Keegan Murray, Kevin Huerter, 2026 Second-Round Pick (SAC), 2031 Second-Round Pick (SAC)
The Sacramento Kings are on the right track with regards to building their depth chart, which is why giving up Keegan Murray and Kevin Huerter for Kyle Kuzma is an unmitigated disaster. Kuzma’s scoring (15.8 PPG) is flashy, but his inefficient shooting (42.0%) and defensive inconsistencies don’t justify gutting the Kings’ roster depth and future. Sacramento already boasts a potent offense ranked third in the league, so Kuzma adds little value in areas they truly need improvement.
Keegan Murray, in just his third season, has blossomed into a sharpshooter and versatile defender who fits seamlessly alongside Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox. Huerter, while streaky, is another key floor spacer shooting 37.8% from three for his career.
Trading these two, along with draft picks, for a player who overlaps in skill set without addressing the team’s defensive struggles is a head-scratching move. Sacramento needs to tighten its defense, not add another high-usage scorer.
Making this deal derails the Kings’ upward trajectory. They’re 13-13 and only 1.5 games behind the fourth seed in the West, building a winning culture. Kuzma’s inefficiencies and ball-stopping tendencies could disrupt the very chemistry that has them playing better with De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, and DeMar DeRozan leading the way.
Zach LaVine – Los Angeles Clippers
Proposed Trade Details
Los Angeles Clippers Receive: Zach LaVine, Torrey Craig
Chicago Bulls Receive: Norman Powell, Terance Mann, P.J. Tucker
For the Los Angeles Clippers, trading for Zach LaVine might look like a superstar addition, but it’s an unmitigated mess waiting to happen. LaVine is an elite scorer averaging 21.7 PPG this season, but the Clippers’ issues won’t be solved by another high-volume, ball-dominant guard. Kawhi Leonard (once he returns) and James Harden already need their touches, and adding LaVine risks creating an offense with too many cooks in the kitchen.
Defensively, this trade guts one of the Clippers’ biggest strengths. Norman Powell and Terance Mann are crucial role players who bring versatility and hustle on both ends of the floor. Powell, averaging 23.2 PPG this season, is one of the league’s best-supporting stars, while Mann is a reliable glue guy capable of guarding multiple positions. Losing them, along with veteran leadership in P.J. Tucker, disrupts the Clippers’ chemistry and leaves them thinner on the perimeter.
The Clippers (14-12) need depth, not redundancy. LaVine is not a perfect fit for Ty Lue’s system, and the team’s over-reliance on stars has already proven fragile in past seasons. This trade prioritizes flash over substance and would likely backfire in the long run.
Zion Williamson – Golden State Warriors
Proposed Trade Details
Golden State Warriors Receive: Zion Williamson
New Orleans Pelicans Receive: Draymond Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Gary Payton II, Moses Moody, 2023 First-Round Pick
Acquiring Zion Williamson may sound enticing for the Golden State Warriors, but this trade screams catastrophe. Zion’s immense potential is undeniable—when healthy, he’s a dominant force, averaging 22.7 points and 8.0 rebounds this season. But “when healthy” is the operative phrase, as Zion has played a total of 190 games over six seasons which averages 31 games per season. Trading for him means gambling the Warriors’ present and future on a player who might never stay on the court consistently.
The cost is exorbitant. Draymond Green is the Warriors’ emotional and defensive anchor, while Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody represent the team’s long-term potential. Throw in Gary Payton II’s elite perimeter defense, and the Warriors are left with a depleted roster that can’t contend, even if Zion miraculously stays healthy. The 2023 first-round pick is just icing on the cake for how badly Golden State gets fleeced here.
Zion’s style of play also clashes with the Warriors’ fluid, motion-based offense. His ball-dominant, paint-heavy game doesn’t align with the Warriors’ reliance on spacing and off-ball movement. For a team that has started the season 14-11 and looks like a legitimate playoff contender, this trade risks everything for a player with more question marks than answers.
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