One Player Most Likely To Be Traded From Every NBA Team

The 2022 calendar is starting to tick down, and the new year will be upon us. That means that we will be a little over a month away from the trade deadline. It has been a lackluster start to the trade market, but things will begin to heat up despite the cold, dreary month of January. With teams beginning to separate themselves from contender to pretender, many teams will look to start selling or buying pieces to get what they truly want.

Each team has a tradeable asset. Even the best teams in the league own players that could be traded. No team is perfect, and management is always assessing where their team is at. Some names will look familiar as these players have been on the trade market for quite some time. Either way, we could finally start to see some movement as soon as next month.

These are the players most likely to be traded on every NBA team.

Atlanta Hawks – John Collins

Collins looks like a puzzle piece that does not fit in Atlanta. What is nice for Atlanta is that he has a rich contract that is moveable (about $25 million per year for the next three seasons), and he is young enough to grow with another group of young players. Collins is averaging 12.3 points and 7.4 rebounds but is shooting 21.9% from three-point range. The appeal for signing him to a long-term contract was that he was a 6-foot-11 forward that was coming off of a season where he shot 39.9% from three-point range.

Instead, Collins has struggled since signing a five-year, $150 million contract. Collins has been linked to the Golden State Warriors. In that package, the Warriors are rumored to give up James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga, and Donte DiVincenzo. The Warriors get a player that likely fits their system better, while the Hawks get three legitimate pieces that surround Trae Young, Dejounte Murray, and Clint Capela.

Boston Celtics – Noah Vonleh

The Celtics are coming off an appearance in the NBA Finals and have not skipped a beat since then. The team added Malcolm Brogdon in the offseason and kept their core players. Currently, the team is battling the Bucks and Cavaliers for the top of the Eastern Conference. It seems like forever ago that the team was rumored to be shopping Jaylen Brown.

Noah Vonleh is the only true expendable piece. He has played in 19 games, averaging 8.4 minutes and 1.3 points per game. The Celtics aren’t going to be shopping too many players because this team is succeeding. Sometimes, a trade can ruin a team.

Brooklyn Nets – Joe Harris

With Ben Simmons in the lineup, it creates an odd fit for the team because it forced him to the small forward position. Harris could be on the market in a package that would help bring in a solid shooter that would fit the team’s mold better. Harris is getting paid $18 million this season and then $19 million next season. According to the rumor mill, the Nets have wanted to trade Harris since last month due to luxury tax concerns.

The Nets are a top-five team in player payroll this season. That means that a swap for a player like Buddy Hield is unlikely. With that said, Harris has been a dependable outside shooter for the team since 2016. His 37.1% shooting from outside is only the second time in his tenure that he has dropped under 40%. If the team wants to shed salary, expect Harris to leave.

Charlotte Hornets – Terry Rozier

The Los Angeles Lakers nearly landed Rozier this past offseason. The trade chatter around Rozier has not been higher than it is right now. The Hornets are on pace to challenge for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft with a horrid 8-23 record. Rozier has a very team-friendly contract at about $22 million per season for the next two seasons, with a team option of $26.6 million in 2025.

Rozier has been steady in the league for many years too. This year, he is averaging 20.9 points despite shooting 31.4% from three-point range. With that said, his last three seasons have included shooting 40.7%, 38.9%, and 37.4% from outside. This year, he is also averaging a career-high 5.5 assists. If the Hornets tear it down, the team could get a decent haul for Rozier.

Chicago Bulls – Zach LaVine

Keep an eye out for the situation that is brewing with Zach LaVine. The superstar is in the first year of a five-year deal with the Bulls, but it appears that he is not seeing eye to eye with the team, especially after a reported blowup in the team’s locker room on Sunday. The Bulls are stuck in purgatory as the No. 11 seed. It might be time to blow things up.

It’s not out of the realm to believe that the Bulls could trade away LaVine despite him playing the first year of his max contract. We saw the Los Angeles Clippers trade Blake Griffin when he was in the first year of his new contract. The team got Avery Bradley, Tobias Harris, and a first-round pick in exchange. Recently, an NBA executive said Zach LaVine wants to play for the Lakers. If the Bulls can get three young players or future first-round picks for LaVine, with the addition of salary relief, it might be the right call to make. 

Cleveland Cavaliers – Isaac Okoro

Okoro is the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. He showed some signs of promise in his rookie season, but he has also taken a step in the right direction this year. Okoro is averaging 4.4 points and 2.1 rebounds and is shooting 41.1% from the field in his third season. There may not be a lot of takers for Okoro, but someone would still potentially bite for a 21-year-old prospect.

The Cavaliers may not be in the trade market anyways. The team gave up a haul to land Donovan Mitchell in the last off-season. Getting rid of young players may not be in their best interests. Plus, this core is one game back of the No. 1 seed in the East, so the team may not need to make a trade anyways.

Dallas Mavericks – Davis Bertans

Bertans is not the most coveted player in the league. That’s easy to understand. However, out of the players making at least $10 million, Bertans is the player that has the most expendable contract. Luka Doncic, Spencer Dinwiddie, Tim Hardaway Jr., Christian Wood, Dorian Finney-Smith, Dwight Powell, and Reggie Bullock are all contributing. That leaves one player left.

Bertans has a horrid contract for his production. He is getting about $16 million this year, $17 million next year, and then owns a player’s option for $16 million in 2024-25. Bertans is averaging 4.5 points in 8.2 minutes of action. The only way the Mavericks can bring in a marquee player is to unload this contract and major draft capital.

Denver Nuggets – Ish Smith

The Nuggets are playing well right now. The team is one of five in the West with at least 18 wins and is tied for the top seed in the conference. The core is looking like it is producing what the team envisioned when they gave large contracts to Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., and Aaron Gordon.

The only way this team can get worse is through injuries. A trade might also do that too. Given that the team is so successful, a trade is unlikely, but if we had to pick one player, maybe Ish Smith could get a second-round pick for a desperate team. Smith is averaging 3.0 points in 9.7 minutes of action.

Detroit Pistons – Bojan Bogdanovic

It’s been a career season for Bogdanovic. In 32 games with the Pistons, he is averaging 21.1 points and shooting 42.1% from three-point range. He is a career 39.4% shooter from the outside and would bring valuable outside shooting to a contender. He also has two more years left on his contract after signing an extension with the Pistons.

The Pistons are going to be in the sweepstakes with the No. 1 overall pick this summer. With an 8-25 record and no Cade Cunningham the rest of the year, it’s all about the future. Bogdanovic has been coveted by many teams, specifically the Lakers. It would be a shock to see if he was still on this team because the Pistons could get a first-rounder out of him.

Golden State Warriors – James Wiseman

To prove the NBA is very unpredictable. The Warriors are 15-17 and own the No. 11 seed in the conference. This is a team that brought back most of its pieces from the championship team. We all expected the Warriors to be at the top right now. Instead, the team is playing its way out of the playoffs.

It’s unlikely that the team would trade Draymond Green, but his contract provides an interesting opportunity. Green has a player’s option worth $27 million for next year. The team could move that deal to help with the luxury tax or look to get some type of value in return if they feel Green is unhappy and declines his option. With that said, the most likely player to move is James Wiseman. The former No. 2 overall pick from 2020 is in and out of the rotation and appears to not be a key part of this team’s future. If the Warriors want to swing a trade for a player on a non-contending team, Wiseman could be an interesting prospect to part with. 

Houston Rockets – Eric Gordon

Another player tied to the Lakers is Eric Gordon. The former Sixth Man of the Year is averaging 11.6 points and shooting 35.5% from three-point range. His role is different, given that the team is building around Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr. Essentially, Gordon’s contract is a rental because he is playing the final guaranteed year. He owns a team option worth $20.9 million for next season.

The issue has been the worth that Houston wants in return. The Rockets believe he is worth a first-round pick, but teams have balked at that idea. Now that we are getting closer to the deadline, combined with his production, his value has decreased. However, Gordon is easily the best tradeable asset on the team, given the coup of young players.

Indiana Pacers – Buddy Hield

What do the Pacers want to do? The team was flirting with the top four seeds in the Eastern Conference, and Tyrese Haliburton was seen as a top-5 player in the MVP conversation. Now, the team has scuttled to a 3-7 record in their last 10 games to drop their record to 15-16. We have talked about how close Buddy Hield and Myles Turner have been traded in the last year. It’s getting close for the team to strike a deal.

Turner is playing the final year of his contract and is a true rental. The most likely player should be Hield, given his value. Hield is the best outside shooter on the market. He is a career 39.4% shooter and is hitting the three-ball in his last 10 games. He also owns another year on his contract worth $19 million. The Pacers could get a first-round pick and more for this type of player.

Los Angeles Clippers – Robert Covington

The Clippers have a payroll worth $192.3 million. The team’s payroll jumps to $193 million next season despite Reggie Jackson’s contract coming off of the books. The team could also decline the option for John Wall, but the team will still be in the top tier of payroll next season. Covington owns another year on his deal worth $11.6 million. Out of all the players on the roster, Covington is the most expendable.

Covington’s defense has always been a bright spot, but his overall game has decreased. He is averaging 16.2 minutes with the Clippers, which is the lowest amount of playing since averaging four minutes per game with the Rockets in 2014. At 5.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 31.7% from outside, the contract that the Clippers would love to unload is this one.

Los Angeles Lakers – Patrick Beverley

Among the players on the team, the player that most would love to see is Russell Westbrook get traded. The $47 million salary for his production is not what the Lakers envisioned when the team traded for him. It’s starting to look like Westbrook is in it for the long haul. That means that Beverley is the most tradeable asset on the team.

His $13 million expiring contract could be paired with another player with draft capital to bring another player with a $20 million salary to the team. The best fit is with the Pistons because of Bogdonovic’s contract and the team’s desire to rebuild. Beverley would have appealed to a team like this because he would likely be bought out by the team.

Memphis Grizzlies – Danny Green

Green is unlikely to play for the Grizzlies this season after suffering a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee in May with the 76ers last season. With that said, he owns a $10 million expiring contract. The Grizzlies are fighting for the top seed in the contract and are playing in the final year of Ja Morant’s rookie contract, worth $12 million.

If the Grizzlies want to make a splash, Dillon Brooks and Green could net a player with a salary north of $20 million. Both players are on expiring contracts, and the team could look to add a third superstar to the mix to form a big three of Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.

Miami Heat – Duncan Robinson

Buyer’s remorse is a real concept, especially when you commit this much money to a player that is not producing. Robinson gets about $17 million on average for the next three seasons and then has a player’s option in 2025-26 for about $19 million. This is a horrid contract, but Robinson is not a lost cause.

Take the Atlanta Hawks, for example, who are looking for outside shooting. Robinson shot 37.2% from outside last year and then 40.8% from three-point range the previous two seasons. He is averaging 32.2% from three-point range this season. A new team could be the best thing for Robinson right now, and a team might bite into that theory.

Milwaukee Bucks – Grayson Allen

The Bucks are contending with the Celtics and the Cavaliers for the top spot in the conference. With Khris Middleton out, Grayson Allen has stepped up in a starting spot. You can’t ask for much more from Allen, who is averaging 10.7 points in 27.1 minutes while shooting 40.3% from three-point range.

Allen is also a strong wing defender and is making about $8.5 million per season. With Middleton coming back, this could limit his playing time. Allen has a high value right now. The Bucks probably won’t mess up their dynamic, but Allen could lure a team to overpay for him.

Minnesota Timberwolves – D’Angelo Russell

The Timberwolves shook the world when they acquired Rudy Gobert. The team is 16-15 through their first 31 games and is not seen as a threat at the moment. The core has struggled to find consistency on the floor together, but this team is going to come down to that keyword. If this team continues to hover around the average territory, then what should the team do?

This is a business, and D’Angelo Russell is playing on an expiring contract. If the Timberwolves don’t like the direction, the team could look to move Russell. Teams are looking for a point guard. Russell is averaging 16.8 points, 6.3 assists, 1.2 steals, and is shooting 36.7$ from three-point range.

New Orleans Pelicans – Devonte’ Graham

It’s been a long time since Graham averaged 18.2 points and 7.5 assists in the league. That 2019-20 season was a breakout year for Graham, but he has consistently declined. Graham is now paying near a career-low 14.9 minutes per game as a backup point guard.

The Pelicans are playing like a top team in the conference despite their recent skid. Graham is getting paid $11.5 million this season and has two more years worth $12 million per season. That is a moveable contract for a team that believes Graham is a reclamation project. If the Pelicans want to add a player, they could use this contract, paired with a young player like Jaxon Hayes, another reclamation project, and pool together nearly $20 million worth of salary.

New York Knicks – Derrick Rose

Rose was linked to the Mavericks last month, but that was when he was seen as a rotational player. His trade value has dropped since the summer, as he is averaging 13.1 minutes, which is his lowest minutes per game since 2017. He is also averaging just 6.3 points and 1.9 assists. Last year, Rose averaged 12.0 points and 4.0 assists in 26 games.

The Knicks could find a trade partner for Rose because his contract is essentially a salary dump. He owns a team option for $15.5 million for next season. The way Rose is playing, that option would likely not be exercised. If the Knicks want to grab a player on a non-contending team, the $14.5 salary is very moveable.

Oklahoma City Thunder – Darius Bazley

The Thunder are in an interesting spot because they have the contracts of Kemba Walker, JaMychal Green, Trey Burke, Sterling Brown, and Maruese Chriss coming off of the books after this season. The team’s payroll will be just $97.1 million going into next season, and they will get to operate on Chet Holmgren and Josh Giddey’s rookie contracts.

The team is more likely going to part with their draft picks to pull in another star, but one player that could get interested this season is Darius Bazley. He owns a player’s option worth $6.2 million. Last year, he averaged 10.8 points and 6.3 rebounds. That number has dropped to 5.9 points and 3.9 rebounds, but his outside shooting has jumped to 35.5%. At 22 years old, he owns an upside.

Orlando Magic – Mo Bamba

Terrence Ross deserves an honorable mention because he is playing on an expiring contract worth $11.5 million. However, the most likely player to be moved is Mo Bamba because of the emergence of Bol Bol and the development of Paolo Banchero. Bamba’s fit with the team for the future does not make sense.

The Magic are not a team that is going to bring in a marquee player in the offseason. That means they might have to trade for one. Jonatha Isaac ($17 million), Markelle Fultz ($16.5 million), Gary Harris ($13.0 million), and Ross all have salaries worth packaging. Given Bamba’s skill set, shooting 38.7% from three-point range at 7-foot-0, that makes him an interesting prospect at 24 years old.

Philadelphia 76ers – Matisse Thybulle

There was a time when trading Thybulle was considered taboo. Thybulle was an extremely talented defensive player that had All-Defensive Team potential. This season, Thybulle has fallen out of favor and saw his playing time cut in half. He was already an offensive liability, but that production has dropped to 2.4 points per game.

The 76ers could get under the luxury tax threshold but shed $1.1 million worth of salary. Thybylle has a player’s option worth $6.2 million for next year, so he could stick with a team that will use him effectively. With the core in place to contend for two seasons, the large-name players are probably here to stay.

Phoenix Suns – Jae Crowder

Despite being a huge contributor to the team leading the NBA in wins last season, Crowder has not played for the Suns this season. While that could be a concern, his defensive abilities give the Suns a player that will get attention from around the league.

Last year, Crowder averaged 9.4 points and 5.3 rebounds. He is playing on an expiring contract paying him $10.1 million this season. The team can move on from Crowder and get some value in return. Given the team’s relationship, that seems like it could happen soon.

Portland Trail Blazers – Justise Winslow

Out of all of the contracts, there are not a lot of players that look moveable on this team. Damian Lillard, Afernee Simons, Nassir Little, and Jusef Nurkic are under contract for three more years after this season. Shadeon Sharp looks like the next big thing coming out of Portland, while Josh Hart and Gary Payton II are true contributors.

Jerami Grant is playing on an expiring contract, but the team traded for him this offseason and gave up a first-round pick. Grant is also playing very well with the team. Portland is 17-14 on the season and contending for the playoffs. Winslow is playing on a $4 million salary that is expiring. He is averaging 6.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.1 steals in 27.1 minutes.

Sacramento Kings – Richaun Holmes

Holmes owns one more year guaranteed on his contract after this season worth $12 million. He also owns a player’s option for 2024-25 around that salary. It’s been a tough setup for him in Sacramento since resigning from the team after he averaged 14.2 points and 8.3 rebounds during the 2020-21 season.

Last year, he averaged 10.4 points and 7.0 rebounds, but his time has diminished to just 8.8 minutes per game with new head coach Mike Brown. Holmes is averaging 3.1 points and 1.8 rebounds. If you think about the true rebuilding teams, Holmes’ salary could be packaged to help bring a true player like Bogdanovic or Rozier. It would cost the Kings two picks to take on this contract, but it’s possible, given that the Kings are in a prime position to make a playoff run for the first time since 2006.

San Antonio Spurs – Jakob Poeltl

There are quite a few names worth mentioning for the Spurs. Josh Richardson is playing the final year of an expiring deal worth $12 million. Zach Collins has a team option for next year that could be seen as an automatic decline. The best expiring contract is Jakob Poeltl, who is playing prime basketball right now.

Poeltl averaged 13.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks last year. This year, he is averaging 12.4 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks. The Warriors have already been mentioned as a suitor for his service. This could be one of the best big-man rentals in the market.

Toronto Raptors – Gary Trent Jr.

Like other teams hovering around average, the Raptors will need to decide what to do with Trent. The team is 13-18 and is the No. 10 seed in the Eastern Conference. Trent has a player’s option worth $18.7 million for next year. There is no guarantee that he is going to resign from the Raptors after this year, so the best move would be to get some value in return.

Trent is an outside shooter that owns a career average of 38.2% from three-point range. While his average has sunk to 33.5% this season, he has been reliable for most of his career. Fred VanVleet also owns a player’s option for next year, but he is one of the players from the 2019 championship team and has more loyalty to the franchise. Trent has been getting the most trade buzz all season.

Utah Jazz – Mike Conley Jr.

In a perfect world, the Lakers would make a move for Conley and unload some of the salaries on the team. Conley is playing with a salary worth $22 million and gets paid $24.3 million next year. He is a veteran point guard that has been in the league since 2007. He can run the offense and make the players around him better.

A championship with a team in need of a point guard will see that. Conley has already been linked to the Lakers if the Jazz decides to tank. Jordan Clarkson is another name to keep an eye on, but Conley has more value for his floor general skills and defensive expertise. The Jazz are 18-16 on the season.

Washington Wizards – Kyle Kuzma

The best expiring contract on the team is Will Barton, but the team traded Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in exchange for him, so the team is probably going to ride this ship out. Kristaps Porzingis has a player’s option for next year, but the team gave up a ton to get him. Bradley Beal can finally stop being discussed after inking the largest deal in franchise history.

Enter the Wizards with a 12-20 record. The team is a mess, and there is not a lot that the team can do to make it better. There is the belief that Porzingis could opt out of his contract after this season, but there is also speculation that Kyle Kuzma could as well. If both Porzingis and Kuzma enter free agency, the Wizards must decide if they can become a playoff contender with this team. Given that Porzingis has a higher ceiling for stardom, the Wizards could still get value by trading Kuzma to another team. 

He’s been linked with a move to the Los Angeles Lakers in recent times, and if he keeps his level, the Purple and Gold won’t hesitate to bring back a player that already won with them. 

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