With the NBA draft behind us, it’s time to take a look at the NBA trade market ahead of free agency, which is right around the corner. And by all accounts, it should be a busy summer in terms of deals.
With that in mind, we’re back today with another edition of our Trade Rumors Rankings series in which we rank the players who have appeared most often in trade rumors recently, as judged by appearances on our Trade Rumors page.
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Tim Hardaway Jr. (Dallas)
Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports
One of the likeliest players to be traded this summer is Dallas Mavericks 2-guard
Tim Hardaway Jr . The veteran guard's agent
Mark Bartelstein is even
reportedly working directly with the Mavericks to help find his client a new trade spot. According to NBA reporter
Marc Stein , the Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards are reportedly interested in the former Michigan standout: https://twitter.com/TheSteinLine/status/1806088413981839685 https://twitter.com/TheSteinLine/status/1805694226069700869 Hardaway's issue is that he's too streaky of a shooter for his main skill set being that of purely an outside shooter, as the 32-year-old is hitting merely a mundane 36.2 percent of his triples over the last three seasons. But with just one season left on his deal paying him
$16.2 million , that's a palatable enough contract for teams in need of any sort of outside shooting to stomach, so expect the Mavericks to find a new home for their guard relatively soon.
You can read the latest Tim Hardway Jr. trade rumors and salary info here . Dorian Finney-Smith (Brooklyn)
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With the Brooklyn Nets signaling they're fully in rebuild mode after the trade of
Mikal Bridges to their crosstown rivals, other Nets names are now seen as likely candidates to get moved. One of those names is that of two-way swingman
Dorian Finney-Smith ,
according to Stein :
Anticipation is already mounting leaguewide that the newly acquired Bojan Bogdanovic as well as a slew of players from the Nets’ roster last season — from obvious trade candidates like Dorian Finney-Smith and Dennis Schroeder all the way up to sharpshooter Cam Johnson — are in play for immediate trades.
Our own
Michael Scotto reportedly similarly prior to that,
writing :
Across the bridge, the Brooklyn Nets have chosen to pivot towards a rebuild, and other Nets veterans, including Cam Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith, Bojan Bogdanovic, Dennis Schroder, Ben Simmons, and backup center Day’Ron Sharpe, are all potential trade candidates to monitor, league sources told HoopsHype.
Scotto also mentioned the Memphis Grizzlies as a potential landing spot for Finney-Smith, who averaged 8.5 points and 0.8 steals on 34.8 percent shooting from three last season while providing high-level defense on the wing and off-ball slashing on offense.
You can read the latest Dorian Finney-Smith trade rumors and salary info here . Cam Johnson (Brooklyn)
Sarah Stier/Getty Images
Like Finney-Smith, floor-spacing wing
Cam Johnson is a prime candidate to get traded by the Nets this summer, as the 28-year-old doesn't really fit in with the team's new timeline. According to one report out of California, the Sacramento Kings are engaged in trade talks for the former UNC standout: https://twitter.com/JandersonSacBee/status/1806130100569813024 The Cleveland Cavaliers are another team that has already been mentioned as a potential interested suitor for Johnson: https://twitter.com/TheDunkCentral/status/1806006265841328602 Johnson is shooting 40.7 percent from three over his last three seasons while spacing the floor from the wing at 6-foot-8, making him an ideal role player in the modern NBA. If and when the Nets trade him, they should be able to pick up some nice assets in return for Johnson, who's got three years left on his contract with none of those seasons being over $23.6 million in player salary.
You can read the latest Cam Johnson trade rumors and salary info here . Marcus Smart (Memphis)
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
After getting traded last year, former Boston Celtic, current Memphis Grizzly
Marcus Smart is starting to pop up in trade rumors once again. According to
our own Scotto , the Houston Rockets had an interest in the former Defensive Player of the Year before the draft:
Houston is continuing to seek upgrades to help the team improve now, and Rockets coach Ime Udoka remains a fan of his former Celtics player, Marcus Smart, on the Grizzlies, league sources told HoopsHype. Amid trade conversations around the league, the Rockets continue to dangle the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and future draft pick compensation.
The Ringer also reported that although the trade for the No. 3 pick involving Smart didn't happen, Memphis and Houston
did discuss a trade for the 30-year-old guard and as they say, where there's smoke, there's fire, so don't be surprised to read more about a potential Smart trade over the coming weeks. Smart has
two years left on his contract , peaking in 2025-26 at $21.3 million, a fair figure for a starter-level talent like the former Oklahoma State Cowboy.
You can read the latest Marcus Smart trade rumors and salary info here . Dejounte Murray (Atlanta)
Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Coming off a strong season,
Dejounte Murray is the object of a lot of trade scuttle this summer. One team that has a reported interest in Murray dating back to this year's trade deadline was the Los Angeles Lakers, with
Shams Charania reporting :
The Hawks have been an interesting team to watch since last season as the rumors kept building by the week that the expectation is the team wants to separate Murray and fellow star guard in Trae Young. Charania would remind McAfee and the viewers that Los Angeles was pursuing Murray as early as the trade deadline last season. “One name they did pursue last season at the trade deadline that teams expect to come up again in trade conversations over the next week or so, and makes sense for the Lakers is DeJounte Murray with the Hawks,” Charania said. “That’s someone that you think about in the next week or so, not only with the number one overall pick, but they potentially have a decision to make with Trae Young, with DeJounte Murray, which player stays, which player goes, and the Lakers have maintained a level of interest in DeJounte Murray over the last several months.”
The Athletic's Sam Amick reported that the
Lakers could have had Murray at the trade deadline and remain interested in him, but that they'd likely have to part with
Austin Reaves – and that L.A.'s stance on not wanting to trade Reaves remains unchanged. Another
reported potential landing spot is with the New Orleans Pelicans, so if and when the Hawks do put Murray on the trade block, they should have no shortage of suitors. Of course, Atlanta could always pivot to trade
Trae Young instead and perhaps keep Murray. Either way, the Hawks have an interesting summer ahead.
You can read the latest Dejounte Murray trade rumors and salary info here . Jimmy Butler (Miami)
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After a lot of scuttle regarding
Jimmy Butler's immediate future on South Beach, rumors came to a halt earlier this week when Charania reported that Butler would not be signing an extension with the Miami Heat or any team prior to the 2025 offseason when he'll hit unrestricted free agency. https://twitter.com/Stadium/status/1806112481326018794?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1806112481326018794%7Ctwgr%5Eec42c7a5c4b2237cb9f1e9147c5ba370d326b338%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fhoopshype.com%2Fplayer%2Fjimmy-butler%2F According to Charania, the Heat haven't shown any interest in trading Butler this summer,
though that could change :
Meanwhile, the Heat have shown no interest in trading Butler, league sources said. Theoretically, they could still trade him this summer if they found a deal that suited them, but Butler’s unwillingness to immediately sign an extension would likely limit the return they would receive for their best player.
ESPN's
Brian Windhorst reported earlier in the week that Butler had been relaying to teams that he's happy in Miami whether or not he got an extension this summer. https://twitter.com/PatMcAfeeShow/status/1806006681085595897 So, for now, at least, it looks like Butler will be staying with the Heat, although that hasn't stopped the Philadelphia 76ers from leaking
that they'd be willing to offer Butler a max if they can land him in a trade:
Sources continue to say the Sixers plan to give Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler a maximum-salary extension if they can acquire him in a trade. But as of Tuesday, a source said that was unlikely because of Miami’s unwillingness to part ways with the six-time All-Star who wants a contract extension this summer.
You can read the latest Jimmy Butler trade rumors and salary info here . Brandon Ingram (New Orleans)
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At this point, it would be a surprise to see former All-Star forward
Brandon Ingram back with the New Orleans Pelicans next season. Recently,
Stein wrote :
A prominent former All-Star considered more likely to be dealt this week with the draft and free agency converging: New Orleans’ Brandon Ingram. It was roughly six weeks ago, back on May 12, that I wrote about a growing belief leaguewide that New Orleans would seriously explore the trade market for Ingram before next season. Anticipation that Ingram will soon be on the move has only swelled some six weeks later.
PHLY Sports discussed the matter, with one of their reporters saying that the market for Ingram right now
isn't that strong :
“I don’t think the market for Brandon Ingram, from what all of us have heard and from what we can tell, is particularly strong. I think he’s a flawed enough player at this stage of his career. He’s heading into the final year of his deal. I haven’t heard a ton about other teams getting in the mix for Ingram.”
Chris Haynes also said
he doesn't expect Ingram to be in New Orleans after this offseason. The Pelicans are in a tough spot here, as Ingram is entering a contract year – one in which he'll earn
$36 million-plus , not exactly a similar salary to match in a trade – while his play late hasn't exactly been inspirational, certainly nowhere near the level of his former All-Star production. The Pelicans should be able to move him but they shouldn't expect a huge haul in exchange for the former Duke Blue Devil.
You can read the latest Brandon Ingram trade rumors and salary info here . Zach LaVine (Chicago)
ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/AFP via Getty Images
According to Haynes , the Bulls have prioritized finding a trade for
Zach LaVine first and foremost this offseason:
Haynes reported that the Bulls have prioritized trying to find a trade to ship out Zach LaVine over talks with DeRozan, who completed a three-year, $85 million contract with Chicago this season.
And it's not hard to determine why, as LaVine – even when healthy – isn't the most impactful player in the win-loss department. And his health is in huge question now considering he just missed the bulk of 2023-24 with a season-ending injury. Of course, the problem is LaVine's salary, as the former UCLA standout has three years and roughly
$138 million left on his contract, making a trade very difficult to find. According to The Athletic, at least one team has some level of interest in LaVine: the Sacramento Kings. The Athletic
reported :
He remains a name to watch for the Kings heading into the week. Zach LaVine has been rumored, and league sources confirm Sacramento has some level of interest, but he would arrive with a tricky contract situation. LaVine has three years and $137.8 left on his current deal, a perhaps unpalatable number considering the Kings’ growing financial picture. Any deal on this front, league sources said, would likely involve the Kings needing to be incentivized to take on LaVine’s massive deal.
Our own Scotto, though, reported that the Kings' big extension with
Malik Monk might have
cooled their interest in LaVine:
Looking ahead, the Bulls are continuing to search for a new home for guard Zach LaVine, league sources said. Some rival executives believed the four-year, $78 million agreement with Malik Monk would take Sacramento out of any LaVine talks. As previously reported by HoopsHype before the trade deadline, Kings guard Kevin Huerter, also a trade candidate, has admirers in Chicago’s front office.
That's all to say, good luck to the Bulls trying to find a LaVine trade.
You can read the latest Zach LaVine trade rumors and salary info here . Paul George (LA Clippers)
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The rumors have been hot and heavy surrounding
Paul George's future with the Los Angeles Clippers as the team has been hesitant to sign him a huge extension following their agreement with his star teammate,
Kawhi Leonard . One potentially interested party if George opts into the final year of his contract, according to Windhorst, are the Golden State Warriors: https://twitter.com/esidery/status/1805975463124160807 Stein was the first to report on the Warriors' interest in George, also reporting that people around the league believe the All-Star will try to
force a trade from the Clippers :
There is a growing feeling leaguewide that the 34-year-old picking up his $48.8 million player option for next season to force the Clippers to trade him is an increasingly realistic scenario after months of fruitless contract extension negotiations between the parties.
Our own Scotto reported that the Houston Rockets
have their eye on George ...
The Houston Rockets are big game hunting, and one of the many notable names on their radar is Paul George, league sources told HoopsHype. George could potentially exercise his $48.8 million player option to facilitate a trade to his next destination, but currently, the chances of Houston landing George are unlikely, sources said
...while the Sixers were also mentioned as having an interest in George by both
Scotto and
Stein . We'll see how this saga unfolds but odds are that the likeliest All-Star name to be traded this summer is that of Paul George.
You can read the latest Paul George trade rumors and salary info here . Kevin Durant (Phoenix)
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The
Kevin Durant portion of this article would have been much more interesting a couple of days ago, but Phoenix Suns owner
Mat Ishbia put a stop to all of the scuttle with one tweet, which read: https://twitter.com/Mishbia15/status/1806055201738314148 Suns general manager
James Jones was also emphatic in shutting down the scuttle, saying: https://twitter.com/DuaneRankin/status/1806183829750894973 And that came after Suns beat writer
Duane Rankin reported the Suns had no plans of splitting up their Big 3: https://twitter.com/DuaneRankin/status/1806000359263060404 So after a week of some scuttle surrounding Durant, centered mostly around Windhorst saying the Rockets were trying to pressure the Suns into trading them the four-time scoring champion... https://twitter.com/GetUpESPN/status/1805944335004754325?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1805944335004754325%7Ctwgr%5E89e792000c128694999a6e4c2a5899b5329ad2d8%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fhoopshype.com%2Fplayer%2Fkevin-durant%2F ...for now, it looks like Durant is going nowhere. Maybe that'll change but as of now, a Durant trade doesn't appear to be close to happening.
You can read the latest Kevin Durant trade rumors and salary info here . 1
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