Five Hypothetical Trades We’d Like to See in Men’s College Basketball

As the NBA had an active week of deals, Sports Illustrated proposes a trade deadline in the college game for teams gearing up for March Madness.

Cincinnati forward Baba Miller is averaging 13.4 points and 10.6 rebounds per game this season. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The NBA trade deadline was anything but milquetoast this week as seemingly every team was active in flipping players, picks and more to help remake their rosters in what seems like a wide-open chase for a title in 2026. 

Men’s college basketball has no such roster-altering mechanism midseason even if coaches are increasingly exploring ways they can add bodies from elsewhere—be it European pros or former G Leaguers if they can get a beneficial court ruling. It doesn’t have to be that way, of course, and the increasing talk about collective bargaining could one day actually make it possible for players to change teams if the right kind of compensation could be agreed upon. Just imagine a world where general managers and head coaches could hash out moves that work well for teams on both sides of the NCAA tournament bubble.

In a sport like basketball that spans two semesters, it’s unlikely that any sort of trade deadline happens in February instead of early January but, for the sake of suspended belief on that front, here are five theoretical trades that could make sense for players plus their current, and future, programs.

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Alabama receives: C Moustapha Thiam, PF Baba Miller, G Kerr Kriisa
Cincinnati receives: G Houston Mallette, F Aiden Sherrell

It’s Year 5 for Wes Miller at Cincinnati and, despite spending more on the roster over the offseason than it typically has, it sure seems like it will be another season without an NCAA tournament appearance. Alabama’s frontcourt issues are well documented—to the point they have to do some legal wrangling with the NCAA around Charles Bediako—but this could be a much easier way for the Crimson Tide to address such problems instead of going to court. Sherrell has played well for stretches but could see his time dwindle a bit as Amari Allen has gotten healthy and could be an excellent piece to dangle for reinforcements up front in Thiam and Miller. Kriisa hasn’t seen the playing time he likely wanted with the move to the Bearcats, but is a veteran with a ton of March experience who could come in handy off the bench if Mallette goes the other way.

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Duke receives: G Tayton Conerway
Indiana receives: G Cayden Boozer, F Dame Sarr

It seems doubtful that the Blue Devils would ever break up the Boozer twins, but if they wanted to take a chance on allowing Cayden to really step out of his brother (and national player of the year front-runner) Cameron’s shadow, this could be an intriguing move in shipping him north to another blueblood with a rich history. Conerway would be a great veteran addition to a team that is young and extremely inexperienced while also giving him a starting role that he can’t quite take away from Conor Enright.

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BYU receives: C Isaac Johnson, F Isaac Finlinson
Hawai‘i receives: C Xavion Staton, F Tyler Mrus, cash considerations

The Cougars have hit a bit of a bump in the road in Big 12 play and desperately need a little better interior defense and somebody to take pressure off of their top-three scorers in terms of contributing on the offensive end. Enter the two Isaacs, who both hail from the Beehive State and are having a nice season for the Rainbow Warriors. Johnson is a 7-footer with a quality scoring touch who can spell Keba Keita at times or allow him to play as more of a power forward instead of the lone defender in the lane. Finlinson is seventh in the country in three-point shooting and should be a nice rotation option who also brings a bit of length. The emergence of Abdullah Ahmed at BYU this semester has pushed former AJ Dybantsa teammate Staton further down the bench, so playing in the Big West could bring the former quality recruit much more playing time and, like Mrus, better fit his current game.

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Iowa receives: G Jordan Derkack, C Amaël L’Etang
Dayton receives: C Cam Manyawu, cash considerations

The Flyers are a definition of a bubble team this year with an uphill climb and after losing four of their last five, could be in a position to become sellers with a hypothetical trade deadline. Manyawu is a former Drake player who coach Ben McCollum wouldn’t want to lose but could be worth it if it brings in someone like L’Etang with his size and scoring ability. Plus, Derkack could be an interesting backup option from the bench to spell the overworked Bennett Stirtz for a few stretches as the meat-grinding Big Ten play hits the final legs. 

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Portland receives: G Kyan Evans, cash considerations
Florida receives: G Joel Foxwell
North Carolina receives: G Boogie Fland

How about a bit of musical chairs for some guards who have been up and down this season? Fland should help a bit more in terms of backcourt defense with the Tar Heels while not giving up too much on the other end as a playmaker who could form a nice pairing with Caleb Wilson, Henri Veesaar & Co. Foxwell, off that monster victory over Gonzaga, provides much more shooting for the Gators, while Evans gets a chance for more minutes and the ability to run the team again out West. 

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