Five NBA Stars Who Could Get Traded This Offseason, Including Jaylen Brown and Giannis Antetokounmpo

The moment the Knicks beat the Spurs to win this year’s NBA championship, the offseason began. And it’s primed to be an eventful one.

As is the case with each summer around the Association, there are rumors abound surrounding big names that could very well preclude even bigger trades. Player movement is part of what makes the NBA such a fun sport to follow, even when the games aren’t being played. And the last few offseasons have seen numerous, significant transactions that would go on to shape the championship race the following season. Last year Kevin Durant went to the Rockets to give them the scoring they desperately needed (even if it didn’t prove enough). The year before the Knicks landed Karl-Anthony Towns as a laying of the foundation for their championship this year. The year before that, the Celtics completely rearranged the supporting cast around Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, a series of moves that launched them to their own title.

From blockbusters to fringe moves, every trade matters in the NBA. But the ones involving superstars are the real attention-grabbers. As we enter the true offseason, let’s look at five big-name stars who could find themselves traded this summer.

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Season stats: 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, 5.4 assists
Salary for 2026–27: $58.5 million

Antetokounmpo is by far the most likely superstar on this list to wind up on the move, and certainly the biggest name on top of that. He suffered through an ugly season with the Bucks this year that ended with public spats and accusations they were intentionally keeping him on the sideline to lose games. A reconciliation is technically possible but seems incredibly unlikely at this stage. Any possible trade should happen soon, too. Before the offseason officially began Bucks co-owner Wes Edens said they’d like to have Antetokounmpo’s future figured out by the draft on June 23, so we’re in the deal zone, as it were.

It’s a monumental occasion to have a player of Giannis’s caliber available on the trade block. While his injury issues are deeply concerning for any NBA team (he’s been hurt for every Bucks playoff run since 2022), Antetokounmpo is a multi-time MVP award winner and a two-way force the likes of which we’ve rarely seen in NBA history. He is a modern day Shaq and is completely up for grabs. That should inspire a significant bidding war for his services and whoever emerges the winner will tilt the championship landscape. In terms of altering the race for next year’s title this could very well end up the most significant superstar trade since Kawhi Leonard went to the Raptors seven years ago around this time.

It’s going to be fun to watch it all unfold.

Jaylen Brown

Season stats: 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.1 assists
Salary for 2026–27: $57.1 million

The Celtics consistently getting brought up in discussions surrounding a possible Giannis trade gives the impression that Brown could wind up getting moved. It doesn’t seem likely at this juncture, per se. Boston’s resisted the temptation to include Brown in trade packages for stars numerous times over his 10-year career in the city and breaking up a proven championship duo is enough of a risk that would make even the bold Brad Stevens hesitate. But the last three offseasons have proven Stevens is indeed that bold, one of the most aggressive deal-makers in the league. There’s enough smoke around Boston’s potential pursuit of the Greek Freak to believe it might happen, and Brown would have to be involved to get a deal across the finish line.

Which makes him a very interesting trade candidate to discuss. Brown was awesome last season as the C’s leader in the wake of Tatum’s Achilles injury, earning second-team All-NBA honors and a light bit of MVP buzz at times. He is a true two-way star wing, the exact sort of player every contending team is looking to add to their roster with a Finals MVP in his trophy cabinet to boot. The Bucks probably wouldn’t want him as they enter a rebuild post-Giannis but imagine if he ended up with the Trail Blazers or Hawks, both of whom have assets to help grease the wheels on an Antetokounmpo trade. Brown could swing a team’s fortunes pretty dramatically and if it’s part of the Giannis deal, any interested party can get in on the action as long as they’re willing to bring worthwhile assets to the table.

Ja Morant

Season stats: 19.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, 8.1 assists
Salary for 2026–27: $42.2 million

Morant is in something of an unique situation because everybody knows he’s available... but nobody knows if he’ll get moved. The Grizzlies have been trying to send Morant elsewhere since last season’s deadline but weren’t able to find a deal for the former star point guard. That didn’t stop Memphis from blowing up the roster anyway by sending Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Jazz for assets and a smattering of interesting rotation players. After landing the No. 3 pick in this year’s loaded NBA draft lottery, the new era is about to arrive in Grind City—and it doesn’t look like Morant has any place in it.

The problem is that he makes enough money to make any trade something of a labor to execute and his flaws far outweigh his potential at this point. Morant is only 26 but his numbers have steadily dropped since 2022 and availability has become a giant flashing question mark; he’s only made it onto the court for 79 games in the last three seasons combined. Not to mention the off-court, gun-related issues that resulted in a suspension. At this point the Grizzlies would likely be happy to move him for almost anything offered but it takes two to tango; the fact that Morant remains on the roster reflects the view around the NBA that even a change of scenery wouldn’t help the guard rediscover his game.

All that said, the talent he showed early in his career is tantalizing enough that somebody is going to want to take a chance on him. It just might be after they whiff on Plan A and B.

Trae Young

Season stats: 17.9 points, 2.0 rebounds, 8.0 assists
Salary for 2026–27: $48.9 million

Young got traded to the Wizards at this year’s deadline for peanuts after the Hawks decided to move on from his contract at all costs. It then felt like a reasonable assumption to make that Young would stay put in Washington for a while as the Wiz continue their slow rebuild. But they traded for Anthony Davis and won the draft lottery, which gives them all sorts of latitude to make deals as they see fit in order to finalize the short- and long-term outlook of the franchise.

Young might end up on the block in order for Washington’s No. 1 pick to have the ball in his hands as often as possible and there’s a chance the point guard garners some interest, even at his high price point. If anything Young is a true point guard who can help organize a disconnected offense and seems willing to accept a lesser role as he works to remind everybody of how good he can be. To that point, this week brought a report from NBA insider Marc Stein that Young could be a target of the Heat if they whiff on Antetokounmpo. Stein also noted the 27-year-old former All-Star might be of interest to teams anticipating to finish near the bottom of the standings next year but don’t want to finish at the very bottom to avoid the punishing new lottery rules—a fascinating new environment where players like Young would be ideal.

Much of Young’s future will depend on how the Wizards approach their top draft selection. But his name might be in the rumor mill for a while this summer regardless.

Kawhi Leonard

Season stats: 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists
Salary for 2026–27: $50.3 million

Leonard was involved in some loose trade rumors at the deadline this past season, mostly in connection to the Warriors as Golden State flailed in trying to find help for Steph Curry. This summer, not so much—but the context of the superstar forward’s situation makes him a logical trade target. He’s coming off his best season since before the pandemic, the Clippers hold the No. 5 pick after some lottery luck and as a franchise Los Angeles is slowly pivoting towards a youth movement. There is the whole Aspiration situation casting a shadow of doubt upon the organization and Leonard himself as the league investigation into potential cap circumvention remains ongoing. But otherwise he makes for a tantalizing trade target should the Clippers fully embrace the long-term future.

Obviously many teams would love to have him. Leonard is stone-cold out there on the court with laser-like accuracy and his defense, if lesser than his peak, remains elite on the wing. A team like the Pistons would level up from contenders to favorites if they managed to bring Leonard into the mix. The Warriors become a lot more feisty with a star talent like him alongside Curry instead of a patchwork of complementary players.

He’s the least likely of the members on this list to be traded, but could have an impact greater than anybody besides Giannis. And it would make a lot more sense for the Clippers to trade him than keep him. A situation worth monitoring as the draft creeps up on us all.

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