The Top Five NBA Trade Targets Entering 2026

Blake Silverman | 1 Hour Ago

Giannis Antetokounmpo is the biggest name in trade conversations, but will the Bucks actually part with the face of their franchise? / Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

As the calendar flips to 2026, trade discussions across the NBA start to get more real ahead of the league’s Feb. 5 trade deadline.

Star players hear their names in trade rumors throughout the season, culminating in deadline week where the NBA’s landscape is certain to shift as some teams aim to build its roster for a title run, while others look toward the future. Sometimes, superstars become available seemingly out of thin air, altering the league on a dime. No move was bigger than the shocker which sent superstar guard Luka Dončić from the Mavericks to the Lakers last season for a package centered around star big man Anthony Davis.

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We likely won’t see a deal of that ilk this year because, well, we might never see a deal like that again. But, stars get disgruntled all the time in the NBA and we have plenty of big names already involved in trade rumors this year. With each team past the 30-game mark, we mostly know the squads who will be looking to make a playoff push and those who may need some extra oomph come the postseason. On the other hand, a number of teams should look to sell and build toward the future, especially in a year shaping up to have a stacked class at the top of the NBA draft.

Here are the five top trade targets entering the new year across the NBA, ranked from bottom to top:

5. Michael Porter Jr., Brooklyn Nets

Michael Porter Jr. is having a great season with the Nets after he was dealt from the Nuggets / John Jones-Imagn Images

Porter was dealt to the Nets over the offseason in the move that sent forward Cam Johnson to the Nuggets and opened up salary in an effort to build a stronger roster around Nikola Jokić. Since Porter’s arrival in Brooklyn, he’s put together a career season that has him in All-Star conversations despite the Nets’ poor record. The 27-year-old wing is shooting a whopping 41% on three-pointers on career-high volume, taking 9.2 attempts from deep per game.

He comes with a hefty $38.3 million salary this year and is owed $40.8 million next year, but if his play this season can net Brooklyn first-round draft capital, the team certainly seek to move on from its leading scorer. The Nets may be fine keeping Porter as a building block for the future, but if they do decide to part with the high-scoring wing, he should return a pretty package that could be wise for a franchise with no hopes of competing this season.

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4. Lauri Markkanen, Utah Jazz

The Jazz’s success makes a Lauri Markkanen trade more difficult to stomach / Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images

The Jazz are in a conundrum. Utah is one of the NBA’s more fun young teams, but only keeps its first-round pick this year if it falls in the top eight picks of the draft. If Utah’s pick lands at nine or below, the selection would go to the Thunder. If the pick does fall in the top eight, then Utah’s obligation to Oklahoma City is extinguished, per RealGM, making it wise for the Jazz to keep the pick this year.

If Utah does decide to bottom out, Markkanen is its most coveted asset on the trade market. He’s leading the team with 27.9 points per game this season, a top-10 mark across the NBA. He signed a four-year, $195.8 million extension in 2024 which keeps him earning around $50 million per season through 2028-29. That’s a big commitment for any franchise to make, especially should multiple first-round picks be given up in the process. Nevertheless, Markkanen would immediately become a second star at worst for any contender. The question is whether Utah wants to part with him this year in an effort to keep its draft pick.

3. Anthony Davis, Dallas Mavericks

Anthony Davis was dealt to the Mavericks last year in the shocking Luka Dončić trade / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

If Davis is moved at the trade deadline for a second year in a row, the move certainly wouldn’t be as shocking as last season’s Dončić deal which sent the star big man to Dallas. Following a forgettable season that led to a departure in the play-in tournament, the Mavs found incredible luck in the NBA draft lottery to land Cooper Flagg. Flagg’s arrival shifts the franchise’s timeline, which has led to Davis’s name in trade conversations after a slow start to the season for the team and ongoing injury troubles.

At 32 years old, he’s still certainly a dominant force when on the floor, leaving some market out there for Davis at this year’s trade deadline. The issue is his massive salary and a $62.8 million player option in 2027-28 in particular, plus his eligibility for a maximum contract extension in August. That makes the value for Davis in a trade a big question mark, but the Mavs should be inclined to move off the 10-time All-Star in an effort to open up some flexibility to build around Flagg. And just maybe, they could add some draft capital in the process.

2. Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks could choose to move on from Trae Young and build around Jalen Johnson / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Hawks’ season hasn’t gone to plan after a strong offseason where they added Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Kristaps Porziņģis and Luke Kennard. A middling start and the continued emergence of fifth-year wing Jalen Johnson could signal the end of Young’s eight-year tenure in Atlanta. A recent report from ESPN’s Tim MacMahon noted the Hawks are indicating they are looking for an “exit ramp” with Young ahead of the trade deadline.

He’s played in just 10 games this year and the Hawks are a putrid 2-8 with him on the floor. Nevertheless, Young remains one of the best playmakers in the NBA and is a true all-in move for a team looking for help in the backcourt. He’s making $45.9 million this season and has a player option worth $48.9 million for the 2026-27 campaign before hitting free agency in the summer of ‘27. Young’s market and a potential return for Atlanta is unknown, but the three-time All-Star is undoubtedly one of the biggest names surrounding this year’s trade deadline.

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1. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

Will Giannis Antetokounmpo’s time in Milwaukee actually come to a close? / David Banks-Imagn Images

The biggest question of them all as the Feb. 5 trade deadline inches near: could the Bucks actually move on from the Greek Freak?

In early December, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Antetokounmpo began discussions with the Bucks regarding his future with the franchise. That followed reports over the offseason that mentioned the star “loves the Bucks,” but “he loves winning more.” After 13 seasons, two MVPs and an NBA title, seeing Milwaukee’s longtime superstar in another uniform would be a shocker. But, last season’s Dončić trade proved that nothing is certain across the NBA.

The Bucks could choose to go in a different direction, however. GM Jon Horst hasn’t been afraid to make splashy trades in the past to build a winner around his superstar. Could he do the same this season and go out and acquire a Young or Ja Morant in a last ditch effort to contend immediately? With depleted draft capital following prior change, a big move will be more difficult now. However, the Bucks do have big contracts they could trade, like Kyle Kuzma’s, to match salaries in the right deal. If Antetokounmpo is truly available, though, he’s the type of superstar that’s rarely on the market and could immediately create a new title threat, which would likely be able to challenge the Thunder in the Western Conference.

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