Ultimate NBA summer trade guide: 100 players, split into 11 tiers, who could be dealt during 2025 offseason

Last month, ESPN’s Shams Charania went on the Pat McAfee Show and made a bold prediction: “I think this offseason might be the most craziest ever,” he said. When we think of the craziest offseasons in NBA history, we tend to think of years like 2010, 2016 and 2019, but those offseasons didn’t function like 2025 will. They were dominated by free agency, which LeBron James and Kevin Durant used liberally to move around in the 2010s.

Free agency is still a tool teams can use to improve, but a far less powerful one in the 2020s. Only one team is projected to have significant cap space in 2025, the Brooklyn Nets. A handful of other teams have plausible but highly unlikely paths to space. But teams generally don’t go out of their way to preserve it in quite the same way anymore. The best players usually sign extensions and figure out their futures later.

Well, “later” has arrived for a handful of the NBA’s best players. Giannis Antetokounmpo may get traded. Kevin Durant may get traded. A whole bunch of other big-name players, if you believe Charania’s prediction, are going to get traded. With so little money floating around free agency, so many teams trying to save money because of the aprons and so many more desperately pushing to improve under the looming shadow of a possible Oklahoma City Thunder dynasty, we are heading for what might be the wildest trading offseason in NBA history.

So, with the trade market set to heat up in the coming weeks, let’s take a look at who might actually move here. Below are the 100 likeliest players to be dealt this season. They have been arranged into 11 categories and are sorted within those categories by their 2025-26 salaries (via Spotrac). Note that free agents are not included on this list. There will be players who garner sign-and-trade interest, but for now we are keeping them separate. We will, however, cover players with 2025 player options on a case-by-case basis. If such a player is listed, it is because I expect him to pick up that option and avoid free agency this summer.

Remember, while these might be the likeliest players to move, we live in a world in which Luka Dončić can be traded in the dead of night with no warning. Almost anyone is on the table, and considering how good some of the players we’ll cover are, other unexpected pieces may need to be traded just to get them. So don’t expect this list to cover every single player that gets moved this summer. These are just the names to watch as crazy season begins.

Tier 1: The stars

The following players are both obvious candidates to be 2026 All-Stars and plausibly available through trade.

1. Kevin Durant, Suns — $54,708,609 (2025-26 salary)
He was nearly traded to Golden State at the deadline, but he didn’t want to return to his old team. His current one needs a retool, and has no other high-end players to trade to kickstart one unless it surprisingly puts Devin Booker on the table. However, Durant is 37 and on an expiring contract. He’s not going to cost nearly as much to get as he did in 2023, so the field is theoretically wide-open for him. There will be plenty of interest from win-now teams, but Durant has the leverage to get to a preferred destination.

2. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks — $54,126,380
The best player potentially on the trade market, and if he is indeed moved, he would be on the short list of greatest players ever traded. This is a 30-year-old two-time MVP eager to jump back into the championship picture. We don’t yet know for certain whether or not he will force a move, but if he does, every team in the NBA should consider making an offer.

3. Jaylen Brown, Celtics — $53,124,264
The Celtics are currently looking at a $493 million payroll for next season, when they may not have Jayson Tatum at all. They are going to shed money, so everyone but Tatum is probably available here. Keeping Brown and Tatum means paying two stars supermax contracts. That might not be feasible in the new CBA world. Boston won’t trade Brown without getting a haul back, but it would be naive to think he’s not on the table.

4. Lauri Markkanen, Jazz — $46,394,100
Another year, another disappointing lottery result for Utah. The Jazz are now three years into their rebuild without a top-four pick to show for it. The whole point of this rebuild has been to get access to the sort of star power that is only available at the top of the draft, and unless they want to get punished for violating the NBA‘s player participation policy again next year, they might need to trade Markkanen to ensure they’re bad enough for another bite at the high lottery apple. They considered a move last offseason, but now that he’s locked into a long-term deal, almost anyone is a plausible suitor.

5. Trae Young, Hawks — $45,999,660
One of the few remaining star free agents of 2026 that hasn’t already been moved, this is a pretty simple calculus. Atlanta will presumably offer Young an extension this offseason. If he takes it, great. If he doesn’t they have to explore a trade before he can walk for nothing. They’ve looked into Young trades in the past, though, and the market has been limited. How much interest will he generate now?

6. Ja Morant, Grizzlies — $39,446,090
He’s never played 70 games in a season, his off-court problems have been a major distraction, and last season ended in disaster. The Grizzlies have messaged that they aren’t trading Morant, but they have to make some substantial change if they hope to bounce back in the monstrous Western Conference. Anyone and everyone should be on the table. 

7. Zion Williamson, Pelicans — $39,446,090
Williamson has been in and out of trade rumors for years now, and like Morant, he comes with both health problems and off-court issues. Joe Dumars is the new general manager in New Orleans, and without knowing his agenda, we have no way of knowing how gettable Williamson is. He has MVP-level talent, though, so there will always be interested parties.

8. Jaren Jackson Jr., Grizzlies — $23,413,395
Like Young, he’s a star 2026 free agent, so if he doesn’t want to stay in Memphis, he can force the Grizzlies to trade him now. The twist here is that Memphis can’t extend him as easily as Atlanta can Young. They need to create cap space to do so through a renegotiation-and-extension. They’ve taken steps in that direction and may take more, but the ball is in Jackson’s court for now. If he isn’t satisfied with what Memphis can offer or would merely prefer to play elsewhere, he has the leverage to move.

Tier 2: Salary dumps

The following players are on contracts their teams would probably be eager to dump.

9. Damian Lillard, Bucks — $54,126,380
He’s owed $113 million over the next two seasons, and he’ll probably only play in one of them. Even then, he’ll very likely be diminished. The Bucks will try to unload Lillard’s deal in an Antetokounmpo trade if they do indeed move their MVP, but very few teams can absorb him.

10. Jerami Grant, Trail Blazers — $32,000,000
It’s fitting that Grant should show up right below Lillard. Portland overpaid to keep him seemingly in a desperate bid to appease Lillard in 2023, who asked for a trade a day later. Now Grant is in obvious decline and has three expensive years left on his deal. Forwards are rare enough that he might draw some interest, but probably not much of it.

11. John Konchar, Grizzlies — $6,165,000
Not a negative contract like Lillard or Grant, but possibly a necessary one for Jackson’s sake. If Memphis wants to keep Santi Aldama and extend Jackson, they might need to trim a bit more salary to do so. Konchar is just the easiest contract for them to move.

Tier 3: ‘Only for Giannis’

The following players would only potentially become available in a trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo.

12. Jimmy Butler, Warriors — $54,126,450
He made life difficult for interested parties at the deadline, but may be he’d be more open-minded now that he’s gotten his two-year max extension. Still, finding a team that would give up assets for him at his age and contract won’t be easy, because the Bucks aren’t going to want him.

13. Pascal Siakam, Pacers — $45,550,512
Indiana is probably out of the star-hunting game given its postseason success, but if offering, say, Siakam, some role players and some picks can get you an MVP to pair with Tyrese Haliburton, you have to at least consider it.

14. Franz Wagner, Magic — $38,661,750
There’s a vacuum at the top of the East right now with Boston taking a gap year. If Milwaukee views Wagner as a future All-Star — and the first few months of last year suggest he could be — maybe Orlando makes a bold push for the top of the conference.

15. Alperen Sengun, Rockets — $33,944,954

Probably the single likeliest player to get dealt for Antetokounmpo, Sengun is a young All-Star on a sub-max contract that could be a pillar of whatever the next successful Bucks team turns out to be.

16. Tyler Herro, Heat — $31,000,000
His All-Star berth this season might make him a bit more appealing as a trade asset, and he’s a Wisconsin native, which would probably appeal to Milwaukee’s marketing department.

17. Draymond Green, Warriors — $25,892,857
Another “not for the Bucks, send him to a third team” Antetokounmpo piece. His lower salary makes him a bit more movable than Butler, but he’s such a specific offensive player that only a few teams really make sense even with his incredible defense.

18. Amen Thompson, Rockets — $9,690,600
Milwaukee will push for Thompson in an Antetokounmpo deal. The Rockets will resist. He’s their best prospect and possibly their best player, but his limitations as a shooter make him an iffy fit next to Giannis. His inclusion or exclusion from negotiations may be the ultimate factor in determining where the Bucks send their franchise icon.

19. Stephon Castle, Spurs — $9,560,520
San Antonio quietly has a guard glut after landing De’Aaron Fox at the deadline and jumping up to No. 2 in the lottery, where they will presumably draft Dylan Harper. That makes an Antetokounmpo appealing not just as a way to get a star player, but to settle their own roster imbalance.

20. Brandin Podziemski, Warriors — $3,687,960
Not nearly as valuable as the other players in this tier, but the Warriors see him as a future All-Star, and with Butler in place, it seems safe to assume they aren’t going to dangle him willy-nilly.

Tier 4: New front office, new priorities?

The following players are not known to be available, but could be depending on what their new front offices are planning.

21. Trey Murphy, Pelicans — $25,000,000
Yahoo’s Kevin O’Connor says there are no untouchable Pelicans, and if that’s the case, there will be a line around the block for Murphy, a star-level athlete with a silky smooth shot and sky-high potential.

22. Malik Monk, Kings — $18,797,619
Domantas Sabonis has publicly lobbied for a point guard to replace Fox. The Kings would probably prefer to trade other players to get one (and we’ll get to them), but Monk probably has the most trade value of their veterans given his reasonable contract. Scott Perry didn’t sign him, and his longtime friend Fox now plays for the Spurs, so he’s not as tied to the team as he once was.

23. Herb Jones, Pelicans — $13,937,574
Jones, like Murphy, would draw interest from basically everyone if he became available. He’s one of the best and most versatile defenders in all of basketball, and he’s making pennies on the dollar for the next two seasons.

Tier 5: Good veterans, bad teams

The following players would help winners but are currently on rebuilding teams.

24. C.J. McCollum, Pelicans — $30,666,666
Probably too weak defensively to start for a contender, but too accomplished to come off of the bench while his offense remains as valuable as it is. McCollum is a tricky trade candidate on his current deal, but he can definitely help a winner in slightly smaller role.

25. Anfernee Simons, Trail Blazers — $27,678,571
A sorely underrated shot-creator and closer that doesn’t really defend, Simons is perfect for teams that need an offensive jolt but don’t want to pay a star-level price to get it. The internet has been trying to trade him to Orlando for years now. Is this the summer it finally happens?

26. John Collins, Jazz — $26,580,000
It wouldn’t be trade season without Collins, and the return of his jumper makes him a more interesting fit for win-now teams than he’d previously been. He’s just in the tricky tweener zone where he’s not big enough to play center defensively, but not versatile enough to defend the perimeter at a power forward-level.

27. Nic Claxton, Nets — $25,352,272
Center-needy teams will like his rim-protection and switchability, but they’ll love his contract, which descends in value in each of the next three seasons. He’s a bit skinny to take on the biggest bruisers in the NBA, but if there even is a center who can handle Nikola Jokić one-on-one, he’s not available on the trade market.

28. Marcus Smart, Wizards — $21,586,856
Health has been the major concern of late, but we’re talking about a recent Defensive Player of the Year who is still only 31. He’s a useful vet for a young Wizards locker room, but these should be prime winning years for Smart. If anyone believes he can stay healthy, he’ll draw interest.

29. Nikola Vučević, Bulls — $21,481,481
He’s never defended much, but stretch-5s are always in vogue. He’d have to go to a specific sort of team to justify his salary, one with an elite defensive power forward to protect him or one that could bring him off of the bench, but he bounced back nicely last season as at least a helpful role player. 

30. Cam Johnson, Nets — $20,543,478
Brooklyn asked for the world during the season. Will a disappointing lottery result compel them to reconsider? Barring a star trade, the Nets are probably tanking again next year, and Johnson won them a lot of games they probably would have preferred to lose last season.

31. Collin Sexton, Jazz — $19,175,000
Utah has a number of young guards that will need more minutes next season, and the Jazz could draft another at No. 5. Sexton has become a more well-rounded offensive player in Utah, so if his defense can improve, he could really help a contender next season.

32. Jordan Clarkson, Jazz — $14,285,714
His 3-point shot came back last season, but he never really gets to the rim anymore. He’s a lower-end bench bucket at this point, but there’s usually at least some interest in players like that.

33. Bobby Portis, Bucks — $13,445,754
The Bucks qualify for bad team status only if Antetokounmpo is moved, but if he is, Portis has been among the better offensive reserves in basketball for years now. He’s a bit of a luxury given his defensive vulnerabilities, but his salary is low enough that he’s an affordable luxury.

34. Robert Williams III, Trail Blazers — $13,285,713
You can’t trust his health, but when he’s been available in Portland, he’s still looked like the high-end defensive big man with lob gravity and an underrated passing arsenal that he was in Boston. He probably has to be a backup at this point, but he’s a very good one.

35. Matisse Thybulle, Trail Blazers — $11,550,000
Everyone knows he can defend, but he quietly ended the season on a very nice offensive stretch. It was a short sample, but his shooting has quietly improved a fair bit from his early days. We live in an NBA that values turnover-generation more than ever, so someone will take a risk on Thybulle if Portland makes him available.

36. Royce O’Neale, Suns — $10,125,000
The Suns are still in win-now mode, but given how far away they are, even their role players have to be considered available. If they need O’Neale to, say, get a center, he’s going to be on the table.

37. Lonzo Ball, Bulls — $10,000,000
He’s probably going to be on a minutes limit for the rest of his career, but after almost three years off, Lonzo Ball mostly looked like Lonzo Ball last season. He still does a little bit of everything, and his sky-high basketball IQ would fit on practically any roster.

Tier 6: Big contracts, bad fits

The following players have big contracts but don’t make sense on their current teams.

38. Bradley Beal, Suns — $53,666,270
If not for his no-trade clause, he’d be in the cap dump category. Phoenix may not even be able to dump Beal if it tries (and it has!) If the Suns are going to convince him to drop his no-trade clause, they’ll have to find a team that can actually his shot-making at shooting guard and can balance it out with depth everywhere else on the roster. Good luck with that given his exorbitant contract.

39. Deandre Ayton, Trail Blazers — $35,550,814
Portland has three centers going into next season, and Donovan Clingan isn’t moving. That means Ayton or Williams probably does. Williams is easier to trade given his lower salary, but Ayton got a max contract for a reason. He’s a former No. 1 overall pick and has star-level talent. His mindset hasn’t reflected that over the past few years, but now that his contract is expiring, it’s possible someone takes a swing on his upside in a winning situation.

40. Jalen Green, Rockets — $33,333,333
With Amen Thompson ascending and Reed Sheppard desperate for minutes, there might not be room here for Green, a high-usage guard coming off of a mostly bad playoff series against the Warriors. In a perfect world, Green, not Sengun, would be the salary Houston ultimately trades to get a star. There will still be believers in his talent around the league, and his contract only takes him through his age-25 season.

41. DeMar DeRozan, Kings — $24,750,000
The DeRozan acquisition made zero sense for Sacramento at the time and made even less sense when they brought in his former Chicago Bulls teammate, Zach LaVine. Now DeRozan is about to turn 36, and a statistical decline in likely coming. Both LaVine and Monk are more valuable than DeRozan at this point, and his salary would be their preferred matching tool in a point guard trade.

42. Grayson Allen, Suns — $16,875,000
Realistically, Beal and Booker will be on Phoenix’s roster next season. We don’t know who else will be, but keeping Allen at this price point probably doesn’t make sense when he plays the same position that they do. His 3-point shooting makes more sense elsewhere, and he could potentially return needed defensive help on a similar contract.

Tier 7: CBA casualties

The following players may be moved to help their team duck an apron, avoid the luxury tax, or set up their long-term balance sheets.

43. Jrue Holiday, Celtics — $32,400,000
Probably the contract Boston would like to move most given the three years remaining on it and his offensive decline. Holiday remains a strong, multi-positional defender, but at 34, his days as a world-class stopper are probably over. An older team looking to push for the title now could probably use him.

44. Julius Randle, Timberwolves — $30,935,520
Randle could enter free agency. He could negotiate an extension with Minnesota. But with basically no cap space floating around the league and Minnesota’s books in a state of long-term flux, picking up his player option seems the likeliest course. He’s an obvious chip in a possible Durant deal, but if Minnesota re-signs Naz Reid to a long-term deal, don’t rule out a trade for depth, youth or picks, either. To duck the second apron, the Wolves will likely have to lose one of their three major free agents (Randle, Reid and Nickeil Alexander-Walker) or trade a veteran.

45. Kristaps Porziņģis, Celtics — $30,731,707
He’s on an expiring salary, so teams won’t be turned off by his contract as they could Holiday’s, but how much will anyone trust Porziņģis to stay healthy? Everyone wants a center that can shoot and protect the rim, so someone will take a chance on him, but at this point, the risk might outweigh the reward.

46. Derrick White, Celtics — $28,100,000
Arguably the most intriguing Boston trade candidate. Not as good as Brown, but cheaper. Not as accomplished as Holiday, but younger. Not as unique as Porziņģis, but more reliable. Every team could use a Derrick White, and he will be 32 at the beginning of the 2026-27 season, when Tatum will presumably be healthy and the championship pursuit begins anew. If the Celtics want to drastically reshape their team and get younger for another extended push, they could get an absolute haul back for White.

47. Obi Toppin, Pacers — $14,000,000
The Pacers have around $16 million in space below the luxury-tax line, but that’s before they re-sign Myles Turner and fill out the roster. Indiana has signaled a newfound willingness to pay the tax, but if the Pacers don’t live up to that, Toppin fits snuggly into the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, which can now be used as a trade exception.

48. Isaac Okoro, Cavaliers — $11,000,000
Cleveland is already far beyond next year’s projected second apron, and that’s before potentially re-signing Ty Jerome and/or Sam Merrill. The Cavaliers will look to save money somewhere, and Okoro’s playoff disappointments make him an obvious dump candidate.

49. Mike Conley, Timberwolves — $10,774,038
Minnesota would likely prefer to move money elsewhere than to lose any of their three core free agents. Conley, just given his age (37), would be the most logical sacrifice. Would someone absorb him into their mid-level exception? If so, that might be Minnesota’s best chance at keeping Reid, Randle and Alexander-Walker. The on-off numbers remain strong. Conley’s basketball IQ is eternal. But physically, he’s just not a starting-level player anymore.

50. Sam Hauser, Celtics — $10,044,644
Not a core Celtic, and he’s young enough to be a part of Boston’s next competitive phase, but hey, if they’re shedding money, eight figures for a reserve is pretty pricey.

51. Kelly Oubre, 76ers — $8,382,150
The 76ers are already above the projected tax line, but that doesn’t account for new contracts for key free agents Quentin Grimes and Guerschon Yabusele. Philly might look to shed a little bit of money to stay below the second apron while keeping those two. Oubre would only need to go if Grimes got really expensive, but keeping Grimes should be the priority given how well he played down the stretch.

52. Dean Wade, Cavaliers — $6,623,456
This would be a brutal loss for Cleveland given how valuable Wade is when healthy and how cheap he is. He’s just rarely healthy, and every dollar counts here. He’s non-guaranteed, but plenty of teams would give up a draft pick to get him at this figure. Unlikely, but we’ll see what else Cleveland has in store this offseason.

53. Andre Drummond, 76ers — $5,000,000
The likelier 76ers cap dump. Drummond regressed in his age-31 season, and Adem Bona looked like a usable backup at minimum money down the stretch last season.

Tier 8: Does their team need a shakeup?

The following players would potentially be traded only for win-now help at a different position.

54. Karl-Anthony Towns, Knicks — $53,142,264
The Knicks are out of picks. Jalen Brunson is the face of the franchise, OG Anunoby is too important on both ends to move, and Mikal Bridges would return maybe one-third of what the Knicks paid to get him. If there’s a big move for New York this summer, it involves Towns, and with Mitchell Robinson healthy (for now), the Knicks have the flexibility to at least consider it.

55. Paul George, 76ers — $51,660,090
Philadelphia reportedly isn’t looking to trade George, but come on, this is the offseason of star trades. You think Daryl Morey isn’t sniffing around some of these big names? If Philadelphia does pursue any of them, George is the obvious matching salary.

56. Darius Garland, Cavaliers — $39,446,090
Cleveland is reportedly open to breaking up its core four for the first time, and with Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley treated as untouchable, Garland is the asset that could return the most. Cleveland will tread carefully here. Mitchell isn’t a point guard, so moving Garland will have downstream effects they need to be prepared for. But they could get a lot back for their two-time All-Star. Given their cap crunch, cheaper wings and draft picks might make sense.

57. Desmond Bane, Grizzlies — $36,725,670
Bane would probably be the easiest core player in Memphis to trade if the Grizzlies wanted to make a win-now swing. He’s locked into a fair contract, he’s generally healthy and he’s not a problem off of the court. He does a little bit of everything on offense and can hold his own defensively. An offense-needy team like Orlando would make a lot of sense.

58. Jarrett Allen, Cavaliers — $20,000,000
Garland would net more in a trade than Allen, but Cleveland would probably have an easier time surviving without Allen since it could move Mobley to center pretty comfortably. There aren’t many teams out there desperate for bigs, but the ones that are, like the Lakers, would surely be eager to nab a rim-protector and lob threat like Allen.

59. Daniel Gafford, Mavericks — $14,386,320
Dallas badly needs a guard. It has a glut of front-court players. Gafford is going to become a free agent next summer and reportedly wants starter money on a team that’s already expensive. Put all of that together and he’s an obvious candidate to get moved for the sake of roster balance.

60. PJ Washington, Mavericks — $14.152,174
Same deal as Gafford. Dallas has a boatload of wings at this point, and if it’s really committed to never playing Anthony Davis at center, one of them is going to get moved for a guard. With Washington set to get paid next summer, he’s an obvious choice.

61. Austin Reaves, Lakers — $13.937,574
The Lakers won’t move Reaves without getting someone they perceive as a possible All-Star back, but given the makeup of this roster, a trade is probably likelier now than it’s been in the past. The Lakers are loaded with ball-handling, and Reaves and Luka Dončić are both defensive liabilities. They’re talented enough to work around that issue, but if the right offer comes along that balances the team out a bit, the Lakers will probably consider it.

62. Naji Marshall, Mavericks — $9,000,000
Not as good as Gafford or Washington, but a very valuable defensive role player on an affordable contract. If Dallas shoots for a cheaper guard, Marshall is a candidate to move in that deal.

Tier 9: Prospects on rookie contracts

The following players are young, cheap and would appeal to rebuilding teams.

63. Jabari Smith, Rockets — $12,350,392
Extension-eligible this offseason and without a long-term starting position available on the current roster, It might behoove the Rockets to trade Smith now, while his value remains relatively high.

64. Reed Sheppard, Rockets — $10.603,560
Sheppard’s value is lower than it was a year ago, but that’s Houston’s fault primarily for barely using him. Given the shooting woes this team had last year, Sheppard should be an obvious rotation piece next season. But if the Rockets doubt he can play in Ime Udoka’s defense-first culture, moving him now, while he’s still a recent No. 3 pick, would still get them good value back.

65. Bennedict Mathurin, Pacers — $9,187,573
Toppin could be a way to address short-term financial concerns, but Mathurin is a longer-term question mark. He’s extension-eligible this offseason and has starter upside, but is an inconsistent fit with Indiana’s playing style and would surely appeal to more traditional teams.

66. Anthony Black, Magic — $7,970,280
If Orlando takes a big swing on an offensive upgrade this offseason, Black is going to be among the players suitors want most. He still has two years left on his rookie deal, and he’s flashed upside as a versatile, two-way guard. 

67. Rob Dillingham, Timberwolves — $6,576,120
He’d probably only move in a Durant deal, but his scoring potential is undeniable. He’s not really a point guard and he’s still very raw, but there’s a reason he was picked in the top 10 last June.

68. Mark Williams, Hornets — $6,276,531
The Hornets tried to trade him to the Lakers, but couldn’t because of a failed physical. Now that he’s extension-eligible they’ll probably try again. The return will probably be smaller, but he’s shown more than enough on offense for someone to take the risk and try to nab him at a discount.

69. Walker Kessler, Jazz — $4,878,938
He’s seemingly spent his entire career in trade rumors, and now that he’s extension-eligible, it’s time for Utah to decide if it’s in or out on its best defender. Kessler’s rim-protection is stellar. His offense? Less so.

70. Nikola Jović, Heat — $4,445,417
A reliable shooter with some playmaking upside, Jović is extension-eligible right as the Heat hit a crossroads. Do they lean into their youth, or dive back into the star trade pool? If they try to add veterans, Jović is a chip that could easily be involved.

71. Peyton Watson, Nuggets — $4,436,476
Watson’s value is somewhat mitigated by sharing a roster with Aaron Gordon. Like Gordon, Watson is a versatile defender that moves well off of the ball but struggles to shoot. The Nuggets would have a hard time paying two players to do that. Maybe someone with a shooting surplus could help Denver out on a swap here, especially now that Watson is eligible for an extension.

72. Jared McCain, 76ers — 4,221,360
Keep an eye on whom Philadelphia drafts at No. 3. If it’s a guard like VJ Edgecombe, there’s suddenly a backcourt glut in Philadelphia if Grimes indeed comes back. That doesn’t mean they’ll trade McCain. He was last season’s best rookie in a limited sample. But it does mean that if they wanted to take a significant swing at another position, they’re covered without him.

73. Dalton Knecht, Lakers — $4,010,160
He was in the failed Williams trade, and he wasn’t in the playoff rotation. If he were a one-and-done rookie, the Lakers might feel better about holding for his upside. But he’s 24. If he’s not going to help them win now, he probably has to be treated as a trade chip, and given their defensive question marks, a shooting wing that can’t get stops is probably a luxury.

74. Jaime Jaquez, Heat — $3,861,600
Like Knecht, he was an older rookie, so the upside is muted. Jaquez regressed significantly in his second season, seemingly losing the trust of Miami’s coaching staff. His shot has never developed, so he’s probably a change-of-pace reserve moving forward. That rookie year was interesting enough for him to have value, but it’s far less than it was a year ago.

75. Cam Whitmore, Rockets — $3,539,760
Whitmore is still only 20, and his scoring upside is significant. He’s just been crowded out of the rotation on a great Rockets team. Put him on a more traditional young roster and he could develop into something very interesting in a few years.

76. Terrence Shannon, Timberwolves — $2,674,080
Another “only for Durant” Timberwolves guard, Shannon was much better than Dillingham this season and even played in the playoffs. But he’s 24 and therefore likely comes with less upside. Minnesota probably doesn’t offer both in a Durant package, so it could come down to preference between the two.

Tier 10: Matching salary — expiring contracts

The following players on expiring deals are likely to be used as matching salary if their teams pursue bigger names.

77. Fred VanVleet, Rockets — $44,886,930
He’d only move for a star, and he and the Rockets mutually agreed to delay his team option decision into late June to facilitate a possible blockbuster. He’s Houston’s only veteran ball-handler, though, and he keeps the offense running. He won’t be moved lightly.

78. Terry Rozier, Heat — $26,643,031
Rozier was a disaster last season. If the Heat want to get a veteran, including Rozier as matching salary is likely. Since he was an overt negative last season, it could even be addition by subtraction.

79. Harrison Barnes, Spurs — $19,000,000
A great locker room presence, a shooting wing and a passable defender in a smaller role, Barnes is about as good as it gets when it comes to expiring matching salary. Get him for a year, enjoy his presence, and then move on afterward.

80. Rui Hachimura, Lakers — $18,259.259
His 3-point shot has stabilized in Los Angeles, and while he has defensive vulnerabilities, he’s at least survived on that end as a Laker. He’s probably the expiring matching salary they want to move least, but since he has actual player value, he might be needed for bigger swings.

81. Bogdan Bogdanović, Clippers — $16,020,000
He was much better with the Clippers than he was with the Hawks, but he’s very injury prone and in his mid-30s. If the Clippers want to upgrade somewhere, he’s the big salary they have to do that with. He’s still a useful bench ball-handler and shooter, and he held up surprisingly well in zone defense in the playoffs.

82. Cole Anthony, Magic — $13,100,000
Anthony isn’t the asset that’s going to get Orlando its scorer, but he’s probably going to be in the trade because, functionally, he’s the player that addition would be replacing. If Anthony had developed a bit more, maybe he could’ve solved the offense problem internally.

83. Gabe Vincent, Lakers — $11,500,000
A good backup guard at a fair salary number. The Lakers wouldn’t mind having him back, but hey, you have to spend salary to absorb salary. 

84. Maxi Kleber, Lakers — $11,000,000
Kleber would be a nice buyout market risk for someone, but his health has been such an issue over the past several years that nobody would want him as a player at $11 million. He’s an expiring salary the Lakers will use to seek out defensive help, but if by some miracle he can stay on the floor next season, his size and shooting is useful in certain contexts.

85. Pat Connaughton, Bucks — $9,423,869
A useful role player on Milwaukee’s 2021 championship team, Connaughton fell out of the rotation this season and is mostly just salary flotsam at this point. If the Bucks find a way to convince Antetokounmpo to stay, they’d likely use Connaughton’s money to try to get him some help.

86. Cody Martin, Suns — $8,680,000
A decent chunk of non-guaranteed salary, Phoenix could hold onto Martin to help make a bigger trade, or it could just waive him and save the cash.

87. Vasilije Micić, Suns — $8,109,150
He just hasn’t panned out in the NBA yet, but as a former EuroLeague star, there will always be fans in front offices.

88. Jock Landale, Rockets — $8,000,000
Landale technically has two years left on his contract, but neither are guaranteed. The Rockets could just waive him, or they could his cap figure to help with whatever big moves they might have planned.

89. Gary Harris, Magic — $7,500,000
He fell off as a player this season and barely does much of anything inside of the arc anymore. He might be a nice veteran for certain locker rooms, though, and the Magic could use his contract in their search for a point guard.

90. Dario Šarić — $5,426,400
Denver might just try to dump him for the tax savings, but the Nuggets have so little salary to work with in trades that they probably need to keep him around just to help scrounge together whatever they can.

Tier 11: Matching salary — multi-year contracts

The following players on multi-year deals are likely to be used as matching salary if their teams pursue bigger names.

91. Michael Porter Jr., Nuggets — $38,333,050
He only has two years left on his deal, and the second is partially guaranteed, so his contract isn’t as onerous as it once looked. Porter has settled into a role as a jump-shooter in Denver, but he was once a top prospect that was expected to have more to offer on the ball. Could another team unlock that? If Denver makes a big trade this summer, he almost has to be involved purely for financial reasons. Given how few 3s the Nuggets shoot as a team though, his absence would be felt.

92. Andrew Wiggins, Heat — $28,500,000
He hasn’t hit the heights of the 2022 championship run since then, but Wiggins remains a solid all-around player at the NBA’s thinnest position. He defends well. He’s a reliably average-to-above-average 3-point shooter. He can create some of his own shots. It’d be nice if he rebounded more, but he’s done so when it’s counted. The Heat would probably rather have him than Rozier, but so would teams trading with the Heat.

93. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Magic — $21,621,500
He fell off of a cliff this year in Orlando. Was that because of age? Or was it situational? He did go from playing with a three-time MVP known for his passing to an offense devoid of spacing that was frequently without its ball-handlers. The Magic would love to get off of this contract, but the second year will make it difficult.

94. Dillon Brooks, Rockets — $21,124,110
The Rockets won’t want to move Brooks. He’s foundational to their identity of defense and toughness. But if they need to add more money to a deal for a star, well, Brooks would be desirable to most winning teams, so he has to be listed as a candidate.

95. Keldon Johnson, Spurs — $17,500,000
He looked like a possible star when Team USA chose him for a roster spot in the Tokyo Olympics, but his numbers have fallen off in recent years. His jumper never stabilized. He’s not getting the rim as much anymore, and he’s a defensive negative. He’s still only 25 though, so some younger teams likely wouldn’t mind taking a look at him.

96. Klay Thompson, Mavericks — $16,666,667
Probably the least likely Mavericks role player to move in their pursuit of ball-handling given his shooting (which they also lack!) and stature. However, if the Mavericks were to make a bigger push on someone like Durant, Thompson is their biggest non-core salary, so he’d probably be involved.

97. Jarred Vanderbilt, Lakers — $11,571,429
This is the contract the Lakers want to move most. Vanderbilt’s offense has just never been playoff-caliber, and he’s guaranteed three more years of money. Maybe if they included enough asset-wise, they could get away with sneaking him into certain deals, but it would be a hard sell.

98. Caleb Martin, Mavericks — $9,594,044
He’s in the Naji Marshall range of “decent reserve wing on a cheap contract” that Dallas could trade for a guard. 

99. Kyle Anderson, Heat — $9,219,512
He’s a niche player given his limitations as a shooter, but reserve wings that can defend and handle the ball usually have a place on certain rosters.

100. Zeke Nnaji, Nuggets — $8,177,778
Three more guaranteed years for someone who isn’t in the rotation. Yikes. At least the salary descends. Combining Nnaji and Šarić is the easiest way for Denver to import a decent-sized contract without breaking up its core, but even then, it would only be a player in mid-level range.