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  2. MICHAEL PORTER JR.

    Porter has been one of the breakout stars of the season following his offseason trade to Brooklyn, going from excellent starter to potential All-Star who entering Tuesday is averaging 25.8 points, 7.5 reounds and 3.2 assists as the Nets play feisty, defensive-minded basketball and are more competitive than expected under Jordi Fernandez.

    The 27-year-old forward is 6-foot-10 and is one of the most efficient off-ball scorers in the league, a lights-out shooter from all three levels who is sharp as a cutter and off-ball mover. He’s added more prowess off the dribble this season, knocking down shots from all three levels like he did before his back injury in college. He’s also a killer rebounder and showed the ability to defend in the playoffs when he played with the Nuggets.

    Porter is owed $38.3 million this season and $40.8 million next season before becoming an unrestricted free agent. He has also has a history of some injury questions and was flagged at the combine, meaning that teams will want to get a look at more up-to-date medicals before making any big decisions. But a move for Porter could swing the title race for teams like Detroit that could use one more scoring threat.

    Trade value
    High-End Prospect and A First Round Pick
    Age
    27

  3. DANIEL GAFFORD

    Gafford is a simple player in the best ways. He’s a sharp defender at the rim who uses his supreme vertical leaping ability well and has developed more tact as a drop-coverage defender in ball screens and weakside rotational defender. He’s not overly mobile laterally and can get the corner turned on him if he gets too high in screen coverage, but he’s become solid on that end while consistently converting as one of the league’s best rollers to the rim and lob catchers out of ball screens. He’s made over 70 percent of his field goal attempts through his NBA career and has to be accounted for by the defense.

    Gafford just signed an extension last summer and is locked in for three more years and $54 million after this one. It’s a good deal for a starting-caliber center who is only 27 years old. The Mavericks need to make a choice on what their frontcourt of the future looks like, and even after Dereck Lively’s foot injury, Gafford could be the odd man out because of his lack of positional flexibility. He’d be an outstanding pickup for someone like the Pacers, who could use an uptempo starting big.

    Trade value
    First-Round Pick or Good Prospect/Player
    Best fits
    Pacers
    Age
    27
    Position
    Big
    Expiration
    2029

  4. NIC CLAXTON

    Claxton is a mobile defender who can block shots at a high level and is versatile in his ability to play in different ball-screen coverages. At 6-11, he’s always been a mobile threat rotating across the play to block shots. Sometimes he’ll get overaggressive and get the team into rotation, which can hinder his value on that end. He’s not quite the top-10 defender in the league he was back in 2023, but his offense has started to take a bit of a jump. Back at Georgia, Claxton showed some fun ballhandling and passing ability. He has never actualized that until this year, as he’s averaging 4.1 assists versus only 1.5 turnovers at the center position. He’s become a useful ball-movement cog in the Nets machine.

    Claxton is still only 26 years old. The contract isn’t exactly a steal right now at $25.3 million per year. But over the next two years — where he’ll make $44 million — it starts to become one as the deal descends in value when the salary cap is scheduled to rise. He’ll make just under $21 million in 2027-28, which is projected to be just 12 percent of the salary cap. It’ll cost a first-round pick to pry Claxton out of Brooklyn, but there are teams that can reasonably make the assessment that such a move would be worth it.

    Trade value
    First-Round Pick
    Age
    26
    Position
    Big
    Expiration
    2028
    Big
    8

  5. AYO DOSUNMU

    I’ve long been a fan of Dosunmu, a player who takes exactly what the defense gives him and makes plays every time he’s on the court. He doesn’t overstay his welcome on the ball, but he is capable of slashing to the rim. He moves with purpose off the ball. Defensively, he’s solid and tough at the point of attack at 6-4, 200 pounds. And he’s having his best statistical year. Dosunmu is averaging 14.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists while shooting 51 percent from the field, 45 percent from 3 and 86 percent from the line. This is an efficient, smart basketball player who could make a real difference in several rotations league-wide, especially for teams that have a spacing big.

    The former Illinois All-American is on an expiring contract worth only $7.5 million, too. That means he’s available for just about every team, including those that are limited by apron and salary-cap thresholds. Even teams such as the Lakers, Rockets, Knicks and others can theoretically get in the bidding for Dosunmu, and all of them could use him. Because the market could end up being a bit wider, I would expect that Dosunmu would return more than what people expect.

    Trade value
    Second-Round Picks
    Best fits
    Rockets, Celtics, Knicks, Pistons, Magic, Lakers, Timberwolves
    Age
    25
    Position
    Guard
    Expiration
    2026
    Guard

  6. QUENTIN GRIMES

    Grimes decided to take the qualifying offer as a restricted free agent this offseason as opposed to signing a longer-term deal with the 76ers. That means Grimes has a no-trade clause that allows him to approve any destination. Still, he is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year, and it’s unclear how the 76ers see him long-term given their recent draft selections of Jared McCain and VJ Edgecombe alongside All-Star starter Tyrese Maxey.

    For his part in all of this, Grimes has been very good for the 76ers this season. He’s averaging 14 points while shooting 43 percent from the field and 35 percent from 3, and he continues to bring energetic defense. Any team that trades for Grimes would also not inherit the Bird rights that the 76ers would if they were to keep him.

    There is real reason to buy into the 76ers retaining Grimes given how valuable he’s been, the no-trade clause and the Bird rights conundrum. However, his role has been reduced with Joel Embiid’s return, and they aren’t counting on him for quite as much offense now. The team clearly has a position of strength in the backcourt and a real need for bigger bodies in the frontcourt at the four position. If the team feels like it can’t retain Grimes in the offseason, moving him now to a place that he approves could be a valuable tool.

    Trade value
    A Different Good Player (Has Right to Approve Trade)
    Best fits
    Clippers, Timberwolves, Bucks, Trail Blazers
    Age
    25
    Position
    Guard
    Expiration
    2026
    Guard

  7. KEON ELLIS

    Ellis is the King who has received the most interest on the trade market to this point, per league sources, largely because of his contract and perceived value. At times, Ellis’ ability gets a bit overstated. He is a limited offensive player without a lot of ballhandling skill. He’s also quite skinny, which means that he’s not quite a full-on switchable, stopper with All-Defense caliber-upside on that end of the court.

    However, Ellis can bring energetic defensive play with excellent, disruptive hand-eye coordination. He can take on tough defensive assignments in the backcourt. As a shooter, he’s been a 41.5 percent 3-point marksman for his career (36 percent this season), excelling as the fifth offensive option on the court who can space from the corners or in relocations above-the-break. You have to guard him, although I don’t think of him as a guy that you run off-ball actions for.

    The key here, though, is that Ellis only makes $2.3 million, meaning every team in the league can theoretically get involved in a potential bidding war. He will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, but the team that acquires him would have his full Bird rights and a low cap hold. The asking price is thought to be in the range of a late first-round pick. Other teams around the league, though, are struggling to answer the question as to why he doesn’t play more on a team that could theoretically use his defense and off-ball shot-making. That might hold it back to a couple of second-rounders.

    Trade value
    Second-Round Picks
    Best fits
    Lakers, Magic, Nuggets, Knicks, 76ers, Cavaliers, Heat
    Age
    26
    Position
    Wing
    Expiration
    2026
    Wing

  8. KRISTAPS PORZINGIS

    Porziņģis was off to a strong start for the Hawks, with the advanced stats being big fans of his impact on the team. Particularly, his offensive value was quite high, as the spacing he provided for Jalen Johnson and Atlanta slashers was useful. With Porziņģis on the court, Johnson’s true shooting percentage jumps from 59.7 to 63.2, per Databallr. Additionally, Porziņģis has been putting up numbers of his own, averaging 17.1 points in just 24 minutes per game with a career-high 2.7 assists per game versus a career-low 0.9 turnovers. The Hawks simplified his role, and he was thriving.

    Alas, Porziņģis has only been able to play in 17 games because of illness and injury. He’s on an expiring contract worth $30.7 million that could allow the Hawks to look into reshaping their roster if they believe he is unlikely to play a significant number of games moving forward. Undoubtedly, there are good players available with multiple years remaining on their deals whose teams would be happy to deal them. Porziņģis’ contract could easily be used as a mechanism to facilitate such a transaction.

    Trade value
    Salary Matching In a Trade
    Age
    30
    Position
    Big
    Expiration
    2026
    Big

  9. JOSE ALVARADO

    Alvarado can help a team. He’s helped the Pelicans a lot when he’s been in the game this year. During his 500 minutes, the Pelicans have been seven points per 100 possessions better than when he’s off the court, largely because his point-of-attack defensive efforts allow the team to have a stronger infrastructure on that end. He’s an aggressive pressure defender who can pick players up in the backcourt and make life harder for opposing teams. He’s also averaging eight points and 3.3 assists while shooting 42 percent from the field and 36 percent from 3. He makes quick decisions when he’s on the court and generally can play both on and off the ball because of that ability to shoot.

    There are size-based hurdles for a team that acquires him. He’s only 6 feet tall, so he won’t be for everyone. However, he consistently helps his team, and I think he could be a useful backup guard for a playoff team. Alvarado is potentially on an expiring contract this year, as he’s making $4.5 million this season and then has a $4.5 million player option for next year. If the Pelicans wanted to cash in now, the time would be right, and I think they’d likely get a couple of second-rounders.

    Trade value
    Second-Round Picks
    Best fits
    Knicks, Magic, Clippers, Timberwolves, Rockets
    Age
    27
    Position
    Guard
    Expiration
    2027 (player option)
    Guard

  10. ROBERT WILLIAMS III

    Williams’ career has been a disappointment because of injury. After making an All-Defense team in 2022, he’s simply been unable to stay on the court. He’s played just 85 games in the last three and a half years. When he’s out there, he’s very valuable because he is a mobile defensive player who has awesome help instincts and can protect the rim. He’s also an efficient finisher at the rim who can operate in short-roll situations on offense with his passing vision. The good news is that he’s been able to play in 30 games this year and has seen nearly 500 minutes of action. But I don’t know that you can rely on that to continue, either, given that teams have to work hard to manage his knee.

    Williams’ $13.3 million contract is expiring this year, which means the Blazers will have a choice as to whether they continue to work with him on his injuries or if they try to cash in at the deadline for whatever they can get. A team with an established starting center looking for a difference-maker off the bench is the best situation for Williams. For 15 to 20 minutes per night, he can be an impact guy. But that also holds true for the Blazers, who want to be competent and solid but have precious little center depth behind Donovan Clingan if they were to trade Williams with how raw Yang Hansen is. The team wants its identity to be on the defensive end, and trading Williams would make that harder. Still, he’s an expiring contract who could be looked at as a value add for a number of teams.

    Trade value
    Second-Round Picks
    Best fits
    Lakers, Pelicans, Bulls
    Age
    28
    Position
    Big
    Expiration
    2026
    Big

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