AD to Atlanta? Trae to Sacramento? Bobby Marks lays out a 5-team trade proposal (1:43)Bobby Marks details a five-team trade that would send Anthony Davis to Atlanta and Trae Young to the Kings. (1:43)
Bobby MarksDec 15, 2025, 07:00 AM ETCloseFollow on X
Will the Dallas Mavericks look to trade Anthony Davis? What will it take to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo if the Milwaukee Bucks open trade talks for the two-time MVP? Those are two of the many questions NBA front offices will need to discuss leading up to the Feb. 5 trade deadline.
And with Monday marking the unofficial start of trade season — nearly 90% of the players are eligible to be moved — those questions will begin to be answered.
Front office focus: Should Atlanta aggressively try to move Kristaps Porzingis’ $30.7 million expiring contract? Trae Young’s future should be discussed in Atlanta, but the more pressing question is what to do with Porzingis, who was acquired in an offseason trade with Boston but has played just 13 games because of an illness and right knee soreness. The Hawks could add financial flexibility this summer if Porzingis’ contract expires, and the veteran center enters free agency.
Front office focus: Does Boston’s overachieving roster make the Celtics surprisingly active at the trade deadline? The Celtics have not treated this season as a gap year despite missing three starters. Instead, Jaylen Brown is in the early MVP conversation, and Boston is again one of the East’s top teams. If Jayson Tatum doesn’t return in time for a playoff run, Boston could look to fortify its frontcourt with the expiring contract of Anfernee Simons and draft picks.
*Note: Even though the Celtics are not hard capped at either apron, they are not allowed to make a trade using more than 100% of the Traded Player Exception if it leaves them over the first apron.
Front office focus: After a full season to evaluate the roster, is Charlotte’s new front office comfortable building around LaMelo Ball? After four straight seasons over 23 points per game, Ball is down to 19.4 but with a career-high 8.5 assists. He has also missed time because of a right ankle injury this season and has eclipsed 47 games played just twice in his career. The Hornets have not reached the playoffs with Ball on the roster.
*Note: The Hornets will receive a 2028 unprotected first-round pick from Miami if not conveyed in 2027.
Front office focus: Instead of using cap space during an average free agent class this summer, is it more logical for Chicago to identify players under contract for next season? The Bulls have seven players on expiring contracts: Nikola Vucevic, Zach Collins, Kevin Huerter, Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, Jevon Carter and Dalen Terry. If the Bulls allow those contracts to expire, they could have close to $70 million in money to spend in the offseason but on an average free agent class.
Front office focus: Has Jaylon Tyson’s emergence left De’Andre Hunter’s future uncertain, especially once Max Strus returns to the starting lineup? When the Cavaliers acquired Hunter in February, Tyson was not part of the rotation, but the former first-round pick is averaging 28.2 minutes and 13.1 points per game this season. Hunter has been productive (15.4 points per game) but is owed $24.9 million next season, when the Cavaliers are projected to be over the second apron.
*Note: Despite not being hard capped, the Cavs cannot aggregate contracts sent out if it leaves them over the second apron or use more than 100% of the Traded Player Exception. Cleveland is allowed to sign a player to the veteran minimum exception.
Front office focus: Is there a green light to enter the luxury tax? After finishing in the tax the past three seasons, the Nuggets are $402,000 over and would be a repeater team if they remain there. Though they do not have a first-round pick available to trade, the Nuggets have $5.4 million and $6.9 million trade exceptions. Denver can use either and still exceed the apron because the exceptions were created after July 1.
Front office focus: Does Detroit need another playoff run to justify pursuing a superstar, or should the Pistons target a complementary player, such as Pelicans wing Trey Murphy III? After reaching the playoffs as the No. 6 seed last season, the young Pistons are in uncharted territory, holding the East’s best record. The Pistons have the trade assets to go either direction — they own all of their future picks and have Tobias Harris’ $26.6 million expiring contract.
* Note: Because the exception was created before July 1, the Clippers are not allowed to use it if the trade leaves them over the first apron.
Front office focus: Can L.A. address its skill gap on the perimeter? The Lakers, whose defense is allowing the league’s third-worst 3-point percentage, have more than $40 million in expiring contracts. They must also weigh an extension for Rui Hachimura, who is averaging 13.3 points per game on 53.2% shooting. If an extension is reached — Hachimura is eligible to sign for four years, $114.5 million up to June 30 — it would cut into the Lakers’ projected $50 million in cap space.
Front office focus: Has Memphis’ on-court success shown that there is a future without Ja Morant? The Grizzlies are 4-9 in games Morant has played, getting outscored by 6.4 points per 100 possessions with their star guard on the court. In the 12 games Morant has missed, Memphis has won seven. Morant was not offered a two-year extension this past summer but has three years left on his current deal. He can sign a three-year extension in the offseason.
Front office focus: Can Miami use Terry Rozier’s contract in a trade? After Rozier was arrested in October, the NBA put him on immediate leave. His $26.6 million expiring contract could become a valuable asset, especially if the Bucks make Giannis Antetokounmpo available in a trade.
Front office focus: Does Minnesota have enough to acquire a starting point guard, or are the Timberwolves content with Anthony Edwards handling lead playmaking duties? For a sixth straight season, Edwards ranks in the 90th percentile among all combo guards in usage, according to Cleaning the Glass, and he ranks 196th among all guards in assist-to-turnover ratio this season. The Timberwolves cannot take back more salary in a trade and do not have a first-round pick available to trade.
*Note: The Timberwolves are $8.3 million above the first and $3.6 million below the second apron. They are not allowed to use more than 100% of the Traded Player Exception if it leaves them over the first apron.
Front office focus: Should head of basketball operations Joe Dumars play out this season and let the next coach evaluate the roster? Dumars inherited Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray, Trey Murphy III, Herbert Jones, Jordan Hawkins, Jose Alvarado, Yves Missi and Karlo Matkovic. All the players are under contract for next season — Alvarado has a player option — while Williamson’s contract is non-guaranteed for the next two seasons.
Front office focus: As the Warriors’ dynasty taught us between 2015 to 2019, if it isn’t broken, there is no need to fix it. Instead, should Oklahoma City consolidate future first-round picks? The Thunder have a league-high 13 first-round picks over the next seven seasons. In January, Utah traded three of its lesser first-round picks for an unprotected pick from Phoenix in 2031. That strategy could help offset the rising cost of the Thunder roster; OKC is $1 million below the luxury tax.
Front office focus: Has Anthony Black’s expanded role made Tyus Jones expendable? Jones is averaging the fewest minutes in his career and is a free agent in July. The Magic are minus-6.2 points per 100 possessions with Jones on the court and plus-7.1 when he sits. Trading Jones’ $7 million would put Orlando under the luxury tax.
* Note: The 76ers are not allowed to use more than 100% of the Traded Player Exception if it leaves them over the first apron.
Front office focus: Could moving the expiring contracts of Matisse Thybulle and Robert Williams III help fix the Trail Blazers’ bottom-10 defense? Both players, All-NBA defenders at one point in their careers, have combined for 20 games this season. If the Trail Blazers make a trade, it is unlikely they will take back additional salary. They are $1.5 million below the luxury tax.
* Note: The Raptors are not allowed to use more than 100% of the Traded Player Exception if it leaves them over the first apron.
Front office focus: Can Brooklyn parlay its remaining $15 million in cap space into future draft assets? The Nets could once again be aggressive in adding picks. Since July, the Nets have turned available cap space into Michael Porter Jr., Haywood Highsmith, two first-round picks and three seconds. Expect them to be active this trade season regarding Cam Thomas. The guard signed a one-year qualifying offer in the offseason and is an unrestricted free agent in 2026. (Thomas would need to approve any trade.)
Front office focus: If Dallas is not open to extending Anthony Davis this summer, is it best to trade him before the deadline or hope his value increases over the rest of the season? When Davis is on the court, Dallas resembles a playoff team; he combined for 49 points and 30 rebounds in recent wins against Denver and Miami. Waiting until this offseason comes with risk, as Davis has played just 20 games as a Maverick since being acquired in February. With Dante Exum and Dereck Lively II out, what options does Dallas have to create an open roster spot and eventually convert two-way guard Ryan Nembhard?
Front office focus: The Warriors are in a holding pattern until Jonathan Kuminga is eligible to be traded Jan. 15, when the goal should be to parlay his $22.5 million salary into a starting-caliber center or additional frontcourt help. Golden State could also wait until the summer if a deadline deal doesn’t materialize, exercising Kuminga’s team option before moving him. Kuminga has been DNP in three straight games and has seen his minutes decrease since opening the season in the starting lineup.