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The trade rumor mill never slows down, and this week’s chatter includes a name that hasn’t been at the center of speculation until now. Sam Amick of The Athletic used the “NBA Daily” podcast to walk through the usual suspects tied to trade buzz, running past Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, Domantas Sabonis, the Pelicans’ roster, even Devin Booker, before landing on a fresh addition: Paolo Banchero of the Orlando Magic.
Banchero fits the profile of a player worth watching. The Magic have boxed themselves into a corner, partly through bad timing. They drafted Banchero and Franz Wagner in back-to-back lottery drafts, then paid both max contracts, a standard move for a franchise that landed two clear building blocks.
The issue is timing. Orlando committed to those deals just as the league shifted away from handing max money to good-not-great players automatically. The punitive second apron now punishes exactly that kind of decision. The Magic are staring at a payroll where Banchero and Wagner alone eat up more than half the cap, and Desmond Bane’s contract pushes that number toward 75%.
Does Anyone Want the Magic’s Stars?
Jalen Suggs is locked in for four more years and $115 million, Anthony Black needs an extension soon, and Orlando is looking at an expensive 45-win roster that hasn’t won a playoff series since 2010. Something has to change.
Suggs has long been viewed as the Magic player most likely to get shopped, but his deal is close to immovable unless his jumper returns. Around the league, evaluators would rather have Wagner than Banchero if health weren’t a question, but Wagner has missed 70 games across the last two seasons.
There’s real skepticism about building an offense around Banchero, a career 44.9% shooter who connects on just 31.7% from three. If Orlando struggles this season and decides to sell, the market for its pieces won’t be deep without broader roster improvement. Banchero, despite the efficiency concerns, would still likely command the strongest return of the group.
Celtics Shut the Door on Derrick White Trade Talk
Boston fielded a wave of calls about Derrick White in the aftermath of the Jaylen Brown trade. The Celtics listened, as teams do, but the answer was a firm no on every offer.
A Western Conference executive described the exchange:
“They got calls, you had to call to see if there was something there that could be done with one of their guys. You just did not know if it was going to be a whole fire sale thing, but they let it be known pretty quickly it wasn’t. The guy you’re going to go for, that everyone had their eye on was Derrick White because of the contract and the down year and maybe you can lowball a bit.”
“But the Celtics were not entertaining anything like that. It’s not just hanging up the phone, everyone listens. But it is just not where they were at. He is a very popular guy on that team and in that front office, they were not going to move him.”
Can the Bulls Undo Their Draft-Day Mistake?
Plenty of decisions explain why Arturas Karnisovas’ run in Chicago fell short after he arrived with a strong reputation as a talent evaluator. None sums it up better than drafting Patrick Williams fourth overall in 2020, over speculation the Bulls were set to take Tyrese Haliburton.
Karnisovas kept insisting stardom was close for Williams, and even during the brief stretch when Williams held real trade value, Chicago wouldn’t budge. Six seasons later, Williams is averaging 9.0 points on 43.8% shooting, with three years and $54 million left on his deal. If new VP Bryson Graham wants to make a mark early, finding a taker for that contract would do it.
Good luck with that. Here’s the rest of the board.
Point Guards on the Trade Market
- Darius Garland, Clippers (two years, $87 million remaining). The Aspiration-Kawhi Leonard fallout could push the Clippers to stockpile picks, making Garland a logical trade chip. The question is whether any team gives up two firsts for him.
- Kyrie Irving, Mavericks (two years, $82 million, player option in year two). Marc Stein floated his name, so he lands on this list, though nothing appears close. Like most veterans in his spot, the plan is likely to play him into January, build value, and revisit a deal near the deadline.
- Dejounte Murray, Pelicans (two years, $63 million, player option). Teams want to see him fully recovered from his Achilles injury first, but expect him to surface as a trade candidate as the deadline approaches.
- Jamal Murray, Nuggets (three years, $161 million). Not likely right now, but Denver’s finances are strained enough that a Jaylen Brown-style situation isn’t unthinkable.
- Mikal Bridges, Knicks (four years, $150 million). Trading him would give New York flexibility, but the front office seems committed to riding out the second apron for now. That approach has a breaking point.
- Shaedon Sharpe, Trail Blazers (four years, $90 million). A torn meniscus likely takes him off the board for trade talks this season. He still averaged 20.8 points last year, and Portland has a crowded backcourt.
- Ty Jerome, Grizzlies (two years, $19 million, including player option). Jerome capitalized on Memphis’ chaos last season, averaging 19.7 points on 42.0% three-point shooting. At 29, he doesn’t fit the Grizzlies’ timeline, and Memphis needs to thin its roster. He’d bring solid value in a deal for future assets, though the team has little depth behind him at the position.
- Dalton Knecht, Lakers (two years, $10 million, including two team options). Knecht flashed promise as a rookie before regressing in year two, and now looks like filler in bigger deals. It’s surprising no team has bet on his upside at just 25 years old.
- Jaden Hardy, Lakers (one year, $6 million). Los Angeles needs to shed a roster spot, and Hardy is a candidate if a taker emerges. Including him in a Jonathan Kuminga deal was the preferred outcome, but now the goal is simply moving on.
Wings and Forwards in Play
- Brandon Ingram, Raptors/Clippers (two years, $82 million, player option). The Clippers’ push to collect picks could mean moving on from Ingram next offseason for a return.
- Moses Moody, Warriors (two years, $26 million). Moody could be ready for the season opener and is reportedly staying put, but any trade Golden State makes this summer is expected to involve his name in speculation.
- Trey Murphy, Pelicans (three years, $88 million). Rumors have New Orleans both shopping him and holding firm. Murphy remains a fixture in trade chatter, but the Pelicans are slow-playing any move.
- Saddiq Bey, Pelicans (one year, $6.5 million). Bey bounced back strong after tearing his ACL, averaging 17.7 points on 45.1% shooting and 36.7% from three. The numbers came on a bad team, but they show he can still be a useful bench wing.
- Patrick Williams, Bulls (three years, $54 million). Trading him would feel symbolic for fans as a new front office and coaching staff take over, but his contract remains a hard sell.
- Michael Porter Jr., Nets (one year, $40 million, partial guarantee). Porter becomes a trade candidate if extension talks stall, and they appear to be stalling. Expect his name to circulate in the coming months.
- Derrick Jones Jr., Clippers (one year, $10 million). Jones remains a strong defender, and his expiring deal gives the Clippers room to move him, though the Aspiration situation has things paused for now.
- Kyle Kuzma, Bucks (one year, $20 million). His expiring contract is appealing, and he could get pulled into a sign-and-trade if Milwaukee pursues Peyton Watson, Bennedict Mathurin, or Jonathan Kuminga.
- DeAndre Hunter, Kings (one year, $25 million). Sacramento wants to hold him as a flippable expiring deal, but he’s drawn interest as a target. A deadline trade is possible if the Kings can land an asset without taking on long-term money.
- Royce O’Neale, Hornets (two years, $21 million). Charlotte still has roster sorting to do. O’Neale isn’t part of the long-term plan, but he carries value and could get moved at the deadline once the team evaluates fit.
- Jake LaRavia, Lakers (one year, $6 million). Reliable and durable, if inconsistent. His contract makes him an appealing chip as Los Angeles sorts out its roster depth.
- Herb Jones, Pelicans (four years, $82 million, including player option). Jones draws plenty of interest, but New Orleans reportedly wants two first-round picks in return. Between his injury history and shooting struggles the past two seasons, that price looks steep, and his contract adds another deterrent for suitors.
- Cam Johnson, Nuggets (one year, $23 million). The Peyton Watson trade likely keeps Johnson in Denver for now, but he’ll be highly tradeable before the deadline. He struggled in his lone season with the Nuggets, and he’s been a recurring name in trade rumors for years. Teams wanted Denver to attach picks in a deal, which the Nuggets won’t do. His expiring deal has value on its own, since Denver will need that cap room for Nikola Jokic next summer.
- PJ Washington, Mavericks (four years, $90 million). Like Daniel Gafford, Washington doesn’t fit Dallas’ timeline as he turns 28 this summer. He plays solid defense and stretches the floor, but he shot just 32.5% from three last season. Dallas wants a first-round pick in return, but the contract and production make that unlikely.
Big Men Drawing Interest
- Paolo Banchero, Magic (five years, $245 million, player option). Good luck finding a taker for that number.
- Jalen Smith, Bulls (one year, $9 million). Several teams need a backup center, and Smith fits multiple situations well. Chicago could flip him now for younger assets or hold him and move him during the season.
- Nikola Jovic, Heat (four years, $62 million). Jovic, still just 23, is available, but teams remain wary of taking on the remaining money.
- Grant Williams, Hornets (one year, $15 million). Charlotte isn’t finished retooling its roster, and Williams’ expiring deal carries some value as a solid bench big.
- Zeke Nnaji, Nuggets (four years, $32 million). Denver shopped Nnaji over the summer without finding a taker. His contract isn’t heavy, but four years is a long runway for a player in his role.
- Jarred Vanderbilt, Lakers (two years, $26 million). Los Angeles has tried to move Vanderbilt’s contract without success. He may stay in the rotation for now while the team keeps shopping him during the season.
- Aaron Gordon, Nuggets (three years, $110 million). Someone in Denver’s frontcourt mix may have to go given the team’s financial squeeze. If it isn’t Jamal Murray, Gordon could be the one, though his injury history complicates any deal.
- Daniel Gafford, Mavericks (three years, $54 million). Gafford turns 28 in October, and with Dallas prioritizing youth, moving him has become a stated goal.
Read also: Ben Simmons’ Godfather Makes Bold Claim About His Kings Comeback
The board keeps shifting as teams inch closer to the deadline, and names like Banchero, White, and Williams are only the start of what’s coming. Stay with TipsGG for every update on where these deals could land.