Dream Trade Targets for Every NBA Team

After we explored dream free-agent targets for all 30 teams, it’s time to identify the ideal trade target for every NBA franchise.

The difference? While a lack of cap space can crush a lot of free-agent dreams, teams should be setting their sights much higher when identifying trade targets. Even teams that were limited at the 2024 trade deadline can now deal their pick in the 2024 draft and part with their 2031 first-round pick (as long as they still possess their 2030 selection). These extra picks can make a big difference in how aggressive a team can be.

We already have an initial list of stars who could become available this summer. Players like Donovan Mitchell, Trae Young, Brandon Ingram, Dejounte Murray, Mikal Bridges, Kyle Kuzma, Darius Garland and perhaps even Jimmy Butler could be on the move, depending on which direction their current employers go.

It’s time to dream big. These are the players who should be at the top of every team’s wish list.

The Hawks’ best path forward is to split up the Trae Young/Dejounte Murray combo, improve the team’s overall defense and try to improve the future salary outlook for a team that missed the playoffs yet projects to be in the luxury tax this upcoming season.

Moving either Young or Murray in a deal for Mikal Bridges would solve a lot of this team’s issues. Bridges, 27, is a premier wing defender who could help fix a Hawks defense that finished 27th overall this past season. He’d be the ideal piece to place next to Young as someone who can lock up opposing wings and play a secondary scoring role.

Bridges’ contract (two years, $48.2 million) is one of the best in the NBA. If the Hawks choose to move Young and keep Murray as their franchise point guard, Atlanta would only be paying Bridges and Murray a total of $48.8 million next season, or less than Bradley Beal will make from the Phoenix Suns by himself.

There’s a lot of talent in Atlanta, especially with the No. 1 overall pick coming in. This team needs a reshuffling, however, with the addition of a player like Bridges sure to propel the Hawks back into the playoffs in 2025.

The Celtics are going to be a second-apron luxury team next season, which puts a lot of restrictions on who they can trade for. Even “dream” trade scenarios should be held in check, especially since there’s no reason to move any of the team’s core pieces.

Eason is a player who Boston should be very interested in. The 23-year-old still has two years remaining on his rookie contract (at $3.7 million and $5.7 million) and could grow into a really nice rotation piece for the Celtics over the next few years.

Eason put up 9.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.4 steals and shot 36.0 percent from three for the Houston Rockets last season but could see his minutes cut if Cam Whitmore, Amen Thompson and others get the court time they need to develop.

Unless the Celtics are willing to trade one of their high-priced vets, Boston will need to settle for players making far less money. Eason would be a tremendous value on his current deal.

The Brooklyn Nets should be aggressive in improving the team this offseason as they don’t have control of their first-round pick until 2028.

Donovan Mitchell will be the dream trade target for a number of teams this offseason if he doesn’t sign an extension with the Cleveland Cavaliers, something he’s eligible to do as soon as the NBA Finals end.

Pairing Mitchell with Mikal Bridges and re-signing Nic Claxton is the start of something promising, giving the Nets an alpha scorer who should enjoy being back in New York.

The Nets could make some competitive offers to the Cavs, building a trade package around Cam Thomas and first-round picks owed to them from the Phoenix Suns from the Kevin Durant deal. Using Ben Simmons’ expiring $40.3 million contract in trades as a salary-matcher should be a priority as well.

The Hornets finished 28th overall in offense last season and should be on the lookout for another big-time wing scorer to use next to LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller.

Ingram, 26, averaged 20.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.7 assists and shot 49.2 percent overall last season, his fifth-straight year of dropping 20 or more a game. His passing has only improved over time, an important factor for the Hornets if Ball continues to miss time due to injury.

A core of Ball, Miller and Ingram averages 6’8″, giving Charlotte a massive backcourt and wing to build upon. All three can score and make plays for others, with shooting ranges that extend past the arc.

The Hornets possess the No. 6 overall pick in this year’s draft and should look to use it to bring in another All-Star caliber wing.

The Chicago Bulls have a lot of questions to answer this summer, especially concerning the futures of Zach LaVine (a prime trade candidate) and DeMar DeRozan (an unrestricted free agent).

Whether or not one or both returns, adding a premier guard like Murray would solve a lot of the team’s issues.

Chicago finished 28th last season in assist percentage (59.4 percent), with DeRozan’s 5.3 assists per game leading the team. Murray put up 21.1 points and 9.2 assists in his last year as a starting point guard with the San Antonio Spurs in 2021-22, being named an All-Star in the process.

A new starting backcourt of Murray and Coby White, both at 6’5″, would take playmaking pressure off of White, allowing him to attack more as a scorer.

Assuming the Cleveland Cavaliers keep Donovan Mitchell this summer, the team should look for wing upgrades to place next to its All-Star guard.

Some sort of Darius Garland-Mikal Bridges swap would make a lot of sense for both teams, as the Brooklyn Nets need a franchise point guard and Garland is under contract for four more years compared to just two for Bridges.

The Cavs thrived last season with Mitchell as a full-time point guard, especially defensively (a 2.6 points per 100 possessions swing) when Cleveland could go bigger on the wing.

A lineup of Mitchell, Max Strus, Bridges, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen would be a nightmare to try and score against and puts the ball in Mitchell’s hands more on the offensive end as well.

The Dallas Mavericks may not ultimately have the trade assets to go get Lauri Markkanen, although he’d be a perfect frontcourt fit to take some of the scoring load off Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving.

Markkanen, 27, averaged 23.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and made 39.9 percent of his threes for the Utah Jazz this season. A Big Three of him, Dončić and Irving would arguably be the best offensive trio in the NBA.

Dallas could offer a package based around its young talent (P.J. Washington, Josh Green, Jaden Hardy, Olivier-Maxence Prosper) and have two first-round picks to trade (2025 and 2031). Dereck Lively II should be off limits.

The Mavericks could also offer to take back John Collins and his hefty contract, using Tim Hardaway’s expiring deal as a trade chip.

The Denver Nuggets need to find one or two more playable veterans off their bench, keeping the championship window open for a franchise that should still be one of the favorites to win the 2025 title.

No one can replicate what Nikola Jokić brings to the court, although Kelly Olynyk at least has a similar skill set on a smaller scale. Bringing him in as a backup to Jokić would allow the three-time MVP to rest more after he averaged a career-high 34.6 minutes during the regular season and 40.2 during the playoffs.

Olynyk is one of the best passing bigs in the NBA, allowing Denver to run similar actions with him on the court. The 33-year-old averaged 9.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists and shot 38.7 percent from three between the Utah Jazz and Toronto Raptors this past season.

Denver doesn’t have a lot of draft picks to trade and is limited in who they can acquire by being a second-apron tax team. Bringing in a player like Olynyk may not even be possible without a major roster shakeup, although he’d be the ideal back center behind Jokić.

It may seem strange for the Minnesota Timberwolves to part with Karl-Anthony Towns after he helped them to the Western Conference Finals. However, his massive contract—and the Wolves’ cap situation moving forward—may force them to see what deals are out there.

Towns is beginning a four-year, $221 million supermax extension. This is a big deal for a Minnesota team that will now have three players all earning $42 million or more next season. For a Pistons team with most of its roster on rookie deals and not a single player earning more than $15 million, Towns’ deal is fine.

Putting up 21.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists and shooting 41.6 percent from three this season, Towns would make a huge impact on a Pistons team hungry to return to the playoffs. A core of Towns, Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren would be set up to win for years to come.

Detroit could put together a competitive package of players and draft picks while using its cap space to give the Wolves a lot of financial breathing room.

The Golden State Warriors obviously have interest in trading for LeBron James, as the franchise called the Los Angeles Lakers about a potential deal before the 2024 deadline.

The Lakers ultimately refused, but owner Jeanie Buss did reach out to James’ agent Rich Paul to gauge his interest, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne.

After a disappointing first-round exit, would James be more open to joining Stephen Curry and Draymond Green in Golden State?

James would need to pick up his $51.4 million player option to execute a trade. The Warriors could get to $51 million in salary by packaging Jonathan Kuminga, Andrew Wiggins, Gary Payton II and Kevin Looney or use Chris Paul’s expiring $30 million deal to help facilitate a deal.

Seeing James in a Warriors uniform may feel wrong, but combining him and Curry before both of their historic careers end would make for beautiful basketball.

One of the most interesting teams to follow this summer, the Houston Rockets could stay the course with their young talent or go star hunting instead.

Why not try for a Houston native in Jimmy Butler?

The Miami Heat are hesitant to give Butler, 34, any extension on his current two-year deal. Trading him now and building around 26-year-old Bam Adebayo, 24-year-old Tyler Herro and 23-year-old Jaime Jacquez Jr. with some young talent from the Rockets should be under consideration by Miami.

According to HoopsHypes’s Michael Scotto, Houston will talk about trading the No. 3 overall pick in this year’s draft and have five first-round picks it can include in a deal overall.

An offer of Jabari Smith Jr., Amen Thompson, Dillon Brooks and the No. 3 overall pick for Butler should at least be worth having for both sides.

Remember what LeBron James returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers and winning the first NBA title in franchise history did for his legacy? Paul George should be fully aware when he considers his options this summer.

George could pressure the Los Angeles Clippers to trade him to Indiana by threatening to leave as an unrestricted free agent instead. The Clippers won’t want to trade their All-Star wing, but getting back a package of players like Bennedict Mathurin, Aaron Nesmith, and T.J. McConnell in return instead of nothing is an easy choice.

Building a starting five in Indiana of Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, George, Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner would make the Pacers one of the elite teams in the East. George’s presence makes this team better defensively as well.

Pacers fans may have mixed feelings about George given the way things ended seven years ago, although if his addition helps win a title now, all will be forgiven.

The LA Clippers don’t have many trade assets to go shopping with this summer, so they should consider role players to fill in between their stars.

A core of Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and James Harden—if all three are back—will average 34 years in age by the start of the 2024-25 season. For a team that already ranked 16th defensively last season, this group isn’t going to get better at stopping opponents as it gets older.

Caruso was just named to an All-Defensive team for a second-straight season. He’d be the ideal player to place between Harden and Paul in the starting lineup, giving the Clippers an elite on-ball defender who hit 40.8 percent of his threes last year.

The Chicago Bulls should be interested in win-now players and young talent in return depending on which direction they go this summer. The Clippers can offer their first-round pick in 2030 or 2031 as well.

Finding a new alpha scorer is imperative for the Los Angeles Lakers this summer, as relying on a 40-year-old LeBron James as the primary offensive option can’t happen moving forward.

Donovan Mitchell is more than capable of playing this role, as he’d be the perfect third piece to play alongside James and Anthony Davis. Any trade for Mitchell is going to significantly impact the Lakers’ depth and future draft picks, however.

A package of Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura and multiple first-round picks would need to be on the table for the Cleveland Cavaliers to consider a deal, one that only happens if Mitchell refuses to sign an extension.

For a Lakers team that finished just 15th in total offense last season even with 70-plus games from James, Anthony Davis, D’Angelo Russell and Reaves, Los Angeles needs an upgrade in scoring from the guard position.

Both the defense and rebounding by the Memphis Grizzlies took a major hit last season when Steven Adams was sidelined and later traded following knee surgery. Memphis is still in need of a new starting center, allowing Jaren Jackson Jr. to remain at power forward.

Jarrett Allen would be the perfect piece, as the 26-year-old finished 11th in the NBA in rebounding (10.5 per game). He was the Cleveland Cavaliers’ best player behind Donovan Mitchell, putting up 16.5 points on 63.4 percent shooting and dishing out a career-high 2.7 assists.

If the Cavs want to split up Evan Mobley and Allen, the latter will be the most likely to go. Memphis should be at the front of the line of teams looking to acquire the former All-Star, as he’d be part of an elite defense alongside Jackson and Marcus Smart.

The Grizzlies should fully expect to be back at the top of the West next season with a healthy roster. Getting a center like Allen would make a huge difference.

The Miami Heat could have interest in All-Star guards like Donovan Mitchell and Trae Young this summer, although a combo of Tyler Herro and Terry Rozier in the backcourt doesn’t necessarily need an upgrade.

Miami should explore trades for star power forwards to replace Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. Someone who can knock down threes, put the ball on the floor and score in isolation as well would be ideal.

Markkanen, 27, is an ideal fit on a Heat team that finished just 21st in total offense last season. His ability to score from all three levels would prove to be a huge boost for a Miami team that can look stagnant at times.

Miami could offer a package centered on Jaime Jacquez Jr., Nikola Jović and other picks and players, convincing Utah to part with its franchise star.

Marcus Smart is a few seasons removed from his Defensive Player of the Year award, although he remains a huge upgrade in perimeter defense from anyone the Milwaukee Bucks currently have on their roster.

The Bucks finished just 19th defensively last season. Putting Smart in the starting backcourt next to Damian Lillard gives Milwaukee a stopper on defense who brings 108 games of playoff experience from his time with the Boston Celtics. It would also be the perfect counter to Boston’s trading for Jrue Holiday last offseason.

Milwaukee is limited in trade assets and may have to turn one of their veterans (Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez or Bobby Portis) into multiple veterans who can play. Depth was a real issue following the trade for Lillard.

With Giannis Antetokounmpo, this team should still have championship aspirations. Injuries may have ruined their 2023-24 season, although a few roster tweaks and some defensive help could have the Bucks back in the title hunt.

With a roster that projects to be $6.7 million over the second luxury tax line and first-round picks either owed outright or in a swap to the Utah Jazz from 2025 until 2029, the Minnesota Timberwolves will be extremely limited in how they can upgrade the roster this summer.

Minnesota should consider young point guards it can develop behind 36-year-old starter Mike Conley Jr., preparing for a future without a veteran starter.

Miles McBride had a strong junior season with the New York Knicks, even averaging 17.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists and shooting 40.7 percent from three in his 14 starts (albeit in 43.3 minutes a game).

There’s enough talent already in the 23-year-old to make Minnesota believe he could be a long-term answer next to Anthony Edwards. A three-year, $13 million contract moving forward looks like a bargain for a Wolves team facing some serious luxury tax penalties.

The New Orleans Pelicans have long searched for the ideal starting center next to Zion Williamson. From Derrick Favors, to Jaxson Hayes, to Steven Adams and now Jonas Valančiūnas, an ideal partnership has yet to be found.

Now, five years into his career, we have a good idea of the player Williamson will be. He’s probably never going to be an outside threat shooting the ball, with a career-low 0.1 made threes per game this season. Spacing will be a real issue for the Pels if they don’t have a center who spreads the floor.

Myles Turner is one of the best shooting bigs in the league, knocking down 35.8 percent of his 4.2 three-point attempts per game in 2023-24. He’s an intimidating rim-protecting presence as well, one who’s already led the NBA in blocks per game twice.

If the Pelicans want to reshuffle the roster around Williamson, they should see what a trade for Turner would cost.

This is Mikal Bridges’ third appearance on this list, and the location he’d likely prefer to end up in the most.

The New York Knicks have made their type known. Players like OG Anunoby and Josh Hart are premier defenders with incredible basketball IQ who never take plays off. The same can be said about Bridges.

With Jalen Brunson serving as the primary scorer, Bridges can play a complementary offensive role, somewhere between his responsibilities with the Suns and Nets.

A trade based around Bridges and Julius Randle would make sense, as the Nets would want win-now pieces in return. A starting five of Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo, Bridges, Anunoby and Isaiah Hartenstein/Mitchell Robinson with Hart as a sixth man might be the toughest, most physical in the league.

No team is better prepared (or perhaps motivated) to trade for another star this offseason than the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Thunder have 14 tradeable first-round picks and 20 second-round picks between now and 2031 to offer up in a deal, an insane amount of draft capital that would make any team think twice about parting with its star player.

Zion Williamson may not be on the table, but this shouldn’t stop OKC from calling about potentially adding some more muscle to its frontcourt. A core of Williamson, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren would be the best young core four in the NBA.

OKC could hold on to its future picks (including four first-rounders in 2025) in case another superstar becomes available in a year (Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid), but it should at least make some exploratory calls about Williamson and others this summer.

Perhaps no player and team need each other more than Trae Young and the Orlando Magic.

Orlando finished just 22nd in total offense, 22nd in assist percentage and dead last in made threes per game last season despite nearly making it to the second round of the playoffs. Injecting Young into the offense would fix much of what held this team back, as the All-Star point guard averaged 25.7 points, 10.8 assists and made his 3.2 threes per game at a 37.3 percent clip.

Orlando is built to cover up Young’s defensive deficiencies as well.

Jalen Suggs, Young’s protected backcourt partner, made an All-Defensive team this season. The rest of the frontline (Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Wendell Carter Jr.) is big and physical, the perfect complement to Young’s slight frame.

Put Young on this core and Orlando would have one of the best teams in the East for years to come.

To say the Philadelphia 76ers should have never traded Jimmy Butler is an understatement. A core of Joel Embiid, Butler, Tyrese Maxey (and even James Harden) might have a championship or two by now.

It’s time to make things right for Philly. The Sixers have the cap space to absorb Butler’s $48.7 million and can sign him to a max extension six months after the trade is complete. The 76ers can also trade up to four first-round picks (No. 16 overall in 2024, one of their selections in 2026, a 2028 pick from the Los Angeles Clippers and their own in 2030 or 2031).

Would moving from a team flirting with the second luxury tax apron to possibly having cap space this summer be enough for Miami to consider a trade, even with some first-round picks thrown in?

The 76ers should find out. If Paul George or LeBron James don’t show any interest in signing as free agents, Philly’s first trade choice needs to be Butler.

The Phoenix Suns need a pure point guard on the roster, as their All-Star ball-handler-by-committee approach ultimately ended in a first-round sweep.

T.J. McConnell has already been a trade target according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports:

“He has one year remaining beyond this season on his current deal, an attractive salary as league executives view McConnell as one of the best reserves in the league. His value contract, in addition to his endless battery, most notably drew trade inquiries from the Phoenix Suns throughout this past season, league sources told Yahoo Sports.”

The 32-year-old floor general averaged a career-high 10.2 points to go along with 5.5 assists and a whopping 57.2 effective field goal percentage.

His spark would help lift a Suns team that doesn’t possess the trade assets to go for a Trae Young or Dejounte Murray.

Balancing out a guard-heavy roster, getting younger and moving veterans for draft picks should be high on the list of priorities for the Portland Trail Blazers this offseason.

Portland shouldn’t be looking to trade for current stars, but those who can develop into one in a few years alongside Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe and others.

If the Houston Rockets swing for the fences for a star, the Blazers should try to get involved in some sort of three-team deal to land Smith, much like the Cleveland Cavaliers did with Jarrett Allen in the James Harden-Brooklyn Nets deal.

The No. 3 overall pick in 2022, Smith showed some development from Year 1 to 2 in Houston, yet could fail to reach his potential with the Rockets with so many young mouths to feed.

Portland should check on his availability, giving this team its power forward of the future.

The Sacramento Kings chose to keep Harrison Barnes and Sasha Vezenkov with much of their cap space last summer instead of pursuing another star-level wing. After missing the playoffs, we can now safely say that this decision was a mistake.

The Kings need more help, yet have to be conscious of cost as well. Domantas Sabonis is set to make $186 million over the next four years ($46.5 million per season). De’Aaron Fox and Keegan Murray will be due for massive raises in the summer of 2026 as well.

A trade for Kyle Kuzma as another scoring option helps the Kings now while not breaking their future salary sheets. A 22.2 point-per-game scorer last season, Kuzma is on a team-friendly, three-year, $64.4 million contract that drops by about two million annually.

A core of Fox, Sabonis, Kuzma and Murray should be a lock to make the playoffs next year, even in the West.

It’s obvious that Dejounte Murray and San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich still share a deep bond from their time together. With the Spurs in need of a point guard, Murray would be the perfect player and leader to return to San Antonio to help mentor Victor Wembanyama and get the team back to the playoffs.

Murray was an All-Star the last time he played for the Spurs in 2021-22, leading the NBA with 2.0 steals and registering a career-high 9.2 assists.

Atlanta still owes San Antonio unprotected first-round picks in 2025 and 2027, selections that the Hawks could ask for back. The Spurs also possess the Nos. 4 and 8 overall picks in the 2024 draft, ones that would pair nicely with Atlanta’s No. 1 overall selection.

Both San Antonio and Murray should be interested in a reunion. They parted on good terms (really good terms for the Spurs, as it turns out) and could come back together even stronger now.

Even after reshuffling the roster around Scottie Barnes last season, the Toronto Raptors still finished just 26th in made threes per game (11.5) and 27th in accuracy (34.7 percent).

Michael Porter Jr. is one of the best pure shooters in the game. The 25-year-old forward is a career 41.0 percent marksman from deep who nailed 42.9 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes this season for the Denver Nuggets.

If Denver decides that its core is too expensive to keep together, Porter would likely be the first high-priced player that the Nuggets would part with.

Toronto still has Barnes on a rookie contract for one more year and doesn’t need to worry about re-signing Pascal Siakam or OG Anunoby anymore. They can absorb the 25-year-old’s contract far easier than most teams and Porter can grow with this new, young core.

The Utah Jazz may be looking to end their rebuild already.

As HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto writes, “Utah is expected to explore trading the No. 10 overall pick and the other first-rounders this year, league sources told HoopsHype. There’s a belief from some around the league that Utah’s owner, Ryan Smith, would like to add more star talent to the Jazz, and Ainge has aggressively monitored the trade market.”

While Keyonte George, 20, may turn into a star one day, Garland has already been named an All-Star while helping carry a team to the playoffs the past two years.

Garland also has experience playing with both Lauri Markkanen and Collin Sexton from their time together in Cleveland. Even though Sexton missed most of the 2021-22 season with an injury, the Cavs had a net rating of plus-9.2 when Garland and Markkanen shared the floor (93rd percentile, via Cleaning the Glass).

If the Cavs want to break up the Donovan Mitchell-Garland pairing, these two front offices should do business once again.

Josh Giddey looks like he was born to play for a team named the Wizards, as the 6’8″ point guard can dazzle with his ball-handling and passing ability.

The 21-year-old no longer looks like a fit with the Oklahoma City Thunder playing next to a ball-dominant guard in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Giddey is better suited to run an offense with shooters spread around and a lob threat in the middle.

Trading for Giddey and drafting at No. 2 overall would be a nice jumpstart to Washington’s rebuild. The former No. 6 overall pick is still incredibly young to have three years of playing experience underneath him and could take on a leadership role with the Wizards immediately.

Getting a potential franchise point guard while his value has dipped a bit would be a huge win for the Wizards’ offseason.