Yahoo Sports Trade rumors rankings: LeBron James, Dejounte Murray and more
With the trade deadline now less than a week away, rumors in the NBA world are heating up more and more. Most recently, we saw the Memphis Grizzlies and Houston Rockets agree to a swap of injured players, Victor Oladipo and Steven Adams, a trade that has the future in mind for both clubs.
Today, instead of our usual ranking of five or 10 players, we’re going to rank the 16 players who have appeared most often in trade rumors over the previous week as judged by appearances on our Trade Rumors page.
With so many names and so much scuttle to get through, let’s get right into the action.
Spencer Dinwiddie (Brooklyn)
2023-24 has been a disappointing season for Brooklyn Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie, who’s averaging 13.0 points and 6.0 assists while shooting under 40 percent from the floor.
Our own Michael Scotto reported this week that Dinwiddie is no longer part of the Nets’ future plans while Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that the Los Angeles Lakers might have an interest in the former Colorado standout and two other of his Nets teammates.
Dinwiddie is on an expiring contract so the Nets probably don’t feel an urgency to trade him this week unless it’s on their terms but even so, this is still a situation to monitor.
For the latest Spencer Dinwiddie trade rumors and salary info, click here.
Royce O'Neale (Brooklyn)
A Nets role player who should be more popular with rival teams this trade deadline is two-way swingman Royce O’Neale, who has already been linked to the Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns and Kings, per the New York Post.
As mentioned in the Dinwiddie slide, the Lakers are also interested in O’Neale, who would be a great fit on such a star-laden team as Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Scotto reported that rival teams believe the Nets could get multiple second-round picks in exchange for O’Neale, who’s on an expiring and cheap contract, making him all the more appealing.
For the latest Royce O’Neale trade rumors and salary info, click here.
Mikal Bridges (Brooklyn)
This week, our own Scotto reported that Nets star Mikal Bridges has a very interested suitor in the Houston Rockets:
Despite Brooklyn’s recent slide, which has put the Nets on the bubble of the final Play-In Tournament spot with the Hawks, the Nets have continued to tell teams Mikal Bridges is not available, league sources told HoopsHype. Recently, the Houston Rockets were among the teams to register trade interest in Bridges, league sources told HoopsHype. Houston was prepared to send back several of Brooklyn’s unused remaining draft picks from the James Harden trade, but talks never got to that stage because the Nets declined to entertain anything for Bridges when Houston inquired.
The Athletic reported similarly later while Bridges himself weighed in on Brooklyn ahead of the trade deadline:
“I just try to control what I can control,” Mikal Bridges said when asked if he envisions what the team will look like after the deadline, “and try to win as many games and play hard.
Bridges is averaging nearly 22 points per game to go with five rebounds and four assists while shooting 36.9 percent from three. Meanwhile, has two seasons left on his deal after this one that will pay him a total of $47.3 million, making him a very valuable asset for Brooklyn.
We’ll find out just how untouchable he is.
For the latest Mikal Bridges trade rumors and salary info, click here.
Kyle Kuzma (Washington)
The Mavericks continue to be mentioned as having an interest in Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma, as most recently reported by Marc Stein:
Sources say Dallas has indeed registered consistent trade interest in Kyle Kuzma in addition to past trade runs at Wizards center Daniel Gafford and versatile forward Deni Avdija, who, like Green, signed a rookie-scale contract extension ($55 million over four years) in October.
The Athletic, meanwhile, reported that Washington’s asking price for Kuzma might not be as expensive as the two first-round picks as previously reported, insinuating he might be able to be had for one first-rounder.
The Sacramento Kings are another team reported as being interested in Kuzma, though it’s unclear how he would help the team’s mediocre defending:
League sources maintain Washington has been holding out for two first-round picks for Kyle Kuzma, though team sources indicate that is somewhat overblown. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle. The Sacramento Kings have coveted Kuzma for some time. The Sacramento Kings have coveted Kuzma for some time. They had a deal done for him in 2021 for Hield while he was with the Lakers only to see L.A. pivot and then deal Kuzma to Washington in the multi-team trade that sent Westbrook to the Lakers. Sacramento had interest in signing Kuzma this summer as an unrestricted free agent before he re-signed in D.C. And the Kings have been a bit off-kilter for large parts of this season.
Finally, Scotto reported that Kuzma is just one of the Wizards players who has drawn trade interest this week.
Kuzma is signed through 2026-27 but on a decreasing salary annually, making him a solid trade asset for Washington as he averages 22 points and over six rebounds nightly.
For the latest Kyle Kuzma trade rumors and salary info, click here.
Kelly Olynyk (Utah)
The big man-needy Houston Rockets were reported this week to be keeping tags on versatile Utah Jazz center Kelly Olynyk, along with a bevy of other big men.
Scotto, meanwhile, reported that the New York Knicks registered a trade interest in Olynyk, who’s averaging over eight points and four rebounds but shooting nearly 43 percent from three, a valuable trait for a big man in the modern NBA. Scotto would go on to write that Olynyk is Utah’s likeliest trade candidate in part due to his status as an impending unrestricted free agent.
The Athletic also reported this week that Olynyk and the player coming up next on this ranking are the ones garnering the most trade calls on Utah’s roster ahead of the deadline.
For the latest Kelly Olynyk trade rumors and salary info, click here.
Jordan Clarkson (Utah)
Another likely Jazz trade candidate is former Sixth Man of the Year Jordan Clarkson, who’s averaging over 17 points and nearly six assists nightly but shooting just 29.6 percent from three.
Scotto reported the following on Clarkson’s trade prospects this week:
The Knicks also registered trade interest in Utah’s Jordan Clarkson and Kelly Olynyk earlier in January, league sources told HoopsHype. “Whatever team can get Clarkson will be a game changer,” an NBA scout told HoopsHype. “I think he’s the best of the volume scorers available on the trade market.”
Scotto mentioned young Knicks guard Quentin Grimes as a name that came up in trade talks regarding Olynyk and Clarkson, who might fit Utah’s timeline better than the two veterans.
Clarkson is signed through 2025-26 when he’ll earn just $14.3 million, which sounds promising but he will be in his age-33 campaign then, raising questions about just how valuable that contract will be by then. Regardless, Clarkson is still putting up solid numbers – albeit inefficiently – so his game might age fairly well over the coming seasons.
For the latest Jordan Clarkson trade rumors and salary info, click here.
LeBron James (LA Lakers)
GOAT candidate LeBron James surprisingly came up on the topic of trade rumors this week, which was really out of left field but loud enough that his agent and friend, Rich Paul, directly told ESPN that James has not asked for a trade out of Los Angeles and will not be doing anything to that effect:
LeBron James will remain with the Los Angeles Lakers, agent Rich Paul made clear to ESPN on Friday. “LeBron won’t be traded, and we aren’t asking to be,” Paul said in reaction to some growing speculation about James’ future ahead of next week’s trade deadline. James may have contributed to the swirl by putting an hourglass emoji on his X account this week after a loss in Atlanta. He hasn’t spoken to reporters since to clarify the message, missing the Lakers’ victory Thursday in Boston with an ankle injury.
The Athletic’s Sam Amick further discussed the matter on a podcast today, saying that he doesn’t see James getting traded.
Sam Amick on chances LeBron James could be traded: ‘I would be shocked… I don’t see it happening. But we don’t have to predict what’s going to happen, we can unpack the context. LeBron has a player option for next season that looms large because yes, he loves living in LA… Internally, they’re well aware that that comes with a certain amount of leverage. It’s not zero percent, so if there’s a 5 percent, 10 percent chance that he might opt out and do something crazy, like we’ve seen them do before, from Cleveland to Miami to Lakers, Cleveland again in between, then who knows?’
Simply put: A LeBron trade would be a complete and total shocker but crazier things have happened in the NBA. Never say never. But Rich Paul did sound pretty adamant in shutting it down, so don’t expect James to get traded.
At least not this week.
For the latest LeBron James trade rumors and salary info, click here.
Chris Paul (Golden State)
The currently injured Chris Paul is still coming up in trade scuttle this week, which makes sense considering how poorly the 20-24 Golden State Warriors’ season is going.
ESPN reported recently that the Warriors could look into trading Paul:
Speaking on “SportsCenter,” Windhorst added the Warriors could look into trading Chris Paul, who is on an expiring contract, or Andrew Wiggins, who has had a difficult season with the team.
However, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said this week that Golden State is not going to find better players than Paul or Gary Payton II in a trade, making it sound like the coach would rather the team keep its future Hall-of-Fame point guard or is trying to stymie the buzz ahead of the deadline.
"We're not going to find better players than [Chris Paul & Gary Payton II] in a trade. It's exceedingly rare to make a deal where you can upgrade your talent to that level."
– Steve Kerr discussing the return of CP3 & GP2 around the trade deadline (via @WillardAndDibs).
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) February 1, 2024
Still, Charania reported that Golden State will test the waters on a potential Paul trade:
Warriors reportedly will test trade market for Chris Paul, Andrew Wiggins. This is not surprising news, but with the Warriors struggling and more than one trade away from contending, questions about their next move have been raised. The Warriors will test the trade market for Chris Paul and Andrew Wiggins — and even Klay Thompson is not off the table, The Athletic’s Shams Charania said on FanDuel’s Run It Back. “They’re gonna take calls on Andrew Wiggins, Chris Paul. Could they get interest even on a guy like Klay Thompson? I think those are very much open conversations for the Warriors. They have to be open-minded.”
Finally, our own Scotto reported that the Warriors view Paul as more than just an expiring contract and like what he brings to the table when healthy.
For the latest Chris Paul trade rumors and salary info, click here.
Malcolm Brogdon (Portland)
Veteran point guard Malcolm Brogdon is one of the most interesting names on the trade market, as he’s 31 but on a Portland Trail Blazers team very early on in a rebuild. As such, he’s viewed as a likely trade candidate this week.
Brogdon is helping his case to be traded with his play, averaging nearly 16 points and over five assists per contest while shooting 41-plus percent from three. He’s doing that while heading into the final year of his contract next season when he’ll earn $22.5 million.
The Athletic mentioned the Rockets as an interested team for Brogdon this week:
Elsewhere, the Rockets would like to add another two-way ballhandler, league sources said, one that can play both on and off the ball. Malcolm Brogdon, currently playing in Portland averaging 15.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game and shooting 41 percent from 3 is a name of interest, league sources said.
Brogdon, though, said this week that he’s happy to stay in Portland and doesn’t seem to be stirring a fuss to end up on a contender this week:
Trail Blazers point guard Malcolm Brodgon figures to be one of the hottest names on the NBA trade market. But the 31-year old veteran says he is not pushing to leave Portland. “I’m happy here. I’m valued here. Valued in this leadership/lead-guard role,’’ Brogdon told The Athletic. “And I can’t complain with that. I’m happy in Portland.’
The Lakers, meanwhile, reportedly view Brogdon as similarly talented to their own enigmatic point guard, so they aren’t being seen as a potential suitor for the former Virginia standout:
The Lakers view trades in which they move Russell for players like Portland’s Malcolm Brogdon, Washington’s Tyus Jones or Brooklyn’s Spencer Dinwiddie as lateral moves at best, and most likely downgrades, according to team sources. Murray is an exception, as previously stated.
Brogdon would be a good pickup for any contender in need of point guard help. We’ll see if he gets moved this week.
For the latest Malcolm Brogdon trade rumors and salary info, click here.
Bruce Brown (Toronto)
The Toronto Raptors continue to seek a first-round pick for recently acquired swingman Bruce Brown, per Stein:
Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri continues to search for a first-round pick as the centerpiece of any Bruce Brown trade, league sources say. The Lakers and Knicks continue to be mentioned as interested suitors.
What’s more, according to The Athletic, Brown is one of the Lakers’ top trade targets, which makes sense considering how effective and versatile of a role player he has developed into.
Brown also has a valuable team option on his deal for next year, making him even more of an enticing asset on the trade market.
For the latest Bruce Brown trade rumors and salary info, click here.
Jonathan Kuminga (Golden State)
Young Warriors swingman Jonathan Kuminga has been on a tear of late, averaging 25.1 points and 6.7 rebounds on 61.9 percent shooting (54.5 percent from three) over his last seven games, only two of which have been starts.
Obviously, Kuminga is looking like a long-term piece for Golden State, which Charania reported this week:
Sitting 12th in the Western Conference and with a 19-24 record, things are starting to get desperate for the Golden State Warriors — and it could even spell the end of the team’s ‘Big Three’. That is according to The Athletic’s NBA insider Shams Charania, who again on Tuesday reiterated that “everyone is on the table” ahead of the trade deadline outside of Steph Curry. While that may be the case, Charania did single out Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Poziemski as two young pieces the Warriors are “high on” and “want to keep long term”. “They view [them] as part of their core moving forward,” he said on FanDuel’s ‘Run It Back’.
The Athletic’s Marcus Thompson reported similarly this week, too:
This is why the Warriors can’t trade him. Multiple team sources said the Warriors have no plans to do so and never did. Assuredly, his stock is rising with the NBA trade deadline two weeks away. But Kuminga can’t be considered a sweetener. He’s not some add-on. He is a foundational piece. Nothing in this trade market suggests a worthy return is out there. If Kuminga is included in a deal, it had better be for a no-brainer, vault-the-Warriors-to-the-top deal.
Even with Golden State’s struggles this season, the Warriors would have to be landing a superstar to trade Kuminga right now with his value – and upside – as high as it is.
For the latest Jonathan Kuminga trade rumors and salary info, click here.
Andrew Wiggins (Golden State)
On the other hand, the expensive and struggling Andrew Wiggins is someone whom Golden State would probably like to move if it were able to do so without attaching sweetener to the deal.
Maybe not, though, as this week, head coach Steve Kerr said that he both hopes and expects Wiggins to remain in Golden State past this week’s trade deadline:
Warriors coach Steve Kerr is aware that Andrew Wiggins’ name has been mentioned in trade chatter but says he ‘expects’ Wiggs to with the team after the Feb 8 deadline
— Monte Poole (@MontePooleNBCS) February 1, 2024
As was mentioned in the Paul slide, Windhorst did say the Warriors could look to trade Wiggins this week while The Athletic reported that Golden State has gotten player-for-player-swap offers for the former No. 1 overall pick:
Andrew Wiggins profiles as the most likely Warrior to be dealt. He’s on the first season of a four-year, $109 million extension. The Warriors have fielded player-for-player offers for Wiggins, according to team and league sources. They wouldn’t have to attach a draft pick to get off his deal. But nothing has made them jump
Charania also mentioned that the Warriors could look at the trade market for Wiggins.
On the first year of a four-year contract that will peak at $30.2 million in 2026-27 with a player option, we’ll see what happens with Wiggins this week. But he has improved his play of late so maybe the Warriors really won’t be desperate to offload him.
For the latest Andrew Wiggins trade rumors and salary info, click here.
Miles Bridges (Charlotte)
The Suns were tied to Charlotte Hornets swingman Miles Bridges by multiple reporters this week, first by Stein and then by Yahoo! Sports’ Jake Fischer, who wrote:
As for Charlotte wing Miles Bridges, the Phoenix Suns continue to be described by league personnel as the team most motivated to land the Michigan State product. And it should be noted that Bridges hails from the same Spartans program that Phoenix owner Mat Ishbia was a part of under legendary head coach Tom Izzo. Bridges would add a sturdy forward that Phoenix’s roster currently lacks and could allow the Suns to deploy more effective small-ball lineups with Kevin Durant at the five.
Phoenix is reportedly confident in its ability to land Bridges, according to gophnx.com:
A source close to the situation described the Suns as feeling very confident they’d be able to get a deal for Miles Bridges across the finish line. Financially speaking, Bridges’ $7.9 million contract would be easy to match by sending Charlotte a combination of Nassir Little’s $6.3 million salary and a veteran minimum player like Chimezie Metu ($2.3 million), Yuta Watanabe ($2.3 million) or Bol Bol ($2.2 million).
Bridges is averaging 21 points, seven rebounds and three assists this season on 35.9 percent shooting from three.
For the latest Miles Bridges trade rumors and salary info, click here.
D'Angelo Russell (LA Lakers)
Despite his much-improved play recently, teams still don’t seem to be lining up to acquire Lakers point guard D’Angelo Russell. In particular, the Hawks, who have been rumored to be in trade discussions with Los Angeles over their own star guard for some time, don’t appear to be interested in Russell, according to The Athletic.
Our own Scotto had the following to say on the Russell trade front:
After boisterous rumblings around the league surrounding Dejounte Murray trade talks with the Los Angeles Lakers over the past few weeks, the noise has lessened. Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell, the centerpiece of any potential Murray acquisition contingent on him being flipped to a third team, has been on a tear during a 10-game stretch from Jan. 13-30 averaging 25.2 points and 6.1 assists. That third team has yet to materialize, while there’s also a hesitancy from Los Angeles to add another asset to incentivize a third team to take on Russell in addition to the Lakers’ 2029 first-round pick and former first-round pick Jalen Hood-Schifino who’ve already been discussed with Atlanta.
He does have at least one potentially interested suitor, according to ESPN, and that’s his old team, the Nets:
If they do make a deal, it would likely be for a guard — former Nets All-Star D’Angelo Russell has been among those names floated. With an expiring $20.3 million deal, Dinwiddie is the likely fulcrum in any big move before the deadline.
Over his last 11 games, Russell is averaging 24.4 points and 6.8 assists while shooting 48.5 percent from three. What’s more, Russell is only signed for one more year and that year has a player option on it, so a team acquiring him won’t be adding a bad contract to its books.
For the latest D’Angelo Russell trade rumors and salary info, click here.
Zach LaVine (Chicago)
Even though he’s injured and on a pretty brutal contract, the Detroit Pistons reportedly have interest in Chicago Bulls 2-guard Zach LaVine anyway, according to Stein:
With less than two weeks to go until the NBA trade deadline, this much can finally be said about Chicago’s Zach LaVine: A trade market, narrow but tangible, has finally emerged for the Bulls’ former All-Star. League sources tell The Stein Line that, while no trade is certain to be consummated, Detroit continues to maintain interest in LaVine. And talk between the sides, sources say, have by no means gone dormant. That, at the very least, keeps alive the possibility that the teams can find common ground on a deal between now and the league’s annual in-season trade buzzer at 3 PM ET on Feb. 8.
Stein would further share that he was told to ‘stay tuned’ to the LaVine trade front with regard to the Pistons.
NBC Sports Chicago reported afterward that Detroit, if it does try to trade for LaVine, won’t be offering up any of its prized young pieces:
What might a LaVine-to-the-Pistons trade look like? The Bulls, sources said, already have been told what The Athletic’s James Edwards III initially reported—that the Pistons have no desire to trade any of their young building blocks in Cade Cunningham, Ausar Thompson, Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren.
It came out today that LaVine is set to miss at least another week with his foot injury, so the probability he gets traded looks to be dwindling.
For the latest Zach LaVine trade rumors and salary info, click here.
Dejounte Murray (Atlanta)
At the top of our trade rumor rankings once again, Hawks guard Dejounte Murray continues to be mentioned in trade scuttle, although it does appear to be slowing down a bit, as mentioned by our own Scotto in the Russell slide.
Knicks guard Quentin Grimes was mentioned as part of Murray trade convos, according to Scotto…
Grimes has also come up in multiple trade discussions with the Atlanta Hawks for guard Dejounte Murray and a separate smaller discussion involving AJ Griffin, league sources told HoopsHype. The Hawks are intrigued by Grimes as a potential 3-and-D fit next to Trae Young, sources said.
…while the Warriors reportedly aren’t that interested in the talented ball-handler:
Mike Dunleavy Jr. spent a chunk of time chatting with Atlanta general manager Landry Fields before a recent Hawks game. But any interest in Dejounte Murray, the No. 1 player on The Athletic’s trade deadline big board, is tepid at best, which won’t lead to movement. He’s another guard about to step into a four-year, $114 million deal. It’s a similar story with Chicago’s Zach LaVine.
Perhaps the Murray trade rumors have slowed down because of Hawks head coach Quin Snyder‘s reported lobbying for Atlanta to keep the former Washington Husky, as reported by Stein:
Another interesting wrinkle to emerge on the Dejounte Murray front: League sources say Coach Quin Snyder has lobbied the Hawks to keep him. Murray has not only played well amid considerable trade noise — he recently drained game-winners in back-to-back games against Charlotte and Miami as captured in the video below — but also possesses a pretty manageable contract based on today’s standards.
Meanwhile, The Athletic reiterated that the Hawks and Lakers were ‘close’ on a Murray-to-Los-Angeles trade:
The Lakers have already tried to trade Russell for Murray. The two sides were close on a potential deal about two weeks ago, as I reported last week. Talks stalled, but are expected to resume ahead of the deadline. Murray remains the Lakers’ top priority on the trade market, according to multiple team and league sources not authorized to speak publicly.
For the latest Dejounte Murray trade rumors and salary info, click here.
