NBA trade candidates: 70 players, broken into 11 tiers, who could be moved by Feb. 6 deadline

The theme of the 2025 NBA trade deadline (set for Feb. 6) is going to be the same as the theme of the 2024 offseason: money. The 2023 CBA enacted a variety of new rules restricting player movement and spending, and now that those rules are all in effect, it is harder than ever for teams to make the moves that it tends to take to build a champion.

In the coming weeks, you will hear plenty about teams that want to improve, but are struggling to do so because of the aprons. You will hear about teams that would love to send their expensive veterans to new homes, but can’t because nobody can afford them. But standard, “bad team sends affordable role player to good team” deadline trades? Those are going to be rarer than usual this February. There just aren’t that many genuinely useful and affordable players available this year. Almost everybody comes with a catch.

So the name of the game this year is going to be creativity. Who can use the contracts and picks at their disposal to skirt these new rules and improve without busting their budgets. Below is a list of the 70 most notable potential trade candidates this season. Many of these players are going to be much harder to move than usual. But these are, in many cases, desirable talents, and when teams want a player badly enough, they’ll figure out some way to make it happen. So here are the top 70 trade candidates of the 2025 deadline. A few of them will be heavily pursued by several contenders. But many, many more are here solely for financial purposes.

Tier 1: The stars

• Jimmy Butler, Heat: You were expecting someone else to headline this list? The Butler saga has been the defining story of this trade season, and it’s already taken plenty of twists and turns. The Heat said they wouldn’t trade Butler. Now they’re taking offers. Butler was reportedly willing to go anywhere. Now he’s telling teams not to trade for him. It seems as though Butler has a preferred destination in mind (likely Phoenix), but given how complicated a trade of that magnitude is, he might have to accept a suboptimal deal just to get out of Miami.
• De’Aaron Fox, Kings: The Fox talks have slowed down since Sacramento’s hot 5-1 start under new coach Doug Christie, but they’re bound to pick up again at some point. Fox harbors championship ambitions that this Sacramento roster is not equipped to help him achieve, and if the Kings slip in the next month, the rumors will surely start up again. No agent has a better track record of getting his clients to preferred destinations than Rich Paul. If the Kings can’t sell Fox on a future in Sacramento quickly, you can bet Paul will be maneuvering to get him wherever he wants to go.
• Zion Williamson, Pelicans: Everything is on the table for the 7-30 Pelicans. Williamson returned to the lineup on Tuesday and played well, but his contract is non-guaranteed at this point because of all of the injuries he has sustained. New Orleans is likelier to explore other avenues, but Williamson has been the subject of rumors a few times in recent years (most notably at the 2023 NBA Draft). If someone made the right offer that could kickstart a Pelicans rebuild, odds are they’d consider it.
• Brandon Ingram, Pelicans: Here’s the Pelican that’s far more likely to move. Ingram is an upcoming unrestricted free agent, and no reporting has suggested that he and the Pelicans have even come close on an extension. New Orleans couldn’t find a trade over the summer due in large part to fear over Ingram’s contract demands. Might a new suitor have emerged over the past few months? Or could Ingram have lowered his expectations on a new deal enough for other teams to find re-signing him palatable? If the Pelicans make a big move in the coming weeks, Ingram is the likeliest player to go by far.
• Zach LaVine, Bulls: LaVine’s contract was more or less impossible for Chicago to trade over the summer. Now he’s making a case to make the All-Star Team again. His injury history is still terrifying, but there just aren’t that many scorers quite like LaVine in the entire league, much less ones that are available in February. Need a primary option? LaVine can do that. He gets to the rim and can create shots anywhere on the floor. Need more of a supplementary scorer? No problem. LaVine is an elite shooter who can scale up or down depending on circumstance. Any team with enough defense and risk-tolerance to take on a small guard with elite offensive numbers but less than reliable knees should look into LaVine.
• Bradley Beal, Suns: Truthfully, this placement is out of respect for Beal’s past achievements. He’s not a star anymore, or at least he hasn’t been in Phoenix. He’s matching salary at this stage, which is complicated because of his no-trade clause. The Suns would love to trade him, especially for Butler, but that means finding a destination that is not only willing to take on two more years of supermax Beal money, but one that Beal is willing to accept as well. How many such teams even exist?

Tier 2: ‘We’re open for business’ — centers

These are your typical trade deadline veterans. They generally come from bad teams. They’re older. Their teams are open-minded about moving them if they get the right package back.

• Deandre Ayton, Trail Blazers: Donovan Clingan is Portland’s long-term center, and that makes Ayton very available. The trouble will be ginning up interest. Who wants to pay another year of max money to a center averaging 14 points who no longer plays elite defense? The Blazers are probably stuck with him, but hey, maybe someone talks themselves into his talent.
• Nic Claxton, Nets: Every Net is available, or at least should be. No, really. We’re going to cover every notable Net in this space. Any team looking for a long-term center that can defend both the rim and perimeter should be interested in Claxton even on a four-year, $97 million contract. His salary descends every year, so any team with upcoming expenditures that needs a big should be trying to pry him away from the Nets right now.
• Nikola Vucevic, Bulls: Good news for the Bulls: Vucevic found his shot this year. After making a shade above 29% of his 3s last season, he’s above 42% this year. He’s still a defensive liability in the playoffs, but a big man who can shoot and create his own shot inside of the arc has quite a bit of offensive value, and his $20 million cap figure isn’t overwhelming. At his age, the extra year on his contract might not be ideal, but Vucevic at least has a defined role he can fit into.
• Robert Williams III, Trail Blazers: Williams is the much more affordable Portland center, but there’s a reason for that. He’s played just 17 games for Portland, and his injury issues were a constant problem in Boston. If you want a shot-blocker who covers ground and dunks, this is your guy. If you’re lucky, you’re getting the Defensive Player of the Year candidate the Celtics got in 2022. You just have to pray his body holds up through a long playoff run.
• Jonas Valanciunas, Wizards: Frankly, it’s a tad surprising that Valanciunas isn’t already a Laker. What are the Wizards doing with a solid, backup center in the middle of this aggressive tank? Someone is going to be able to swipe a solid 15- or 20-minute-per-game offensive big man before the deadline arrives. At this point we all know who Valanciunas is and isn’t. He won’t defend in space, but he’s big, strong and has craft near the basket.
• Nick Richards, Hornets: The Hornets have been using Richards less this season with Mark Williams back and healthy and Moussa Diabate now in the mix at center. If Charlotte doesn’t want a three-center rotation, Richards is a solid backup center with the athletic tools to grow into something more in the right situation.

Tier 3: ‘We’re open for business’ — forwards

• Cam Johnson:, Nets Here’s the belle of the ball in Brooklyn. Everyone who wants to upgrade at this deadline should want Johnson. He’s an elite shooter that has grown significantly as a creator. You’re not running offense through him, but he’s finding points in the flow of your offense thanks to that shooting, his basketball IQ and his strength. He’s no elite defender, but he has good size and instincts. He’ll hold up in most schemes, at least. His contract is entirely manageable and descends next season. Playoff teams tend to look for versatile and flexible pieces. That’s Johnson to a tee.
• Jerami Grant, Trail Blazers: There are going to be teams that miss out on Johnson and want to find forward help elsewhere. It would behoove Portland to deal Grant now, before the league catches on to just how onerous his contract is becoming. He has three more years of big money coming, he’s now in his 30s, and he’s shooting a ghastly 38.3% on 2s this season. The right team will talk itself into that being a momentary blip. Maybe it is. But there’s no reason the Blazers should risk getting stuck with that deal. It’s time to move Grant now.
• Kyle Kuzma, Wizards: Kuzma turned down a possible trade to Dallas last deadline. He’s averaging almost seven fewer points per game this season, and he’s making less than 27% of his 3s. Like Grant, there’s an argument in favor of moving him now, before fear that this is permanent sets in. Kuzma’s played for a champion before, and he does the subtle things that numbers don’t catch when he’s playing in a winning situation. Ultimately, though, his value will come down to how much an acquiring team trusts his shot, because his reputation has outpaced his percentages for years now.
• Kelly Olynyk, Raptors: There was plenty of deadline interest in Olynyk a year ago. He hasn’t played much this year, and it’s been a struggle when he has been available, but shooting big men with playoff experience have a place on the right rosters. Expect teams to look at Olynyk as a low-cost option.
• Torrey Craig, Bulls: Can I interest you in the quintessential journeyman forward? Craig has barely played this year, but he’s been on plenty of winning teams and can make a roughly league-average percentage of his 3s on low volume. That’s not going to net much in a trade, but burly two-way forwards are quite valuable in the playoffs even if they’re only 10-minute players.

Tier 4: ‘We’re open for business’ — guards

• Jordan Poole, Wizards: Look who’s rediscovering some of his old form! Poole still turns the ball over entirely too often, but his 3-point percentage is back up and just as importantly, he’s keeping viral lowlights to a minimum this season. He’s probably a bit too well-paid to be someone’s sixth man, but if the right team could match money, that’s what he’s best-equipped to do. 
• Malcolm Brogdon, Wizards: There’s something to be said for a veteran point guard who just knows what to do. Brogdon isn’t a starter on a good team anymore, and his 3s aren’t falling this season, but if you’re looking for a stabilizing force for your bench units, Brogdon is your man.
• D’Angelo Russell, Nets: The Lakers spent a year trying to trade Russell before moving him to Brooklyn last month. He’s just not consistent enough to be a starting point guard on a winner. He is, however, an incredible regular-season innings eater and could be a useful reserve on a team that can protect him defensively. It’s unlikely anyone wants to pay $19 million for that, but never say never. 
• Jordan Clarkson, Jazz: Clarkson’s 3s are starting to go back in, but the playmaking boost that made him so appealing last season sadly seems to have been a mirage. Clarkson falls in the Poole-Russell bucket of all-offense reserves that need to land on the right roster, but he makes less than either of them and he’s played in the NBA Finals. 
• Bruce Brown, Raptors: It’s hard to imagine anyone being willing to pay Brown $23 million when he’s played four games and fallen off of a cliff without Nikola Jokic, but remember, the entire league was chasing him in 2023 free agency. High-end defensive guards who can run some offense, screen well and hit corner 3s are very desirable role players. It’s just been a bit too long since Brown has been that player for anyone to justify this salary.
• Jevon Carter, Bulls: Meet the guard equivalent to Craig, conveniently coming from the same team. Shaky shooter, tough-as-nails defender, likely a low-minutes player on a good team (or any team at this point), but useful to have on the bench just in case.

Tier 5: ‘This just isn’t working’

This is a slightly more nebulous group. While there aren’t immediate rumors surrounding them, there is some circumstantial factor regarding their fit with their current team that makes a trade plausible, and to the team in question, perhaps preferable.

• Julius Randle, Timberwolves: The numbers here are misleading. Though not up to his All-Star level in New York, you could look at nearly 20 points, seven rebounds and five assists as a relatively productive player. He just doesn’t fit in Minnesota. Anthony Edwards has had to become a 3-point shooter because of the space lost in the Karl-Anthony Towns-to-Randle transition. The Timberwolves have no flow or identity on offense anymore, it’s just a handful of players taking turns trying to create something themselves. Randle has to go long-term. The trouble is… who wants an expensive power forward that doesn’t really defend and makes 3s inconsistently anymore?
• Jusuf Nurkic, Suns: Lost in the shuffle of Beal’s benching was the fact that Nurkic also lost his starting job in Phoenix’s recent lineup change. The Suns can’t go into the playoffs without upgrading at center. They have no rim-protection as currently constructed. Nurkic has the biggest salary of any of Phoenix’s current big men, and is therefore the chip that can help them absorb the most in return. His offense just isn’t necessary for the Suns, and any ball-handler Phoenix encounters in the postseason would torture him in pick-and-roll.
• C.J. McCollum, Pelicans: McCollum is older than Ingram or Williamson. He’s the only one with guaranteed salary for next season, and his role as a scoring guard has largely been replaced by Dejounte Murray. McCollum’s offensive numbers are still more or less in line with where they’ve usually been, but he’s 33 and owed a fair bit of money next season. If New Orleans can get off of him and retool, it probably should, and unlike many of the guards we’ve already covered, McCollum is certainly still a starting-caliber playoff player.
• Marcus Smart, Grizzlies: Smart just hasn’t been able to stay healthy in Memphis. He was acquired with the hope that he could be both a Dillon Brooks replacement as a wing stopper and a Tyus Jones replacement as a backup point guard. Well, Scotty Pippen Jr. is the backup point guard now, and Smart has fallen off meaningfully on defense. The Grizzlies clearly need another wing. That’s why they pursued Dorian Finney-Smith. Smart is just their biggest contract available in pursuit of such a player, and if he can’t stay healthy, not much would be lost by dealing him.
• Dennis Schroder, Warriors: The Warriors landed Schroder hoping he could be their secondary scorer. Instead he’s shooting 31.3% from the floor and Golden State is just 4-7 since acquiring him. Don’t be surprised if the Warriors try to flip Schroder elsewhere for a better-fitting role player, or aggregate his salary with a few other players to get a big name.
• Josh Giddey, Bulls: The Bulls got Giddey expecting him to be their primary ball-handler. He’s playing more minutes than he did in Oklahoma City last season, but still scoring fewer points. That just about sizes up this experiment for the Bulls. LaVine and Coby White are the engines here, and even if LaVine goes, there doesn’t seem to be an obvious place here for Giddey long-term. If someone else wants to take a swing on his draft pedigree, the Bulls would likely consider letting them.

Tier 6: Rumor mill staples

It’s unlikely that these players get moved. However, for one reason or another, they’ve found themselves in the rumor mill frequently over the last few transaction cycles, so we’ll cover them here.

• Walker Kessler, Jazz: This is probably just fanfiction from Lakers Twitter at this point. Why would the Jazz give up an elite rim-protector on a rookie deal? Well, Danny Ainge will give up just about anything… for the right price. If someone wants to pay a king’s ransom for Kessler, he won’t stop them. But the rumors of Kessler’s availability have seemed overstated for quite some time. Utah has no real reason to give him up.
• Isaiah Stewart, Pistons: Stewart rumors made sense when the Pistons were losing and had a front-court glut. Now they’re winning, and even if he’s moved to a permanent bench role, he’s largely playing well within it. His 3s aren’t going in, but he’s still defending and rebounding. Maybe someone overpays, but in all likelihood, Stewart is staying put.
• Anfernee Simons, Trail Blazers: Come on Orlando, you know you want to throw a bunch of picks at Portland for Simons. It’s one of the most obvious fake trades on the board. The Blazers are tanking and have two other young guards in place in Shaedon Sharpe and Scoot Henderson. The Magic have everything they need to contend except for a guard-sized shot-creator. Sadly, Sharpe and Henderson aren’t progressing as hoped, so the need to move Simons for their sake is minimal.
• Collin Sexton, Jazz: Sexton falls somewhere between Kessler and Clarkson on the Jazz trade scale. He’s better than Clarkson and a viable longer-term piece. But he’s making market-rate, and he doesn’t have an elite skill like Kessler’s rim-protection. His defense isn’t where it needs to be and, like Clarkson, he’s not making plays at quite the same rate he did last season, but he’s better than most of the guards on this market.
• Cam Thomas, Nets: What is a guard worth if he scores at a high level and does very little else? I don’t know. The Nets don’t seem to either, as they didn’t extend him over the summer when they had a chance. He popped up in Bucks rumors earlier this season, and as long as the Nets are in seller mode, a deal is on the table. It’s just hard to imagine Brooklyn getting fair value when it’s not clear what exactly fair value even is here.
• Jakob Poeltl, Raptors: Poeltl does a bit of everything. He’s a solid defender and rebounder having maybe his best offensive season. The question here is whether or not Toronto would consider a trade. The Raptors are well out of the playoff race, but Poeltl is only 29 and Toronto gave up a No. 8 overall pick to get him. Don’t count on a trade, but teams are going to try.
• Moses Moody, Warriors: The recent reporting has suggested that Golden State doesn’t plan to trade its youngsters. Moody is just the lowest priority among them. He’s been a part of every Golden State rumor cycle since he was drafted, and a modest rookie extension isn’t going to change that.

Tier 7: Potential casualties of front office’s ambitions

These players are valued by their teams, but those teams are short on assets and have disappointed thus far this season. If they are going to make a major move ahead of the deadline, these players almost have to be involved.

• Jonathan Kuminga, Warriors: Yes, the reporting has hinted that the Warriors want to hold onto Kuminga for now. Frankly, I’ll believe it when I see it. Stephen Curry is still playing like Stephen Curry. He just happens to be leading a roster unworthy of his talents. An organization as aggressive as the Warriors isn’t going to pretend otherwise forever, and Kuminga’s impending restricted free agency puts the onus on them to find a long-term solution. They may not ultimately trade him, but if they want to give Curry the sendoff he deserves, they almost have to.
• Ryan Dunn, Suns: Sure, some teams will want Phoenix’s unprotected 2031 first-round pick, but how many general managers have the job security to wait more than six years to get it? Getting off of either Beal’s deal or Nurkic’s won’t be cheap. The reality for the Suns is that Dunn is probably the only thing they have that most other teams want. If they’re going to make any big trade this season, he basically has to be in it. What else do they have to give up?

Tier 8: Matching salary — starters on fair contracts

OK folks, take a deep breath. We have a lot of players who are part of trade rumors only because of the cap figures attached to them. We’re therefore going to break up the “matching salary” squad into groups based on player and contract quality.

• Andrew Wiggins, Warriors: Wiggins is one of the few Golden State role players actually playing well right now, but if the Warriors are getting a star, either Wiggins or Draymond Green basically has to be in the deal for financial reasons. Green’s seniority likely takes him off of the table.
• Brook Lopez, Bucks: The Bucks sniffed around Lopez trades over the summer. They still need defensive help on the wing, and Giannis Antetokounmpo can play center if need be. At this stage, anything but Antetokounmpo or Damian Lillard is likely on the table for the Bucks.
• Mitchell Robinson, Knicks: If the Knicks could trust Robinson to stay healthy, he’d be a great curveball for their rotation as an elite backup center and occasional front-court partner to Towns in the right matchups. The stakes are just too high to hope he can remain on the court this season. This is New York’s best title shot in 30 years. If Robinson isn’t healthy, the Knicks have to move him for someone that is. 
• Kelly Oubre Jr., 76ers: Philadelphia has been suspiciously quiet this trade season. Don’t expect that to last. Daryl Morey is always looking for upgrades, and even though Oubre is on a pretty reasonable deal considering his production, anyone but the stars is in play here.
• Aaron Wiggins, Thunder: The next two players on this list are both reserves, but they’d be starting on normal teams. The Thunder are just so good that they can afford to bring Wiggins off the bench. They’re not looking to trade Wiggins by any means, but he’s one of a handful of mid-sized salaries they could use to swing for a big addition (most likely Cam Johnson).
• Isaiah Joe, Thunder: Joe, like Wiggins, is a starting-caliber player right now. He’s also the easiest salary for the Thunder to include in a possible trade for Johnson, as they fill similar niches as shooting specialists, but Johnson brings far more to the table.

Tier 9: Matching salary — starters on bad contracts

• Michael Porter Jr., Nuggets: If Denver wants to make a major change, it starts with the Porter contract. What makes that so complicated, aside from the max money he’s owed, is that Porter brings two very important but rarely compatible things to the table. He is the best shooter on a team that never shoots 3s and he is big in a role that typically goes to smaller players. Swap Porter for LaVine, for instance, and the Nuggets are perilously small, but swap him for Butler, and their 3-point volume gets perilously low. Denver either needs to find a Porter deal that balances those competing needs or making any sort of trade that helps them improve gets very difficult. 
• Khris Middleton, Bucks: Milwaukee reportedly looked into Butler, with Middleton as the primary matching salary. He only has one remaining year left on his deal, but he’s barely played over the past two seasons and change, and 33-year-old shot-creating wings are a dangerous proposition. His defense has fallen precipitously, and most of the teams interested in a player of his age already have better creators to rely on. The Bucks would probably like to improve on Middleton, but it won’t be easy.
• Kevin Huerter, Kings: Huerter has been a below-average 3-point shooter over the past season-and-a-half. He’s not a viable starter when he isn’t making 3s. It’s that simple. He’s owed starter money next season. Maybe a team talks itself into him as a buy-low candidate, but he’s a bad defender that doesn’t create shots for others, so his value is tied largely to an area in which he is currently struggling.

Tier 10: Matching salary — reserves on absorbable contracts

• Ben Simmons, Nets: No, don’t count out on Simmons getting traded on a max-salary expiring deal. But hey, if the Nets wanted to extort some assets out of a desperate team for cap help (we’re looking at you, Phoenix), Simmons is a way they could do so.
• De’Anthony Melton, Nets: The lower-end version of Simmons. Melton is out for the year, but if some team wanted to lower its tax burden for next season, it could trade a player on a multi-year deal to Brooklyn for Melton’s expiring and attach some picks to entice the Nets.
• Bobby Portis, Bucks: Portis is a luxury the Bucks probably can’t afford anymore. Having a high-end scoring power forward off of the bench doesn’t make sense when you have limited perimeter defense. The Bucks are looking to fill more important roles here, and Portis on a reasonable deal is one of their only good contracts to send out in such a deal.
• KJ Martin, 76ers: The 76ers paid Martin primarily to serve as a trade piece, and his contract is perfectly suited to such a role with a non-guarantee for next season. That he’s also given Philadelphia some nice minutes this season is a bonus, but really, he’s a chip Morey can dangle for a higher-priority asset.
• Trey Lyles, Kings: The Kings are already pretty thin when it comes to 3-and-D forwards, so they shouldn’t give up Lyles for just anyone, but if they need to match money in a deal for someone like Cam Johnson, he’d be a necessary sacrifice.
• Kenrich Williams, Thunder: Another one of Oklahoma City’s mid-sized trade contracts. Williams is a viable two-way forward and a great locker room presence, but his role in the playoffs would be small, so he’s a candidate to be shipped out if a big deal presents itself.
• Precious Achiuwa, Knicks: Achiuwa is more reliably healthy than Robinson, but the Knicks have no reason to pay multiple bigs more than the minimum behind Towns. If Robinson doesn’t go for someone more reliably, Achiuwa likely gets dealt in an upside swing even though he makes significantly less money.
• Ousmane Dieng, Thunder: The smallest of Oklahoma City’s tradable salaries, but one that might appeal to an acquiring team because of his upside. He was a lottery pick that’s largely been crowded out of consistent minutes on a dominant roster, but someone might want to take a crack at giving him real playing time. It’s worked well for Tre Mann in Charlotte. 
• Luke Kennard, Grizzlies: The Grizzlies are so deep that even solid role players on good contracts like Kennard are trade candidates. The Grizzlies are looking for a 3-and-D wing right now, and sadly Kennard checks only one of those boxes.
• John Konchar, Grizzlies: Konchar seems to have fallen out of favor in Memphis based on his reduction in playing time, but he’s a solid all-around role player making roughly taxpayer mid-level exception money for two seasons after this one.
• Jock Landale, Rockets: The Rockets continue to insist they aren’t making a big trade. How about a small one? Landale’s contract is non-guaranteed for multiple years, and Steven Adams has usurped his position as backup center, so if the Rockets want to improve on the fringes, Landale is an obvious chip at their disposal. 
• Josh Okogie, Suns: Okogie, like Martin, was signed mostly to serve as a human trade exception. There’s only so much a second apron team can do with a single $8.25 million salary, but if there’s a player making less that the Suns want, Okogie can help them get him. 
• Kevon Looney, Warriors: Trayce Jackson-Davis has mostly unseated Looney from his role in Golden State, so his $8 million expiring salary is at their disposal for upgrades. 
• Andre Drummond, 76ers: No, most teams wouldn’t be too enthused about Drummond’s $5 million player option for next season, but Drummond is still a usable backup center that is used to playing spot starter minutes. He hasn’t lived up to Philadelphia’s expectations this season, but he’s not a bad player to have lying around. 
• PJ Tucker, Clippers: Hey, remember him? The Clippers sent him away before the season, and they still have his $11.5 million expiring salary available for an upgrade. Their surprising success this season has made the Clippers a possible deadline buyer, so if they can use Tucker’s salary for an offensive boost, they should consider it.
• Gary Payton II, Warriors: Another one of those declining Warrior role players, though fortunately this is the last. Payton has never been a great shooter, but he at least hovered around average when he helped the Warriors win the 2022 championship. He’s 5-of-32 from deep this season, and given their offensive woes, they just can’t afford to keep giving that sort of player minutes.
• Jalen Hood-Schifino, Lakers: We’ve got a couple more Lakers to hit, and sadly, most of their contracts are bad. You could argue that Hood-Schifino’s is too because the Lakers declined his third-year option, removing some of the upside of trading for him. He’s a harmless, small expiring deal now, though, and since they’ll likely have to stack multiple contracts to make another move, that makes him useful enough for them. 

Tier 11: Matching salary — reserves on bad contracts

• Zeke Nnaji, Nuggets: For Denver to reach the salary threshold needed to trade for a star like LaVine or Butler, Nnaji almost certainly has to be included alongside Butler. That’s a problem because Nnaji is owed roughly $8 million annually for three years after this one despite not being able to crack Denver’s pathetic bench rotation. He’s basically dead money at this rate, and convincing someone to take him will be a challenge.
• Dario Saric, Nuggets: It’s unclear why exactly the Nuggets felt the need to give Saric the taxpayer mid-level exception, but the decision has not played out well. Now he’s just another overpaid reserve struggling to get minutes in Denver, and if the Nuggets can turn him into someone playable, they absolutely should. 
• Jarred Vanderbilt, Lakers: Even when healthy, the three years and nearly $35 million Vanderbilt is owed after this season would make teams queasy. It’s hard to play wings who can’t shooting. That he’s seemingly had multiple setbacks while recovering from the knee and foot issues that cost him most of last season and all of this year so far does not help matters.
• Gabe Vincent, Lakers: The Lakers owe Vincent nearly the full mid-level exception next season and he’s shot 35.5% from the floor across two seasons in Los Angeles. That just isn’t going to cut it, especially when teams are wary of adding former Heat role players. Those additions tend to struggle outside of Erik Spoelstra’s system.
• Pat Connaughton, Bucks: Connaughton makes less than the other Bucks we’ve covered, but he’s struggled to even see the floor this season, and he has a player option for next year. He’s probably dead money in a trade, so an acquiring team would have to be compensated in some other way.
• Christian Wood, Lakers: He makes only a hair above the minimum, but there’s a reason he’s jumped around from team to team so much throughout his career. He’s not an easy player to fit into a locker room, and his defensive weaknesses have never really improved.