Editor's Note: Pascal Siakam, the No. 1 player on this list, was traded to the Indiana Pacers on January 17.
We've passed January 15 on the NBA calendar, which opens the door to a slew of players to be traded who re-signed with their former team last season. It's a group of players that is more important than you might think, featuring the likes of D'Angelo Russell, Jerami Grant, Matisse Thybulle, Kyle Kuzma, Rui Hachimura and others. Some of these players will be shown on the updated trade board below, others will not.
The result is that every player in the league — save for a few precious examples, most of whom signed long-term extensions within the past six months — is now trade-eligible.
We've already seen the first domino fall, as the New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors put aside ongoing lawsuits to complete a deal involving OG Anunoby, RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley. The second big loss came two days after this list was originally published when the Raptors traded Pascal Siakam to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for a package centered around Bruce Brown Jr. and three first-round picks. These deals took two of the biggest names out of the market.
Go deeper
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However, we expect to see more trading in the coming weeks. Teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors will look to shake up their rosters to get going, while others like the Charlotte Hornets and Washington Wizards will look to sell as they fall out of the postseason race.
So let's take a look at some of the remaining players available in the market. Although we still have a little less than a month until the February 8th deadline, I remain somewhat reticent to add names to this list. Having said that, the group has expanded from the 25 players on our initial board to 35 here now that we understand more about the teams' goals at the deadline.
Before we get to the names on this list, I want to touch on some names that didn't make it — at least not yet.
• You won't see all the stars Donovan Mitchell or Lauri Markkanen. As of now — again, things are fluid this time of year — my impression from talking to league sources is that the Cleveland Cavaliers are planning to move out this season with Mitchell. Meanwhile, Markkanen's price is so high that it effectively takes him off the market, especially with how well the Utah Jazz have been performing lately.
• You won't see either Jonathan Kuminga or Moses Modi, two young players from the Golden State Warriors who could be used to facilitate a trade for a star player. I don't think the Warriors have ruled out moving them, but my impression, at least currently, is that they're not actively including them in potential trade packages either. League sources believe new general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. values them both at a very high level and would love to keep them both if he can, even if he also understands that one or both of them may need to be a mechanism to facilitate much-needed changes as the Warriors regress. It's possible that one or both of Kuminga and Moody will feature in future iterations of this board, but that's the reason I used to hold off on them for now.
• The above mentioned Jerami Grant not here. It's been a bit difficult to gauge how willing the Portland Trail Blazers are to move him, as well as how other teams value his five-year, $160 million contract.
• There aren't a lot of Brooklyn Nets players yet, because teams in the league, frankly, aren't quite sure which direction they're going to go. That includes Dorian Finney SmithHe is an excellent player appreciated by competitors. Since he is signed for a long term, the Nets are in no rush to make a decision on his future while they are in the running to play in the Eastern Conference.
To reiterate: This list will be fluid over the next month, so expect some updates. Completed trades will take some of these players off that board, and it's also possible that others will sign extensions to remain with their current team. But here is where we sit now.
Click on each player listed below for a detailed explanation of their current trade situations and some of their potential best options.
Updates:
- January 17: Pascal Siakam (No. 1, traded to Pacers) removed. Added Quentin Grimes (#6). Move everyone after number 6 down one place.
