1 Trade Target for Every NBA Team This Season

The 2025-26 NBA season is officially underway. Unfortunately, injuries are already plaguing a number of teams, while some franchises never quite fixed their offseason weaknesses.

Trade season will be here before we know it. We'll continue to be on Giannis Watch as the year progresses, but there are a number of less-notable stars and role players to keep an eye on as well.

Based on current injuries, roster weak points and potential trade ammo, these are targets for all 30 NBA teams.

If healthy, this Atlanta Hawks roster looks like one of the best in the Eastern Conference. Finding another ball-handler to help take pressure off of Trae Young and adding center insurance are their biggest areas of concern right now.

Ayo Dosunmu, 25, is a versatile, 6'5" guard who can play on or off the ball. He's a good defender who can help cover for Young and averaged 12.3 points and 4.5 assists a game last season.

If the Chicago Bulls get off to a slow start this season or see Dosunmu's minutes decrease with the addition of Isaac Okoro, the Hawks should try to add his versatile, two-way game to their rotation.

The Boston Celtics enter the season thin at the center position and are obviously concerned about their current and future finances. Trading for Goga Bitadze would solve a number of issues.

Bitadze is one of the most underrated players in the NBA, part of a center rotation with the Orlando Magic who have helped anchor one of the league's best defenses. Per 36 minutes, the 26-year-old averaged 12.6 points, 11.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.2 steals and 2.5 blocks while shooting 61.1 percent from the field last year.

His team-friendly contract clocks in at $8.3 million this season and actually drops to $7.6 million in 2026-27.

The Brooklyn Nets should continue to be looking to add good, young players to their core in hopes of finding some cornerstones for their rebuild.

The Houston Rockets and Tari Eason were unable to come to terms on a rookie extension, despite the team offering a deal in excess of $100 million, according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst.

Eason is a good defender at 6'8" who averaged 15.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and shot 52.4 percent in his 16 starts last season. He'd likely become a starter for the Nets immediately alongside Michael Porter Jr. and serve as the team's starting power forward for years to come.

The Charlotte Hornets are using rookie second-round pick Ryan Kalkbrenner as their starting center to begin the year. If this team has serious playoff hopes, however, they'll likely need to upgrade the position.

Nic Claxton is just three years older than Kalkbrenner yet is beginning his seventh NBA season. He's a proven rebounder and rim protector who's shown some driving ability on offense with his 6'11" frame.

Charlotte should be sniffing around the center market all season, as Kalkbrenner best projects as a backup/rotation big man in the pros.

The Chicago Bulls have begun to stack young talent all throughout the roster, yet don't have someone who can take over for Nikola Vučević at center if the veteran gets traded or leaves in free agency next summer.

Walker Kessler and the Utah Jazz were unable to agree on an extension this offseason, setting him up for restricted free agency next summer or a trade. 

One of the best shot-blockers in the NBA with his 7-foot frame, Kessler has also shown some outside shooting promise now in his fourth season.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have begun the season down a pair of wings, as Max Strus (broken foot) and De'Andre Hunter (right knee contusion) are both dealing with injuries.

Royce O'Neale and Donovan Mitchell became close during their time with the Utah Jazz, and it only seems like a matter of time until the Phoenix Suns begin shopping their non-Devin Booker veterans.

Coming off a season where he averaged a career-high 9.1 points and shot 42.2 percent on his catch-and-shoot threes, it's easy to envision O'Neale playing between Mitchell and Evan Mobley in lineups for the Cavs.

This Dallas Mavericks roster is extremely unbalanced, especially while Kyrie Irving recovers from a torn ACL. Asking rookie Cooper Flagg to switch positions and play point guard is something the Cleveland Cavaliers forced an 18-year-old LeBron James to do, a move that was made out of desperation and not with the player's best interests in mind.

The Mavs need another guard who can dribble, pass and shoot, especially if they don't trust D'Angelo Russell as a starter and continue to lean on Flagg (zero assists in his debut).

Coby White can function as a one or two, a 6'5" guard who averaged 20.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists and cashed 37.0 percent of his threes last year. Using White as a starting floor general while letting Flagg serve as a secondary ball-handler to begin his career would be better for everyone involved.

The Denver Nuggets don't have a good answer behind Jamal Murray at point guard right now and will be forced to use Bruce Brown Jr. in that role for stretches.

Cole Anthony could become an affordable option if the Milwaukee Bucks' season goes south, as the 25-year-old signed a one-year, $2.3 million deal with the club following a buyout from the Memphis Grizzlies.

Anthony is more of a combo guard and true floor general, although he's a good enough ball-handler to give Murray a breather and can space the floor next to Nikola Jokić.

The Detroit Pistons should be wary of putting too much on Cade Cunningham's plate this season, especially after Dennis Schröder left for the Sacramento Kings.

Adding a pass-first guard to the rotation would help keep Cunningham fresh for the playoffs and inject some more life into an offense that ranked in the 37th percentile when the All-Star guard was on the bench last year.

Tre Jones put up 11.5 points, 4.9 assists, 1.1 steals and made 50.0 percent of his threes following a trade to the Chicago Bulls last season and would be a perfect backup point guard in Detroit.

At 31, Derrick White isn't exactly young anymore but would look like a spring chicken alongside Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green and Al Horford on these Golden State Warriors.

White would also be the perfect backcourt partner for a 38-year-old Curry who probably isn't going to be giving All-Defensive efforts on a nightly basis at this stage of his career. White is still one of the most efficient multi-positional defenders in the NBA and perhaps the best shot-blocking guard we've seen since Dwyane Wade.

A good ball-handler, three-point shooter and high IQ player with championship experience, White would go a long way in helping the Warriors chase one last title with this core.

Playing against the Houston Rockets looks like fighting an army of Ents these days, with four starters standing 6'11".

It's fair to question if this is sustainable, however, as there's a lack of playmaking and shooting with both Amen Thompson and Steven Adams on the floor together.

The Rockets would become an unstoppable force if Trae Young were to join a starting five of Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., Kevin Durant and Alperen Şengün. Houston could put together an enticing package with Reed Sheppard, Tari Eason, Fred VanVleet and draft picks.

Young is the ultimate table setter in the NBA who spaces the floor well beyond the three-point line. Adding Durant means it's title-or-bust for Houston, with a pure point guard like Young pushing them to the top of the West.

If the Indiana Pacers' center-by-committee plan doesn't work this season, Daniel Gafford would be a good solution both now and when Tyrese Haliburton returns in 2026-27.

Gafford, 27, is starting a three-year, $54.4 million extension this season that only takes up about 10 percent of the salary cap for the length of the deal. 

In his 31 starts for the Dallas Mavericks last season, Gafford averaged 13.8 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and made 70.7 percent of his shots in just 24.7 minutes. He doesn't bring the floor-spacing that Myles Turner did over the last decade, but Gafford is a proven lob threat and rim protector who would be a big upgrade over any center the Pacers currently employ.

At some point the Los Angeles Clippers will need to inject some youth into their rotation, as this is the NBA's oldest roster at an average age of 30.7 years.

Corey Kispert, 26, is built to play next to a point guard like James Harden, as he's a high-level three-point shooter for the stars on this roster to operate around.

Now being pushed out of the starting lineup in favor of younger prospects with the rebuilding Washington Wizards, Kispert should be thrilled with a return to the West Coast to a team that needs his young legs and floor-spacing.

If LeBron James misses extended time with sciatica or any other ailment, the Los Angeles Lakers are going to need more offense from players not named Luka Dončić.

Lauri Markkanen may tie up the future cap sheets, but he's an ideal starting forward to pair next to Dončić, and at age 28, is in the prime of his career.

The 7-footer can knock down threes, put the ball on the floor and isn't afraid to dunk over opponents in traffic. With or without James in the lineup, Markkanen would be a huge add for a Lakers team that needs to keep pace with squads like the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets in the West.

After trading away Desmond Bane for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and draft picks, the Memphis Grizzlies should be searching for an upgrade at shooting guard.

RJ Barrett has quietly thrived after leaving the New York Knicks, putting up 21.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 4.9 assists and shooting just under 50.0 percent overall in 91 games and counting with the Toronto Raptors.

If Toronto gets off to a slow start, however, the Grizzlies should check on Barrett's asking price to try and pair him with Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. as a replacement for Bane on the wing.

Jonathan Kuminga is back in the Golden State Warriors' starting lineup and harmony has been restored to the relationship between player and team, right?

Expect Kuminga to still get moved at some point this season, as playing 6'6", 35-year-old Draymond Green at center full-time isn't a realistic long-term solution. Teams know this and will continue to call about Kuminga.

The Miami Heat could use some buzz, and Kuminga would still be a strong fit with the franchise even though he wasn't part of the Jimmy Butler trade. These two front offices obviously have history and should try to work something out to land the talented 23-year-old in South Beach.

The Milwaukee Bucks are just throwing point guards at the wall and seeing who sticks at the moment, as there isn't a good solution in a post-Damian Lillard world.

Collin Sexton isn't a true floor general, although the 26-year-old did register the highest assist percentages of his career the last two seasons with the Utah Jazz. He also scored 18.4 points a game and shot 40.6 percent from three for Utah in 2024-25.

Giannis Antetokounmpo should love playing alongside someone with Sexton's passion for the game, as he's one of the few NBA players who truly gives 100 percent effort on a nightly basis.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are still searching for a franchise point guard to pair alongside Anthony Edwards, with their most recent experiment involving Donte DiVincenzo in the role.

Austin Reaves is a better overall version of DiVincenzo, as he averaged 20.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.1 steals and shot 37.7 percent from three for the Los Angeles Lakers last season.

Contract concerns could cause the Lakers to sniff around Reaves' trade market, however, as the 27-year-old will almost certainly decline a $14.9 million team option and become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Assuming the New Orleans Pelicans are committed to their core around Zion Williamson, this team is going to need a low-cost big who can stretch the floor.

Williamson, Yves Missi and rookie Derik Queen offer little-to-no three-point shooting whatsoever. The Pels already gave up an unprotected 2026 first-round pick to move up in the draft and select Queen, so they'd likely prefer to hold onto future picks.

Kevin Love is in Year No. 18 already, yet should still be able to play 10-ish minutes off the bench. A career 36.9 percent three-point shooter, Love would bring some much needed spacing to this Pelicans frontcourt. He shouldn't cost much coming from a rebuilding Utah Jazz team, either.

The New York Knicks are reportedly the only team Giannis Antetokounmpo wanted to play for outside of Milwaukee, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. While trade talks ultimately fizzled out in August, the Knicks should still be extremely interested in acquiring the two-time MVP.

Antetokounmpo plus Jalen Brunson plus whatever wings are leftover would mean a championship-or-bust mentality for the Knicks, putting two of the NBA's top-10 players on one roster. Swapping Karl-Anthony Towns in any Antetokounmpo deal would mean a huge upgrade defensively as well.

The Knicks should be happy with their roster as-is. If the opportunity is there to go get Antetokounmpo, however, New York simply can't pass it up.

Don't expect the Oklahoma City Thunder to make any earth-shattering moves this season.

The defending champions should only be eyeing depth pieces here and there, with the forward position the biggest area of concern now with Jalen Williams out.

Haywood Highsmith, 28, is a rock-solid 6'7" forward who can play and defend multiple positions. He's been a good three-point shooter the last two years with the Miami Heat (38.8 percent) and is a plug-and-play option for nearly every contender in the association.

Assuming the Thunder don't plan on paying Ousmane Dieng this summer, swapping his $6.7 million contract for a player like Highsmith seems like a reasonable outcome.

If the Los Angeles Lakers don't plan on using Dalton Knecht in their rotation, the Orlando Magic could use the second-year wing's three-point shooting.

Orlando finished dead last in made threes and accuracy last season and could use one more wing on what's become a guard and big-heavy roster.

Knecht was the 17th overall pick in the 2024 draft and hit both his catch-and-shoot threes (37.4 percent) and pull-up threes (39.7 percent) at a high rate last season. Along with Desmond Bane and Tyus Jones, Knecht would help get the Magic's three-point attack back to a league-average level.

Ignoring the Joel Embiid impending disaster for a moment, the Philadelphia 76ers still need a power forward who can space the floor for the young guards on this roster.

Harrison Barnes is a proven professional who's made a positive impact on winning in all four of his NBA stops thus far. Now 33, Barnes is still playing at a high level, giving the San Antonio Spurs 12.3 points on 43.3 percent shooting from three last season.

No team needs durable players more than Philly, and Barnes has played in all 82 games in each of the past three seasons. He's exactly what the Sixers need.

The Phoenix Suns never replaced Tyus Jones after he signed with the Orlando Magic, as this is a roster that needs a pass-first point guard to help set the table for Devin Booker, Jalen Green and others.

Jose Alvarado could hit the trade block very soon, as the New Orleans Pelicans traded for Jordan Poole and took Jeremiah Fears with the No. 7 overall pick in the draft. Alvarado did not play in the season opener.

The 27-year-old averaged 10.3 points, 4.6 assists and 1.3 steals for the Pels last season and is the type of scrappy defender and willing passer that the Suns need.

The Portland Trail Blazers finished just 26th in three-point shooting last season (34.2 percent) and didn't have a single player average over 20 points per game. Trading Anfernee Simons, the team's leading scorer and a 36.3 percent shooter from deep, didn't help.

Michael Porter Jr. has the offensive pop that this roster craves. The 27-year-old is one of the best pure shooters in the NBA and owns a career mark of 40.6 percent from deep.

He should be very available from a bad Brooklyn Nets team, one that should be interested in swapping Porter for a player like Jerami Grant and a pick.

A point guard rotation consisting of Dennis Schröder and Russell Westbrook is not going to make the playoffs in the year 2026. If there was ever a team to take a swing on a big-time talent like LaMelo Ball, it's these Sacramento Kings.

Ball is an elite passer who could ignite an offense if paired with Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine. Durability is an issue, of course, although a change of scenery and medical staff may help the 24-year-old become a regular All-Star.

If the Charlotte Hornets start heading towards another lost season and want to build around Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel, Ball could still fetch a hefty return from a team desperate for a star point guard like the Kings.

Are we sure Victor Wembanyama isn't a top-2 player in the NBA right now? The 21-year-old certainly made his case after dropping 40 points and 15 rebounds in 30 minutes in the San Antonio Spurs' season opener.

Wembanyama is ready to win now, and the Spurs should be doing everything in their power to help him do so. This includes sniffing around a LeBron James trade, a player who's long had a great relationship with Gregg Popovich.

There's no shortage of advantages when it comes to pairing James and Wembanyama, whether it be on-court production, practice habits, strength training or learning the opponent's every move.

A core of Wembanyama, James, De'Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper and others could make a deep playoff run this year.

The Toronto Raptors' 11.8 made three-pointers per game last year were the fewest of any NBA team not named the Orlando Magic, and a 6-of-25 performance from deep on opening night was especially worrisome.

Toronto needs more shooting, period.

Grayson Allen is a career 41.4 percent marksman from deep and led the NBA with a 46.1 percent success rate in 2023-24. He's averaged over two made three-pointers per game in each of the past five seasons.

Putting Allen in lineups with Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram and others would help keep the floor spread and improve the overall offensive flow.

The Utah Jazz should still be on the search for franchise cornerstones and have more minutes available at shooting guard after parting with Collin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson this past offseason.

Jaden Ivey and the Detroit Pistons failed to come to an agreement on a contract extension, meaning he'll either be a restricted free agent next summer or get traded at some point before the deadline.

Injuries have derailed what looked like a promising career in Detroit. If the Pistons made Ivey available, he'd be a strong fit as the starting two-guard in Utah.

The rebuilding Washington Wizards have done an admirable job of stacking young talent at nearly every position over the last few years. They should still be scouring opponents rosters to find former high draft picks who have been buried by veterans and need a fresh start elsewhere.

Jarace Walker was the No. 8 overall pick of the 2023 draft, although playing time has been limited behind Pascal Siakam and Obi Toppin.

With a strong, 6'8" frame and nice outside shooting touch (40.4 percent from three in his career), Walker could be a nice complement to Alex Sarr in the Wizards' frontcourt.