Garland Is the NBA’s No. 1 Trade Target — Durant, Davis and Kyrie Aren’t Far Behind
GOATIFYThe NBA’s summer transaction rush has slowed, but the league’s next wave of movement is already taking shape. Training camp has a way of turning theoretical roster questions into urgent ones: contenders discover a missing skill, expensive teams confront financial pressure, rebuilding clubs reassess veterans, and players whose timelines no longer match their teams become obvious trade candidates.
That is why the most interesting trade targets are not necessarily the biggest names. Trade value is a mix of production, age, contract, positional scarcity, upside and how many different kinds of teams could justify making an offer. Right now, that mix puts Darius Garland at the top of a fascinating group that also includes Kevin Durant, Trey Murphy III, Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis and Jimmy Butler.
The list is also a snapshot of how different NBA teams are trying to solve very different problems. Some are balancing the books. Some are deciding whether to keep chasing a title with an aging core. Others have young talent worth protecting but lack a realistic path to winning immediately. Once the season begins, one injury or one disappointing month could turn any of those pressures into a real negotiation.
10-8: Jimmy Butler, Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. are expensive but useful pressure points
Jimmy Butler lands at No. 10 because his value is tied as much to flexibility as to basketball. Golden State has obvious incentive to keep searching for ways to maximize the final years of its veteran core, and Butler’s large expiring salary gives the Warriors a mechanism for a major reshuffle if the right deal emerges. His age and ACL recovery make the basketball side of his market difficult to price, but an expiring contract of that size can matter to teams trying to clear future money as much as to teams searching for a playoff closer.
That makes Butler a strange but potentially powerful trade piece. A buyer would have to believe the six-time All-Star can still change a postseason series after he returns. A seller could value the contract structure more than the player. Golden State, meanwhile, would need a return that actually improves its chances of competing rather than simply moving money around. Those competing incentives explain why Butler can be simultaneously difficult to trade and central to a blockbuster framework.
Aaron Gordon at No. 9 represents a different problem. Denver is operating under enormous financial pressure, and Gordon is the kind of two-way forward almost every contender wants. He defends across positions, plays without dominating the ball, finishes around the rim and fits beside elite creators. Those qualities create real demand. The problem for the Nuggets is that the same qualities make him painful to lose.
Denver has already had to make difficult roster decisions, so Gordon becomes the obvious name to watch if the cost of maintaining the current structure keeps rising. His new contract also gives an acquiring team certainty, although the salary is substantial enough that matching money can complicate negotiations. The more the Nuggets look like a genuine championship team, the less sense a Gordon trade makes. If the roster underperforms, however, financial logic could get much louder.
Michael Porter Jr. at No. 8 may be the cleanest fit for a conventional deadline trade. Brooklyn is rebuilding, Porter is 28, and his best value comes as a high-level shotmaker who can stretch defenses from well beyond the arc. He is coming off a career-best scoring season, which gives the Nets a chance to sell high rather than wait for an expiring contract to become a problem.
The question is how much teams will pay for a specialist on a premium salary. Porter’s size and shooting can transform spacing, but he does not solve a contender’s playmaking needs and can be targeted defensively. That makes him more attractive to a roster that already has creators and defenders than to a team expecting him to be a complete star. Brooklyn does not need to move him immediately, but the logic becomes harder to ignore the closer the deadline gets without an extension.
7-5: Jrue Holiday, Anthony Davis and Jarrett Allen could become solutions for very specific contenders
Jrue Holiday checks in at No. 7 because Portland’s backcourt is crowded and his championship résumé is easy for contenders to understand. Holiday can defend, organize an offense without monopolizing it, make open shots and function beside higher-usage stars. Those traits have already helped multiple title teams. If the Trail Blazers decide they need frontcourt help or simply want to rebalance the roster, Holiday is a logical veteran to move.
The limitation is price. He is 36 and carries a substantial salary with a player option beyond this season. That narrows the field to teams with both matching salary and a clear win-now purpose. Still, a contender that believes one more trustworthy guard can stabilize a playoff rotation may value his floor more than his age. He is unlikely to command the kind of package attached to a young star, but Portland should not have to give him away either.
Anthony Davis is the biggest swing in this tier. Washington appears comfortable with Davis, yet his long-term fit remains inherently unstable. He is 33, has a lengthy injury history and still has the ability, when healthy, to anchor a defense while scoring efficiently at high volume. That combination can make a contender talk itself into a massive move very quickly.
The contract question is just as important as the basketball question. If Davis wants a huge long-term commitment and Washington is not ready to make it, the relationship could shift from comfortable to transactional. The Wizards also have to evaluate whether their roster is close enough to contention to justify building around an older superstar. If the answer becomes no, Davis may be worth more to them as a trade asset than as a bridge to the next phase.
Jarrett Allen at No. 5 is less glamorous but could generate one of the healthiest markets. Cleveland has pushed hard into win-now territory, which means expectations are no longer theoretical. If the Cavaliers look like a genuine title threat, moving Allen would be difficult to justify. If they fall short of the league’s top tier again, his contract could become one of the clearest places to reshape the roster.
Allen’s appeal is straightforward: efficient finishing, rim protection, rebounding and a willingness to play a defined role. He does not need possessions called for him to influence a game. That matters to teams that already have high-usage perimeter stars. His limitations are equally clear—he is not a floor spacer or a primary creator—but contenders rarely find perfect centers on the market. They look for players who solve specific playoff problems, and Allen can do that.
4-3: Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant still offer star-level offense, but their timelines matter
Kyrie Irving at No. 4 is where this ranking starts to feel like a real star market. Dallas has publicly shown no desire to move him, and there is a basketball case for keeping him. Cooper Flagg can benefit from playing with a veteran who can create shots, handle late-clock possessions and draw defensive attention. Irving also offers the kind of on-ball and off-ball flexibility that lets a young star develop without having to carry every possession immediately.
But timelines are hard to ignore. Irving is far older than the player Dallas expects to build around for the next decade, and rival front offices will naturally wonder how long the pairing makes sense. If the Mavericks start slowly or look too far from the Western Conference playoff picture, the idea of converting an older star into future assets will become difficult to dismiss.
For a buyer, the attraction is obvious. Healthy Irving remains one of the league’s most gifted shot creators. He can manufacture offense against set defenses, space the floor when another star has the ball and close games without needing an elaborate system. There are not many players available—or even theoretically available—who can solve a scoring problem that quickly. The uncertainty around his age and recent health reduces the package, but it does not erase the demand.
Kevin Durant at No. 3 is an even cleaner example of the tension between current ability and future planning. Houston acquired Durant to push a young roster into true contention. The Rockets won 52 games but still exited in the first round, leaving the organization with an uncomfortable question: is another season with Durant the best route forward, or could trading him accelerate the development of the younger core?
Durant is approaching 38, yet his offensive skill remains extraordinarily portable. He does not need a system built around him to score efficiently. He can punish switches, shoot over contests, operate from the elbows and create late in the clock. That means almost any contender with enough salary and assets can imagine how he would fit.
The problem is that his age and contract reduce long-term certainty, which could keep offers below the level Houston would want for a player of his stature. That is where the Rockets’ decision gets difficult. If the return is modest, keeping Durant and trying again may be the obvious choice. If a desperate contender loses patience and offers multiple useful assets, Houston could suddenly have a path to extend its competitive window rather than concentrating it around one more run.
2-1: Trey Murphy III and Darius Garland have the trade value contenders usually struggle to find
Trey Murphy III at No. 2 shows why name recognition and trade value are not the same thing. Murphy does not have the résumé of Durant, Davis or Irving, but he is 26, productive, efficient, under contract and built for the modern postseason. Big wings who can shoot, defend and score without dominating the ball are the type of players contenders spend years trying to acquire.
New Orleans has resisted offers, which makes sense. Murphy is exactly the kind of player a team should want beside other stars. He averaged more than 21 points last season while remaining a dangerous three-point shooter, and his contract runs through the heart of his prime. The Pelicans therefore have no reason to sell cheaply.
The pressure comes from the team context. New Orleans has accumulated losses over the last two seasons and still has to prove it can build a credible winner around its current group. If another season starts badly, keeping a highly valuable complementary player simply because he is valuable becomes circular logic. At some point, the Pelicans may decide that multiple premium future assets give them a better chance to construct the next successful version of the roster.
If Murphy actually becomes available, the bidding could be fierce because almost every contender could use him. He does not require a specialized offense, does not need to be the first option and is young enough to remain useful through several competitive cycles. That universal fit is exactly why his trade value can exceed that of more famous veterans.
Darius Garland takes the No. 1 spot because he sits at the intersection of youth, proven production and potential availability. The Clippers’ long-term asset picture has become extremely difficult, and that creates a reason to consider moves that would otherwise be unnecessary. Garland is only 26, already a two-time All-Star and capable of running an offense while scoring efficiently. If Los Angeles needs to rebuild its future draft capital, he may be the player most capable of returning a meaningful package.
That does not mean the Clippers should rush to trade him. Point guard is not a glaring need for every contender, Garland has had injury issues, and his size can create defensive concerns in playoff matchups. Those factors keep his value from reaching the untouchable-superstar tier.
But the same profile gives him a broader market than many veterans. A win-now team can view Garland as an immediate offensive upgrade. A younger team approaching contention can see a lead guard who still fits its age curve. A franchise with weak creation can reasonably believe his passing and shooting would change the structure of its offense from day one.
That is what separates Garland from most of the list. Butler, Holiday, Davis, Irving and Durant are primarily bets on the present. Murphy is a premium complementary asset whose team may refuse to sell. Garland offers both current production and enough remaining runway to justify giving up future picks. If the Clippers genuinely open the door, he could become the player who defines the next major NBA trade conversation.
Why this market could move quickly once the season starts
There is no guarantee that all 10 names move. Several probably will not. The value of a September trade board is not predicting every transaction; it is identifying where pressure already exists before the standings add even more.
Golden State may decide Butler is essential once healthy. Denver may be too competitive to consider Gordon. Washington could commit to Davis, Dallas could keep Irving as Flagg’s veteran partner, and Houston could decide another Durant run is worth more than any offer. New Orleans may continue rejecting Murphy proposals. The Clippers may conclude Garland is one of the few pieces worth preserving.
But the NBA rarely leaves every September assumption intact. Training camp creates role conflicts. Injuries expose depth problems. Ambitious teams discover that their offseason upgrades did not fix enough. Expensive teams start looking for relief. Young teams arrive ahead of schedule and decide to accelerate. Others fall behind and begin thinking about the draft before December.
That is why this group matters. There are guards who can organize an offense, wings who can fit almost anywhere, defensive bigs, championship veterans and elite scorers. The market has enough variety that almost any contender can find a name matching its biggest weakness. The only question is which front office feels enough pressure to make the first serious offer.
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