TITLE: Trade Deadline Wish Lists: What Every NBA Contender Is Seeking One Month Out
SLUG: nba-contenders-trade-deadline-needs-2026
CONTENT:
The NBA’s 2025-26 trade deadline is four weeks away, and front offices across the league are canvassing the market in hopes of sharpening their playoff arsenals. With injuries jumbling the standings in both conferences, several teams see this deadline as a chance to patch roster holes or trim looming tax bills.
Eastern Conference
Detroit Pistons
Priority: add perimeter scoring and a second shot-creator to ease the nightly burden on MVP candidate Cade Cunningham.
Target mentioned: Brooklyn forward Michael Porter Jr., averaging 25.9 points on 40.8% from deep, could fit the bill if Detroit parts with draft capital.
New York Knicks
Priority: bolster a fragile frontcourt while operating next to the second tax apron.
Target mentioned: Clippers veteran Nicolas Batum, whose modest salary would cost little and stabilize the rotation after Guerschon Yabusele’s slide.
Boston Celtics
Priority: move salary to reset the repeater tax clock and, ideally, bring in size behind a guard-heavy roster.
Target mentioned: Chicago guard Ayo Dosunmu, shooting 43% on three-pointers, is viewed as a possible replacement if Boston unloads Anfernee Simons in a money-saving swap.
Toronto Raptors
Priority: dip back under the tax line while finding insurance for oft-injured center Jakob Poeltl.
Target mentioned: Phoenix reserve Nick Richards, on an expiring $5 million deal, matches both financial and positional needs.
Orlando Magic
Priority: healthy bodies and scoring punch off the bench, all without adding 2026-27 salary.
Target mentioned: Nets guard Cam Thomas ($5.9 million) would deliver instant offense and fit inside the club’s tight cap parameters.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Priority: evaluate whether the core of Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen can push past the second round; financial constraints limit big moves.
Target mentioned: offloading De’Andre Hunter’s $23 million salary could open flexibility if health alone does not spark a turnaround.
Miami Heat
Priority: improved rebounding after ranking among the league’s worst in second-chance points allowed early in the season.
Target mentioned: New Orleans forward Karlo Matkovic, on a $2.2 million expiring contract, is considered an attainable option.
Philadelphia 76ers
Priority: determine whether to duck the tax or reinforce the power-forward spot, where two-way players have logged most of the minutes.
Target mentioned: Chicago’s Jalen Smith, producing 18.4 points and 12.7 rebounds per 36 minutes, could balance a guard-heavy roster.
Milwaukee Bucks (wild card)
Priority: surround Giannis Antetokounmpo with additional scoring after losing key pieces from the 2021 title group.
Targets mentioned: Sacramento’s Zach LaVine and Malik Monk, plus Portland’s Jerami Grant, are on Milwaukee’s radar, though the Bucks control only one tradable first-round pick.
Western Conference
Oklahoma City Thunder
Priority: short-term three-point shooting help without adding future salary or tax liability.
Target mentioned: Brooklyn wing Haywood Highsmith, a 37% career shooter returning from knee surgery, fits the narrow criteria.
San Antonio Spurs
Priority: incremental bench shooting rather than another blockbuster after last year’s De’Aaron Fox acquisition.
Target mentioned: Memphis forward Jaylen Wells, valued for defense and range, could reinforce the rotation.
Denver Nuggets
Priority: temporary center depth while Nikola Jokic (knee) and Jonas Valanciunas (calf) recover, plus longer-term wing length.
Target mentioned: Kings big man Drew Eubanks is viewed as a potential buyout addition if Denver frees a roster slot.
Los Angeles Lakers
Priority: two-way contributors who can defend and reliably convert open threes to offset a 34.3% team mark from distance and a bottom-ten defense.
Target mentioned: Sacramento guard Keon Ellis, a 41.6% career long-range shooter on a minimum contract, is high on the Lakers’ call sheet.
Houston Rockets
Priority: playmaking remains a talking point after Fred VanVleet’s ACL tear, though cap restraints point to internal solutions.
Targets mentioned: Boston’s Payton Pritchard or Milwaukee’s Ryan Rollins could fit, yet standing pat and expanding Reed Sheppard’s role is considered most likely.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Priority: a true point guard to relieve Anthony Edwards, with Mike Conley’s minutes fading.
Target mentioned: Memphis’ Scotty Pippen Jr., on a minimum deal through 2028-29, may become available once he returns from toe surgery.
Golden State Warriors
Priority: frontcourt help remains a possibility, but the club is wary of taking on long-term money.
Target mentioned: Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. and his $38 million salary intrigue Golden State, which could construct a deal without including Draymond Green.
Phoenix Suns
Priority: rebounding and rim protection with Jalen Green limited to two appearances; guard depth is a secondary concern.
Targets mentioned: sending center Nick Richards elsewhere could open space for a minimum-salary forward such as Boston’s Chris Boucher.
LA Clippers (wild card)
Priority: bench scoring after losing Norman Powell and Bradley Beal.
Approach: with draft assets tied up in an ongoing league investigation, the Clippers may look to clear salary spots for two-way standouts Jordan Miller and Kobe Sanders rather than chase trades.
The deadline arrives in early February, leaving front offices a narrow window to decide whether to gamble on new pieces or trust current cores as the playoff race tightens.
Source: ESPN
