TITLE: One Potential Trade Chip for Every NBA Team as Feb. 5 Deadline Nears
SLUG: nba-trade-deadline-2026-players-to-watch
CONTENT:
The NBA trade deadline hits at 3 p.m. ET on Feb. 5, and front offices are weighing whether to add talent for a playoff push or flip veterans for future assets. ESPN analysts Bobby Marks (Eastern Conference) and Kevin Pelton (Western Conference) highlighted one player on each roster who could realistically be moved in the coming weeks.
Eastern Conference
Atlanta Hawks — Kristaps Porziņģis
With Trae Young already dealt to Washington, Atlanta could shed Porziņģis’ $30.7 million expiring salary to gain future flexibility. Anthony Davis was an early target, but his hand injury makes simply keeping Porziņģis — who has missed 14 games because of illness yet supplies needed size — the safer play for now. Smaller outgoing contracts include Luke Kennard’s $11 million expiring deal and Corey Kispert’s $14 million salary, the latter ineligible for aggregation.
Boston Celtics — Chris Boucher
Anfernee Simons’ $27.7 million expiring deal would normally draw attention, but the guard’s bench scoring is central to Boston’s rise. Boucher, signed for one year at $2.3 million, has slipped to 11.4 minutes per game behind Luka Garza and Josh Minott. Trading him would trim roughly $9 million off a tax bill that sits $12 million above the threshold.
Brooklyn Nets — Michael Porter Jr.
Cam Thomas owns veto power and would lose Bird rights in any trade, steering focus to Porter. The forward is averaging a career-best 25.7 points and still has two seasons left at $38.3 million and $40.8 million. Brooklyn could collect additional draft capital on top of the 2032 unprotected first it already holds from Denver.
Charlotte Hornets — Collin Sexton
Sexton’s $19 million expiring contract and potent reserve production (14.9 PPG on 50.3% shooting, 46.4% from three in 19 bench games) make him the logical veteran to move for a lottery-bound club that sits $56 million under next season’s tax line. Tre Mann’s $8 million partially guaranteed deal is another movable piece.
Chicago Bulls — Nikola Vučević
Chicago leads the league with eight expiring contracts. Vučević, 35, is the most decorated, having logged at least 16 points and nine rebounds for six straight years while ranking 14th in center salaries at $21.5 million.
Cleveland Cavaliers — Lonzo Ball
Acquired to replace Ty Jerome, Ball is shooting career lows of 31.2% overall and 27.6% from deep. Moving his $10 million expiring salary would cut Cleveland’s luxury-tax penalty from $164 million to $102 million, but the Cavs cannot combine Ball with other players because they are in the second apron.
Detroit Pistons — No obvious candidate
Tobias Harris’ $26.6 million expiring deal exists, yet president Trajan Langdon has preached patience. The most likely move is converting two-way guard Daniss Jenkins.
Western Conference
Dallas Mavericks — Anthony Davis
Dallas has reportedly reopened talks on Davis despite the hand injury that may keep him out until after the deadline. The hurdle is recouping value after sending Luka Dončić to Los Angeles for Davis last year; a comparable return appears unlikely.
Denver Nuggets — Zeke Nnaji
Nnaji is one of only two non-starters above a $3.2 million cap hit. During Nikola Jokić’s injury absence he averaged 14.8 points and 1.5 blocks while shooting 65%, boosting his profile as either trade ballast or a needed depth piece.
Golden State Warriors — Jonathan Kuminga
Sidelined since Dec. 18, Kuminga’s three-point percentage has fallen to 23% after a quick start. His primary value now could be matching salary in pursuit of a veteran who better complements Golden State’s core.
Houston Rockets — Dorian Finney-Smith
With Fred VanVleet rehabbing an ACL tear, Finney-Smith ($13.9 million) is the lone Rocket making more than $6.7 million while playing fewer than 20 minutes. The forward is shooting 25.8% post-ankle surgery, lowering Houston’s leverage and hinting at a quiet deadline.
Indiana Pacers — Bennedict Mathurin
Mathurin, on a $9.2 million expiring deal, filled in capably when Tyrese Haliburton hurt his Achilles and later injured his thumb. Indiana, $16 million below next year’s tax, could shop Mathurin while looking for center help after losing Myles Turner.
Los Angeles Clippers — Kobe Brown
To open roster spots for two-way players Jordan Miller and Kobe Sanders, LA may part with Brown, who has logged under 1,000 minutes since being drafted 30th in 2023. The team already declined his 2026-27 option.
Los Angeles Lakers — Dalton Knecht
L.A. holds only one first-round pick (2031 or 2032) and one second-rounder (2032), so Knecht’s upside could entice another club. After shooting 37.6% from three as a rookie, he is down to 31.1% and ranks 12th on the roster in minutes.
Memphis Grizzlies — Ja Morant
Since earning second-team All-NBA honors in 2022, Morant’s efficiency and availability have dipped. He is shooting 21% from three and a career-low 47% inside the arc, though a recent 40-point outburst versus Philadelphia showed flashes. Any suitor must decide whether a rebound is likely.
Miami Heat — Terry Rozier
Rozier, on leave since an Oct. 23 indictment, carries a $26.6 million expiring contract. Miami opted not to waive him before the Jan. 7 guarantee date, preserving salary but leaving his trade status uncertain.
Milwaukee Bucks — Kyle Kuzma
With the roster top-heavy, Kuzma’s $22.4 million cap figure makes him Milwaukee’s most movable mid-tier salary if the club chases Michael Porter Jr. or Ja Morant. Kuzma has thrived off the bench this year, shooting 54.8% overall and 36.7% from deep in 23 reserve appearances.
Minnesota Timberwolves — Rob Dillingham
Selected eighth in 2024 at the cost of a 2030 swap and a 2031 first, Dillingham has struggled to secure minutes and is shooting 33% on twos — worst among players with 100 attempts. His rookie deal could intrigue rebuilders or serve as Minnesota’s last chance to reclaim value.
New Orleans Pelicans — Trey Murphy III
New Orleans insists Murphy is off-limits, yet his blend of salary (averaging $28 million) and production (the league’s only player with 60 dunks and 60 threes) ensures rival inquiries. He has just one playoff series start, swept by Oklahoma City in 2024.
New York Knicks — Guerschon Yabusele
Playing fewer than 15 minutes in most outings, Yabusele’s two-year, $11.3 million deal (player option for 2026-27) puts New York only $148,000 below the second apron. A trade would clear space to add two signings now and aid offseason plans to re-sign Mitchell Robinson while staying under the apron.
Oklahoma City Thunder — Ousmane Dieng
Dieng, 22, has hit 45.5% (15-of-33) from three in the final year of his rookie contract. Shipping him out would open a roster slot to convert two-way players Brooks Barnhizer or Branden Carlson as the payroll swells with upcoming extensions.
Orlando Magic — Tyus Jones
Signed for one year at $7 million, Jones intended to stabilize Orlando’s bench. Instead, he is logging his lowest minutes since 2016-17, averaging 3.2 points and shooting under 40%. The Magic are minus-7.5 points per 100 possessions when he plays.
Philadelphia 76ers — Open roster spot
With the team in the East’s top six, expiring contracts for Quentin Grimes, Kelly Oubre Jr. or Andre Drummond appear safe. The likelier move is converting two-way forward Dominick Barlow, who has started 26 games and averages 8.3 points and 5.2 rebounds.
Phoenix Suns — Nick Richards
Phoenix can duck the tax by moving any minimum deal, but Richards offers potential value after costing two second-rounders last season. He started 34 games yet now sits behind Mark Williams and Oso Ighodaro, with lottery pick Khaman Maluach also in reserve.
Portland Trail Blazers — Jerami Grant
Grant is scoring 20.0 PPG on 38.9% from deep and has two years and $70 million left. Portland is firmly in the play-in mix, but offloading his contract could free room to renegotiate and extend Deni Avdija this summer.
Sacramento Kings — Domantas Sabonis
Sabonis is rehabbing a meniscus tear and has not played since Nov. 16. If healthy, his $42.3 million salary and league-leading 13.9 rebounds per game last season would headline the center market. If not, guard Keon Ellis becomes Sacramento’s prime chip.
San Antonio Spurs — Jeremy Sochan
Sochan’s minutes have fallen to 13.6 per game in the final year of his rookie deal as the Spurs retool around Victor Wembanyama. His defensive range and 59% two-point shooting last season might flourish elsewhere, while San Antonio could package his expiring contract with Kelly Olynyk for upgrades.
Toronto Raptors — Ochai Agbaji
Without an extension, Agbaji hits free agency in July. Minutes have slipped to 15.5 per game, and Toronto sits just $967,000 above the tax. Moving his $4.1 million expiring deal would drop the club below the line.
Utah Jazz — Jusuf Nurkić
Nurkić’s $19.4 million expiring salary is difficult to match for contenders, making a buyout more plausible. The center is averaging a career-high 4.3 assists by exploiting traps on guard Keyonte George.
Washington Wizards — Khris Middleton
Middleton’s $33.3 million expiring contract — plus $3.2 million in unlikely bonuses counting toward the apron — gives Washington leverage similar to the Trae Young deal, even though cap space will dip next year. A post-deadline buyout would bar him from joining teams above either apron.
The trade window closes on Feb. 5, leaving clubs little time to decide whether these 30 players will stay put or become the next pieces to change addresses.
Source: ESPN
