NBA Rumors: The Teams Expected to Be Most Active in the Market During the 2026/27 Season

The last major periods of NBA movements —the trade deadline, the draft, and the start of free agency— have created a particularly active market. With the next season still a bit far off, it's too early to know how the situation will evolve, but some league executives already point out that it will once again be a very intense year regarding trades.

There are several reasons behind this forecast. One of them is the second apron and the luxury tax, as some franchises will look to make moves that allow them to reduce costs and avoid future penalties. Another relates to the period leading up to free agency, when teams try to acquire players that might be available in the market. The third is salary cap space: although the NBA's free agency has yet to fully regain its activity, it could do so, leading more franchises to attempt to shed contracts.

With this scenario, an executive from each conference has pointed out which teams could be more active during the upcoming season.

Hornets, Magic, and Pacers in the spotlight in the East

Charlotte Hornets appears as one of the teams with the highest chances of being on the move. The franchise traded its star and point guard LaMelo Ball, has several easily tradable contracts, and possesses a significant number of draft picks: six first-round picks over the next three drafts, in addition to all its future first-round picks. It has also accumulated over 15 second-round picks.

Among their main tradable assets are Dennis Schröder, Grayson Allen, Grant Williams, and Dorian Finney-Smith, all of whom have salaries ranging from 13 to 18 million dollars.

"They are in a great position and can afford to be patient, but they also want to start changing things and winning, and this trade deadline could be a very good opportunity to do so. I think they will be active, if I had to bet, and I believe many teams will be very active," said the Eastern executive.

The case of the Orlando Magic is different. The franchise might find itself in a complicated situation depending on the extension it grants —or does not grant— to Anthony Black. Orlando faces an issue related to the second apron and may be forced to put Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs, Desmond Bane, and/or Wendell Carter Jr. on the market.

"They didn't play as they wanted. We'll see how the new coach, Sean Sweeney, does. If he gets them to that level, they will let this continue. But if there are injuries and things look bad, it becomes difficult to justify this salary mass to the owner," explained the executive.

The Indiana Pacers will also be a team to watch. Two seasons ago they reached the NBA Finals, acquired Ivica Zubac, will welcome back Tyrese Haliburton, and should be contenders again. Moreover, they retain all their future picks, so they have room to make a big trade that allows them to take the final step.

There is a feeling that they could be just one piece away, although they will also have to keep an eye on their own situation regarding the luxury tax.

"They were quite calm this summer, but they made their move with Zubac. Just because they were calm doesn't mean they weren't busy. I believe they were as busy as anyone analyzing what trades might be available to them at the trade deadline," said the executive from the Eastern Conference.

Rockets, Mavericks, and Trail Blazers, options to watch in the West

In the Western Conference, the Houston Rockets arrive after two disappointing seasons. They won 52 games in each of those seasons, but were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. The franchise has nine first-round picks in the next seven drafts and has six picks available for trade.

"This is a now or never situation for them, I think they know that. They should be healthy. They are quite deep, they are young, but not too young. If they want to compete with the two big teams in the conference, Oklahoma City and San Antonio, they need to start doing it now. They have the assets, and I hope they are aggressive," explained the Western executive.

The Dallas Mavericks will have a good opportunity to part ways with some of the older veterans on the roster and surround Cooper Flagg with players who are closer to his development timeline.

Dallas has already put Daniel Gafford, P.J. Washington, and other players on the market, and will continue to do so. Additionally, the possibility of trading Kyrie Irving before the trade deadline will be one of the major issues the franchise will need to resolve.

"There is some reluctance to take on some of those contracts, but things happen during a season: injuries, players improving, players declining. So I think some of those players will look better as the season progresses, and suddenly you’ll need a center, a power forward, or whatever. They are ready," said the executive.

The Portland Trail Blazers could also play an important role. After tasting victory last season, the franchise made the move this summer to acquire Ja Morant. However, they have little depth in the interior positions and, if they want to stay in the playoff race, they will need to be aggressive in strengthening that area.

"I think they have their finger ready to pull the trigger. There has been a lot of negative press for reasons beyond their control, beyond the control of the basketball people. So I think the people in charge of the sporting side have extra motivation to make things happen and to make this team relevant, regardless of what is going on," noted the executive from the West.

The point guards that could enter the market

One of the standout names is Darius Garland from the Los Angeles Clippers. He has two years and 87 million dollars left on his contract. The Clippers are trying to process the penalty of losing five first-round draft picks following the resolution of the scandal related to Aspiration and Kawhi Leonard. Although it is still unclear what direction the franchise will take or what the consequences will be with their owner and general manager suspended, accumulating draft picks and salary space would be a good idea.

Garland is the only player on the roster who could potentially justify a package of two first-round picks, although his injury history could be a hindrance.

Kyrie Irving from the Mavericks is also among the candidates. He has two years and 82 million dollars remaining, with a player option in the second year. Marc Stein mentioned his name, although nothing is imminent. As with many veterans, the idea would be to play him until January, increase his value and see if any deal can be finalized before the trade deadline.

Dejounte Murray from the New Orleans Pelicans has two years and 63 million dollars left, with a player option. Teams will want to see how he is doing now that he should be fully recovered from his Achilles tendon injury, but he is expected to become a trade candidate as the trade deadline approaches.

In the case of Jamal Murray from the Denver Nuggets, there are still three years and 161 million dollars remaining. It's a possibility, although it doesn't seem likely to happen now. Denver's economic situation is complicated, and the scenario could resemble that of Jaylen Brown.

Mikal Bridges from the New York Knicks has four years and 150 million dollars left. A trade could give the franchise flexibility for the future, although the Knicks seem determined to keep the roster below the second apron for as long as they can. At some point, however, there will come a breaking point.

Shaedon Sharpe from Portland has four years and 90 million dollars remaining. He is currently sidelined due to a meniscus tear, a tough blow for him and the Trail Blazers that will likely remove him from trade discussions. Nevertheless, he averaged 20.8 points last season, and Portland has a surplus of players at the guard position.

Ty Jerome from the Memphis Grizzlies has two years and 19 million dollars remaining, including a player option. Jerome took advantage of the chaos in Memphis last season and averaged 19.7 points, with 42% from three-point range. The Grizzlies need to trim their roster, and the 29-year-old guard doesn't really fit into it. He could have good value if Memphis decides to convert him into future assets, although the franchise doesn't have much more at the guard position either.

Jalen Suggs of Orlando has four years and $115 million remaining, with a team option. He has spent five seasons in the NBA and has only had one good year as a point guard capable of contributing on both ends of the floor and scoring from three: in 2023-24, he averaged 12.6 points with a 39.7% shooting from three. The rest of his seasons have been marked by performance issues and injuries. For Orlando, the problem is that his only good season came just as he was negotiating his extension. Trades involving Banchero or Wagner cannot be ruled out, but only if the season really goes awry.

Dalton Knecht of the Los Angeles Lakers has two years and $10 million remaining, including two team options. He showed potential as a rookie, but his performance declined in his second season, and now he is a piece that could be used to match salaries in a potential trade. It has been surprising that no team has wanted to bet on his potential, considering he is only 25 years old.

Jaden Hardy, also of the Lakers, has one year and $6 million remaining. The Lakers need to part ways with a player, and Hardy is a candidate if they find a team willing to take him on.

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More names in the perimeter positions

Brandon Ingram, between the Toronto Raptors and the Los Angeles Clippers, has two years and 82 million dollars left, with a player option. The Clippers should try to accumulate as many draft picks as possible, and parting with Ingram next summer could allow them to get one.

Moses Moody, from the Golden State Warriors, has two years and 26 million dollars remaining. There is a possibility that he will be ready to start the season and he is said to be staying with the team. However, if the Warriors make any trade moves this summer, rumors suggest that Moody could be involved.

Trey Murphy, from the Pelicans, has three years and 88 million dollars left. Rumors have emerged suggesting that New Orleans could trade him, although there are also reports indicating otherwise. Murphy is a regular name in NBA trade rumors, but the Pelicans are taking any potential move slowly.

Saddiq Bey, also from New Orleans, has one year and 6.5 million dollars remaining. He returned with a strong season after tearing his ACL and averaged 17.7 points, with 45.1% shooting from the field and 36.7% from three-point range. These numbers were achieved on a poor team, but he showed that he can still be a suitable bench shooter.

Patrick Williams of the Chicago Bulls has three years and 54 million dollars left on his contract. For fans, it may be symbolic and probably cathartic to see Williams leave the team with the arrival of a new front office and coaching staff. However, his contract is a hindrance.

Michael Porter Jr. of the Brooklyn Nets has one year and 40 million dollars remaining, with a partial guarantee. If talks about his extension do not resume, he will become a focal point of the market throughout the winter. Negotiations to extend his contract appear to be stalled. He is a player on the cusp of being an All-Star and intends to be compensated as such. If the Nets do not want to go that far with the contract, the question will be whether another team would be willing to do so.

Derrick Jones Jr. of the Clippers has one year and 10 million dollars left on his contract. He continues to be a defensive specialist, and his expiring contract gives the Clippers some flexibility to move him, although the franchise is caught in a pause related to Aspiration.

Kyle Kuzma of the Milwaukee Bucks has one year and 20 million dollars left. His expiring contract is appealing and he could be involved in a trade if the Bucks execute a sign-and-trade for Peyton Watson, Bennedict Mathurin, or Jonathan Kuminga.

DeAndre Hunter of the Sacramento Kings has one year and 25 million dollars remaining. Sacramento wants to keep him as an expiring contract that they could potentially use to make another move, although his name also appears as a possible target for other teams. If the Kings acquire an asset in return without taking on long-term money, he could be traded at the trade deadline.

Royce O'Neale of the Hornets has two years and 21 million dollars remaining. Charlotte still has work to do with its roster. O'Neale is not a long-term piece, but he has value. The team could keep him, see how he fits, and trade him at the deadline.

Jake LaRavia of the Lakers has one year and six million dollars remaining. He is a hard-working player who participates in every game, although he can be inconsistent. His contract makes him an attractive piece as the Lakers continue trying to define the final part of their roster.

Herb Jones of the Pelicans has four years and 82 million dollars remaining, including a player option. He is a popular name in the market, but it is said that New Orleans wants two first-round picks. Given his injury issues and three-point shooting problems over the last two seasons, the price is too high. Additionally, his contract may also deter potential suitors.

Cam Johnson and Denver's financial situation

Cam Johnson of the Nuggets has one year and 23 million dollars remaining. The move for Peyton Watson likely means that Johnson will stay in Denver, although he will be a player very easy to trade in the coming months and before the trade deadline.

Johnson had problems in his only season in Denver and has been a prominent figure in NBA trade rumors for years. Teams wanted the Nuggets to include draft picks in a deal for Johnson, but Denver was not willing to do so.

Still, he maintains enough reputation around the league to generate interest, while the Nuggets, constrained by the second apron, value that his contract is ending soon. They need that space for Nikola Jokic next summer.

NBA teams were trying to take advantage of Denver's financial situation and asked the Nuggets to include draft picks along with Cam Johnson in potential trades, according to Bennett Durando, in a report released by Fullcourtpass.

P.J. Washington of the Mavericks has four years and 90 million dollars remaining. Like Daniel Gafford, he is coming off Dallas's schedule as he will turn 28 this summer. He is a stretch four who defends well, but his shooting has been questionable: last season he only converted 32.5% of his threes.

As with Gafford, the Mavericks hope to get a first-rounder in return, but his contract is a hindrance and his production is not up to par.

Interiors could also take center stage

Paolo Banchero, from Orlando, has five years and 245 million dollars remaining, with a player option. Finding a team willing to take on that contract will not be easy.

Jalen Smith, from the Bulls, has one year and 9.4 million dollars remaining. Patrick Williams previously appeared on an earlier version of this list, and parting with him would have been a symbolic gesture to close the previous chapter with the arrival of the new general manager, Bryson Graham. However, no one seems willing to take on his three-year, 54 million dollar contract.

There is indeed interest in Smith, so Chicago could leverage his value as the season progresses and teams begin to clearly identify their needs in the interior positions.

Nikola Jovic, from the Miami Heat, has four years and 62 million dollars remaining. There is some caution when it comes to trading for Jovic, who is available and only 23 years old. The issue for potential suitors is the high contract he still has.

Grant Williams, from the Hornets, has one year and 15 million dollars remaining. Charlotte has not yet finished assembling its roster, and his expiring contract holds some value. Moreover, he can still be a useful interior player off the bench.

Zeke Nnaji of the Nuggets has four years and 32 million dollars remaining. Denver already tried to trade him this summer but found no interested parties. His contract is not particularly high, although four years is a long time for a player in his situation.

Obi Toppin of the Pacers has two years and 31 million dollars remaining. A foot injury derailed his last season, and even when healthy, he is a bench player who offers about 18 minutes per game. Indiana will likely make some moves to get under the luxury tax, whether now or at the trade deadline.

Jarred Vanderbilt of the Lakers has two years and 26 million dollars remaining. The Lakers have tried to find a team willing to take him on, but no one has shown much interest in assuming his contract.

The question now is what to do with him. The most likely scenario is that the Lakers keep him in the rotation and try to regain his value, with an eye on a possible trade at the deadline or next summer. There could also be smaller moves involving Dalton Knecht and/or Jaden Hardy, but Vanderbilt is the player the Lakers want to move on from.

Aaron Gordon and Daniel Gafford complete the interior list

Aaron Gordon of the Nuggets has three years and 110 million dollars remaining. Denver will face a complicated situation next year with the second apron, something that has already been widely documented.

That is one of the reasons why the franchise did not want to part ways this summer with Cam Johnson's expiring contract and probably will not do so during this season either. Denver values the 23 million dollars that Johnson will free up when he becomes a free agent.

The Nuggets plan to offer Nikola Jokic a 360 million dollar extension next summer, but they will need more flexibility. Trading Gordon could provide that, although his contract and physical issues complicate a trade.

Finally, Daniel Gafford of the Mavericks has three years and 54 million dollars remaining. He will turn 28 in October and, with Dallas focused on rejuvenating the roster, parting ways with him has been one of the team's objectives.

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