All-NBA honors handed out after the regular season come with a trophy, or in the case of some superstars, a significant increase in salary.
Our first All-Trade Buzz team — ESPN’s look at 10 players league scouts and executives are watching closely with trade season underway — comes with weeks of speculation leading up to the Feb. 6 deadline.
Guard Dennis Schroder, who had headlined our list, was the player named most by NBA decision-makers — and for good reason. He was traded Sunday to the Golden State Warriors for De’Anthony Melton and three future second-round picks.
But don’t count on all these players getting moved. The stringent trade rules in the new collective bargaining agreement — for example, nearly a third of the league’s franchises are not allowed to take back additional salary in deals — could make it difficult for teams to acquire higher-paid players.
With the deadline less than two months away, let’s examine the players on our All-Trade team and what lies ahead for each star in 2024-25.
All-Trade Buzz: First team
Jimmy Butler, G
Current deal: Butler has two years remaining on his contract, $48.8 million this season and a $52.4 million player option in 2025-26. He has a 15% trade bonus that is valued at $407,000.
Out of the list of trade candidates, Butler’s future is the most interesting.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Tuesday that, barring a change, Butler will decline the option and become a free agent in the summer. He then would be able to sign a two-year, $113 million extension with the Heat until June 30.
Butler’s market in free agency could be close to nonexistent. Out of the teams with projected cap space, only the rebuilding Nets have more than $40 million. Butler could opt in to his contract in the offseason and ask to be traded, but that would require cooperation from the Heat.
Can the Heat move off of Butler but also remain a playoff team while regaining future financial flexibility? Because of his high salary, finding a trade partner presents a problem. For example, luxury tax teams such as the Warriors and Dallas Mavericks would need to trade a quarter of their roster to match salaries. The Houston Rockets, on the other end, would make the most sense because they have the contracts (Dillon Brooks and salary fillers), first-round capital and are well below the apron.
The Heat are 13-10 but just one game ahead of the play-in tournament. With Butler on the roster next season, Miami is likely a luxury tax and first apron team. Butler, 35, is on pace to play the most games since 2018-19 and is shooting a career-high 55.7% from the field.
Zach LaVine, G
Current deal: Including this season, LaVine has three years remaining on the $215 million max contract he signed in 2022. If LaVine is moved, the Bulls would owe him 15% of his remaining salary as a trade bonus. In the scenario where LaVine is traded Feb. 6, the $9.4 million bonus is spread evenly over his salary this season and in 2025-26. If the bonus is not waived, his cap hit in 2025-26 would be $51 million. (This season, his cap hit is $43 million.)
A season ago, the combination of $160 million remaining on his contract, uneven production on the court and eventual season-ending right foot surgery zapped the trade market for LaVine. The optics have changed slightly since.
LaVine still has an average salary of $43 million but with one fewer year, and durability concerns have subsided for now. LaVine is on pace to play the third-most games since he entered the NBA in 2014, having missed only three games in early November with a right adductor strain.
And though the Bulls are not contending for a top seed in the East, their offense is averaging 117.9 points per 100 possessions with LaVine on the court, which would be fourth in the league. A big factor is LaVine shooting 50.6% from the field and a career-high 43.2% on 3-pointers.
LaVine is owed less money, and he has showcased improved health and production. Does that make him a likely candidate to get traded prior to Feb. 6? Not exactly, according to a West general manager.
“If we were operating under the 2017 CBA and there were no apron rules, I could make a case to my owner on LaVine”, one team told ESPN. “But his salary boxes you into a corner on how we can add to the roster.”
Current deal: On an expiring $36 million salary, Ingram has a 15% trade bonus owed to him on his remaining salary at the time of a trade. If he is traded Feb. 6, the bonus is valued at $2 million. (The Pelicans would be responsible for paying the bonus, and the $2 million would be applied to his current salary.)
Navigating Ingram’s future is comparable to getting all sides of a Rubik’s Cube to match, as the forward and the Pelicans remain at a financial standstill.
“There’s a difference between getting something done and having the opportunity to make it all work, and we haven’t yet.” Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin said before the start of preseason. “If we get to a point where it’s the right time and the right fit, we can. Unfortunately, we just haven’t been in a situation where the parties have met in the middle.”
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Over the next two months leading up to the Feb. 6 deadline, one of three things will occur:
- Ingram signs an extension worth less than the max to remain in New Orleans. Ingram, who recently switched agents to Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, has been eligible to sign a four-year, $208 million max extension since the first day after the NBA Finals. But the Pelicans have shown no inclination to pay Ingram a contract that starts at $46.4 million per year.
- The Pelicans find Ingram a new team, the likely scenario. Ingram, 27, has averaged 22 points or more in six straight seasons. Finding an interested trade partner should not be difficult, even with him sidelined indefinitely because of an ankle sprain. The San Antonio Spurs would be a perfect fit because of their finances now and into the future. Victor Wembanyama is in Year 2 of his rookie contract, so San Antonio would have a runway to extend Ingram at near maximum money and still have flexibility to improve the roster.
- No trade materializes. The financial landscape of the NBA makes it challenging to trade for him. Outside of the Rockets and the Oklahoma City Thunder, the top teams in either conference are in the luxury tax or apron and are restricted on first-round picks to send in a trade. (Five teams — San Antonio, Brooklyn, Oklahoma City, Houston and Utah — control 65 first-round picks over the next seven years.) The other obstacle could be teams’ unwillingness to give up significant compensation, in either players or draft picks. Once Dec. 30 passes, Ingram can extend for only three years and $136 million. Though there is a risk that Ingram can leave for nothing as a free agent, only Brooklyn and Washington project to have more than $30 million in cap space next summer.
New Orleans Pelicans
Current deal: Williamson has one of the more intriguing contracts in the league. The next three seasons ($39.4 million, $42.2 million and $44.9 million) are currently non-guaranteed. His $36.7 million salary this season becomes guaranteed Jan. 7 and is partially protected for $29.4 million. His $39.4 million salary in 2025-26 becomes guaranteed July 15 but the remaining $87 million owed is non-guaranteed.
As Charania reported last week, the Pelicans have no desire to waive Williamson despite an injury-marred career. Williamson has played more than 60 games in two of his first five seasons and is currently out because of a left hamstring strain.
Should New Orleans explore the trade market for Williamson and build around Ingram? The question is valid, especially if the Pelicans are tired of regularly seeing Williamson’s name on the injury report. The realization comes with New Orleans needing Williamson to be available if it wants to maximize his value on the court or in a trade.
If they do move him, the Pelicans can acquire expiring contracts and perhaps a future first-round pick. New Orleans can outright release Williamson this summer with no financial obligation.
Current deal: Valanciunas is in Year 1 of a three-year, $30.3 million contract. His cap hit this season is $9.9 million and the last season of the deal is non-guaranteed.
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The Valanciunas sign-and-trade from New Orleans drew the attention of opposing teams this summer.
Why would the rebuilding Wizards sign a 32-year-old center, especially after they drafted 7-footer Alex Sarr with the second overall pick and were returning veteran big men Marvin Bagley III and Richaun Holmes? For a few reasons:
The Wizards had a $10 million trade exception that was set to expire July 6. The salary for Valanciunas this season is $9.9 million. If the trade exception expired, Washington would have had to use most of its $12.8 million non-tax midlevel exception. That exception remains available to use in a future trade. Washington now also has a tradable contract that it can move after Dec. 15 for draft considerations. Valanciunas is averaging a career-low 20 minutes per game but still is averaging 12 points and 7.8 rebounds.
All-Trade Buzz: Second team
Current deal: On an expiring $18.7 million contract. Russell has a $700,000 bonus if the team he is on wins the championship.
Russell’s second tenure in Los Angeles has been uneven at best.
Acquired by the Lakers in February 2022, Russell has split time starting and coming off the bench this season. He is averaging a career-low 12.4 points in fewer than 30 minutes per game. In last week’s win against the Portland Trail Blazers, Russell had his best game of the season. He scored 28 points and added 14 assists.
Russell’s expiring contract could be used to acquire multiple players, but because the Lakers are over the apron, they are not allowed to take back more money than what is owed to Russell. The Lakers’ post-transactional salary cannot exceed the second apron if they combine Russell with another player in a trade.
Because Russell signed a two-year contract with the Lakers, he is not eligible to sign an extension if he were traded.
Current deal: Sexton has a cap hit of $18.4 million this season and $19.2 million in 2025-26. Included in his salary is a $200,000 likely bonus for games played (62 or more) and true shooting percentage (62% or more). There is an additional $300,000 in bonuses that are considered unlikely but count toward the apron. Sexton is extension-eligible one day after the NBA Finals conclude.
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Similar to Schroder, Sexton is an ideal trade candidate but with a slightly higher salary and one more year remaining on his contract.
Acquired in the Donovan Mitchell trade, Sexton is shooting over 48% from the field and 39% on 3-pointers. Per Cleaning the Glass, Sexton ranks in the 86th percentile among all combo guards on shots between 4 and 14 feet. He has played in 97% of regular-season games since 2023-24.
According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, Utah is expected to be active in the trade market if the right deal materializes with Sexton, Jordan Clarkson and John Collins. Considering Sexton has another year left on his contract and Utah has amassed 13 first-round picks over the next seven drafts, there is no urgency to move off one of its more consistent players.
Portland Trail Blazers
Current deal: Grant is in the second year of a five-year, $160 million contract signed in 2023. He has a $29.7 million salary this season.
The ink was not even dry on Grant’s contract before he was subject to trade rumors. The reason: Damian Lillard asked to be moved one day after Grant agreed to re-sign in Portland.
Entering Year 2 and with $122 million still owed, Portland once again is faced with a decision on whether it should part ways with the forward. On the surface, that answer is yes.
Grant is 30 years old and does not fit Portland’s post-Lillard timeline, but his ability to guard multiple positions is ideal for a playoff team. Unlike Ingram, who can become a free agent in the summer, the acquiring team would have Grant for the next three seasons.
Portland is facing a shrinking window to deal Grant. Unlike fellow trade candidate Kyle Kuzma , whose contract declines in each season, Grant’s salary increases, making it more difficult to trade. (He has a $36.4 million salary in the last year of his contract, when he will be 33 years old.) On the court, he is having his second-worst statistical season of his career, shooting less than 40% from the field.
Bobby Portis, F
Current deal: Portis has a $12.6 million salary this season, a $13.4 million player option for 2025-26 and is currently eligible to sign a four-year, $81 million extension.
Portis is not a novice to seeing his name in trade rumors.
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Sources confirmed to ESPN that Milwaukee had a deal in place last season to send Portis to Dallas for Grant Williams. The Bucks eventually passed and Williams was sent to the Charlotte Hornets for PJ Washington.
Because Milwaukee is limited in tradable contracts and draft assets (it can trade only its 2031 first-round pick), expect Portis’ name to resurface again. Portis is averaging 13.8 points this season but has been an inconsistent shooter. He scored a combined 45 points on 7-for-8 from 3 in wins against Brooklyn and Orlando in early December. The two games prior, Portis shot 0-for-6 from deep
Nearly 80% of the Bucks’ payroll is tied up in four players (Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez). As a result, Milwaukee is bottom-heavy in salary with 11 players, starting with Portis, earning $12.6 million or less in salary.
The Bucks will need to be creative upgrading the roster using Portis’ salary. They are not allowed to take back more salary because they are $6.5 million over the first apron and cannot aggregate Portis’ salary with another player if the post-transactional team salary leaves them over the second apron.
Current deal: Robinson has a $14.3 million salary this season and $12.9 million next year. He is extension-eligible one day after the NBA Finals.
Robinson is the Knicks’ most valuable trade asset — but with an asterisk.
Though his contract is appealing for a team in need of frontcourt depth and rebounding, Robinson has not played in a game this season after two surgeries on his left ankle. If Robinson can return before the trade deadline, New York will be faced with the question of whether he has more value playing with the current roster or in a trade to bolster New York’s bench. The Knicks’ reserves average the fewest minutes and points of any team.
Because of the Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns trades, New York is limited in what it can send out. The Knicks have Robinson, Precious Achiuwa, a protected first-round pick from Washington and eight second-rounders to deal. They are also $533,000 below the second apron and cannot exceed the threshold in any trade.
Other players to watch: Clint Capela (Atlanta), Ben Simmons (Brooklyn), Dorian Finney-Smith (Brooklyn), Maxi Kleber (Dallas), Malik Beasley (Detroit), Jonathan Kuminga (Golden State), Obi Toppin (Indiana), P.J. Tucker (LA Clippers), Gabe Vincent (Los Angeles Lakers), Caleb Martin (Philadelphia), KJ Martin (Philadelphia), Grayson Allen (Phoenix), Josh Okogie (Phoenix), Jusuf Nurkic (Phoenix), Robert Williams III (Portland), Bruce Brown (Toronto), Jordan Clarkson (Utah), John Collins (Utah), Kyle Kuzma (Washington) and Malcolm Brogdon (Washington).
