We have officially started the week of the NBA trade deadline, which comes on Thursday at 3:00 p.m. ET. As such, we’re back with another edition of our trade rumors rankings series, where we’ll rank the 10 players who have appeared most often in trade rumors since Sunday, as judged by appearances on our trade rumors page.
For the record, the last player to finish No. 1 in our last trade rumor rankings piece was Kyrie Irving, who is now a Dallas Maverick, so finishing high up on this list is at times a good indicator of a player who might get traded soon.
With so many players to discuss, let’s jump right in.
Russell Westbrook (LA Lakers)
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Despite Russell Westbrook’s improved play as a bench weapon, rival teams aren’t all that impressed, as just in the past day, reports have come out saying two things.
One, a rival team executive believes the Los Angeles Lakers would still need to attach major draft sweetener to get off of Westbrook’s contract:
As SCNG previously reported, one of the reasons the Lakers decided to go into the 2022-23 season with Westbrook on the roster was to rehabilitate his trade value. But a rival front office executive told SCNG that Westbrook, who is averaging 15.7 points, 6.2 rebounds and 7.5 assists this season, still likely requires significant draft compensation to be moved, likely at least one unprotected first-round pick and maybe more.
And furthermore, the Brooklyn Nets were not interested in taking Westbrook as part of a potential Irving deal, so the Lakers had to try and find a third team to take on Westbrook when they were trying to land LeBron James‘ former teammate.
For what it’s worth, the Utah Jazz and Lakers reportedly have had talks about Utah taking on Westbrook’s deal, though those have amounted to nothing concrete as of yet.
For the latest Russell Westbrook trade rumors, click here.
Kevin Durant (Brooklyn)
Kevin Durant
Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
After news of the Irving saga’s merciful end (at least with the Nets) finally coming to a close, all attention shifted to Kevin Durant, who some believe (hope?) could be the next superstar to ask for a trade.
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Now, that’s purely speculative, as Durant has given zero indication he wants out since the latest Irving debacle, but it certainly seems possible Durant could request a move considering he’s done it before and he’s now the only star remaining with the Nets.
It certainly hasn’t helped seeing Ben Simmons’ decline this season, who Durant is reportedly less than thrilled with:
Yet whether or not Durant wants to remain in Brooklyn with Irving – the only other star on the roster – out of town is unclear. Ben Simmons has missed the last four games with left knee soreness, but sources familiar with Durant’s thinking tell the Daily News the star forward has been less than enthralled with Simmons, who is averaging just 7.9 points, 6.6 rebounds and six assists per game on a max contract in Brooklyn.
On top of that, word came out that the Phoenix Suns, a well-known Durant suitor over the summer, is prepared to go after the former league MVP again:
We’ll see where this one goes, but until Durant comes out and says he’s happy to stay in Brooklyn, speculation about his future will only continue to grow.
For the latest Kevin Durant trade rumors, click here.
Saddiq Bey (Detroit)
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A swingman with prototypical size and serious shooting potential, Saddiq Bey has surprisingly been bandied about in trade scuttle a good amount this season, likely because he hasn’t quite taken the next step in his development that many had hoped he might.
Even so, it was reported recently that it’s not a given Bey gets traded by the deadline, even despite all the smoke surrounding his name:
Additionally, in talking to people around the league, it does appear that of Bogdanović, Burks and Bey, the latter may be the most gettable. However, a few league sources have recently told The Athletic that they would be surprised if Bey is traded. …. Even with all that said, I’ve gathered that it’s not a given that the Pistons part with Bey. At 23, he’s already a legit NBA player with room to improve. There certainly are reasons to hesitate when pondering any potential trades involving.
It would be surprising to see the Detroit Pistons be so adamant about not trading 33-year-old Bojan Bogdanovic just to turn around and ship out a 23-year-old wing with the potential Bey has but stranger things have happened, so keep an eye on this situation.
For the latest Saddiq Bey trade rumors, click here.
OG Anunoby (Toronto)
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Toronto Raptors swingman two-way specialist OG Anunoby has been a popular name in trade rumors this season, with veteran NBA reporter Chris Haynes even saying Anunoby would welcome a change of scenery.
The most well-known asking price for Anunoby is reported to be three first-round picks, but a more recent report stated that the Raptors want young players in exchange for the former Indiana standout:
Multiple league insiders told The Times-Picayune that the Raptors’ preference is to get back young players in any deal for Anunoby as opposed to picks. The Pelicans are armed with both of those things. Dyson Daniels, Jones and Naji Marshall are all homegrown talent on team-friendly deals. Plus, the Pelicans own the rights to all of their own first-round picks in the next five years in addition to the 2024 Los Angeles Lakers first that can be deferred until 2025 and a 2027 Milwaukee Bucks first.
That would obviously be good news for a New Orleans Pelicans team – a reported potential landing spot for Anunoby – that is armed with both draft picks and promising young players.
For the latest OG Anunoby trade rumors, click here.
Tim Hardaway Jr. (Dallas)
tim hardaway jr
Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
One trade candidate starting to pop up more and more in pre-deadline scuttle is Tim Hardaway Jr., who’s putting up a meager 13.7 points on 34.9 percent shooting from three this season while under contract through 2024-25.
The latest on the matter came courtesy of the Dallas Morning News, which reported as follows:
Multiple people familiar with the Mavericks’ pre-Irving approach highlighted Tim Hardaway Jr. as a player the team would like to move. Though a strong offensive contributor when in a shooting rhythm, Hardaway’s contract is viewed as a long-term investment that doesn’t justify his streaky production while limits the Mavericks’ future financial flexibility.
Marc Stein would go on to report the Nets rebuffed the Mavericks’ attempts to add Hardaway Jr. to a potential Irving deal:
The Nets’ refused Dallas’ attempts to ship them Christian Wood’s expiring contract or one of its less palatable long-term deals held by Tim Hardaway Jr. and Dāvis Bertāns.
With his production starting to regress and under contract for two more seasons after this one on not-so-team-friendly terms, it’ll be tough for the Mavericks to find a new home for Hardaway Jr. without adding sweetener to the deal.
For the latest Tim Hardaway Jr. trade rumors, click here.
John Wall (LA Clippers)
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John Wall’s return to NBA action hasn’t gone as well as many had hoped, as the Los Angeles Clippers have performed better since he went down with injury and could now be looking to move on from him, be it either via trade or buyout:
Multiple people across the league said the Clippers have been proactive in seeking trade partners for Wall and are considering the possibility of buying out the former five-time All-Star if a trade doesn’t materialize.
It’s unfortunate but after missing out on so much time due to multiple major injuries, Wall simply isn’t the same player he was at his peak, a reasonable outcome considering his All-NBA level prior to getting hurt.
But with a team option on his deal for next season worth just $6.8 million, it might not be super difficult for the Clippers to find him a new home.
For the latest John Wall trade rumors, click here.
Spencer Dinwiddie (Brooklyn)
spencer dinwiddie
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Despite just having gotten traded from the Mavericks to the Nets, Spencer Dinwiddie might not be done moving, as Stein reported after the deal Brooklyn could trade Dinwiddie again prior to the deadline.
Dinwiddie is averaging 17.7 points and 5.3 assists this season while shooting 40.5 percent from three. However, with another season left on his deal paying him $21.0 million in 2023-24, it’s unclear whether teams see that as a positive- or negative-value deal when it comes to potential trades.
For the latest Spencer Dinwiddie trade rumors, click here.
Grant Williams (Boston)
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A 3-and-D role player with defensive versatility, Grant Williams is heading into restricted free agency this summer. But who will it be that owns his restricted-free-agent rights when the time comes: the Boston Celtics or another team?
We ask because, over the weekend, it was reported by The Ringer that the Celtics are looking for wing upgrades and that team have made calls to Boston about the availability of Williams:
At the top of the conference, the Celtics are looking for upgrades at center and wing. It’s been widely reported they have had interest in Poeltl. NBA executives say teams have made calls to Boston about Grant Williams, who has underwhelmed on defense ahead of entering restricted free agency this summer.
Williams could be a savvy pickup for teams in need of more defensive firepower and shooting ability from beyond the arc.
For the latest Grant Williams trade rumors, click here.
Pascal Siakam (Toronto)
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Our own Michael Scotto reported last week that NBA executives find it unlikely Pascal Siakam gets traded at the deadline:
Michael Scotto: Pascal Siakam is leading the league in minutes per game for the second straight season and averaging career-highs in points (25) and assists (6.3). From talking to executives around the league, they don’t believe he’s going to be traded, unless you overpay and blow Toronto away with a crazy offer.
Siakam himself recently talked to the media about the trade rumors, telling them he’s not focused on that but on doing his job:
It’s no guarantee the Raptors decide to move on from Siakam that soon. From a team perspective, it would certainly be comforting to see both Siakam and Barnes, fairly similar players, thrive offensively at the same time. For his part, Siakam isn’t the type to get involved. “Out of my control. Focus on what I have every single day, work with what I have, help wherever I can,” Siakam said of the trade rumours surrounding his team, and whether he wants this version of the team to stay intact. “That’s it. Out of my hands. It’s out of my control, so I have nothing to say about it.”
For the latest Pascal Siakam trade rumors, click here.
Matisse Thybulle (Philadelphia)
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We now have two potential landing spots for Matisse Thybulle, offensively challenged defensive-stopper.
Stein reported that not only are the Sacramento Kings interested in Thybulle, but so are the Atlanta Hawks, two teams that can score in bunches but lack toughness and impactfulness defensively:
Sources say that Atlanta has joined Sacramento as a confirmed suitor for Philadelphia’s Matisse Thybulle. I don’t know that the Hawks will be the ultimate landing spot, but I’ve been advised that the prospect of Thybulle getting traded before Thursday’s buzzer is very real.
Thybulle could be a huge difference-maker on either of those teams, as his impact on defense goes far beyond the stat sheet. Plus, both Sacramento and Atlanta have more than enough scoring to mask his deficiencies at putting the ball through the hoop.
For the latest Matisse Thybulle trade rumors, click here.
Story originally appeared on HoopsHype
