It’s never too early to talk NBA trades. And three weeks into the regular season, several contenders may be forced to act to address early struggles.
But considering the current salary cap and luxury tax restrictions across the league, that may be easier said than done for several teams trying to maximize their championship windows.
The Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks have plenty of star power, but their front offices might need to get creative to surround their superstars with effective role players. Teams with aging rosters, such as the Miami Heat and the Milwaukee Bucks, may also be forced to get their seasons back on track via the trade market.
Other teams, such as the Philadelphia 76ers and the New Orleans Pelicans are dealing with a bevy of injuries, which raises the question of whether they should make a move or wait to get healthy.
Kevin Pelton, Bobby Marks and more of ESPN’s NBA insiders are breaking down these six contenders to see what they’re currently lacking, what their options are ahead of the trade season and whether there are rumblings of potential moves.
Jump to a team:
Lakers | Bucks | Heat
Pelicans | Knicks | 76ers
What they’re missing: bench production
The Lakers’ reserves rank 27th in scoring (23.7 PPG) and last in assists (4.1 APG). The return of Gabe Vincent, who played just 11 games in 2023-24 following December knee surgery, was supposed to help strengthen L.A.’s backcourt depth, but he is shooting 19% from 3-point range and is averaging a career-low 0.5 assists.
The Lakers were also counting on third-year wing Max Christie to take a step forward. Instead, Christie has fallen largely out of the rotation after posting a 41% effective field goal percentage — which accounts for the additional value of 3-point shots by treating them as 1.5 field goals — over the season’s first 10 games.
Moving D’Angelo Russell to the bench in favor of Cam Reddish has juiced the bench in the Lakers’ past two home wins, with Russell combining for 33 points, but unless Reddish keeps up his 67% 3-point shooting, that will come at the expense of spacing in the starting five. The Lakers need more rotation-caliber players. — Pelton
What they can pull off
Under the previous CBA, the Lakers would be in a position to shake up their roster, as every player is trade eligible outside of LeBron James and Max Christie. But because teams over the first apron cannot take back additional salary in a trade, Los Angeles would need to get creative. (For example, the Lakers could not trade Russell for Malcolm Brogdon, who carries a higher salary.)
Los Angeles is $30,000 below the second apron and can’t aggregate the contracts of Austin Reaves and Russell if the post-trade salaries leave them over the second apron. (A hypothetical trade of Reaves, Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt and a 2031 first-round pick for Trae Young is not allowed under the CBA restrictions.)
To make a deal to create more flexibility below the second apron, the Lakers could attach cash and one of their four second-round picks to the contract of big man Christian Wood, who underwent surgery on his left knee in September and is on an expiring $3 million contract.
Finances aside, the Lakers owe their 2025 first-round pick to Atlanta and their 2027 top-4-protected first to Utah. They are allowed to trade three firsts — their 2029, 2030 or 2031 picks — but are not allowed to trade in back-to-back seasons, so the maximum firsts they can trade is two (2029 and 2031). Los Angeles has the right to swap firsts in five years (2026, 2028, 2029, 2030 and 2031). — Marks
What’s next for Los Angeles?
Dating back to last season’s trade deadline, the Lakers’ front office has been met with more closed doors when canvassing the league for trade opportunities, sources told ESPN.
It’s hard to tell whether that is because the Lakers’ roster is seen as undesirable by other teams, or because of L.A.’s reluctance to offer future draft picks (and compromise its post-LeBron future) or because the CBA has limited activity, with teams either already stuck above the second apron or dreadfully avoiding it. The Lakers still consider adding frontcourt depth behind Anthony Davis and Jaxson Hayes a priority, sources told ESPN, with Wood yet to play this season and two-way center Christian Koloko a development project. — Dave McMenamin
What they’re missing: shooting
The Bucks, who ranked in the top five in made 3-pointers each of the past six seasons, are below the league average at 12.6, ranking 15th in the NBA.
It’s possible 3-point volume could resolve itself. Milwaukee’s two most frequent 3-point shooters, Damian Lillard (35%) and Brook Lopez (28%), are shooting far worse than their career marks. At some point, the Bucks will also get Khris Middleton back from offseason surgery on both ankles. Middleton averaged 1.7 3-pointers per game in limited playing time last season.
Better production by holdovers alone won’t replace Malik Beasley, who shot 41% from 3-point range as Milwaukee’s starting shooting guard last season. Replacement Gary Trent Jr. is off to a dreadful start (23%, as compared to his 38% career mark), which has forced the Bucks to turn to more limited specialists Andre Jackson Jr. and AJ Green on the perimeter. Green is a top-tier shooter who is a tough fit defensively alongside Lillard, while Jackson is a perimeter stopper but a non-shooter. Milwaukee needs wings who fill both roles. — Pelton
What they can pull off
As ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported last week, Milwaukee has been actively calling teams to gauge trade interest. While every player on the roster is trade eligible outside of Gary Trent Jr., Taurean Prince and Delon Wright (and no, Milwaukee is not looking to trade Giannis Antetokounmpo), finding a partner presents a challenge.
The Bucks do not control their own first-round pick until 2031 and have just one second-round pick available. Milwaukee is a luxury tax team for a fifth consecutive season and is over the second apron, so it is not allowed to combine outgoing contracts in trades and must match dollar-for-dollar or take less in incoming contracts.
The Bucks’ roster is top heavy in salary: Antetokounmpo and Lillard each make $48.7 million, while nine players earn less than $2.8 million. The players who have sizable contracts — Lopez, Middleton, Bobby Portis Jr. and Pat Connaughton — could be free agents next offseason. Middleton, who has played just 88 games over the past two seasons, has a $34 million player option for 2025-26. Lopez, meanwhile, will turn 37 in April. — Marks
What’s next for Milwaukee?
The Bucks are searching for ways to help their star duo in Antetokounmpo and Lillard, especially on the defensive end. As Pelton mentioned, Milwaukee hopes its 3-point shooting will start to rebound, but the Bucks have expressed interest in a defensive wing to add some athleticism to the mix. The Bucks are getting outrun in transition, an area they have struggled in for the past two seasons, and teams are targeting their point-of-attack defense. They have been looking for ways to remedy those two weaknesses. — Jamal Collier
What they’re missing: Defensive rebounding
The Heat haven’t finished outside the top 12 in defensive rating in a decade and have ranked in the top 10 in each of the past four seasons. Miami’s dip to 15th so far in 2024-25 can be traced largely to struggles on the glass.
The Heat ranked third in defensive rebound percentage a year ago (78%) but are down to 73% this season, which ranks 17th. Don’t blame Bam Adebayo. With the five-time All-Defensive pick on the court, Miami still rebounds at a top-10 rate according to NBA Advanced Stats. That drops to a league-worst rate with Adebayo on the bench, when the Heat typically play smaller lineups and frequently utilize zone defenses.
It remains to be seen whether Kevin Love’s return can stabilize Miami on the glass. Love made his season debut Sunday after missing the first five games because of personal reasons and three more returning to game conditioning. — Pelton
What they can pull off
The Terry Rozier trade in January plays a role in what Miami can do over the next three months.
In addition to taking on the combined $50 million owed to Rozier this season and next, the Heat sent Charlotte a future first-round pick, which is conveyable two years after the draft considerations sent to Oklahoma City from a previous trade are met. (Miami owes OKC a top-14-protected first-round pick in 2025, which becomes unprotected in 2026 if not conveyed in the prior season.)
If that first-rounder is conveyed in 2025, Miami will then send Charlotte a top-14-protected first-rounder in 2027. If the first is not conveyed, the Hornets will receive a 2028 unprotected first. The earliest first-rounder Miami can trade is two years after the conditions to Charlotte have been met.
The lack of first-round capital is not the only roadblock. The Heat are over the first apron and $1.6 million below the second. Miami for now is not allowed to trade Adebayo, Haywood Highsmith, Kevin Love, Alec Burks or Thomas Bryant. — Marks
What’s next for Miami?
Miami came into the season with lots of questions about its future. After a middling start to the season, including Jimmy Butler going down with an ankle injury, those questions remain. Given the extraordinarily forgiving nature of the East, don’t expect Miami to make any early moves. Entering the season, the Heat wanted to see how their roster would look and then evaluate from there. That thought process hasn’t changed. — Bontemps
What they’re missing: healthy players
Of the Pelicans’ top six players coming into the season, only Brandon Ingram has played more than six of their first 11 games. At times, he has been the only healthy member of that group. Trey Murphy III made his season debut Monday after a preseason hamstring strain, Dejounte Murray was lost to a broken hand in the season opener that required surgery, and long-term injuries to Herb Jones and CJ McCollum followed. On Saturday, Zion Williamson was ruled out with a hamstring injury.
Add guards Jordan Hawkins (back strain) and Jose Alvarado (hamstring strain) to the injured list, and coach Willie Green has been forced deep into his bench on the perimeter.
Even if New Orleans returns to full strength, center depth will remain a question mark. First-round pick Yves Missi supplanted journeyman Daniel Theis as the starter to begin November, but neither player is shooting even 46% from the field, problematic at a spot where the average player shoots 54%. It’s possible Williamson could fill that void as an undersized 5, but the Pelicans didn’t have enough perimeter depth to try those lineups for extended minutes before he went down. — Pelton
What they can pull off
Among all the teams on this list, New Orleans has the most flexibility to pull off a trade. The Pelicans control their own first in the next seven years and could add to their collection if Milwaukee’s pick falls in the top four in 2025 or 2027. New Orleans can also swap firsts with the Bucks in 2026.
From a roster standpoint, every player is trade eligible except for Javonte Green, Daniel Theis and Jaylen Nowell. Trey Murphy III signed a rookie extension in October, but an included poison pill restriction means the extension has yet to go into effect, making his contract difficult to move.
New Orleans is $2.4 million below the first apron and cannot exceed the threshold in a trade. However, with injuries mounting, should the Pelicans be in a holding pattern until this roster gets healthy? Or should they start to make calls? Brandon Ingram is in the last year of his contract and can become a free agent if no extension is reached prior to June 30.
New Orleans is $3.5 million above the luxury tax but is expected to drop below the threshold ahead of the trade deadline to avoid paying the penalty for the first time in franchise history. It has the partially guaranteed contract of Jaylen Nowell, as well as three contracts worth $2.1 million each (Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Daniel Theis, Javonte Green).
New Orleans would drop below the tax if one of those three players is traded and Nowell is waived prior to the Jan. 7 guaranteed date. The Pelicans also have three second-round picks and $7.2 million in cash that they can include any deals. — Marks
Shams Charania reports on Zion Williamson’s hamstring strain that will keep him out of action for at least “several weeks.”
What’s next for New Orleans?
Difficult decisions await the Pelicans, but history indicates they might stand pat and ride out their rash of injuries. New Orleans is one of two teams that has never paid the luxury tax. That’s not expected to change, as the franchise is expected to waive Nowell as injured players start to return to avoid the tax, in addition to dumping a minimum contract at the deadline. — Michael C. Wright
What they’re missing: depth (particularly in the frontcourt)
The Knicks are giving more than 74% of their minutes to their five starters, the highest percentage for any team in the NBA. That’s nothing new for a Tom Thibodeau-coached team, and the Knicks’ starting five has also been healthy, while their bench has been hit hard by injury. Backup centers Precious Achiuwa and Mitchell Robinson remain sidelined, while guard Cameron Payne has been out since Nov. 1 with a hamstring strain.
Still, New York is going to need reinforcements to get through an 82-game schedule. Luxury-tax concerns have forced the Knicks to leave a roster spot open, but they did promote second-round pick Ariel Hukporti from a two-way contract last week. That move gave New York three 2024 draft picks on full NBA contracts, the most among last year’s playoff teams. — Pelton
What they can pull off
The health of center Mitchell Robinson will determine New York’s activity in the trade market. Robinson, who has not yet debuted this season, tied a career low in games played last season (31) and underwent two left ankle surgeries. Over the next two seasons, he has $14.9 million and $12.5 million remaining on his contract. New York also has the $6 million contract of Precious Achiuwa but can’t trade him until Jan. 15.
In any trade, New York is walking a tightrope. The Knicks are $580,872 below the second apron and are not allowed to take back salary in deals. Because of the restrictions, New York is not allowed to sign a 15th player until the end of February. New York can aggregate contracts sent out but must stay below the second apron.
The Knicks have eight second-round picks available but are limited in first-round assets, with a 2025 top-10-protected first from Washington and the ability to swap firsts in 2026 or 2030. — Marks
What’s next for New York?
After a summer of wheeling and dealing to bring both Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns to Madison Square Garden, the Knicks seem inclined to wait things out on the trade market, even as the team’s defense underwhelms in uncharacteristic fashion. New York ranks 28th in one-on-one defense — highly disappointing given the reputation of stoppers Bridges and OG Anunoby — while rating 24th in rim protection. Still, it might be smarter to wait for a return to health than to make another trade. Achiuwa (hamstring) has progressed to on-court work, while Robinson (ankle) continues to rehab in hopes of a January return. — Chris Herring
What they’re missing: frontcourt size
Lack of shot creation has probably been the biggest issue for the Sixers thus far, as they rank 24th in effective field-goal percentage, but count on Joel Embiid’s return solving that issue.
Embiid will also offer more brawn in the frontcourt to a team that is playing the NBA’s shortest lineups weighted by minutes played (average listed height of just above 6-foot-5). With Andre Drummond starting, 6-foot-8 Guerschon Yabusele has functioned as Philadelphia’s backup center. It’s no wonder the 76ers rank 29th in opponent shooting in the restricted area, per Second Spectrum, ahead of only the Chicago Bulls.
Even with Embiid back, Philly should be on the hunt for size at power forward. Yabusele is the tallest player the Sixers can put there, and 14 teams — including four of the other seven who made the East playoffs last season, led by Milwaukee and the Cleveland Cavaliers — average a height of more than 6-foot-8 for their power forwards. Philadelphia could use another player capable of matching up who won’t hurt their spacing on offense. — Pelton
What they can pull off
The 76ers turned over their roster in the offseason and as a result are in a holding pattern until at least Dec. 15, the first day most free agents signed in the offseason can be traded. Of the 14 players on their roster, only Jared McCain, Adem Bona and Ricky Council IV are eligible to be traded now. The three players earn a combined $7.1 million.
One player who can’t be traded on Dec. 15 is KJ Martin. Because the forward’s first-year salary is 120% more than his prior salary, Martin has a Jan. 15 signing restriction. Martin is the 76ers’ most appealing trade asset because of his $8 million salary this season and nonguaranteed status in 2025-26.
If the 76ers do move Martin or another player, they are not allowed to take back additional salary because they are a first-apron team. Philadelphia is $6 million below the second apron and are allowed to aggregate contracts sent out if their post-trade salaries leave them below.
The James Harden trade to the LA Clippers in November 2023 replenished the 76ers’ draft assets. Philadelphia can’t trade its own first-round pick until at least 2029 but has the least-favorable first of Oklahoma City, Houston (if it’s not in the top four) and the Clippers in 2026. The Sixers also have an unprotected 2028 Clippers first and the right to swap firsts in 2029 (if it’s not in the top three). Philadelphia also has six tradable second-round picks. — Marks
What’s next for Philly?
It has been a bumpy start for the 76ers. That said, Embiid and Paul George finally shared the court, and the 76ers hope All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey isn’t too far behind in his recovery from a hamstring injury. The plan will be the same: aggressively try to add depth between now and the February trade deadline with the contracts and first-round picks the 76ers have at their disposal. That has always been team president Daryl Morey’s operating procedure, and this year won’t be any different. — Bontemps
Source: espn.com