The NBA trade deadline is four months away. That may feel like a lifetime on the NBA calendar — teams will be more than 50 games into the season, and many franchises' fortunes will look different — but it doesn't slow the NBA rumor mill.
Which players might be available is already a talking point, and those conversations are only going to get louder. Here are seven names to watch, seven players most likely to be traded before the February deadline.
Kyrie Irving (Mavericks)
"I think it was Kevin Durant that said it best: There's only one Kyrie walking around in the world... Kyrie, as a player, we truly believe in him. We truly believe that he can succeed on our team."
Dallas Mavericks president Masai Ujiri keeps saying things like the quote above, trying to throw cold water on the idea that the Mavericks are going to trade the nine-time All-Star point guard. Ujiri and Mavericks fans — and basketball fans everywhere — want to see what Irving and his legendary handles look like next to the fast-rising Cooper Flagg. Ujiri keeps talking up Irving's fit in Dallas and how the point guard can lift this team to new heights.
It's not working. League sources tell NBC Sports that a number of teams are monitoring the situation, waiting to see how Irving looks coming off missing all of last season due to a torn ACL, but those teams are interested in a trade. Those teams will be calling. The reality is the 34-year-old Irving, who can be a free agent this summer, is not on the same timeline as the 19-year-old Flagg, and ultimately the Mavericks are going to want to build out a roster closer to Flagg's timeline. Ujiri can say whatever he wants, but teams around the league believe if the right offer comes his way at the deadline, Irving will be on the move.
Anthony Davis (Wizards)
The Wizards drafted forward AJ Dybantsa with the No. 1 pick, locked up Trae Young with a massive overpay new four-year contract, and have the big man of the future in the promising Alex Sarr.
Then there is Anthony Davis, the 33-year-old NBA champion and 10-time All-Star who remains one of the best big men in the game when healthy (but being healthy has been an issue). Washington has other concerns: Davis is not on Dybantsa's or Sarr's timeline (not that Young is), plus Davis is extension-eligible and looking for another massive payday. The Wizards have put off contract talks until later in the season.
If Davis stays healthy and looks good as we approach the trade deadline, the Wizards will get calls. Quality big men, especially ones who can protect the rim, are in high demand, and the Wizards may be able to get Davis to a place where he can compete for another ring while getting themselves young players and picks that better fit the Dybantsa timeline.
Domantas Sabonis (Kings)
The Kings have spent more than a year trying to find a new home for Sabonis, but maybe it finally happens at this year's deadline. Although probably not.
The issue isn't his production, Sabonis is an efficient double-double machine who can operate as an offensive hub at the elbow and is strong on the boards. He'll show off his value this season because he's a good big to pair with Kings rookie Darius Acuff Jr., setting screens and running dribble hand-offs. Plus, Sabonis is a quality passing big. What has slowed finding a trade is Sabonis' salary: $45.4 million this season and $48.6 million next season, both years fully guaranteed. In the apron era, teams don't want to pay that for a player who is not a star. However, maybe at the deadline a team that just needs a quality big will call Sacramento and make a deal. Otherwise, expect one next summer.
Michael Porter Jr. (Nets)
The Brooklyn Nets are rebuilding and Michael Porter Jr. is not on that timeline. Coming off his best season, MPJ is a bucket who averaged 24.2 points and 7.1 rebounds a game, and is a career 39.8% from beyond the arc. He's a 6'10" forward who is in his prime at age 28, and on an expiring $40.1 million contract. Then there's the fact that the Nets just traded for a ball-dominant forward in Julius Randle.
The Nets have what they hope is their young backcourt of the future — Mikel Brown Jr. and Egor Dëmin — and if they can trade Porter Jr. for a young player or more picks, that makes sense for a rebuilding team (that does not control its own pick this season).
Max Strus (and every veteran on the Clippers)
The Clippers have a lot of work to do on this roster going forward, whatever it's going to look like (they like the idea of Darius Garland and Keaton Wagler backcourt). The Clippers also could use more picks, since they just had to surrender a bunch in the Kawhi Leonard/Aspiration scandal and punishment. Not that Max Strus is going to draw a first-rounder, but once he gets healthy and if he can show he adds value — as he did for the Cavaliers in last season's playoffs — he could net the Clippers a couple of second-rounders. They'd take that.
Zion Williamson (Pelicans)
Free Trey Murphy.
Other teams are going to call about Murphy and Herb Jones, but where are the Pelicans with Zion Williamson? Could the Pelicans trade the former No. 1 pick?
The reality is New Orleans is more invested in a future with Derik Queen at the four, and we learned last season that Queen and Williamson can't play together. Maybe team president Joe Dumars tries to move Williamson, who is coming off a relatively healthy season (62 games) where he averaged 21 points and 5.7 rebounds a game. The challenge is that Zion makes $42.2 million this season and has a guaranteed $44.9 million next season, so it'll be tough to get a team to take him on. Still, the rumors will fly.
Also, Dumars could just trade Trey Murphy.
Daniel Gafford (Mavericks)
Daniel Gafford's availability in a trade is dependent upon whether Dereck Lively can get and stay healthy. If he does, and if rookie Morez Johnson shows he can handle backup big minutes, then Gafford becomes available.
We mentioned above how center is a position in demand, and teams that don't want to pay for someone like Anthony Davis will call about Gafford. The seven-year NBA veteran is a rock-solid on both ends of the court, a pick-and-roll big who averaged 9.5 points and 6.9 rebounds a game last season. He's also on a reasonable contract, making $17.3 million this season with two more guaranteed years after that at a little more than $37 million total. As the deadline approaches, expect a lot of Gafford rumors.
Honorable mention: Tyler Herro and anyone else in Milwaukee not just drafted, Jarrett Allen in Cleveland (if things go sideways and the Cavs need to make a move, this is the most logical player to trade), Zach LaVine in Sacramento, Jrue Holiday in Portland, Jalen Green in Phoenix. Free Trey Murphy.
Some people want to put Joel Embiid on these lists. Good luck with that. The oft-injured center is making $58.1 million this season and has two more seasons on his current deal after that, totaling $130 million. No team will take that contract unless the 76ers attach multiple first-round picks or add a quality young player. Philly won't do that. Meaning Embiid stays.
Also, the Knicks aren't going to trade Karl-Anthony Towns. It's an easy, clickbait story to say other teams are monitoring the situation — of course they are, this is what other front offices are paid to do — but the Knicks aren't trading him at the deadline. The KAT future story only gets interesting if he doesn't get an extension before the deadline next June 30 (and hits the free agent market). Until then, it's all speculation.