Trade rumor rankings: Draymond Green, Dejounte Murray and more
With the trade deadline now roughly three weeks away, we’re back with another installment of our trade rumors rankings series in which we rank the 10 players who have appeared most often in trade rumors over the prior week, as determined by appearances on our Trade Rumors page.
Just on Sunday, we saw the Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards agree to a trade centered around Marvin Bagley Jr. and Danilo Gallinari, two names that hadn’t popped up much in trade scuttle before the weekend, so we should always expect the unexpected when it comes to the trade deadline.
Anyway, with so many names to get to, let’s jump right into it.
Draymond Green
With Golden State Warriors 4-man Draymond Green set to return from suspension on Martin Luther King Day, all eyes will be on the former Defensive Player of the Year to see if and when he has another violent episode because a third such incident could spell the end of Green’s season – if not more.
The Warriors, in part due to Green’s absence, are struggling mightily this campaign, sitting at 18-21 and 12th in the Western Conference. Even so, they reportedly have no plans of trading Green, according to veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein:
There likewise continues to be zero indication that they would even explore trading franchise legends Klay Thompson or Draymond Green. The Warriors are also known to be resistant to the idea of trading Kuminga, who was selected with the No. 7 overall pick in 2021.
Warriors beat writer Monte Poole reported similarly earlier in the week:
The Warriors remain committed to Green, who along with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, compose the team’s veteran core. Though multiple league sources tell NBC Sports Bay Area that Golden State will be active approaching the deadline, there has been nothing to indicate a move that would break up that decorated trio.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania, on the other hand, reported more recently that everyone on the Warriors besides Stephen Curry is available for the right price:
"The mindset in Golden State right now is everyone but Steph Curry is on the table."@ShamsCharania on the Golden State Warriors.
📺: https://t.co/wdT8I0ST8g pic.twitter.com/kIMbJsdET8
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) January 11, 2024
So we’ll see what that means for Green.
Even if Golden State did want to trade him, Green has three years and $77.7 million left on his contract, so it would likely take some sweetener for a team to want to take on the headache known as Draymond Green and his enormous salary in a trade over the coming weeks.
For the latest Draymond Green trade rumors and salary info, click here.
Keegan Murray
The Sacramento Kings are enjoying a solid season so far in 2023-24, sitting at 23-15 and fifth in the West at the moment. What’s more, of late, second-year forward Keegan Murray is playing much better basketball after a somewhat slow start, averaging 21.0 points and 7.3 rebounds on 46.2 percent shooting from three over his last six games, four of which have been wins.
So although a lot has been made and reported about the Kings potentially wanting a third star to lead the way, the team still refuses to put the 23-year-old Murray on the trade block.
ESPN’s Zach Lowe reported as such recently:
They have held at least internal discussions about almost every available big name, including Zach LaVine, Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby, sources said. Anunoby looked like perhaps the cleanest fit, but the Kings do not appear to have gotten far there; they had no expendable young player the Toronto Raptors coveted. Murray would be that player, but the Kings have shown zero interest in discussing him, sources said.
And Kings beat writer James Ham, who joined our own Michael Scotto on the HoopsHype podcast recently, reported that the Kings wouldn’t trade Murray for Utah Jazz star Lauri Markkanen, because they believe Murray will be a better player than him:
Ham: They view him as a star. I’ve had conversations within the walls. I asked the question, would youtrade him for Lauri Markkanen last season? The answer was “No. We believe he’ll be better than Markkanen.” So that should tell you everything that you need to know about what they feel about him as a player.
So if the Kings do try and land a third star, don’t expect Murray to be the player going back the other way in a trade. Sacramento rightfully values him too highly.
For the latest Keegan Murray trade rumors and salary info, click here.
Kevin Huerter
On the other hand, a player the Kings reportedly would be open to trading is young 2-guard Kevin Huerter, who has seen his playing time dwindle of late due to a lack of effectiveness this season.
According to Yahoo! Sports’ Jake Fischer, Sacramento has made calls around the league to gauge interest in Huerter, who’s averaging 9.5 points this season while shooting 33.0 percent from three:
The Kings have been calling opposing front offices to gauge the value of packaging Harrison Barnes and Kevin Huerter, league sources told Yahoo Sports. Not exactly the youthful tandem that came back from New York, and Sacramento won’t consider moving sophomore sharpshooter Keegan Murray, sources said.
That report was confirmed by Ham, too.
According to our own Scotto, the Chicago Bulls have an interest in the former Maryland standout:
Scotto: There had also been some Zach LaVine chatter a little bit earlier in the season. I hadheard the two names that came up there from Sacramento duringtrade conversations were Kevin Huerter and Harrison Barnes. From Chicago’s side, There is a level ofinterest in Huerter for sure. To my understanding, they’ve done background intel on him trying to figure out what’s going on there and why he has struggled a little bit this year. He’s a player that they’ve liked. That’s a team (Chicago) that doesn’t want to rebuild. Before this regime, Vivek Ranadivé was there when they tried to give LaVine an offer sheet many years ago.
Huerter is signed through 2025-26 when he’ll earn $18.0 million, so although maybe he’s not a negative asset, he certainly isn’t a great one either. Unless the Kings can package him and the player coming up next on this ranking in a trade, they might be better off trying to improve his trade value over the rest of 2023-24 and try again to trade him in the offseason.
For the latest Kevin Huerter trade rumors and salary info, click here.
Harrison Barnes
Veteran forward Harrison Barnes has started all 38 games so far this season for Sacramento, averaging 10.8 points and 2.9 rebounds while hitting 40.2 percent of his threes. What’s more, he’s signed through 2025-26 when he’ll make $19.0 million, a relatively fair number for a versatile started like Barnes, though maybe a bit on the overpay side.
Our own Scotto reported this week that the Kings discussed sending Barnes, Huerter and more to the Toronto Raptors for star swingman Pascal Siakam:
Scotto: The Kings have been active in trade talks, and the biggest name that’s come up recently is Pascal Siakam. It seemed for a hot second there that maybe they were going to get him, then talks pulled back. From my standpoint, I had heard that the Sacramento talks for Siakam centered primarily around Harrison Barnes, Kevin Huerter, Davion Mitchell and a first-round pick or so of potential draft pick compensation of a first-round variety for Siakam in those talks.
That was also reported by Charania last week:
“I’m told the Raptors and Kings were in active conversations about a Pascal Siakam trade… revolving around Harrison Barnes. At this point, the only way it ignites is if Toronto comes back to Sacramento.”@ShamsCharania on Pascal Siakam. pic.twitter.com/8l1K5YbHJ8
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) January 8, 2024
It’s clear that the Kings are looking to improve the top end of their roster and their likeliest asset to get traded appears to be Barnes.
We’ll see over the coming weeks if they’re successful with that task.
For the latest Harrison Barnes trade rumors and salary info, click here.
Chris Paul
Warriors point guard Chris Paul has certainly seen his trade value take a hit after suffering a broken hand that will keep him out for weeks. The fact that Paul is under contract through next season when he’ll be owed $30.8 million certainly won’t help matter.
That hasn’t stopped various national writers from speculating that Paul could be traded ahead of the deadline as the struggling Warriors continue to fade down the standings in the Western Conference. Along with Charania reporting that everyone but Curry is available for trade from the Warriors, Golden State beat writer Anthony Slater said that he believes the team will make a trade before the deadline:
‘Likely an aggressive (trade) deadline for the Warriors.’
Per @anthonyVslater via @SteinyGuru957 pic.twitter.com/HASeT35LPu
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) January 5, 2024
Could that mean the 38-year-old Paul will be on the move by the deadline? It’s certainly possible, and his contract would swap nicely in a deal for a superstar. At the same time, that salary could also make it difficult for Golden State to move him, as Paul – averaging 8.9 points and 7.2 assists this season – wasn’t exactly tearing it up before going down with injury.
For the latest Chris Paul trade rumors and salary info, click here.
Jonathan Kuminga
Young Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga made waves last week by having it leaked that he had lost faith in head coach Steve Kerr after a late benching in a Golden State defeat to the Denver Nuggets.
Nevertheless, the Warriors, according to our own Scotto, view Kuminga as a player they want to keep for a variety of reasons:
Lastly, Jonathan Kuminga is a guy they want to keep. They don’t want him going anywhere because he’s gotten better, and more importantly, because he’s affordable, given their luxury tax concerns with their core, and having to keep Klay Thompson this summer.
Moreover, on the Kuminga trade front, Fischer reported that the Indiana Pacers are a team with an interest in the quickly-improving 21-year-old:
Jake Fischer on Pacers wishlist: ‘I keep hearing Andrew Wiggins’ name… Jonathan Kuminga is also another Warriors player that the Pacers have been keeping tabs on and calling Golden State about dating back to last draft. So those are two potential options.’
Kuminga is currently enjoying his best NBA season, averaging a career-high 13.4 points and 4.1 rebounds on 51.4 percent shooting. He’s also got two years left on his rookie-scale contract, making him a potentially hugely valuable asset if he takes another leap in 2024-25.
So unless it’s for an absolute superstar, don’t expect to see the Warriors move the G League Ignite product in the next few weeks.
For the latest Jonathan Kuminga trade rumors and salary info, click here.
Andrew Wiggins
Although this won’t come as a surprise to Warriors fans who have watched him play all season, according to reports, there doesn’t appear to be much of a trade market for veteran forward Andrew Wiggins right now:
The answer is not a lot, according to NBA insider Marc J. Spears, who recently joined ESPN’s NBA Today to discuss the Warriors’ potential options. “Wiggins, I was told by a GM, there’s not a value for Wiggins right now,” said Spears. “Although you could package him and [Jonathan Kuminga] together, you could package Kuminga and [Chris Paul] to make it happen, but the Warriors desperately need to make a trad
Wiggins is averaging a career-low 11.7 points this season on 41.8 percent shooting from the floor, 29.5 percent from three. To make matters worse for Golden State, the Canadian forward is signed through 2026-27 when he has a player option on his contract worth $30.2 million.
Even so, one Warriors beat writer still expects Golden State to trade Wiggins by the deadline:
The Golden State Warriors are expected to trade Andrew Wiggins, per @timkawakami
"I think [the Warriors] are going to trade Wiggins"
(Via @957thegame ) pic.twitter.com/cZNxEdlTlw
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 12, 2024
Stein reported similarly earlier in the week, too:
Marc Stein: When I talk to other teams more and more, I’m hearing that there’s an anticipation now that the Warriors will be open to trading Andrew Wiggins because Wiggins and Kuminga have, when they’ve played together, the Warriors would be the first to tell you it hasn’t gone well.
The question is: Who will take him? At least without sweetener, Wiggins’ contract is a lot to take on, especially when he’s playing this poorly.
This situation might be less of Will the Warriors trade Wiggins? and more of What team would want a player with that much money owed to him who’s playing worse than he ever has in his career?
We do not envy Golden State’s front office right now.
For the latest Andrew Wiggins trade rumors and salary info, click here.
Zach LaVine
Another big name with a lot of trade scuttle around him this week was Chicago Bulls 2-guard Zach LaVine.
However, according to a Los Angeles Lakers beat writer, the Bulls might need to attach sweetener to LaVine if they actually want to get rid of him by the deadline – his trade value is that low right now:
Zach LaVine, long rumored to be on the trade market, isn’t usually a name that comes up when talking to people about the Lakers’ interest because of his contract and injury history. The trade market for him around the league, sources say, is so rough that the thought is Chicago should have to add stuff in a LaVine trade to get off the contract.
So even if both sides want a trade, as ESPN’s Brian Windhorst alluded to…
“If they could trade Zach LaVine in the next five minutes, they would trade him and Zach would happily go to the airport.”
– Brian Windhorst on the Chicago Bulls
(h/t @WireHoops ) pic.twitter.com/0lGuKP52iJ
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 14, 2024
…the Bulls will have a hard time finding him a new home in the next few weeks. Stein reported that Chicago isn’t interested in a full teardown anyway, although it has continued to shop LaVine on the trade market:
The Bulls continue to make former All-Star swingman Zach LaVine available on the trade market but are not, league sources say, looking to ship out multiple veterans and enter into a full-fledged rebuild. Potentially supporting such notions are the recent whispers that the Bulls have not completely ruled out using Lonzo Ball’s insurance-covered contract in a trade to add talent.
LaVine is signed through 2026-27 when he’ll be owed an astronomical $49.0 million. That contract, considering LaVine’s injury history and sometimes-unimpactful style of play, could age quite poorly.
For the latest Zach LaVine trade rumors and salary info, click here.
Dejounte Murray
There’s a lot to cover on the Dejounte Murray trade front so let’s get right into it.
For starters, well-connected NBA reporter Chris Haynes said this week he believes Murray will be traded by the deadline:
In a @BleacherReport video, @ChrisBHaynes reported there is “ample interest” around the league in Dejounte Murray.
Also, Haynes said “I do believe Dejounte Murray will likely be traded by the deadline. That’s my belief.”https://t.co/rs7OGP1vin https://t.co/niWWvCyUC7
— Brad Rowland (@BTRowland) January 5, 2024
A flurry of teams have been mentioned to be potential Murray suitors. Just this week, the following teams have been tied to Murray on the trade market:
So with one-third of the NBA reportedly interested in Murray, it’ll be interesting to see where he ends up at the trade deadline. The Hawks have been a complete disappointment since trading for Murry from the Spurs, sitting at 15-23 in the East and 11th in the conference standings this season, in part because Murray’s fit with fellow ball-dominant guard Trae Young has been the opposite of seamless.
But he’s still posting strong numbers at 21.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game and was locked up to a long-term contract with relatively team-friendly terms not so long ago, so he won’t be lacking suitors on the trade market.
For the latest Dejounte Murray trade rumors and salary info, click here.
Pascal Siakam
The Pascal Siakam situation is a tricky one for potentially interested teams to navigate because Siakam is headed into unrestricted free agency this summer, meaning he has a lot of control over where he ends up because he can just tell teams he won’t re-sign with them if they trade for him.
That already reportedly happened this week as Siakam told the Kings he wouldn’t re-sign with them if they traded for him:
Pascal Siakam reportedly told the Kings he would not re-sign after this season, which is what ended trade talks with the Raptors, per @DLoAndKC.
Sacramento had a proposal primarily built around Harrison Barnes and draft capital. pic.twitter.com/qGzp5neand
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) January 9, 2024
Regardless, that hasn’t stopped the Warriors from registering interest in Siakam, according to The Athletic’s Anthony Slater:
Golden State’s take: Let’s start here: These teams have discussed Siakam in recent weeks. I’ve heard that on a more substantial level and saw Mike Dunleavy Jr. and Masai Ujiri in the tunnel pregame on Sunday night having a drawn-out conversation. So there’s something potentially there. I’d wager the Warriors view that proposal — Kuminga, two firsts and a valuable expiring salary — as too steep. Paul’s contract is useful for them because they’re trying to duck the second apron this summer and Siakam, if acquired, would presumably be ticketed as an expensive part of their future. — Anthony Slater
And Haynes also believes the Raptors and Siakam could be close to parting ways:
Mavs Film Room: Chris Haynes live on the Bleacher Report App says that he’s heard that Pascal Siakam and the Toronto Raptors “are on the verge of parting ways” Says that there’s a high likelihood Siakam is moved by the February 8th trade deadline.
Haynes also mentioned the 76ers and Pacers as two teams to watch on the Siakam front, while Fischer reported the Dallas Mavericks as another potential landing spot.
For what it’s worth, a Raptors beat writer for The Athletic speculated last week that Siakam might not re-sign with any team who trades for him, as he wants to explore free agency, but that a strong monetary offer could change things:
To that end, I contacted six writers at The Athletic to talk about potential Siakam trades. For clarity’s sake, I told them all that Siakam would not sign an extension with their teams during this season, as he wants to explore free agency. However, he would be open-minded about staying where he is dealt, and all things being equal, a strong monetary offer would rule the day.
So we’ll see how this saga ends. The Raptors are 15-24 and looking like non-threats to make a playoff run, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see them trade the 2019 NBA champion and truly initiate a rebuild around Scottie Barnes over the coming month.
For the latest Pascal Siakam trade rumors and salary info, click here.
