The NBA already gave us more than enough huge trades this offseason. Giannis Antetokounmpo went to the Heat , Jaylen Brown ended up with the 76ers , and LaMelo Ball joined the Timberwolves , so the crazy part of the summer might be over… but another blockbuster isn't far away.
ESPN recently posted its own look at which teams could be next to make a major trade, and that got us thinking about the same question. There are still teams with stars they could move, contenders that clearly need another piece, and a few front offices that probably won't wait too long if the start of the 2026-27 season goes badly.
So we are doing our own version, based on the rosters right now, the players who could realistically become available, recent reports, and what each team still needs.
Here are the five NBA teams I think are most likely to make the next blockbuster trade.
I have to include the Warriors because the reports are always there, but I also don't trust them at all to actually get a huge trade done during the season. There's always interest with them, but if there's something this front office has shown recently, it's their lack of desperation to sacrifice depth pieces .
Golden State went 37-45 last season and missed the playoffs, Stephen Curry is now 38, Jimmy Butler is still recovering from a torn ACL, and Kristaps Porzingis has played fewer than 60 games in each of the last three seasons. Curry still averaged 26.6 points last year, so the crazier part is that their best player is still elite to make one more run, but the roster around him just isn't close to being a contender.
The Warriors clearly know that. They were one of the main Giannis Antetokounmpo suitors before the deadline and reportedly offered four first-round picks, then they disappeared from the talks when Milwaukee started talking to teams in the summer. They were also connected to Anthony Davis and LeBron James, although both ideas went nowhere and they didn't land a single big piece .
That is basically my whole issue with Golden State. They love looking at the huge move, they love being mentioned around the huge move, and then when the moment comes to really sacrifice the future, they suddenly get cold feet. At some point, that makes no sense.
Curry isn't 30. He isn't even 35 anymore. If the Warriors really believe they can win another championship with him, then keeping future first-round picks because they might be useful when Curry is retired feels pretty stupid to me.
So yes, I expect them to call again if a star becomes available, especially if Butler's recovery takes longer or Porzingis gets hurt again. I just wouldn't bet on them actually having the guts to finish the deal.
Portland is almost the opposite of Golden State right now, because the Blazers already showed they are willing to do something weird and aggressive out of nowhere, even if the deal wasn't their main team need.
They traded Jerami Grant and Kris Murray for Ja Morant without giving up a draft pick, which is a huge swing for a team that went 42-40 and lost 4-1 to the Spurs in the first round. Morant only played 20 games last season, but he still averaged 19.5 points and 8.1 assists, and Portland basically got him for two forwards on their way out.
Now look at this roster. Damian Lillard is back, Morant is there, Jrue Holiday is still there, Scoot Henderson is still there, Deni Avdija just averaged 24.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 6.7 assists, and they also have Toumani Camara and Donovan Clingan. Shaedon Sharpe averaged 20.8 points before his latest knee injury, although he is expected to miss around six months after meniscus surgery .
That is a lot of players and not enough minutes, especially in the backcourt. The new ownership part is also a point to notice. Tom Dundon's group is in charge, and new owners usually don't sit quietly and watch the same roster for three years . Portland already made one big move under this new setup, and I don't think Morant has to be the last one.
If a star forward becomes available, the Blazers can build a huge package without touching every good young player they have. They have enough talent, contracts, and future assets to make calls that most teams simply can't make.
I don't know who that player will be yet, maybe it's Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, or another player at a level below, but I would be surprised if this exact roster goes the full season without changes.
The Celtics are here for one very simple reason: Paul George could look completely washed pretty soon . That sounds harsh, but Boston can't pretend age isn't a problem after trading Jaylen Brown for a 36-year-old who played only 37 games last season. George averaged 17.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.6 assists on 43.9% from the field and 39.2% from three, which is still good, but that isn't close to the player he was a few years ago or the one they let go.
And that's the main thing, Boston didn't trade just a pretty good starter for him like when they moved Jrue Holiday or Porzingis. They traded Brown, who averaged a career-high 28.7 points, finished sixth in MVP voting, and was Finals MVP two years earlier. The return was George, two first-round picks, and two second-round picks, including an unprotected 2031 76ers first-round pick. That draft capital is exactly why another blockbuster is possible .
If George comes in, looks slow, can't stay healthy, and clearly isn't good enough to be Jayson Tatum's second star anymore, what are the Celtics supposed to do, just sit there because they already made one huge trade? I don't buy that at all.
Boston went 56-26 last season with Tatum missing most of the year, finished second in the East, and had the NBA's second-best offensive rating at 120.8. This isn't some rebuilding team waiting for offers to come; it is a team with Tatum, Derrick White, and a championship window that is still open.
Brad Stevens already showed he can be ruthless. He tried to use Brown in a Giannis deal, then moved him to the 76ers when that failed. If George looks washed by December, I think Stevens starts calling around again, and that 2031 pick becomes much more interesting than George himself.
If the Pelicans are bad again, they need to stop lying to themselves. They finished 26-56 last season, ranked 21st in offensive rating, 25th in defensive rating, and missed the playoffs for the second straight year. Trey Murphy III averaged 21.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.8 assists while shooting 47.0% from the field and 37.9% from three, Zion Williamson averaged 21.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.2 assists, and somehow all of that still led to 26 wins.
Marc Stein reported this summer that teams are still showing major interest in Murphy , and for the first time under Joe Dumars, the Pelicans have actually been willing to listen. Detroit and Indiana were among the teams that called, although New Orleans has a hefty price set.
And they should want a lot for their breakout star . Murphy is 26, scores more than 21 points per game, shoots threes, defends, and is under contract for four years and $112.0 million. If the Pelicans ever decide to move him, likely every contender with picks would call.
Zion is another one. Dumars said in April that the Pelicans had no intention of trading him, and I believe that was true then, but if they are 9-22 around Christmas, are we seriously supposed to believe nothing changes?
Dejounte Murray could also become available , especially after playing only 14 games last season and averaging 16.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 6.4 assists. There are just too many expensive players here for another 25-win season to end with everybody coming back again.
Murphy would be the huge one because he would bring back the best package, but honestly, if this team is bad again, almost nobody from the old core should be safe.
Anthony Davis is why the Wizards are No. 1, and I don't think this is very complicated to get. Washington went 17-65 last season, finished last in the East, had the NBA's worst defensive rating at 122.7, and decided to enter this season with Davis, Trae Young , and No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa in an attempt to escape the East's basement.
Their last months have been as aggressive as they come, which I respect; at the end of the day, an NBA team should want to go all-in to be competitive. But the Wizards are still a very young, unproven team, and veterans like AD and Young can't really elevate the roster like that.
Davis hasn't even played a game for the Wizards yet. He appeared in only 20 games last season, averaged 20.4 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 2.8 assists, and then Washington acquired him at the deadline while he was injured. He is now 33 and can sign an extension worth up to four years and $275.0 million, and things will get interesting for that reason.
Shams Charania reported that Davis and the Wizards decided to wait around 20 games before having meaningful extension talks, because Davis wants to see how competitive the team is, and Washington wants to see whether he can stay healthy to justify that massive investment. That basically gives us a natural checkpoint for the whole situation.
If they start 14-6, great, maybe everybody is happy, and this section looks stupid. If they start 6-14, I think this gets ugly very fast. Why would Davis, at 33, want to spend the last elite years of his career on another lottery team ? And why would the Wizards give a 33-year-old with a long injury history $275.0 million if the team still isn't good?
Washington supposedly wasn't listening to offers for Davis, even with Golden State interested. Fine, but that was in June, and the Warriors are reportedly monitoring the free agent market for 2027 as they'll likely have massive cap space, with Davis as the main target so far.
For me, this is the easiest blockbuster candidate in the league. A bad start creates pressure from both sides; Davis would instantly become one of the best players available , and contenders would start calling the second Washington gives any sign they're open for business this time. If one huge trade happens early this season, Davis is the name I would watch first.
