A Comprehensive Ranking and Analysis of the Latest NBA Trade Rumors Featuring Jaylen Brown, Paul George, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Other Star Players Who Could Potentially Be on the Move During the Upcoming Offseason, According to Recent Reports and League Insiders’ Speculations

Trade rumor rankings: Jaylen Brown, Paul George, Giannis Antetokounmpo, more

The NBA offseason finally arrived, and with it comes the return of our NBA Trade Rumors Rankings series, in which we rank the Top 10 players to be mentioned in trade rumors over the previous week.

This projects to be a fascinating summer in the NBA as far as player movement, and we’re already seeing that, with huge names like Kevin Durant, Lonzo Ball, Desmond Bane and Jrue Holiday already having been moved.

Considering it’s not even July yet, that’s a ridiculous amount of talent already on the move, so buckle up, as it’s going to be a bumpy offseason.

Below, check out the Top 10 players to be mentioned in trade rumors over the previous week.

Paul George (Philadelphia)

There was some trade buzz surrounding Paul George this week leading up to the draft, including from notable NBA reporter Chris Mannix, who said he was hearing George’s name in trade chatter:

Chris Mannix: I don’t know what Philadelphia is going to do here. Do they just sit on that draft pick and take it? Or do they try to package it? Is Paul George in play? I’ve heard some of that over the last 24 hours—that they could be looking to trade back with Paul George to do something there.”

However, another report from Marc Stein said that a league source strongly refuted that claim:

It has been frequently reported this month that the Sixers were exploring the prospect of trading down a couple spots in the lottery if a team near Philadelphia’s No. 3 overall selection was also willing to take on the Paul George’s contract as part of the transaction. “Nonsense,” said one league source briefed on Philly’s thinking.

George has three seasons left on his contract, potentially worth up to $162.4 million, so if the Sixers don’t have better injury luck this season, don’t be surprised to see George’s name remain involved in trade scuttle.

DeMar DeRozan (Sacramento)

The Miami Heat have been attached to DeMar DeRozan’s name here and there for some time, particularly when DeRozan appears headed to the trade block. Stein himself said last week that DeRozan could be a fall-back plan for teams that missed out in the Durant sweepstakes, a group that certainly includes the Heat, who were a finalist for KD:

The Kings’ DeMar DeRozan is another former All-Star who is widely perceived to be available via trade and who could emerge as a fallback trade target for teams that miss out on Durant.

However, according to the Miami Herald, DeRozan has not been a part of the Heat’s trade discussions to this point:

Two players who have been linked to Miami in published reports – Sacramento Kings forward DeMar DeRozan (who is said to be available) and Golden State impending restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga – had not been the focus of Heat discussions as of Sunday afternoon, two sources said.

From Sacramento’s perspective, the Kings hadn’t had trade discussions with the Heat regarding DeRozan as of last week:

That could very well change in the coming days and weeks, as Miami seems motivated to make a move this summer. We’ll see if they finally make a strong move for long-time target, DeRozan.

For the latest DeMar DeRozan rumors and salary info, click here.

Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis)

Once the Memphis Grizzlies traded Bane to the Orlando Magic, some thought that the floodgates could be opening for Memphis to clean house, trade their top players and start a tank job. However, that was not the case, as the team seems focused now on building around Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.

Here’s what ESPN reported on the matter a couple of weeks ago:

By trading Bane, long part of the core in Memphis with Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., Kleiman is acting on those words. But more star trades are not expected. Sources told ESPN that the Grizzlies are not looking to deal either of their two remaining franchise cornerstones. The team has spent the past several months clearing salary cap space to complete a renegotiation and extension of Jackson’s contract this offseason, preventing him from hitting free agency in 2026. The belief is that an extension will get done, sources said.

More recently, ESPN reporter Brian Windhorst completely shot down the idea of the big man-needy Los Angeles Lakers trading for Jackson:

“We know the Lakers need a big. Jaren Jackson—does that feel like pie in the sky? A dream scenario? Brian Windhorst: No chance. No chance. Absolutely not worth a discussion. Look, I think Jaren Jackson is now in position to sign a contract extension of over $200 million. I would feel very strongly that’s going to happen. On the Ja Morant front, that’s a different discussion.

Stein also reported that the Grizzlies are now focused on signing Jackson Jr. to an extension:

Sources say that Memphis, in the wake of the Desmond Bane trade, is focused on preserving as much financial flexibility as possible to renegotiate-and-extend the contract of star forward Jaren Jackson Jr. as well as fending off external interest in restricted free agent Santi Aldama.

For now, it looks like the Grizzlies are happy to build around Jackson Jr., and with good reason, as the young big man is one of the better two-way forward/centers in the league.

Bradley Beal (Phoenix)

After a lot of trade chatter surrounded Bradley Beal at the last NBA trade deadline, even despite him owning one of just two no-trade clauses in the entire NBA (along with LeBron James), one Phoenix insider believes Beal will actually be traded, or bought out, this offseason:

However, according to The Athletic, Beal prefers to stay in Phoenix, although he might be open to being traded if it’s to the right destination:

Phoenix could try to trade Beal, as it did this past season, but his no-trade clause remains. The same that was true before the 2025 trade deadline is the case today, according to a league source familiar with Beal’s thought process: Beal would be open to the right trade that sends him the right destination, but his preference is to remain in Phoenix, even if the team won only 35 games a season ago and just downgraded from Kevin Durant, who it dealt to the Houston Rockets last weekend.

On top of the no-trade clause, Beal’s contract has two years left on it worth nearly $111 million, and a player option on the final season. Masterful work by Beal’s agent landing him that contract.

RJ Barrett (Toronto)

A name that has popped up more and more in trade rumors this offseason is that of Toronto Raptors forward RJ Barrett. Stein mentioned Barrett as a name to watch earlier this week:

Among the veterans currently being monitored leaguewide for potential inclusion in trades this offseason: Miami’s Andrew Wiggins, Toronto’s RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley, Utah’s Collin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson in addition to Collins, Washington’s Marcus Smart and Milwaukee’s Pat Connaughton.

Prior to that, our own Michael Scotto had also mentioned the potential of a Barrett trade:

Toronto has also continued to gauge the trade market on RJ Barrett, league sources told HoopsHype. Barrett, who’s owed $57.32 million over the next two seasons, averaged a career-high 21.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game.

Barrett is a productive player on a relatively team-friendly deal, so he should have interested suitors if Toronto does become motivated to move him.

Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee)

Although the Milwaukee Bucks seem totally motivated to keep superstar swingman Giannis Antetokounmpo with the team that drafted him back in 2013, according to one recent report, the NBA doesn’t think Milwaukee will be able to do enough to convince Antetokounmpo to stay put (via Windhorst):

“Can the Bucks between keeping their players and potentially trying to find a stopgap point guard, can they present Giannis with a team that can be a contender in the Eastern Conference? The league doesn’t think so,” said ESPN’s Brian Windhorst on Get Up. “That is why over the last few days we have seen a couple teams who could have bid for Kevin Durant—a team like New York, a team like Miami, potentially a team like San Antonio not get into that bidding. And we saw a Milwaukee Bucks’ 2026 first round pick traded on draft night with the expectation that could be a valuable pick because teams are questioning whether the Bucks will be a strong team next year because they are questioning whether Giannis is going to be there.”

Another well-known NBA reporter, Shams Charania, also mentioned the possibility of Antetokounmpo requesting a trade:

Shams Charania: “Giannis Antetokounmpo is open-minded and considering other options outside of Milwaukee. He has not requested a trade yet, but he remains open-minded from my understanding. The Bucks, for their part, they’re fully operating like Giannis Antetokounmpo will be back. That’s their messaging to other teams, to free agents when they’re going to go out and sell other free agents come July 1 and sell their own free agents. It’s that Giannis Antetokounmpo is here — let us operate in free agency, operate at the draft, see what moves they can make to get this team better. One thing about Giannis is that he always plays things close to the vest… The moment he feels like in Milwaukee they’re not competing for a championship, he’s going to look around. He has said that on the record.”

Meanwhile, one potential Antetokounmpo suitor, the San Antonio Spurs, hasn’t had substantive talks for the Greek Freak as of last week (via ESPN):

It’s likely to, despite San Antonio fielding inquiries from teams looking to trade up to No. 2, while two future Hall of Famers — Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant — could become available in potential trades. The Spurs haven’t held any substantive discussions regarding the former, according to sources, and Phoenix’s asking price might be too steep for a franchise looking to remain cautious during the early years of Wembanyama’s career.

It still doesn’t feel likely that Antetokounmpo gets traded this summer, but if the two-time MVP does request a trade and the Bucks decide to honor it, the future outlook of the NBA will look completely different.

For the latest Giannis Antetokounmpo rumors and salary info, click here.

John Collins (Utah)

The first step to big man John Collins potentially getting traded this summer involved Collins opting into the final year of his deal. That step happened this week:

According to Stein, the Utah Jazz are open to trading Collins this summer, a mission that probably gets easier now, considering he’s about to be in a contract year:

Utah is open to trading Collins this offseason, sources say, but his market is apparently still forming and might not take shape until after this week’s draft proceedings. Thursday is the deadline for Collins to activate his $26.6 million player option for next season or bypass it to become a free agent.

However, Stein made clear that although the Lakers need a big man, they are not currently interested in Collins.

Regardless, entering a contract season and having just put up a campaign that saw him average 19 points and eight-plus rebounds while shooting nearly 40 percent from three, Collins could have some interest on the trade market if Utah decides to go that route.

For the latest John Collins rumors and salary info, click here.

Ace Bailey (Utah)

Super draft prospect Ace Bailey and his camp reportedly made it clear that they would have preferred going to destinations that weren’t Utah. Even so, the Jazz took him with the fifth pick in the most recent draft. That led many to think: Would Bailey try to force his way out of Utah even though he was just drafted there?

It appears not, as Bailey was set to report to the Jazz on Saturday:

Ace Bailey will be coming to Utah afterall. According to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, Bailey plans to report to the Jazz Saturday as the team had expected all along. Bailey was the fifth overall pick of the NBA Draft by the Jazz on Wednesday, but earlier in the day his camp had said Bailey didn’t want to be drafted by Utah.

For what it’s worth, Bailey’s camp told the media that they feel good about everything and would be in Utah this weekend:

“We’ve had good communication with Ace Bailey and his representatives,” a Utah Jazz representative told ESPN. “We feel good about everything. Ace and his family are coming to Utah tomorrow. We’ll have a press conference Sunday, and a practice Monday. “This has always been the plan, including for our other rookies, Walter Clayton and John Tonje — to let them go home and collect their belongings, and then fly right to summer league from Salt Lake City.

One of Bailey’s representatives also told the media that Bailey was ‘thrilled’ to be going to Utah, and that he couldn’t be happier about it:

The “will he show up or won’t he” drama surrounding Ace Bailey after being selected by the Utah Jazz in the NBA Draft was seemingly put to rest Friday by the agency representing the Rutgers superstar. Andrew Witlieb, the president of sports marketing at GSE Worldwide, appeared on Front Office Sports Today and dispelled any notion that his client was disappointed about playing for the Jazz and wouldn’t report to the team. “He’s thrilled to be going to Utah,” Witlieb said. “Obviously, it’s an honor to be selected in the Top 5 of the NBA Draft, and we think he can do a lot of great things out there. “We couldn’t be happier to be out in Utah.”

Bailey has a ton of promise as a player thanks to his size, athleticism and tough shot-making ability. Here’s hoping he meets it, to make all this pe-draft drama look like a thing of the past.

For the latest Ace Bailey rumors and salary info, click here.

Jaylen Brown (Boston)

With Jayson Tatum set to miss all of 2025-26 and Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday traded, all eyes are now on Jaylen Brown as far as another potential huge move by the Boston Celtics.

According to Stein, the Celtics are getting a lot of calls about Brown, but that nothing has gotten too serious… yet:

Speaking of the Knicks: Sources say Boston told at least one rival team that it would have insisted on a “Mikal Bridges-type” package to part with Derrick White, league sources say. The Celtics have certainly received no shortage of inbound trade calls on both White and Jaylen Brown in recent days, but nothing got serious on either front.

The Celtics assistant general manager, Mike Zarren, said recently that Boston hasn’t come close to trading Brown:

And Austin Ainge, the son of Danny Ainge, who worked for the Celtics until early this month before joining Utah’s front office, denied that the Jazz had held trade discussions for Brown:

That doesn’t mean teams didn’t try to trade for Brown, as the Celtics, according to Windhorst, received calls on Brown from teams offering up Top 10 draft picks in the most recent draft.

It doesn’t seem likely, but with Boston set to be without arguably its best player next season and due to owe a lot of money in luxury tax, the chances of Brown getting traded can’t totally be discounted, even despite all these denials of reported trade talks.

Derrick White (Boston)

On the other hand, it’s easier to see Boston trading Brown’s teammate, Derrick White, as offloading his contract will also save the Celtics a lot of money, while losing him would be easier to stomach than losing Brown.

According to Stein, the Celtics would want a Mikal Bridges-level trade package to move White. If you’ll recall, Bridges was acquired by the New York Knicks in exchange for five first-round picks and one first-round pick swap from the Brooklyn Nets. That may seem pricy, but White is an excellent player in his own right.

New York reporter Ian Begley said this week that Boston has been listening on trade calls for both White and Brown:

According to Charania, the Celtics are getting a lot of calls on White, but they would prefer to keep both him and Brown for 2025-26:

“The Celtics have a high price threshold for both of these players. They know how great Jaylen Brown and Derrick White are, so I am sure they are getting some massive offers, some pretty big-time calls as well,” Charania said, before revealing that the Celtics’ preference still remains keeping both the stars. However, finances may be forcing their hand. “This is a team that is still in the first apron, still a luxury tax team, still dealing with the uncertainty of Jayson Tatum’s status next season,” Charania continued.

ESPN’s Bobby Marks also said this week that he expects Boston’s projected starting backcourt for ’26, White and Anfernee Simons, to look different by the time we get to training camp. Whether that means White or Simons gets moved remains to be seen, but keep an eye on Boston over the coming days and wks.