It’s Christmas season in the NBA, and while the league gears up for its marquee holiday matchups, front offices are quietly shifting their focus to the next big date on the calendar: the Feb. 5 trade deadline. With the moratorium lifted on recently signed free agents, the market is officially open - and while the usual suspects like the Jazz, Wizards, and Nets are expected to be active sellers, a handful of under-the-radar teams could be just as intriguing.
Let’s take a closer look at five franchises who either should be sellers or are quietly positioning themselves to be - and what that might mean for the trade landscape heading into 2025.
Charlotte Hornets: Time to Pivot Around a New Face
Rebuilding in the NBA is about identifying your cornerstone - the player who can carry your franchise through the lean years and into contention. For a while, that was supposed to be LaMelo Ball in Charlotte. But as talented as he is, Ball’s availability (just 56% of games played) and questions around his leadership have made that foundation feel increasingly shaky.
Enter Kon Knueppel, the rookie sharpshooter who’s turning heads with his poise and scoring touch. If the Hornets decide he’s the future, it could be time to retool the roster around him - and that likely starts with moving Ball.
He’s on a $40 million deal, and while that’s a hefty number, teams in need of a dynamic playmaker could still be intrigued. For Charlotte, it’s about choosing direction.
And Knueppel’s emergence might just make that decision easier.
Milwaukee Bucks: The Giannis Domino
No team in the league holds a more volatile trade chip than the Milwaukee Bucks. If - and it’s still a big if - Giannis Antetokounmpo is made available, the entire trade landscape shifts. We’re talking about a league-altering move that could set off a cascade of deals.
In that scenario, expect a fire sale in Milwaukee. Veterans like Kyle Kuzma and Bobby Portis would be near-locks to be moved.
Myles Turner and Gary Trent Jr. could follow. Even recent reclamation projects like Ryan Rollins and Kevin Porter Jr. might be flipped while their value is on the rise.
Should the Bucks pull the trigger on a Giannis trade, it won’t be a slow teardown - it’ll be a full-scale reset, with deals lined up and ready to go. And in today’s NBA, where superstar movement defines eras, Milwaukee’s decision could be the one that shapes the next one.
Boston Celtics: Trimming the Tax Bill, Not the Talent
Boston is playing the long game this season. With Jayson Tatum leading the charge, the Celtics are using what some are calling a “gap year” to reset their books and avoid the dreaded repeater tax. But they’re still $12.1 million above the luxury threshold, and that means more moves are likely coming.
The most obvious trade chip? Anfernee Simons.
The 26-year-old guard is an offensive weapon, but he’s also on an expiring $27.7 million deal. That’s a lot of money for a player who doesn’t offer much on the defensive end.
On the flip side, Payton Pritchard - making just $7.2 million - is one of the best value contracts in the league right now. Don’t be surprised if contenders come calling.
If Boston wants to clear more space, names like Chris Boucher and Xavier Tillman could be packaged to make the math work. The Celtics aren’t blowing it up - far from it. But they’re playing the financial chess game, and every piece on the board has a purpose.
New Orleans Pelicans: Talent In, Value Out?
The Pelicans’ acquisition of Derik Queen raised eyebrows, not because of the player - Queen has been excellent - but because of the price it took to get him. Still, Queen and fellow young gun Jeremiah Fears have shown enough to suggest that New Orleans’ front office, led by Joe Dumars and Troy Weaver, knows how to spot talent.
The problem? Their track record in trades and free agency hasn’t inspired the same confidence.
That’s what makes the next few weeks so important. Players like Trey Murphy III and Herbert Jones are at peak value right now.
If the Pelicans want to capitalize on that, the time is now. But extracting full value in return?
That’s the big question. The talent evaluation is there - the execution on the trade front needs to catch up.
Memphis Grizzlies: A New Era Begins
The Ja Morant-Jaren Jackson Jr. era in Memphis was electric - but it may already be over. Morant’s future with the team feels uncertain, and Jackson, while still a defensive force, hasn’t made the leap many hoped for. It’s time for a new direction.
That direction starts with Cedric Coward and Zach Edey. Both have shown flashes of being franchise building blocks, and they’re surrounded by a solid young core that includes Vince Williams Jr., Santi Aldama, Jaylen Wells, and Cam Spencer.
General manager Zach Kleiman has built a reputation as a savvy trader and sharp talent evaluator. While recent years have brought some turbulence - including coaching changes and roster shakeups, possibly to appease Morant - a reset could allow Kleiman to return to his strengths.
Moving on from Morant won’t be easy, but it might be what’s needed to unlock the next great Grizzlies team.
Final Word
Trade season always brings drama, but it’s often the under-the-radar moves - not the blockbuster deals - that shape the postseason and beyond. Whether it’s Charlotte pivoting to a new star, Milwaukee bracing for a potential reset, or Boston fine-tuning its financials, every decision made between now and Feb. 5 will ripple through the league.
Keep your eyes on these five teams. They may not be headlining the rumor mill just yet, but that could change in a hurry.