The trade market for the 2026-27 NBA season could be unusually crowded, and the tension is obvious: contenders have the picks and salary flexibility to strike, while expensive veterans on struggling teams look more movable by the day.
That is the backdrop for a group of players who all share a few key traits. Each is either headed toward unrestricted free agency or carrying a player option for the summer of 2027.
None is on a top-tier title team. And each one could change the balance of power if he lands in the right situation.
Anthony Davis sits near the top of that list. The Washington Wizards got him from the Mavericks at a fire-sale price last season and have said they want to compete this year with Davis, Trae Young and AJ Dybantsa.
That claim does not exactly pass the laugh test, and the real aim appears to be boosting Davis’ trade value before flipping him. He is owed $58.5 million this season and holds a $62.8 million player option for 2027-28.
Washington did not give him the max extension it handed Young earlier in the summer, even though Davis became extension-eligible on Aug. 6.
If he is healthy, he is the most dramatic ceiling-raiser in the group, the kind of player who can take a strong defense and make it elite overnight. The challenge is salary matching, which is why teams with movable money on the edge of contention - Celtics, Rockets, 76ers? - are worth watching.
Kevin Durant is another name that belongs in the conversation. He is owed $43.9 million this season and has a $46.1 million player option for 2027-28.
He was an All-NBA performer last year, but Houston’s finish unraveled, and plenty of the blame landed on Durant’s latest burner scandal and general moodiness. That kind of fallout can push a situation toward a breakup, and if it does, it would mark the fifth move of his career.
The obvious fit is a contender that already has leadership in place and just needs scoring and spacing. Detroit stands out as the team to watch, because pairing Durant with Cade Cunningham would give the Pistons some of the league’s best halfcourt shot creation.
Draymond Green may not put up the kind of numbers that jump off a page, but his market value is obvious. His one-year, $27.7 million contract is easy to move, and if Golden State starts slowly, he could become one of the most pursued names at the deadline.
Last season he averaged 8.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists, but his impact goes far beyond the box score. On defense, especially, he remains the sort of player you want on the opponent’s best scorer when the game tightens up.
His work on Kawhi Leonard in the Warriors’ play-in win last spring showed exactly why teams still covet him.
Tyler Herro is in a different stage of the story, but the logic is the same. Milwaukee acquired him as the headliner in the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, along with Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel'el Ware and three future first-rounders.
He is on an expiring $33 million deal and will reach unrestricted free agency next summer. The Bucks are rebuilding, and while Herro is 26, grew up outside the city and seems genuinely happy to be playing for his hometown team, sentiment only goes so far if he is not part of the long-term plan.
If Milwaukee is sitting near the bottom of the East by the deadline, his trade value becomes too real to ignore. He is one of the best pure shot-makers likely to be available, and the contract is simple to work with.
Kyrie Irving rounds out the list. He is owed $39.5 million this season and carries a $42.4 million player option for 2027-28, and he is coming off the first lost season of his career after tearing his left ACL in March 2025.
Dallas says the 34-year-old remains a major part of its future next to Cooper Flagg, and by all accounts he has not lost a step. Still, if the Mavericks are stuck near the bottom of the West and a playoff team comes with multiple first-round picks or young players, they would have to listen.
The idea of a Kyrie-for-De'Aaron Fox-and-two-firsts framework is the kind of in-state deal that almost never happens, which is exactly why it would be so interesting. Irving would fit cleanly in San Antonio, where his closing ability and off-ball game could raise the Spurs’ ceiling without getting in the way of Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle.
Fox, meanwhile, would give Dallas stability at point guard while Flagg keeps developing.
And then there is the wild-card name at the top of the food chain: Stephen Curry. He is in the final year of his deal at $62.6 million and is eligible for a two-year extension worth up to $136.7 million.
Golden State went 37-45 and lost the second play-in game to Phoenix last season. The team struck out on LeBron, passed on risk-taking for Davis, and answered by re-signing Draymond and running it back.
That is a message Curry can read plainly enough. The organization is effectively telling him he is no longer worth going all-in on.
The Lakers sent LeBron that same message for years, and eventually he left for another shot at a title. The question now is whether Curry could decide to do the same.
In Other News...
Kyrie Irving Suddenly Faces Massive Stakes In His Mavericks Return
Kyrie Irvings return to the Mavericks comes with more than the usual injury-rehab questions. Dallas is reportedly committed to keeping him on the roster for the next stretch while it evaluates how his body responds after the ACL injury and how his game looks once he is back on the floor. Irving has not played since March 2025, and with a significant contract already on the books, every update on his recovery carries real weight for how the Mavericks shape their next move.
What happens over the coming months could end up defining Irvings place in Dallas for longer than just this season. The organization wants to see whether he can rebuild enough value to matter in any future trade discussion, especially if his return looks closer to the high-end level that once made him one of the leagues toughest covers. For now, the Mavericks are betting that patience gives them the best chance to turn a difficult injury situation into something more manageable down the line. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Fans May Not Like Morez Johnson Jr.'s Rookie Outlook
Morez Johnson Jr. arrived in Dallas with plenty of draft-night buzz after the Mavericks used the ninth overall pick on him in June, and the early internal sell has leaned as much on feel as on flash. General manager Mike Schmitz has pointed to Johnsons intangible qualities and the way his game fits alongside the roster, while the rookie also comes in with a useful head start, having some familiarity with new head coach Dusty Mays offense before getting into Summer League action.
Still, the path to immediate playing time may not be as smooth as fans would like. Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report projected Johnson to be one of the more limited rookies among the top picks because of Dallas roster and its developmental priorities, which means the spotlight could be on patience as much as production. Johnson did get on the floor in Summer League, but his early momentum is part of a bigger evaluation process now, with the Mavericks trying to balance what he could become with what the rotation already demands. [Read more 🡒]
Jason Kidds Viral Mavs Comment Sounds Worse Than It Was
Jason Kidds latest viral Mavericks remark landed with a thud for some fans, but the larger context matters. The former Dallas coach and 2011 NBA champion was speaking in a lighthearted interview when he joked that the Mavericks got lucky in their Finals win over LeBron James and the Miami Heat, a comment that fits the dry humor he has long been known for.
The reaction was predictable, because anything touching that championship still carries weight in Dallas. But Kidds tone suggested he was not taking a shot at the title or trying to rewrite what that run meant for the franchise, even if the clip was enough to stir up some strong feelings before the rest of the conversation put it in a different light. [Read more 🡒]