The NBA offseason turned into a whirlwind, and not every big name got swept up in it.
Giannis Antetokounmpo ended up in Miami, Jaylen Brown landed in Philadelphia, and LaMelo Ball was dealt to Minnesota. But a handful of All-Stars stayed right where they were, even after spending plenty of the summer in trade chatter.
In some cases, the logic for moving them was obvious. In others, teams decided the timing just wasn’t right.
Here are the four NBA All-Stars who weren’t traded this summer.
Kyrie Irving might be the most intriguing case of all. Dallas had already moved on from Luka Doncic and Anthony Davis, hired Masai Ujiri, and shifted its attention toward Cooper Flagg, so Irving’s name naturally surfaced as a possible trade chip.
The Miami Heat were mentioned as an obvious fit, and the Detroit Pistons were later described as one of the teams most interested in acquiring him. Houston was also expected to stay involved.
Still, Dallas kept him. That decision makes a certain kind of sense.
Irving remains one of the league’s most dangerous offensive guards when he’s healthy and rolling, and in 2024-25 he averaged 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game. The Mavericks also have a young centerpiece in Flagg who could benefit from a veteran creator like Irving.
The big obstacle is the knee injury. Irving missed the entire 2025-26 season after undergoing ACL reconstruction, and Dallas announced in February that he would not return that season.
The combination of health uncertainty and timing made a summer move difficult. It was reported that Dallas had no interest in trading Irving and that he was believed to be comfortable with the Mavericks.
Zion Williamson was another name that seemed to pop up constantly. New Orleans never seemed especially settled around him, and the Pelicans’ roster outlook didn’t exactly quiet the rumors. The idea of a major move involving Williamson kept hanging around, including a proposed blockbuster that would have sent him and Trey Murphy III to Boston for Jaylen Brown before that possibility disappeared once Brown went to Philadelphia.
When Zion is on the floor, the production is still there. In 2025-26, he played 62 games and averaged 21.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.2 assists while shooting 60.0% from the field. He also flashed the kind of peak that makes teams dream bigger, including a 2022-23 stretch in which he averaged 26.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.6 assists in 29 games.
But trading him now would have meant selling low on a player who still has star-level upside. New Orleans went 26-56 last season and is clearly rebuilding, and it was reported in August that the franchise was holding off on extension talks with Williamson while it evaluates its future. So the Pelicans didn’t make a move just to make one.
Domantas Sabonis looked like the cleanest fit for a summer trade on paper. Sacramento went 22-60, and with the Kings trending younger, it was fair to wonder whether a 30-year-old center fit the long-term picture. Reports said Sacramento was willing to listen to offers, and possible destinations included the Hornets, Raptors, and Lakers.
The basketball case for dealing him was real. Sabonis has been one of the league’s most productive offensive centers for years, and he entered the summer as a three-time All-Star and three-time rebounding champion. In 2024-25, he averaged 19.1 points, a league-leading 13.9 rebounds, and 6.0 assists in 70 games.
Even so, Sabonis is not the kind of player you just move without a plan. He’s an unusual offensive hub who can operate from the elbow, own the glass, and punish smaller lineups.
His 2025-26 season was cut short after 19 games, when he averaged 15.8 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists, and that limited run likely made it harder for Sacramento to get full value. The Kings held onto him, but they still need to figure out how to turn his production into something useful.
Zach LaVine rounds out the list, and his situation in Sacramento was awkward from the start. The Kings’ 22-60 season pushed them toward a younger direction, and it was tough to see how a 31-year-old scorer making nearly $49 million fit the long view. His contract complicated everything, especially after he exercised his $49 million player option for 2026-27, turning himself into something close to a one-year rental for any team willing to take on the salary.
LaVine still has real value as a scorer. In 39 games for Sacramento last season, he averaged 19.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.3 blocks while shooting 47.9% from the field and 39.0% from three.
But his season ended after hand surgery, which left more uncertainty attached to him. Sacramento ultimately kept him, giving LaVine a chance to enter 2026-27 with a clear mission: prove he’s more than an expensive scoring contract.
In Other News...
Pelicans Core Faces A New Debate As Trey Murphy Keeps Rising
The Pelicans have found themselves with an interesting kind of recognition as the new season approaches, with three players landing on The Ringers top 100 list. Dejounte Murray checks in at No. 89 after a career built on past achievements and a return from injury, while Zion Williamson sits at No. 48 thanks to his leadership and scoring efficiency. It is Trey Murphy, though, who stands out as the fastest-rising name in the group, landing at No. 49 and continuing to build a profile that has grown alongside his shooting efficiency.
Murphys spot just behind Williamson adds a fresh wrinkle to the way New Orleans core is being viewed nationally, especially with the rankings due for an update soon. The Pelicans have long centered their hopes on Williamsons ceiling and Murrays steadying presence, but Murphys ascent suggests the conversation around the roster is no longer only about the established stars. If the list shifts again before opening night, the order of this trio could become one more small measure of how far Murphy has come. [Read more 🡒]
Pelicans Have A Backcourt Problem That Could Derail Their Rotation
The Pelicans 2026-27 roster looks plenty interesting on paper, but the guard rotation already has a soft spot that could matter once the season starts. With Dejounte Murray and Jeremiah Fears penciled in as the starters, the question is what happens behind them, especially after losing Jose Alvarado, who had long helped stabilize that part of the lineup. Jordan Poole gives New Orleans another ball-handling option, but the fit is not so straightforward that it solves everything by itself.
Kobe Bufkin may end up as a third-string answer, yet that only underscores how thin the safety net is if injuries hit or the rotation gets reshuffled. For a team trying to build something sturdier around its backcourt, the lack of a clean backup point guard solution could become more than a side issue. It is the kind of roster wrinkle that does not always show up right away, but can start to shape how the entire rotation holds together. [Read more 🡒]
Pelicans May Finally Have A Real Chance To Reshape Zions Roster
The Pelicans spent much of this offseason working around an already crowded payroll, which kept their options tighter than they would have liked. Even so, there is a sense around the franchise that next summer could open the door to a much different kind of roster-building exercise, with significantly more room to maneuver than they had this year.
New Orleans expects to clear roughly $40 million from the contracts of Jordan Poole and Saddiq Bey, though Bey could still be in line for an extension. That kind of flexibility would give the front office a real chance to chase bigger names in free agency, and players such as Michael Porter Jr. and RJ Barrett are already part of the conversation as the Pelicans look for ways to better shape the roster around Zion Williamson. [Read more 🡒]