Five big NBA names who could be next on trade block

The wildest NBA trade deadline in league history, capped by superstar Luka Doncic going from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers, still has heads spinning.  

Could more All-Star-caliber players be traded?  Below are possibilities. 

(Trades can't be made again until the offseason. Statistics and records are through Wednesday.)

Kevin Durant | Phoenix Suns

Suns owner Mat Ishbia stated on multiple occasions that Phoenix plans to keep KD, the subject of rampant trade speculation before the deadline. 

The Suns (26-28) are outside the play-in race. Is trying to improve around a 36-year-old Durant, with practically no tradable draft assets and the albatross that is Bradley Beal’s contract, really the pathway forward?

Thanks to his no-trade clause, Beal is practically immovable. Guard Devin Booker (26.2 PPG this season) — another player who could be moved — is in his prime (28). Durant, who is averaging 27.3 points this season, is the obvious trade candidate if the Suns choose to restock the cupboard.

Zion Williamson | New Orleans Pelicans

After trying for years to build around Williamson, their oft-absent star, the Pelicans have perhaps admitted defeat after trading Brandon Ingram to Toronto at the deadline. Could veteran guards CJ McCollum and Dejounte Murray, a former All-Star, be next to be traded? 

They might be harder to move than Williamson, 24, the 2019 first overall pick. But what would Williamson generate on the trade market?

Williamson is a gifted offensive player (24.4 PPG this season) but has a very particular set of skills that are not simple to build around. He has also proved to be vastly unreliable. This season, he has played in only 18 games for New Orleans (13-42).

Giannis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks

The greatest of all Bucks must be wondering if there is another title run left in this group. Milwaukee (29-24) hasn’t been whole for the postseason since its 2021 championship. Is its window closed?

The front office won’t leave a stone unturned in its pursuit of running mates for Antetokounmpo, but the asset cupboard seems bare. 

Antetokounmpo recently turned 30, and while that’s still young for a baller in this era, his battering-ram style could mean he'll age faster than many expect. Teammates Damian Lillard (34) and Brook Lopez (36) are old. 33-year-old Khris Middleton — whose ankles might be 15 years older than the rest of his body — was moved by the Bucks at the deadline for the underwhelming Kyle Kuzma. 

At what point do the Bucks admit that their race is run and pivot to a rebuild? Will Antetokounmpo force their hand?

Julius Randle | Minnesota Timberwolves

Given Randle’s drop in production with Minnesota since it acquired him in October from the New York Knicks (18.9 PPG this season from 24 PPG in 2023-24), he can't be termed an All-Star. But he was one in three of his previous four seasons. 

Per Spotrac, Randle has a $30M player option that he probably will opt into, but the Timberwolves (31-25) won't want to foot that bill. Minnesota's Tim Connelly is a creative president of basketball operations. If anyone can find a way to generate value for Randle in a trade, it would be him. 

Randle is considered a poor defender and spotty outside shooter (32.1% from deep this season). His value lies in his ability to create and score. He’s perfect for a team looking to raise its floor and perhaps sneak into a playoff spot. Perhaps Chicago might bite. 

Jimmy Butler | Golden State Warriors

Butler, acquired at the trade deadline from Miami, relishes competing on his terms.

"He's a lion. He's a force," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said, per ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk, after Butler's debut with Golden State (28-27).

But when Butler isn’t able to dictate terms, he rebels. That has happened to varying degrees at his stops in Chicago, Minnesota, Philadelphia and Miami. In early February, ESPN's Ramona Shelburne detailed how Butler forced a split with the Heat.

With Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Kerr in Golden State, Butler (17.6 PPG this season) is the fourth-loudest voice on the team. 

There is a chance Butler — who signed a two-year, $110M extension with the Warriors, per Spotrac — could fall into line and play the good soldier off the floor and provide the Dubs what they need on it. But if history is a guide, this marriage could eventually lead to a divorce.