Eleven More Players Become Trade-Eligible
Today is Thursday, January 15, which means that a total of 11 players who signed free agent contracts meeting specific criteria this past offseason are now eligible to be traded.
Most offseason signees became trade-eligible on December 15, but players who met the following criteria were ineligible to be moved for an extra month:
- The player re-signed with his previous team.
- He got a raise of at least 20%.
- His salary is above the minimum.
- His team was over the cap and used Bird or Early Bird rights to sign him.
These are the 11 players who met that criteria and are eligible to be traded as of Thursday:
Santi Aldama (Grizzlies)- Josh Giddey (Bulls)
- Quentin Grimes (Sixers)
- Isaiah Jackson (Pacers)
- Jonathan Kuminga (Warriors)
- Tre Mann (Hornets)
- Sam Merrill (Cavaliers)
- Davion Mitchell (Heat)
- Paul Reed (Pistons)
- Naz Reid (Timberwolves)
- Ryan Rollins (Bucks)
Most of the players on standard 15-man rosters around the NBA are now eligible to be moved, though a small handful still can’t be dealt.
That group includes Kings guard Russell Westbrook, who becomes trade-eligible on Friday, Hawks guard Keaton Wallace (trade-eligible on January 18), Pelicans center DeAndre Jordan (Jan. 23), Knicks forward Mikal Bridges (Feb. 1), Lakers guard Luka Doncic (Feb. 2), Kings forward Precious Achiuwa (Feb. 4), and Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox (Feb. 4).
Additionally, there are several players who won’t become trade-eligible at all prior to this season’s February 6 deadline, including reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Players on 10-day contracts are also ineligible to be traded.
Jenkins Likely To Get Standard Contract: Pistons Have Options With TPE
- Pistons guard Daniss Jenkins is limited to 50 games on his two-way contract, and Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press points out in a subscriber-only mailbag column that he’s likely to reach that limit on February 5, which is also the day of the trade deadline. There’s a good chance Detroit will open up a roster spot and give a standard contract to Jenkins, who has emerged as a rotation player in his second NBA season, with Sankofa speculating that it’s likely to be a one- or two-year deal.
- Hunter Patterson of The Athletic examines ways the Pistons can use a traded player exception that allows them to take on an additional $14.3MM in salary. He cites Bucks forward Bobby Portis, Spurs center Kelly Olynyk, Hawks wing Luke Kennard, Celtics forward Sam Hauser and Mavericks wing Max Christie as potential targets. If Detroit doesn’t use it in a deal by the deadline, the TPE will remain available through July 7.
Trade Notes: Cavs, Nets, MPJ, Grizzlies, More
The Cavaliers acquired forward De’Andre Hunter in their only in-season trade in 2024/25, but Hunter’s disappointing performance so far in ’25/26 may necessitate another in-season move a year later, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required).
Sources tell Fedor that the Cavaliers haven’t engaged in any meaningful trade talks with teams inquiring on their players so far, including one club that made an offer for Hunter. Cleveland still believes in its current group despite an underwhelming 22-19 first half and wants to see what it looks like at full strength, if possible, Fedor adds.
However, with Max Strus expected to remain sidelined for at least a few more weeks, Dean Wade dealing with a nagging knee issue – he recently underwent a precautionary MRI that came back clean, per Fedor – and Hunter struggling to make an impact, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Cavs explore their options on the trade market before the deadline.
After Hunter scored a season-low two points and committed three turnovers in 18 minutes of action in Monday’s home loss to Utah, head coach Kenny Atkinson acknowledged the forward’s struggles while expressing a belief that he can still turn things around.
“It’s not clicking. I think it’s a prolonged batting slump. It happens in every sport,” Atkinson said. “Trying to support him. Trying to get him some touches. Part of my job is to help him. He’ll snap out of it. He’s too good of a player to be playing like this. He’ll turn it around. We need him.”
Here are a few more trade-related notes and rumors from around the NBA:
- Noting that Nets general manager Sean Marks typically exercises patience on the trade market and doesn’t settle for deals that fall shy of his asking price, Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscription required) writes that there’s a real chance Michael Porter Jr. remains with the team through the trade deadline. One assistant GM told Lewis that he wouldn’t be surprised if Brooklyn hangs onto Porter and then sits him frequently after the trade deadline in an effort to tank for a high draft pick.
- Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports and Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports both check in on the Ja Morant situation, with Iko explaining why the Grizzlies appear prepared to move forward without the star point guard and O’Connor presenting some hypothetical trade scenarios involving the 26-year-old. Echoing recent reporting from ESPN, Iko says executives around the NBA are wondering if Memphis will also become open to dealing Jaren Jackson Jr., though the Grizzlies have insisted for now that’s not an option they’re considering.
- Dan Woike of The Athletic suggests six trade ideas for the Lakers, including potential deals that send Andrew Wiggins, Herbert Jones, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, or Justin Champagnie to Los Angeles. However, he also plays devil’s advocate by outlining reasons why his suggestions might not work, such as the Pelicans’ lack of interest in moving Jones and the Lakers’ reluctance to take on multiyear salary for a player like KCP.
- Sam Vecenie of The Athletic lays out a few trades he’d like to see happen, including one sending Bulls guard Coby White into the Pistons‘ trade exception for draft assets, a three-team deal sending Michael Porter Jr. to the Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga to the Kings, and a Daniel Gafford/Bennedict Mathurin swap between the Pacers and Mavericks.
Siegel’s Latest: Pistons, Suns, Raptors, Pelicans, Thunder
Although there has been some speculation that the Pistons could try to make a major win-now move to fortify their roster ahead of the playoffs, multiple sources tell Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints that Detroit is unlikely to deal away any of its core players, a group that includes Tobias Harris, Jaden Ivey and Isaiah Stewart.
It’s a little strange to see Harris, who is currently out with a hip strain, described as part of the Pistons’ “core,” considering he’s the oldest player (33) on the roster and on an expiring $26.6MM contract. But evidently the team values his contributions and veteran leadership.
According to Siegel, if Detroit’s front office — led by president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon — changes that stance, Trey Murphy III would be a player to watch. Langdon used to be New Orleans’ GM and was part of the group that drafted Murphy.
Here are a few more items of interest from Siegel’s latest rumor round-up:
- The Suns have been scouring the market for a “cheap forward upgrade,” according to Siegel, who says Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale and Nick Richards have all been made available in trade talks.
- Reiterating a point recently made by Marc Stein, Siegel cites sources who say the Raptors are viewed as a buyer heading into the deadline, with Domantas Sabonis, Ja Morant and Murphy among the players they’ve considered pursuing. Toronto appears willing to part with its 2026 first-round pick in search of win-now upgrades, according to Siegel, who writes that Ochai Agbaji is likely to be on the move before the deadline, and if a bigger trade is made, Immanuel Quickley may be involved.
- A recent report said the Pelicans have been rebuffing trade inquiries on forwards Murphy and Herbert Jones, among others. Rival teams think that’s due to a combination of a high asking price and being underwhelmed by opposing offers. According to Siegel, New Orleans is looking for two first-round picks for Jones and three for Murphy, plus young players. Siegel hears the Pelicans are also trying to get back into the 2026 draft after sending out their own selection last year for Derik Queen; they’ve been talking to projected playoff teams (in the 20-30 range) about that possibility.
- While the Thunder are considered unlikely to make any type of significant change to their roster prior to the deadline, it’s possible they could look to either consolidate some of their 2026 first-round picks for a more valuable selection or trade them for future draft assets, per Siegel. That may happen closer to the draft, Siegel notes. Dan Woike of The Athletic, citing sources, also hears rival teams think the Thunder will try to turn some of this year’s first-rounders — they could have as many as four — into future assets.
Stein’s Latest: Morant, Young, Knicks, Gafford, More
Ja Morant has become the name to watch in NBA trade circles following reports that the Grizzlies were open to listening to offers for their star point guard.
In his latest article for The Stein Line (Substack link), Marc Stein notes that, due to their reported interest in trade targets like Trae Young, Anthony Davis, and Domantas Sabonis, there is a belief around the league that the Raptors may be facing internal win-now pressure, which could lead to them making a play for Morant.
Stein also states that, despite rumors that the Kings aren’t looking to making a move for the oft-injured point guard, he has heard rumors that Sacramento’s interest in Morant could be piqued if the Grizzlies would consider a return built around DeMar DeRozan, Devin Carter, and draft assets.
Carter was the 13th pick in the 2024 draft but has struggled to carve out a role with the Kings, averaging just 8.4 minutes this season.
Morant has played 18 games this season and is averaging 19.0 points and 7.6 assists on .401/.208/.900 shooting splits.
We have more from Stein’s latest newsletter:
- One of the lingering questions following the Wizards‘ trade for Young is whether Washington will extend its newly acquired guard. Stein, who notes that the Hawks’ refusal to extend Young was one of the impetuses that led to their separation, says there are rumblings that the four-time All-Star will ultimately land a two-year extension. With Young widely expected to see little to no action during the second half, Stein notes that the Wizards will likely to point to Toronto’s handling of Brandon Ingram last year as a precedent if the league takes issue with their new point guard sitting out. Ingram didn’t suit up for the Raptors last season, with the team citing an ankle injury.
- The Knicks have struggled to regain their footing after claiming the NBA Cup, winning just one of their last six games. While it’s unlikely that they’ll part with any of their core players, Stein writes that Guerschon Yabusele and second-year wing Pacome Dadiet are both available as New York attempts to tinker around their margins. Yabusele, after a breakout return to the NBA with the Sixers last season, has struggled to find a rhythm or role in coach Mike Brown‘s system, leading to him being in and out of the rotation. Dadiet, the 25th pick in the 2024 draft, has seemingly been overtaken in the rotation by youngsters like Mohamed Diawara and Kevin McCullar Jr., having played just 44 minutes in 14 games.
- While the Hawks‘ interest in Davis is well-documented, Stein writes that they also have some level of interest in another Mavericks big man: Daniel Gafford. Gafford offers less upside than Davis, but such a deal would help the Hawks keep Zaccharie Risacher out of trade talks. Stein adds that the Pacers and Celtics are also interested in pursuing the 27-year-old center.
- Spencer Dinwiddie is now eligible to sign with an NBA team after parting ways with Bayern Munich, but Stein reports that he could need some time to deal with the personal matters that led to his leaving the EuroLeague club.
- According to Stein, the Mavericks are holding off on waiving Dante Exum to open up a roster spot to promote Ryan Nembhard because they hope they can use Exum’s $3.3MM salary in a trade instead. Decisions on converting two-way players like Spencer Jones (Nuggets), Daniss Jenkins (Pistons), and Pat Spencer (Warriors) will likely all happen after the trade deadline for similar reasons, especially since those players won’t reach their active game limits until around that time.
Cunningham Questionable Sat.; Ivey No Longer On Mins. Limit
- Pistons star Cade Cunningham is questionable to suit up for Saturday’s matchup vs. the Clippers due to a right wrist contusion, tweets Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. The former No. 1 overall pick is an MVP candidate this season with Detroit holding the best record in the Eastern Conference at 28-9. Cunningham, a 6’6″ guard, missed Wednesday’s win over Chicago with the injury.
- Speaking to reporters on Friday, including Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter video link), Pistons guard Jaden Ivey said he’s in a “great space” from a health standpoint and is no longer on a minutes restriction. The impending restricted free agent missed most of last season with a fractured left fibula and was sidelined to start ’25/26 after undergoing right knee surgery this fall. Ivey is averaging a career-low 16.7 minutes per game through 22 appearances.
Central Notes: Kawamura, J. Smith, Pistons, Turner
The medical condition that prompted the Bulls to waive two-way guard Yuki Kawamura in October was a blood clot in his lower right leg, per K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network (Twitter links). The team re-signed Kawamura earlier this week.
As Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune (subscription required) writes, head coach Billy Donovan explained on Wednesday that the Bulls always intended to re-sign Kawamura once he had recovered, and that the 5’8″ guard remained in Chicago to work with the team’s medical staff despite not being on the roster. According to Donovan, Kawamura was able to participate in on-court basketball activities during his recovery process, but didn’t take any contact until he received medical clearance.
“You always take those things seriously,” Donovan said. “He’s worked really, really hard. I’m happy for him because at that point, when you have something like that, you just don’t know what that’s going to look like in the future. I’m just happy it all worked out well for him.”
Victor Wembanyama, Ausar Thompson, and Brandon Ingram are among the current NBA players who have recovered from blood clots in recent years. Wizards forward Cam Whitmore is currently sidelined due to a blood clot in his shoulder.
Here’s more from around the Central:
- Exploring Jalen Smith‘s impact on the Bulls, Spencer Davies of RG.org notes that the team has lost all seven games that the big man has missed this season and has a 17-13 record when he plays. Smith’s +3.5 net rating is the best mark of any player on the roster. “I think he’s been really, really good for us,” Donovan told Davies last month. “… The thing that I appreciate about him, he doesn’t mind playing the center spot and power forward spot. He just wants to go out there and play, and I respect that about him.”
- With a 28-9 record and a four-game cushion in the race for the Eastern Conference’s top seed, the Pistons are better off betting on continuity than making a major move at the trade deadline, writes Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscription required). Still, as Sankofa details in a separate subscriber-only story, Detroit holds a $14MM traded player exception that could be used to add another rotation piece. Sankofa considers a few players the team could target using that TPE, including Sam Hauser, Bobby Portis, Georges Niang, and even Zaccharie Risacher.
- After he spent his first 10 NBA seasons in Indiana, Myles Turner‘s numbers in his first year with the Bucks are down across the board, but he’s doing his best not to let that bother him, telling Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (subscription required) that he views any feelings of discomfort as a challenge to be overcome. “I’ve been comfortable the past three, four years. It’s something I’ve known,” Turner said. “I think true growth happens in uncomfortable moments. I’m rolling with the punches. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy making a change like that, so just embracing the uncomfortable part of the role right now.”
NBA’s Future With Main Street Sports Group In Doubt After Missed Payments
The future of the NBA’s relationship with Main Street Sports Group is uncertain after the company failed to make its January payments to several teams, sources tell Tom Friend of Sports Business Journal.
Main Street, which is in the process of being sold to DAZN, also missed a payment to Major League Baseball’s St. Louis Cardinals last month. According to Friend, that prompted the NBA league office to contact all 13 teams doing business with the company to warn them that their January payments may not arrive as expected. Friend reports that at least several of those teams didn’t receive scheduled rights fee payments this week.
The missed deadline won’t have an immediate effect, as telecasts will continue on Main Street’s FanDuel Sports Networks. Sources tell Friend that default notices have already been sent to Main Street, which will have a 15-day cure period once they are received.
“Main Street Sports Group is in dialogue with its team and league partners around the timing of rights payments as we progress discussions with strategic partners to further enhance our long-term capital position,” a company spokesperson said in a statement to Sports Business Journal.
According to Friend’s sources, the 13 teams have safeguards in their contracts with Main Street that will make them the primary payees from the company’s creditors if it were to go out of business.
Friend hears that Main Street lost about $200MM in 2025 and owes the teams a combined $180MM for this season. The potential sale depends on several conditions, he adds, such as DAZN wanting the teams’ digital rights, hoping to negotiate extensions through at least the 2028/29 season and trying to get teams to accept lower fees for their broadcast rights.
If the sale can’t be completed in January, sources tell Friend that Main Street officials plan to shut down the business after the NBA and NHL seasons conclude, but they hope to continue game broadcasts until then. However, team sources aren’t convinced that Main Street has the financial means to keep producing the games, so the 13 NBA teams will need to develop emergency backup plans.
“The league has the capacity to put them on, to stream them, and all the teams are certainly equipped to go over-the-air to do it,” one team source tells Friend. “But now the revenue gets crushed. Hopefully a lot of people have already gotten paid at least 30 to 50% of this year’s revenue. But you’ll never get the rest of that money back, you’ll never recoup the money.’’
Friend notes that if Main Street dissolves, digital rights would revert back to the teams, which would make a national streaming Regional Sports Network much easier to accomplish. If DAZN completes the deal, not much will change except for the brand name. However, the company will have to address the issue of extensions, as contracts with the Grizzlies, Hornets and Magic expire after the current season, and deals with the Thunder, Clippers, Timberwolves, Pacers, Hawks, Heat, Cavaliers and Bucks only run through 2026/27.
According to Friend, here are the 13 teams under contract with Main Street and their rights fees payments for 2025/26:
- Atlanta Hawks: $32M
- Charlotte Hornets: $16.57M
- Cleveland Cavaliers: $34M
- Detroit Pistons: $25.78M
- Indiana Pacers: $17.47M
- Los Angeles Clippers: $34.59M
- Memphis Grizzlies: $11.41M
- Miami Heat: $55M
- Milwaukee Bucks: $24M
- Minnesota Timberwolves: $24.88M
- Oklahoma City Thunder: $16.67M
- Orlando Magic: $26.19M
- San Antonio Spurs: $19.92M
Deni Avdija, Tyrese Maxey Named Players Of Week
Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija and Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey have been named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, according to the NBA (Twitter links).
Avdija averaged 26.8 points, 9.8 assists and 8.3 rebounds per game while leading to Portland to a 3-1 record during the week of December 29 to January 4. This is the first time Avdija has earned Player of the Week honors. He’s the first Portland player to get the nod since Damian Lillard on Feb. 6, 2023.
Maxey averaged 34.7 points and 8.7 assists per game while shooting 61.2% from the field as the Sixers went 3-0. It’s the third time Maxey has earned Player of the Week honors, including the second time this season — he joins Knicks guard Jalen Brunson and Celtics wing Jaylen Brown as the Eastern Conference’s two-time winners so far in 2025/26.
Devin Booker (Suns), Stephen Curry (Warriors), Kevin Durant (Rockets), Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder) and Kawhi Leonard (Clippers) were the other nominees in the West.
Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks), Paolo Banchero and Anthony Black (Magic), Brown (Celtics) and Cade Cunningham (Pistons) were also nominated in the East.
Central Notes: Cavs, Jenkins, Brown, Bickerstaff, Potter
Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson is mulling rotation changes after his second unit was gouged by the Pistons in a four-point loss on Sunday, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com reports. Detroit staged a second-quarter rally and led the rest of the way.
“We gotta look at it,” Atkinson said when asked about some of the lineups used in the second quarter. “Obviously, wasn’t the right combination. Obviously, the bench play hurt us (Sunday).”
The second unit provided a spark last season, led by Ty Jerome, who signed with Memphis during the offseason. The Cavs have the NBA’s fourth least-productive bench this season.
“Maybe we keep two of our stars out there at the same time,” Atkinson said. “We’ve gotta help them. We started Sam (Merrill) tonight and that obviously hurts the bench, so we just gotta figure it out. It’s definitely, definitely hurting us in those minutes.”
Here’s more from the Central Division:
- Pistons two-way guard Daniss Jenkins fell one point short of the franchise record for points scored in a second quarter on Sunday. Jenkins racked up 21 points in those 12 minutes, making all seven of his field goal attempts, including six three-pointers. Jenkins also closed out the game with four free throws. Jenkins’ 21-point quarter was the highest scoring by a bench player in franchise history. “He was unbelievable,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said, per Coty Davis of the Detroit News. “It’s the trust factor, we talk about it all the time. We have 18 guys on our roster that we believe in. We have 18 guys who we believe can help us win when we put them in the game. They know how to play Pistons’ basketball. They play unselfishly. They play with a high spirit. They have the confidence to go out and do what it takes to get it done.” Jenkins is a prime candidate to eventually receive a standard contract.
- Knicks head coach Mike Brown used to babysit Bickerstaff, James Edwards III of The Athletic reveals. They now coach the top two teams in the East. The Knicks and Pistons will square off for the first time since their playoff matchup last season on Monday. “He was strict,” Bickerstaff said. “He had a great way of making things fun but always organized and detailed. There weren’t going to be things that were missed, and he was scared to death of my dad (longtime NBA coach Bernie Bickerstaff). He wasn’t going to let anything happen to me.”
- Micah Potter, who signed a non-guaranteed contract with the Pacers late last month, was one of the 12 players named to the USA Select Team in June 2024 that scrimmaged against Team USA in Las Vegas prior to the Paris Olympics. He was also one of three players who stuck with the team as practice players through its July exhibition tour, an unforgettable experience for the big man. “That was the, hands down, coolest thing I’ve ever done in my life,” Potter told Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star. “I had no idea that was gonna happen until my agent called me out of the blue. Going into that kind of environment — Kevin Durant said it’s the greatest team he’s ever played on, and so with that, you could argue it’s the greatest team ever assembled which is incredible. You go down the list and look at the names and it’s incredible. So being in that kind of an environment, you see how those kinds of guys prepare, right? You see how they approach the game, mentally and physically. It’s one of those things where you go into that environment — and I ended up playing, which is nuts too, getting on the floor with all of them — you learn to gain confidence.”