{"id":282496,"date":"2025-11-14T12:00:19","date_gmt":"2025-11-14T12:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/282496\/"},"modified":"2025-11-14T12:00:19","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T12:00:19","slug":"nba-trade-rumors-could-anthony-davis-ja-morant-be-on-the-move","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/282496\/","title":{"rendered":"NBA trade rumors: Could Anthony Davis, Ja Morant be on the move?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Dallas Mavericks<\/a> have to hire a new general manager<\/a>, and that person may opt to completely overhaul the roster and rebuild.<\/p>\n

The Memphis Grizzlies<\/a> are dealing with a frustrated \u2014 if not fully disgruntled \u2014 star in Ja Morant.<\/p>\n

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The Sacramento Kings<\/a> might also be selling off their assets.<\/p>\n

The 2025-26 NBA season isn\u2019t even a month in, but there are already plenty of indicators that may point to a potentially busy trade market.<\/p>\n

The NBA trade deadline is still a long way off, on Thursday, Feb. 5 at 3 p.m. ET, but we\u2019re already looking at players most likely to be traded and their best possible fits.<\/p>\n

More: In firing GM Nico Harrison, Mavericks finally concede Luka Doncic trade mistake<\/a><\/p>\n

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Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents<\/p>\n

Oct. 26: The Dallas Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg dunks the ball past the Toronto Raptors’ Sandro Mamukelashvili at the American Airlines Center.<\/p>\n

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Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents<\/p>\n

Oct. 26: The Dallas Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg dunks the ball past the Toronto Raptors’ Sandro Mamukelashvili at the American Airlines Center.<\/p>\n

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Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents<\/p>\n

Oct. 26: The Washington Wizards’ Cam Whitmore dunks the ball against the Charlotte Hornets at Capital One Arena.<\/p>\n

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Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents<\/p>\n

Oct. 26: The Brooklyn Nets’ Michael Porter Jr. dunks in front of the San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama at Frost Bank Center.<\/p>\n

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Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents<\/p>\n

Oct. 25: The Denver Nuggets’ Christian Braun dunks the ball against the Phoenix Suns’ Grayson Allen at Ball Arena.<\/p>\n

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Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents<\/p>\n

Oct. 24: The Memphis Grizzlies’ Jaren Jackson Jr. dunks against the Miami Heat at FedExForum.<\/p>\n

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Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents<\/p>\n

Oct. 24: The Miami Heat’s Bam Adebayo dunks over the Memphis Grizzlies’ Jaren Jackson Jr. at FedExForum.<\/p>\n

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Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents<\/p>\n

Oct. 22: The New York Knicks’ OG Anunoby goes up for a reverse dunk against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden.<\/p>\n

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Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents<\/p>\n

Oct. 22: The Utah Jazz’s Lauri Markkanen dunks against the Los Angeles Clippers at Delta Center.<\/p>\n

NBA trade rumors: Players who might be on the moveAnthony Davis, Dallas Mavericks forward-center<\/p>\n

Why: Davis, 32, is a massive injury risk and has played only 14 games for the Mavericks since being traded in February. He\u2019s pricey and has two more seasons on a contract that averages $58.5 million in annual value, with a player option in 2027-28 worth $62.8 million. The Mavericks need to get younger and Davis doesn\u2019t fit that timeline.<\/p>\n

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Best fits: Los Angeles Clippers<\/a>, Minnesota Timberwolves<\/a>, Golden State Warriors, Chicago Bulls<\/a>, New York Knicks<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Dallas<\/p>\n

Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis (3) and Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) look on during the third quarter at FedExForum on April 18, 2025. Petre Thomas-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies guard<\/p>\n

Why: This feels untenable<\/a>. Morant, the electric 26-year-old guard whose numbers have dipped, grated at direct criticism<\/a> that his head coach, Tuomas Iisalo, levied at him. Iisalo reportedly challenged Morant to be a better leader, and Morant responded with curt media sessions and reportedly denounced Iisalo\u2019s substitution patterns. The Grizzlies have a young, talented team, and the front office may want to change the vibe in the locker room, though Morant\u2019s value might be the lowest it has ever been.<\/p>\n

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Best fits: Sacramento Kings, Minnesota Timberwolves, Atlanta Hawks<\/a>, Milwaukee Bucks<\/a>, Toronto Raptors<\/a><\/p>\n

Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks guard<\/p>\n

Why: The easiest deal might be a Morant-Young swap, but the Hawks might actually play more cohesively without Young. The team\u2019s performance with him on the court versus off is similar, but his contract<\/a> is significant enough where that salary cap space could be used more efficiently. Young is expected to miss at least a month with an MCL sprain<\/a>, and Atlanta is 6-2 without him, versus 1-3 in games he started and finished.<\/p>\n

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Best fits: Memphis Grizzlies, Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves<\/p>\n

Lauri Markkanen, Utah Jazz forward<\/p>\n

Why: It seems like Markkanen<\/a>, the versatile stretch forward whose numbers have exploded this year, is always the subject of trade rumors. And while it may seem unconventional for a team to trade away a 28-year-old who is averaging 29.3 points per game, his value has never been higher. So, if the Jazz want to continue their youth movement and stash away draft capital, a deal here would make sense.<\/p>\n

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Best fits: Detroit Pistons<\/a>, Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs<\/a>, Boston Celtics<\/p>\n

Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans forward<\/p>\n

Why: It might just be time for a change of scenery. Williamson came into the season in the best shape of his career, but he suffered a hamstring injury<\/a> that has sidelined him yet again. Availability has been the big issue for Williamson, who is just 25. That means that his trade market has depressed significantly, with teams being wary about shipping assets for a player who is often injured. But the Pelicans are 2-9 and may be looking to completely reset their roster.<\/p>\n

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Best fits: Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies<\/p>\n

Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings center<\/p>\n

Why: A recent report<\/a> suggested the Kings could offload their best players to undertake a full-scale rebuild, and Sabonis could be the most desirable target. He\u2019s best when he anchors an offense from the top of the key, with the ball in his hands. Sacramento is poorly constructed and coach Doug Christie has gone away from Sabonis as a distributor, relying more on his point guards.<\/p>\n

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Best fits: Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers<\/a>, Detroit Pistons<\/a>, San Antonio Spurs, Charlotte Hornets<\/p>\n

DeMar DeRozan, Sacramento Kings forward<\/p>\n

Why: Ditto to the above on the Kings rebuild and poor roster construction. DeRozan, 36, excels in the midrange and is a fairly consistent scorer, something that could help teams looking for a boost in offensive production. But, because he thrives in the midrange, he might not be a fit for a lot of up-tempo offenses that prioritize perimeter shots.<\/p>\n

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Best fits: Boston Celtics, Charlotte Hornets, Milwaukee Bucks<\/p>\n

Zach LaVine, Sacramento Kings forward<\/p>\n

Why: Ditto to the above \u2026 LaVine is having a solid start to the season, leading the Kings in points per game (23.9) at an excellent 51.9% shooting clip. He also leads Sacramento in made 3-pointers per game (3.3) and is shooting those at 42.3%. His contract is a little unwieldy, but he provides instant offense.<\/p>\n

Best fits: Milwaukee Bucks, Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, Golden State Warriors<\/p>\n

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NBA trade rumors: Players unlikely to be tradedLeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers forward<\/p>\n

Why: Although Los Angeles is essentially treating James as an expiring contract, it\u2019s tough to see the franchise trading him, unless it\u2019s at James\u2019 request. He will turn 41 in late December, and he has a no-trade clause<\/a> in his contract. James has said, however, that he wants to compete for championships, so if he senses that the Lakers will be unable to do so, he could theoretically ask out. Still, it\u2019s tough to envision that happening.<\/p>\n

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The many faces of basketball legend LeBron James<\/p>\n

Gold medalist LeBron James of Team United States celebrates on the podium during the Men’s basketball medal ceremony on day fifteen of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on Aug. 10, 2024 in Paris, France. <\/p>\n

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The many faces of basketball legend LeBron James<\/p>\n

Gold medalist LeBron James of Team United States celebrates on the podium during the Men’s basketball medal ceremony on day fifteen of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on Aug. 10, 2024 in Paris, France. <\/p>\n

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The many faces of basketball legend LeBron James<\/p>\n

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James reacts while holding the Larry O’Brien trophy after defeating the Gold State Warriors to win the NBA Finals on June 19, 2016 in Oakland, California.
\nPowered by an amazing effort from LeBron James, the Cleveland Cavaliers completed the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history, dethroning defending champion Golden State 93-89 to capture their first NBA title. The Cavaliers won the best-of-seven series 4-3 to claim the first league crown in their 46-season history and deliver the first major sports champion to Cleveland since the 1964 NFL Browns, ending the longest such title drought for any American city.
\n \/ AFP \/ Beck Diefenbach (Photo credit should read BECK DIEFENBACH\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

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The many faces of basketball legend LeBron James<\/p>\n

Forward LeBron James reacts against the New York Knicks in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals in the 2012 NBA Playoffs on May 9, 2012 at the American Airines Arena in Miami, Florida. Miami defeated the Knicks 106-94 to advance to the next round four games to one.<\/p>\n

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The many faces of basketball legend LeBron James<\/p>\n

MIAMI, FL – JUNE 21: LeBron James #6 of the Miami Heat celebrates with the Larry O’Brien Finals Championship trophy after they won 121-106 against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Five of the 2012 NBA Finals on June 21, 2012 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

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The many faces of basketball legend LeBron James<\/p>\n

LeBron James speaks to the media on an off day following Game Three of the 2014 NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs at American Airlines Arena on June 11, 2014 in Miami, Florida. <\/p>\n

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The many faces of basketball legend LeBron James<\/p>\n

LeBron James reacts against the Philadelphia 76ers in the second half at the Wells Fargo Center on Jan. 28, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Lakers 118-104. <\/p>\n

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The many faces of basketball legend LeBron James<\/p>\n

LeBron James cries before the Men’s Preliminary Round Group B match Spain vs China at the London 2012 Olympic Games , on July 29, 2012 in London. <\/p>\n

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The many faces of basketball legend LeBron James<\/p>\n

LeBron James is injured against the Charlotte Bobcats in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2014 NBA Playoffs at Time Warner Cable Arena on April 28, 2014 in Charlotte, North Carolina. <\/p>\n

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The many faces of basketball legend LeBron James<\/p>\n

LeBron James argues a foul call with referee John Goble #10 during the second half of a game against the Dallas Mavericks at Crypto.com Arena on Feb. 25, 2025 in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

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LeBron James reacts as the Lakers play the Dallas Mavericks in the second half at American Airlines Center on Dec. 25, 2022 in Dallas, Texas.<\/p>\n

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LeBron James looks on before playing against the Washington Wizards during the first half at Capital One Arena on Jan. 30, 2025 in Washington, DC. <\/p>\n

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LeBron James signals to teammates after making a three-point shot at the end of the 3rd quarter against the Chicago Bulls in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2010 NBA Playoffs at the United Center on April 25, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. The Cavaliers defeated the Bulls 121-98. <\/p>\n

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LeBron James reacts during a 117-108 Lakers win over the Miami Heat at Crypto.com Arena on Jan. 15, 2025 in Los Angeles. <\/p>\n

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LeBron James shouts during a game against CSKA Moscow on October 12, 2010 in Miami, Florida. Miami heat won 96-85 over CSKA Moscow.<\/p>\n

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The many faces of basketball legend LeBron James<\/p>\n

LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers attends a quarterfinal game of the 2018 NBA Summer League between the Lakers and the Detroit Pistons at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 15, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada.<\/p>\n

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LeBron James reacts against the Chicago Bulls during the second half at the United Center on March 27, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. <\/p>\n

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LeBron James sits during a training session in the leadup to the Cleveland Cavaliers exhibition match against the Orlando Magic in Shanghai in October 2007. <\/p>\n

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LeBron James at Intuit Dome on Jan. 19, 2025 in Inglewood, California. <\/p>\n

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LeBron James in the second half at Crypto.com Arena on Feb. 28, 2025 in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

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The many faces of basketball legend LeBron James<\/p>\n

LeBron James falls to the court after a foul during the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game One of the Western Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena on April 19, 2025 in Los Angeles. <\/p>\n

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LeBron James reacts during warm up prior to the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game One of the Western Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena on April 19, 2025 in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks forward-center<\/p>\n

Why: After an offseason of angst and speculation, one in which trade conversations took place, the thinking was that Antetokounmpo would be in a wait-and-see mode to determine Milwaukee\u2019s direction. The Bucks are 7-5, and the role players around Antetokounmpo have been surprisingly steady, with point guard Ryan Rollins being the bright spot. Antetokounmpo is putting up monster numbers<\/a> and the Bucks will not move him unless he makes things ugly and asks out.<\/p>\n

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Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers center<\/p>\n

Why: He has played in just six games, and the 76ers<\/a> are being cautious with his usage. This is by design; they do not want to put undue strain on Embiid\u2019s body. Still, injuries are a constant concern, so teams would be hesitant to part with assets for a player who will be 32 in March. His contract<\/a> would also be a burden to unload.<\/p>\n

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA trade rumors, best fits for Anthony Davis, Ja Morant, Trae Young<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Dallas Mavericks have to hire a new general manager, and that person may opt to completely overhaul…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":282497,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[434],"tags":[14727,6703,1222,49,48,11002,5184,2357,5716,2695,18701,8028,18705,8228,8217,18729,1526,18706,2327,1522,1527,8231,12887,15718,8216,14102,459,25583,8214,2901,15716,1528,14338,10679,2696,82,19766,10676,1215,18727,15717,18711,8227],"class_list":["post-282496","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nba","tag-anthony-davis","tag-atlanta-hawks","tag-boston-celtics","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-charlotte-hornets","tag-chicago-bulls","tag-cleveland-cavaliers","tag-contract","tag-dallas-mavericks","tag-demar-derozan","tag-detroit-pistons","tag-domantas-sabonis","tag-giannis-antetokounmpo","tag-golden-state-warriors","tag-ja-morant","tag-joel-embiid","tag-lauri-markkanen","tag-lebron-james","tag-los-angeles","tag-los-angeles-clippers","tag-los-angeles-lakers","tag-luka-doncic","tag-memphis-grizzlies","tag-milwaukee-bucks","tag-minnesota-timberwolves","tag-nba","tag-nba-trade-deadline","tag-new-orleans-pelicans","tag-new-york-knicks","tag-orlando-magic","tag-philadelphia-76ers","tag-ryan-rollins","tag-sacramento-kings","tag-san-antonio-spurs","tag-sports","tag-the-mavericks","tag-toronto-raptors","tag-trade","tag-trae-young","tag-utah-jazz","tag-zach-lavine","tag-zion-williamson"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/282496","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=282496"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/282496\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/282497"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=282496"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=282496"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=282496"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}