2026 brings 3 trade scenarios with Bucks, Warriors, Lakers, Mavs, others based on latest NBA intel

A new year is upon us, and the NBA trade market continues to see plenty of rumors heating up. Although the big names like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Anthony Davis are what everyone wants to know about, there are plenty of teams around the NBA looking to make moves to compete right now.

The Milwaukee Bucks continue to shut down all trade chatter surrounding Giannis, and the team is instead signaling that they will be buyers before this year’s deadline to try and add more talent around their superstar. What move will the Bucks potentially make?

Then there are the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, and Minnesota Timberwolves, all of which are seeking extra depth to improve their playoff outlooks in the Western Conference. Even the Dallas Mavericks and Indiana Pacers could wind up making moves to improve their outlook moving forward, despite both teams currently being outside the playoff picture in their respective conferences.

There are so many rumors and so much trade chatter are happening around the NBA right now, which is why there is no better time than the first day of the new year to cook up some new trade scenarios.

Bucks add Zach LaVine while moving Myles Turner to Warriors

Milwaukee Bucks receive: G/F Zach LaVine, C Day’Ron Sharpe, GSW/MIL/BKN 2028 1st-round pick SWAP (Most favorable to BKN, second-most favorable to MIL, least favorable to GSW)

Golden State Warriors receive: C Myles Turner, F Haywood Highsmith, GSW/MIL/BKN 2028 1st-round pick SWAP (Most favorable to BKN, second-most favorable to MIL, least favorable to GSW)

Sacramento Kings receive: F Jonathan Kuminga, F Kyle Kuzma, MIL/POR 2030 1st-round SWAP (Second most favorable of MIL/POR/SAC to SAC)

Brooklyn Nets receive: G Buddy Hield, C Trayce Jackson-Davis, GSW/MIL/BKN 2028 1st-round pick SWAP (Most favorable to BKN, second-most favorable to MIL, least favorable to GSW), DET/MIL/NYK 2029 2nd-round pick (least favorable, via SAC), SAC 2032 2nd-round pick (via SAC)

If the Bucks truly want to make a play for Zach LaVine, they will need to get creative with the way they move contracts around. Although Milwaukee is well below the tax aprons right now, finding a way to get to LaVine’s $47.4 million cap hit is tricky.

Kyle Kuzma would be the obvious name for the Bucks to trade, and he is expected to be on the move before Feb. 5 as a result of GM Jon Horst and his front office seeking upgrades in Milwaukee. Although the Bucks could trade Bobby Portis and a minimum-like contract for LaVine to make everything work financially, there is then the problem of trading three players for one in the middle of the season and remaining in good financial and roster standing.

In this scenario, Myles Turner ends up being moved in his first year with the Bucks, and he goes to a team that has been eyeing him for years.

The Warriors have long needed a center like Turner, who is not only an avid rim protector but a stretch big man who knows what it takes to win in the postseason. He can take a lot of pressure off Draymond Green in the Dubs’ frontcourt, and Turner can be another secondary scorer for Golden State next to Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler.

Kuzma would go to Sacramento, a team that has targeted him over the last two years, and he would be joined by Jonathan Kuminga, whom the Kings have held an affinity for since the offseason. The Kings also get a future first-round swap from the Bucks for LaVine.

There is then the fourth and final part of this trade equation, which brings us to the Brooklyn Nets, a team that will gladly take on unwanted salaries for draft compensation. Buddy Hield doesn’t present value to the Nets, but Trayce Jackson-Davis is a young talent who could find a role behind Nic Claxton, especially if Brooklyn considers trading Day’Ron Sharpe, like they would in this scenario to the Bucks.

Two second-round draft picks would be going to the Nets in this four-team deal, and they would also receive the option to swap picks in 2028 with Milwaukee and Golden State, whichever team owns the better first-round selection.

LaVine remains an option for the Bucks with about five weeks until the trade deadline. However, the financial burden of trading for him and removing two key pieces (Turner and Kuzma) from their rotation could be a greater cost.

Mavericks add Bennedict Mathurin for Daniel Gafford

Dallas Mavericks receive: F Bennedict Mathurin, C Day’Ron Sharpe

Indiana Pacers receive: C Daniel Gafford

Brooklyn Nets receive: G Jaden Hardy, F Isaac Jones, DET 2027 2nd-round pick (via DET), DAL 2028 2nd-round pick (via IND), PHI 2030 2nd-round pick (via DAL)

Detroit Pistons receive: F Haywood Highsmith

Another rumor making its rounds across the NBA is the Indiana Pacers searching for frontcourt depth to become a contender in the East during the 2026-27 season when Tyrese Haliburton returns. One of the names that has appeared multiple times during these discussions is Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford, who just signed a three-year, $54 million extension this past offseason.

Gafford would be the ideal center for Indiana to add, especially given his abilities to be a rim-runner in the open court and run pick-and-roll sets with a guard like Haliburton. The best part about pursuing Gafford for the Pacers is that he is under contract through the 2028-29 season on a team-friendly, cost-effective deal.

If you look at the Pacers’ roster, these are the types of contracts that have created the foundation of their success: contracts in the $10 million to $18 million range next to Haliburton and Pascal Siakam.

Pursuing Gafford should be relatively simple for the Pacers as well, given Mathurn’s expiring salary and the fact that Indiana doesn’t intend to offer him a nine-figure extension he will seek in the summer. Mathurin’s future doesn’t appear to be with his current team, which is why the Pacers must capitalize on his value right now for an immediate upgrade like Gafford.

Trading Mathurin for Gafford wouldn’t need to involve any additional draft compensation seeing as both players are very comparable in value, even though the Pacers would be giving up a second-round pick for Gafford, which is rerouted to the Brooklyn Nets.

Once again, the Nets find themselves as the fourth wheel in a trade scenario, and they would be giving up Highsmith. However, they get a look at a young, promising-looking scorer in Jaden Hardy, who hasn’t received enough playing time in Dallas since being drafted, and they get well compensated with second-round assets for taking on his salary.

The Nets would also receive Isaac Jones in this scenario, but he would be a likely candidate to be waived upon completion of the deal. Day’Ron Sharpe would also be involved in this trade as a replacement for Gafford in Dallas, and the Nets would be getting second-round assets for him as well.

Although the Nets really like Sharpe, which is why they’ve kept him around, a decision will need to be made sooner or later on his future, along with Nic Claxton and Noah Clowney. Moving Sharpe now, getting three future second-round picks, and adding Hardy tends to make sense when looking at Brooklyn’s direction.

The Pistons are also involved in this trade, as they are giving up one of those three second-round picks for Highsmith, a veteran addition to help them make a real playoff push.

Keep a close eye on both Mathurin and Gafford before the trade deadline with the Pacers and Mavs looking to make some moves.

Coby White, Isaac Okoro joins West contenders

Minnesota Timberwolves receive: G Coby White, G/F Dalton Knecht

Los Angeles Lakers receive: F Isaac Okoro

Chicago Bulls receive: F Maxi Kleber, G Rob Dillingham, MIN 2030 1st-round pick SWAP (More favorable of SAS/DAL (lesser) & MIN), IND/MIA/SAS 2026 2nd-round pick (less favorable of the three to CHI, via MIN), BKN/DAL 2027 2nd-round pick (least favorable, via DET), MIN 2031 2nd-round pick (option to swap with GSW, via MIN), LAL 2032 2nd-round pick (via LAL)

Detroit Pistons receive: G Mike Conley Jr.

The worst-kept secret across the NBA when it comes to trade rumors is that if the Minnesota Timberwolves had their way, Coby White would be on their roster right now. He is their top trade target this season, which makes a lot of sense given White’s ability to play with or without the ball and be a key scoring weapon next to a star like Anthony Edwards.

Minnesota needs this type of guard desperately, which is why they will likely pursue White and try to finalize a trade with the Bulls over the next few weeks.

If the Wolves won’t trade Donte DiVincenzo or Naz Reid, their only other path to making a deal for White work since they are a first-apron team is by sacrificing Mike Conley and Rob Dillingham, whom they traded up for to take eighth overall in the 2024 NBA Draft.

While Dillingham still has a lot of potential to grow into a weapon, specifically on offense, the Timberwolves aren’t devoted to development right now. This is a team that has been built to compete for a championship, and they’ve proven this by making the Western Conference Finals each of the last two years.

The addition of White further cements their status as one of the better teams in the West, and it gives them another utility scorer who can perform in the starting lineup or coming off the bench in a sixth-man role.

In this scenario, Dillingham goes to Chicago as a young talent still on his rookie deal, and the Bulls also add two second-round picks and a first-round swap in 2030 from Minnesota. This swap will be the best between the Timberwolves’ selection and the worst of San Antonio/Dallas.

Since the Spurs have options to swap with both Dallas and Minnesota in 2030, they essentially dictate what pick could eventually be swapped to the Bulls in this deal. The two second-round picks Chicago would gain from the Wolves in this deal are each swaps, where the Bulls would receive the pick itself and not have to send a pick out.

Conley gets rerouted to the Pistons instead of the Bulls as well in this deal, giving Detroit a veteran ball handler behind Cade Cunningham.

The other side of this trade involves the Lakers. Dalton Knecht, Maxi Kleber, and an intriguing 2032 second-round pick would be leaving Los Angeles, and Isaac Okoro would be joining the Lakers before the deadline.

Okoro has always been known to be an athletic defender on the wing, and that is the exact type of player the Lakers need. He has shot 38.1 percent from 3-point range since the start of the 2023-24 season, including 37.8 percent from the perimeter in Chicago this season.

Although the Bulls traded Lonzo Ball for Okoro this past summer, it’s hard to get a gauge of just how much Chicago thinks of him on the wing. Maybe they hold no interest in trading him whatsoever, but the Bulls need to make some changes, and Dillingham is a nice, high-potential guard to have next to Josh Giddey long-term.

Minnesota, Los Angeles, and Detroit would all very likely sign off on this trade without hesitation. Whether or not the Bulls deem this fair value for White and Okoro is the big question mark.

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