Buy or sell latest NBA intel, trade rumors: Ja Morant, Anthony Davis, Domantas Sabonis, more

As the NBA calendar flips to December, trade talks and rumors around the NBA are beginning to surface. Many players who signed contracts this offseason become eligible to be traded on Dec. 15, and this is normally a period where front offices begin devising their plans for February’s trade deadline.

Last season, Dennis Schroder was the first big name to be on the move in December, and both Dorian Finney-Smith and D’Angelo Russell were involved in a deal a couple of weeks later. Now is the time for teams to begin figuring out whether they will be buyers or sellers this season, and there will be plenty of conversations at the G League Winter Showcase in Orlando, Florida, from Dec. 19-22.

Of course, the big questions and rumors around the NBA point in the direction of several stars and what the future holds for their immediate outlooks. Ja Morant, Anthony Davis, and Domantas Sabonis are among a handful of All-Stars and high-level talents that many teams and NBA personnel continue to gather intel on.

There has been no shortage of speculation about Morant’s future with the Memphis Grizzlies, given some of his comments to begin the season about losing his joy for playing and the confrontation he had in the locker room with head coach Tuomas Iisalo. Is all of this behind the young star, especially with the Grizzlies not appearing to be open for business regarding their star guard?

After firing Nico Harrison, all bets are off for the Dallas Mavericks moving forward with Anthony Davis. His injury concerns continue to grow, and the Mavs are committed to building a future around Cooper Flagg. Will this lead to Dallas trying their best to move Davis and attempt to salvage lost value from the mistake they made in trading Luka Doncic?

Over in California, the Sacramento Kings continue to sink in the Western Conference standings. It is only a matter of time before this team begins tearing down their core and once again attempting to start over, which leads to major questions about Domantas Sabonis’ future, along with those of Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan.

These are several situations around the NBA that teams are monitoring entering the holiday season, and there is a lot to unpack regarding Morant, Davis, Sabonis, and many other players whose names have come up in early trade speculation and rumors.

Here is a look at the latest information, rumors, and intel surrounding the biggest names to watch in the NBA trade market before 2026 begins, including early buy or sell takes based on what league personnel are saying about these players.

First up, we have Morant and the Grizzlies:

Ja Morant – Memphis Grizzlies

Since his locker room feud with head coach Tuomas Iisalo and being suspended one game for what the Grizzlies called “conduct detrimental to the team,” word surrounding Ja Morant’s future in Memphis has been consistent.

Although multiple teams have reached out to the Grizzlies to talk with GM Zach Kleiman about Morant’s availability before February’s trade deadline, these organizations have been met with zero willingness and indications that Memphis has thought about trading him, league sources told ClutchPoints at the start of November.

Similar remarks were recently reported by Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, who further cemented this claim by stating that Kleiman has “declined trade inquiries” on Morant.

Everyone around the league knows the Kings are looking for a franchise point guard, and they are showing a willingness to part ways with virtually anyone on their roster. Could we possibly see a Morant-Sabonis swap, whether that means Sabonis goes to Memphis or somewhere else?

Aside from the Sacramento Kings showing interest in Morant, the Minnesota Timberwolves are another team that has explored the possibility of what adding the dynamic All-Star guard could do for them. As Scotto reported on Wednesday, the Timberwolves will be aggressive in their pursuit of adding backcourt talent to complement Anthony Edwards.

On the Timberwolves front, it is worth mentioning other guard targets they have either discussed or shown interest in over the last year. Darius Garland is a player the Wolves have inquired about since the start of the 2024-25 season, sources said. If he were to hit the market, Trae Young is another interesting name who would fill the void of a lead facilitator and playmaker in Minnesota’s backcourt.

There is a growing sense that the Timberwolves will sell high on Julius Randle should the right star become available before February. However, the problem with Minnesota is that they don’t have any first-round picks they can trade outright, which would be problematic with pursuing Morant or another star guard.

One other team those around the NBA are wondering what their ultimate plan is and have been mentioned in connection to Morant by league personnel is the Toronto Raptors. Many are interested in seeing what new GM Bobby Webster looks to do with Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett moving forward.

While Toronto has been arguably the biggest surprise team during the start of the 2025-26 season, they could potentially move below the tax and add a star like Morant next to Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes. The Raptors, maybe not necessarily for Morant, are worth keeping an eye on as we inch closer to the deadline.

At this point, 10 weeks away from the 2026 NBA trade deadline, it seems like the only way the Grizzlies will consider trading Morant is if he asks out, which has not happened. Not to mention, Morant has told reporters multiple times he loves playing and being in Memphis.

Unless a team offers a massive haul of draft picks and high-level, young talents, which has not happened to this point, then it seems like the Grizzlies are preparing to hold onto Morant through the end of the 2025-26 season. Should this occur, Morant’s future will suddenly become the main topic of next offseason.

BUY/SELL VERDICT: SELL Grizzlies trading Morant… UNLESS he requests out. 

Anthony Davis – Dallas Mavericks

With Nico Harrison out the door in Dallas, Anthony Davis will hear his name in trade rumors from now until the NBA trade deadline in February.

There are two main questions that revolve around Davis and whether the Mavericks will ultimately trade him:

1. Is Davis healthy enough for teams to take a chance on him?
2. Will the Mavs even receive offers, including multiple first-round picks and at least one high-level talent?

When he is healthy, Davis has proven to still be a very efficient star on both ends of the floor. The only problem is that he is heading toward Joel Embiid territory in terms of never being available and possibly missing half the season.

What the future looks like for Dallas is very uncertain, as these next two months will set the stage for what their future looks like. Cooper Flagg, PJ Washington, and Kyrie Irving won’t be traded this season. Washington just signed an extension in the offseason, making him ineligible for a trade, and Flagg is the player this organization views as its cornerstone for many years to come.

Regarding Irving, the continued belief around the NBA is that the former NBA champion guard not only wants to remain in Dallas, but that the organization wants to build around him and Flagg, even after Kyrie’s ACL injury.

Although minority owner Mark Cuban has made it clear that the team won’t try to trade Davis, the talk around the league says otherwise. Even Shams Charania and Tim MacMahon of ESPN have individually reported that the Mavs will gauge the trade market with Davis and see what deals could be out there.

As of right now, there is nothing brewing regarding a potential move involving Davis. Rival teams around the NBA don’t ever think he will be healthy enough to replicate his success from being in Los Angeles, and the latest intel regarding his injuries in Dallas are red flags, sources said.

What teams would even be interested in Davis?

Despite their long-standing interest in him, Davis isn’t an option for the Warriors because of his contract, and all the talk of the Chicago Bulls pursuing him is simply that — talk.

One Eastern Conference executive who spoke with ClutchPoints brought up the crazy idea of the San Antonio Spurs possibly coming out of nowhere and swapping De’Aaron Fox for Davis in an unexpected trade package. More would obviously need to go from San Antonio to Dallas for this to even work, but could you imagine these two Texas teams pulling something like this off?

Do not get your hopes up, though, as the Spurs truly value their three-guard rotation of Fox, Dylan Harper, and Stephon Castle, and they are excited about what the future holds for these three next to Victor Wembanyama.

Until Davis actually returns to the court from an Achilles/calf strain that has sidelined him for over four weeks, it is hard to envision there being any market and interest in him. The cons definitely outweigh the pros at this time for the former first-overall pick.

BUY/SELL VERDICT: Sell Mavericks actually finding a logical trade for Davis.

Sacramento Kings: Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine

In roughly two months, the Sacramento Kings will look completely different. The futures of Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, and DeMar DeRozan are very much up in the air, along with pretty much everyone else on this roster not named Keegan Murray.

Sacramento simply is not good enough to compete in the Western Conference with what they have, which is why teams around the NBA are expecting new GM Scott Perry to blow things up, shipping out at least two of these three stars before the trade deadline and gathering future assets.

Starting with Sabonis, his market is dry at the moment, especially since he suffered a partial meniscus tear in his left knee. The Kings’ All-Star big man is not expected to start his return-to-play process until around Christmas, sources said.

This season has been Sabonis’ worst since joining the Kings during the 2021-22 season when he was traded for Tyrese Haliburton by the Indiana Pacers. Sabonis is averaging just 17.2 points and 12.3 rebounds per game, and his usage has dropped significantly under head coach Doug Christie.

What teams would even be interested in Sabonis?

The Warriors, who have frequently been mentioned as a possible landing spot for Sabonis, are not interested in the 29-year-old, sources said. Many teams around the NBA aren’t looking for the type of player Sabonis is, as his lack of athleticism and ability to consistently stretch the floor as a shooting option limits his potential in another organization’s system.

It will be very interesting to see what his market looks like upon returning to the floor and being at full strength in January. A team that becomes desperate may be willing to pay the price of multiple firsts and young talent for Sabonis.

Recently, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype rekindled rumors about the Milwaukee Bucks keeping an eye on LaVine. The Bucks had previously expressed interest in LaVine before the Chicago Bulls traded him last season, and he would fit a key need Milwaukee has for a reliable scoring option outside of Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Let’s put it this way about LaVine — almost every playoff contender would be interested in the 30-year-old if he was making around $25 million this season. The problem is that he is making $47.5 million this season and $48.9 million during the 2026-27 season.

Essentially, he’s basically on a “1+1” deal at the moment since that $48.9 million next year is a player option that he will utilize. A team interested in LaVine will be of the mindset that they are essentially trading for the ability to offer him a fair-market contract in 2027.

Kyle Kuzma has been connected to the Kings before, so perhaps there is a path for the Bucks to pursue LaVine. At the same time, maybe DeMar DeRozan makes more sense for them.

DeRozan is making $24.7 million this season, and his contract is only guaranteed for $10 million next year, assuming he isn’t named an All-Star or his team goes to the NBA Finals. The Bucks need another dependable scoring option, and DeRozan could be that short-term answer as a better offensive player than Kuzma.

Out of the three Kings stars, DeRozan is the most likely to be moved. More teams around the league can absorb his contract, and trading for DeRozan will be a desperation move for any playoff team wanting a mid-range scorer to help lead their second unit.

From the Kings’ perspective, maybe DeRozan is a contract that could be dumped for them to pursue someone for their future, like Jonathan Kuminga or another young, dynamic player.

Either way, DeRozan and his contract are basically viewed as a one-year rental, which is why he will have some suitors between now and February. Keep an eye on the Bucks, LA Clippers, Miami Heat, Portland Trail Blazers, and Memphis Grizzlies as suitable destinations for DeRozan.

BUY/SELL VERDICT: BUY Kings trading at least two of their three stars.

LaMelo Ball – Charlotte Hornets

Speculation surrounding LaMelo Ball’s future with the Charlotte Hornets has been bouncing around the league since last year’s trade deadline. His injury concerns and the direction of the Hornets have led to recent rumors about the team possibly seeing what would happen if they made the former third-overall pick available in trade talks.

To this point, the Hornets have not shown a willingness to discuss Ball with teams inquiring about his availability this season, and Charlotte truly wants to see what their young group of LaMelo, Brandon Miller, and Kon Knueppel can achieve together.

Whether or not Ball actually wants out is a completely different story, as he recently shut down reports suggesting he is unhappy in Charlotte.

Since being drafted by the Hornets in 2020, Ball has played in more than 51 games just once, and that came during his second season when he played in a career-high 75 games. Since then, LaMelo has failed to play in more than 47 games, and he has missed about 42% of the Hornets’ total games, including this season, since entering the NBA.

Red flags exist all around Ball, as rival teams have been concerned about his injury history and his willingness to adapt to a new role, something that will likely receive clarity over the next several weeks, next to Knueppel and Miller. The Hornets are high on Knueppel and Miller, which is why Ball will no longer be the sole star receiving all the plays in Charles Lee’s system.

As of right now, it is hard to definitively say what will happen in Charlotte. This team is young, they are still plotting their future, and there won’t be any clarity on the organization’s plan with Ball until after the calendar flips to 2026.

With this said, there are plenty of crazy scenarios that exist out there regarding possible suitors for Ball.

Both the Kings and Timberwolves have been mentioned as possible landing spots from league personnel, and another destination floated around has been the New Orleans Pelicans.

This is strictly hypothetical, but one crazy scenario with Ball could also involve the Warriors unloading their youth for the 24-year-old point guard, whom they passed up in the 2020 NBA Draft for James Wiseman.

Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, and Brandin Podziemski conveniently align salary-wise with Ball, but Golden State continues to be very high on Moody’s potential and long-term future with the team. It would also make sense for the Warriors to show a willingness to part ways with Podziemski if they were to obtain Ball, a player who was on their long list of All-Star trade candidates last season before landing Jimmy Butler.

The counter to the hypothetical idea of the Warriors pursuing Ball would be that their lack of size would become even more of a problem without Kuminga and Moody, which wouldn’t be ideal heading toward the playoffs. That is why we shouldn’t expect the Warriors to be involved in LaMelo chatter should the Hornets guard become available.

With three more years left on his contract past this season, few teams would want to take a major risk on Ball.

BUY/SELL VERDICT: SELL Hornets trading Ball before the trade deadline in February.

Lauri Markkanen – Utah Jazz

Before the 2024-25 NBA season, Lauri Markkanen was one of the biggest names being discussed in trade rumors. Both the Warriors and Spurs were actively discussing Markkanen trade scenarios with the Utah Jazz during the 2024 offseason before he ultimately restructured his contract and signed a new deal that kept him with the team through the 2028-29 season.

As a result, Markkanen was ineligible to be traded last year.

Now, Markkanen’s value has taken a hit as a result of his cap figures increasing drastically, as few teams have the ability to pursue him at $46.3 million this season. This is currently viewed as one of the worst contracts in the league strictly from a numbers standpoint, as Markkanen is definitely a talent who could help a lot of contenders right now.

One contender who keeps being brought up for Markkanen between now and the trade deadline is the Detroit Pistons. So far, the Pistons have yet to give any indications that they want to make a big move this season, nor will they part ways with Ausar Thompson, sources said.

Detroit has started the year with a 15-3 record, and they sit at the top of the Eastern Conference standings after recently seeing their 13-game winning streak snapped on Wednesday night against the Boston Celtics. This is the third time in franchise history that the Pistons have had a 13-game winning streak, as they won a championship the other two times.

No player in the league would make more sense on this Pistons roster right now than Markkanen, but the logistics of a trade become complicated without involving Thompson. Would the Jazz even be willing to accept a trade from Detroit without getting the dynamic two-way wing?

While the Pistons are signaling that Thompson is not available whatsoever, Jaden Ivey, on the other hand, is in the final year of his rookie deal. That leaves Detroit with a big decision to make on his future, as he will be a restricted free agent next summer.

Would a package of Ivey, Tobias Harris, and another player like Marcus Sasser or Bobi Klintman, plus several first-round picks, be enough for Utah to relinquish Markkanen? Would the Pistons even be willing to give up three or four firsts and potentially mess up their successful team chemistry to make this deal happen?

Another spot that makes sense for Markkanen on paper is the Orlando Magic, since they have pushed their chips in to contend at the top of the East. However, pursuing Markkanen would force Orlando to part ways with either Jalen Suggs or Desmond Bane, whom they just gave up several first-round picks this past offseason to acquire.

The Jazz aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, and Markkanen is wasting the best years of his career with a team that isn’t close to making the playoffs in the West. This will be a very interesting situation to watch between now and February, as Markkanen could start to put pressure on the Jazz to trade him if there is a clear opportunity for him to continue playing at an All-Star level for a different, contending team.

BUY/SELL VERDICT: Buy Markkanen being traded this season.

Andrew Wiggins – Miami Heat

Over the summer, the Los Angeles Lakers pursued Andrew Wiggins and had him high atop their trade targets list. The Milwaukee Bucks were another team who pursued Wiggins and held dialogue with the Miami Heat about his availability, sources said.

Neither team pulled the trigger on a deal, and the Heat never showed great interest in wanting to trade Wiggins. Instead, they wanted to see what value he would bring to the team alongside Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo, and newly acquired Norman Powell.

So far this season, Wiggins has played well and been exactly who the Heat have wanted on the wing.

Miami has continued to signal that it won’t be dumping Wiggins for expiring contracts, as it would want real value in the form of a future first-round pick and a player or two who could immediately contribute to its playoff pursuit.

To this point early in the season, there hasn’t been any serious dialogue between the Heat and other teams about Wiggins, sources said. Miami is happy with where they are, and Wiggins has been a positive contributor to this team.

This is another situation where we will need to wait and see not only where Miami is in the standings come January, but also if a team gets desperate and offers more than expected for the two-way wing.

BUY/SELL VERDICT: SELL Heat trading Wiggins… It’s too early to say.

Jonathan Kuminga – Golden State Warriors

Jonathan Kuminga has not played for the Warriors since Nov. 12 because of knee soreness he has been experiencing. Some have wondered whether his injury had anything to do with his prolonged offseason contract negotiations and the fact that Steve Kerr took him out of the starting lineup, but multiple league sources have assured this is not the case.

After scrimmaging with the Santa Cruz Warriors recently in the NBA G League, the Warriors expect Kuminga back for their matchup on Saturday against the New Orleans Pelicans, and he is eager to get back on the court to help the team win.

Since the Warriors signed Kuminga over the summer, many around the league have been anticipating Golden State using him as an inflated $22.5 million trade exception to go out and make a key adjustment to their roster. Whether or not the Warriors actually trade Kuminga ultimately comes down to how well they are playing in January and how he is performing on the court.

Golden State has continued to signal that they won’t just be trading Kuminga for the sake of doing so, which has been their ideology dating back to last season.

The expectation is that the Warriors will be evaluating all options on the trade market regarding experienced frontcourt depth and athletic wings. Should Kuminga be traded, the Dubs will do so with the intention of adding size and a player on the wing who could fill the role Wiggins held during his time with Golden State.

One name that has come up in discussions around the league as a potential target for the Warriors is Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton. However, there has been pushback to such a scenario involving Kuminga, as the Nets could have pursued the young forward at any point during the summer while he was a restricted free agent. It doesn’t appear as if Brooklyn has any interest in Kuminga.

Speaking of Claxton, it is worth mentioning that he has been a center on the Lakers’ wishlist dating back to last season. He is very much in play to be traded as one of the best center trade candidates before February.

As far as suitors for Kuminga go, the regulars are still relevant.

Interest from the Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings will exist prior to the trade deadline, much like this past summer. It is unknown if the Chicago Bulls, who previously entertained the idea of pursuing Kuminga, will be interested this time around.

Staying in the Eastern Conference, one team that has quietly been scouting Kuminga dating back to the start of the 2024-25 season and has continued into this year is the Indiana Pacers. Could there be a deal to be had between Indiana and Golden State, one that possibly involved Bennedict Mathurin?

As he prepares to hit restricted free agency next summer, Mathurin is the exact type of athletic wing scorer the Warriors would want next to Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green.

It does seem like the Pacers are wanting to sell high on Mathurin and former first-round pick Jarace Walker with their upcoming contract situations, and this is a team that won’t be spending more money or going into the tax any time soon. That is why there is an expectation that the Pacers will move a contract like Mathurin’s before the deadline, especially since they will likely get a top-5 pick in next year’s draft.

The ideology surrounding the Pacers is to get through this year, get a high draft selection to add another dynamic, positionless player at the top of the draft, and have everyone healthy entering the 2026-27 season. This can all be achieved, and the Pacers can remain below the tax, by trading a player like Mathurin or Obi Toppin, who won’t be back until near the All-Star break after undergoing right foot surgery.

Along with the Pacers, another team the Warriors will likely talk with about Kuminga is the New Orleans Pelicans. Both Herb Jones and Trey Murphy III are players the Warriors have great interest in, and they are the type of versatile wings the Dubs would want in a deal involving Kuminga.

At 10-10 overall, the Warriors simply want to become fully healthy and get through what has been the most brutal schedule any team has faced to begin the 2025-26 season. After the holiday season in December, this team will fully evaluate their needs and what the market will look like for Kuminga.

BUY/SELL VERDICT: BUY Warriors trading Kuminga for wing and frontcourt depth… BUT it’s still too early to say.

The post Buy or sell latest NBA intel, trade rumors: Ja Morant, Anthony Davis, Domantas Sabonis, more appeared first on ClutchPoints.