Dec. 27, 2025, 5:19 p.m. ET
It’s time for another edition of our Trade Rumors rankings series, in which we rank the five players who are appearing most often on our Trade Rumors page.
This week, we discuss former MVPs, former All-NBAers, some solid All-Stars, and a former Sixth Man of the Year, so with so many big names to discuss, let’s jump right into the action.
5. Malik Monk (Sacramento)
Former Sixth Man of the Year Malik Monk has been put on the trade block by the Sacramento Kings, according to one report from Chris Haynes:
Monk should get some interest, as he’s putting up 12.4 points per game this season while shooting 41.4 percent from three. His contract is also team-friendly enough, though it does peak in 2027-28 when he’ll be owed $21.6 million.
However, Kings head coach Doug Christie tried to shut down the rumors, saying to the media that he expects Monk in Sacramento for the entirety of his contract:
Doug Christie: Until otherwise, I expect him to be here for his contract. He’s signed to be a Sacramento King, and he’s going to be a Sacramento King. If something else happens — that’s how trades go. You never know. When I was here wearing this jersey, I didn’t expect to get traded. It happened, though.
We’ll see if that winds up being true or not, but considering the Kings have one of the worst records in the NBA, we’d be pretty surprised if they weren’t fully open for business, especially when it comes to their non-star players.
For the latest Malik Monk trade rumors, click here.
4. Darius Garland (Cleveland)
The Cleveland Cavaliers have been one of the NBA’s biggest disappointments this season, sitting at 17-15 – No. 7 in the East – after going 64-18 in 2024-25. Naturally, that has led to a lot of speculation about the team’s future plans, with one popular name popping up in trade rumors being that of former All-Star guard Darius Garland.
For one, former star point guard John Wall, now a member of the media, said that he believes the team needs to make a big change:
Our own Michael Scotto also reported that teams have been checking in on Garland’s availability:
However, Jake Fischer seemed to quiet down the noise a bit, saying that he hasn’t heard anything credible on the Garland trade front:
There is always a lot of trade chatter surrounding Jerome’s former Cavaliers teammate Darius Garland, but I can only disappoint those of you who have been regularly plugging his name into your favorite trade machine this winter. I just haven’t heard any credible rumblings about Garland’s availability.
Whatever route Cleveland does take, finding a trade partner for Garland might not be that easy, not with him underperforming at the moment, and not with him set to be owed $44.9 million in 2027-28.
For the latest Darius Garland trade rumors, click here.
3. James Harden (LA Clippers)
The lone bright spot for the Los Angeles Clippers this season has been James Harden, whose game has aged surprisingly well. Harden is putting up 26.3 points per game this season, his highest mark since 2019-20, to go with 8.0 assists.
Even so, the Clippers have been abysmal on the campaign, leading to much speculation on the team’s plans as we approach the trade deadline. Harden’s name is one that has come up in a good amount of trade scuttle of late, including from veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein:
One veteran executive read my recent item about James Harden’s potential availability between now and the Feb. 5 deadline and said his front office, to name at least one, indeed projects the NBA’s last American-born MVP (from the 2017-18 season) to wind up in trade play at some point this winter. The Clippers continue to shoot down that notion (for now). Also: Don’t forget Harden holds veto rights on any trade even though he does not have a full no-trade clause in his contract.
The Stein Substack reported the same the week prior:
One well-placed Western Conference observer shared this week that James Harden’s status going forward is being monitored closely by various teams given his career goals at age 36 and the Clippers’ dim prospects for digging out of their current hole.
However, the most recent report on the matter says that the Clippers continue to signal that they don’t plan on trading the former league MVP:
The Clippers, for the record, continue to message that they don’t want to trade Harden no matter how often rival teams whisper that they are anticipating exactly that between now and Feb. 5.
The Clippers have won their last three games, so maybe they end up being buyers at the deadline as opposed to sellers.
For the latest James Harden trade rumors, click here.
2. Anthony Davis (Dallas)
An interesting nugget on the Anthony Davis trade front came out on Friday night when Chris Haynes reported that the Golden State Warriors were contemplating making a move for the former No. 1 pick:
Chris Haynes: I came on last week and I told you about what the Warriors were looking for: a big man — rim-running big man, protect the paint, lob threat. I was told they’re contemplating making a case to acquire Anthony Davis as well. With that being said, I was told that Dallas is not that fascinated with what Golden State has on its books. So if the Golden State Warriors really wanted to make a true play for Anthony Davis, they would likely have to acquire some more assets or involve another team.
Haynes also mentioned the Atlanta Hawks as a potentially interested party for Davis:
One of the teams reportedly very intrigued by this possibility is the Atlanta Hawks. “The Atlanta Hawks remain very intrigued with the possibility of acquiring Anthony Davis via a trade,” NBA insider Chris Haynes reported on NBA on Prime show. Haynes adds that any team acquiring Davis will need to consider giving him an extension, as he could become a free agent after next season. “Where AD is at in his career, he has this season and next season left, and after that, he can become a free agent with a player option. So any team that tries to acquire him will have to really consider giving him an extension,” Haynes said.
Haynes did say that a potential Davis deal with Atlanta wouldn’t include Trae Young, but that former No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher could be involved.
Of course, Davis is currently injured, which could very well affect a potential trade depending on how much time he’s set to miss. On the other hand, any team picking Davis up has to know by now that injuries could be an issue with him. If anything, that would just affect the kind of package the Mavericks get in return for him.
For the latest Anthony Davis trade rumors, click here.
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee)
There has been a lot of trade chatter surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo this season, even with him missing a lot of time due to injury. However, rival teams have been met with disappointment thus far, as, according to reports, the Milwaukee Bucks have been telling teams they plan to be buyers at the deadline, not sellers (via the New York Times):
While teams around the league continue to hope that Milwaukee will ultimately make Antetokounmpo available, the Bucks have conveyed a desire to add talent to their roster before this season’s trade deadline, league sources told The Athletic.
One popular theorized destination for Antetokounmpo, the New York Knicks, was brought up again this week on that matter, but the report said that there’s doubt as to whether the Knicks, reigning NBA Cup champions and the No. 2 seed in the East at 21-9, would rock the boat right now with how well things are going:
Around the league, the most viable potential suitors for Antetokounmpo are increasingly viewed as being in the Eastern Conference, sources tell DallasHoopsJournal.com. However, there is growing skepticism among rival teams that the New York Knicks would be willing to break up their roster midseason to pursue a trade.
The Stein Substack also reported that the Bucks are signaling to teams that they plan to try and add to their roster at the deadline…
As I reported last Sunday, No matter how many times Giannis Antetokounmpo or Doc Rivers or anyone else associated with the Bucks attempts to convince the basketball public that there are no active trade discussions involving the two-time MVP, you still routinely hear a team or two (or three) out there express the belief that they expect that status to change in January. Will it actually change? The Bucks say no. And they are now countering that noise by telling teams that inquire about The Greek Freak that they want to add to the current roster despite their limited trade assets. It’s Milwaukee’s latest attempt to try to convince Antetokounmpo, who recently turned 31 in his 13th NBA season, that he can continue to compete for championships if he stays in Brewtown.
…so for now, it looks like unless Antetokounmpo full-on demands a trade, he’ll be staying put in Milwaukee, at least until the summer. The Bucks being 12-19 with very limited trade assets could change things quickly, however, so the Antetokounmpo situation is one we’ll continue to monitor.
For the latest Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors, click here.