5 NBA Trades I'd Like To See

The holiday season is upon us, which means that the season of giving is also here! Some teams are looking to improve their chances at winning a championship while some teams are looking to improve their future aspects. Here are 5 trade ideas that I think make sense for both sides. Comment below what you think of each trade and trades you would like to see your teams make!!

1. OKC makes big splash to go all in.

Thunder Get: John Collins, Collin Sexton

• The rich get richer in Oklahoma City. They have to trade away fan favorite role players in this trade, but they get back the two best players in this trade. Championship windows can evaporate in an instant, so the Thunder must capitalize on their opportunity. They already have a championship level roster and have the assets to upgrade even more. Collins is having a career year from behind the arc, shooting nearly 44% from three. Adding him to Chet and IHart gives OKC the best front court rotation in the league. Sexton is an elite transition guard who fits in with the tough and gritty defensive identity of the other OKC guards. He is also a more capable ball handler than guys like Caruso or Wallace and can take alleviate some of the pressure on Shai's shoulders.

Jazz Get: Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins, Kenrich Williams, Nikola Topic, Jaylin Williams, 2025 1st (via OKC), 2025 1st (via UTA), 2026 1st (via OKC)

• The Jazz are continuing to embrace their rebuild while adding some quality younger players. Wiggins and Joe are proven to be quality role players in the league and Topic is a high upside guy the Jazz can stash. By moving Sexton and Collins this opens the door for rookies Collier and Filipowski to get more NBA minutes and experience, while the Jazz also add more draft capital.

2. Nuggets make peripheral moves that could pay big dividends.

Nuggets Get: Jared Butler, Marvin Bagley III

• This is not a splashy move for Denver, but one that I think could benefit them as a team. Butler is someone who has not been given the opportunity to get lots of NBA run but I like what he brings. He would play limited minutes in Denver but gives them more depth with another ball handler, something I think they lack. I think the Nuggets lack of size behind Jokic is a problem and Bagley gives them an athletic big man to provide some spark and energy off the bench.

Wizards Get: Zeke Nnaji, Vlatko Čančar, Jalen Pickett

• This trade may allow for some rookies like Bub Carrington, Kyshawn George, and Alex Sarr to get a few more minutes but is not a whole lot more than freeing up some cap space. Nnaji and Čančar may be players that could prove to have some value in the future as well.

3. Rockets make a move for a scorer.

Rockets Get: Zach LaVine

• The Rockets sacrifice some of their defense to address their lack of offense. LaVine is reminding everyone this year that he is one of the elite scorers in the league. He can play off ball or can create with the ball in his hands, something that very few on the Rockets roster can do. He is not a great defender, but is better than what most think of him as. While giving up Jabari and Whitmore may hurt slightly they have very capable replacements and address the issue of offensive creation.

Bulls Get: Dillon Brooks, Jabari Smith, Cam Whitmore, 2025 Lottery Protected 1st (via HOU)

• The Bulls are embracing rebuilding or at least retooling. Jabari Smith and Cam Whitmore are very young players who I think have lots of room to grow into. They get good return for LaVine and are preparing for a brighter future.

4. Lakers make one last push for the LeBron era.

Lakers Get: Malcolm Brogdon, Jonas Valunčiūnas

• The Lakers are doing one last all in move to capitalize on the AD x LeBron duo. Brogdon is an improvement over Russell defensively, is better off ball while giving the Lakers another capable option whenever LeBron or AD heads to the bench. JV addresses the Lakers need for more size. He is a good offensive center who can also help their rebounding issues.

Wizards Get: D'Angelo Russell, Gabe Vincent, Max Christie, Jaxson Hayes, 2026 Top 8 Protected 1st (via LAL)

• Another trade involving the Wizards. This is nothing more than trading away players who are not going to be involved in the future for Washington and getting back some draft capital. This also opens up more minutes for younger players. Max Christie is a younger wing that still has untapped potential that the Wizards can take a flyer on as well.

5. Grizzlies add the missing piece to their rotation.

Grizzlies Get: Dorian Finney-Smith

• The Grizzlies need some more size on the wing and add a capable shooter and defender to address these needs. DFS seems like the type of player that fits the culture in Memphis and would fit right in around Ja and Jaren as the Grizzlies try to push towards a championship run.

Nets Get: Luke Kennard, Jake LaRavia, 2025 1st (via MEM)

• The Nets continue their fire sale following their Dennis Schröder trade. They get a first round pick out of this deal, but also get LaRavia, a young wing who has shown lots of promise and improvement this season.