The 2024-25 NBA Trade Season is about to open in earnest as the December 15th release of newly-signed free agents into the trade market approaches. Between mid-December and February 6th, trade rumors will fly hot and heavy across the league.
In the latest update from his Substack [subscription available here], NBA insider Marc Stein discusses the growing trends as teams approach the prime trade season. Among his observations: three basement-dwelling franchises—the Washington Wizards, Brooklyn Nets, and Utah Jazz—are considered open to trades but the Portland Trail Blazers do not yet stand among them.
Washington, Utah, and Brooklyn, league sources say, are the primary teams that have been established league-wide as clear-cut sellers.
“When you call them, they’re willing to make a deal right now,” said one rival executive.
That sellers’ marketplace, mind you, is expected to expand over the next six weeks. Toronto, Portland, and Chicago are likewise teams that are being monitored and assessed by rival front offices for their willingness to move certain players.
Stein goes on to estimate the market for veterans Dennis Schroeder and Dorian Finney-Smith as “at least one first-round pick”. Should the Blazers enter the market, the return for forward Jeremy Grant, guard Anfernee Simons, or center Deandre Ayton should be at least equal or, in some cases, higher.