NBA Trade Predictions for the Northwest Division are tricky due to the uncertainty regarding some teams, but there are interesting deals for every team to make.
Thunder Receive: 2025 First-Round Pick(#7)
Pelicans Receive: 2025 First-Round Pick(#15), 2026 Top-8 Protected First-Round Pick Via Utah, 2027 Top-5 Protected First-Round Pick Via Denver
It’s hard to imagine the Thunder making some massive move this summer given their success this season. Their roster gels extremely well together and to break it up would be a mistake. What is easy to see is the Thunder using some of their picks to move up in this draft and add to their young core.
Multiple players fit Oklahoma City’s player profile at the top of the draft, but Carter Bryant feels like a player they will love. He is long and athletic, as well as a versatile defender and strong shooter, and he would be a seamless fit in OKC. He could be the eventual successor to Lu Dort, and an immediate contributor off the bench playing in the same role he did at Arizona.
The Pelicans may not want to trade out of the top 7 of this draft given the top-end talent, but adding two future first-round picks to move down eight picks may be too good to pass up. If they want more capital to move down, the Thunder can give them more. The Pelicans are in a prime position to bounce back next year assuming they get healthy, and loading up on draft picks may make more sense than taking a rookie.
New Orleans would have a loaded war chest of draft picks with this deal, as they own all of their picks, swaps with the Bucks, and a Pacers first-round pick. This would also give the Pelicans a chance at three first-round picks in a very strong 2026 draft next year.
Nuggets Receive: Harrison Barnes, Keldon Johnson, 2025 First-Round Pick(#14)
Spurs Receive: Michael Porter Jr.
The only real way for the Nuggets to make real upgrades to their team is to trade one of their core players. Nikola Jokic is untouchable, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon are too valuable, and Christian Bruan doesn’t make enough money to bring back multiple rotation players. That leaves Michael Porter Jr. as the odd man out and the most likely player to be traded. His contract is big enough to bring back multiple rotation players, the Nuggets need more depth.
Harrison Barnes isn’t as good of a shooter as MPJ, but he is a better defender and an impending free agent, so the Nuggets can clean up their books a bit. Keldon Johnson would give Denver a much-needed offensive spark off the bench on a controllable contract. However, the 14th pick is the prized possession for Denver considering they lack reliable impact players on rookie-scale contracts outside of Bruan.
They can take a shooter in Liam McNeeley, or a do-it-all wing in Nique Clifford, another player, or use it in a trade. Losing Porter Jr. will hurt due to his shooting and size, but the Nuggets need to deepen their rotation, and this is the easiest way to do so.
The Spurs need to add shooting around Victor Wembenyama and De’Aaron Fox, and instead of trying to find it at pick 14, getting a proven shooter may be the way to go. Porter Jr. would fit great with the Spurs current core as he would give both Fox and Wembenyama plenty of space to operate. He isn’t a great defender, but San Antonio has enough players to cover up his deficiencies on defense. Due to his large contract, the Spurs won’t have to pay a premium to get him, so they will still have plenty of flexibility to make a bigger deal if they choose to do so.
Timberwolves Receive: Kevin Durant
Suns Receive: Julius Randle, Naz Reid(Sign and Trade), Leonard Miller, 2025 First-Round Pick(#17), 2029 Second-Round Pick
After losing in the conference finals in consecutive years, it is time for the Wolves to make a splash. They have a very deep roster that is full of defense and shooting, but outside of Anthony Edwards, they lack a go-to shot-creator. There are not many in the league better than Kevin Durant when it comes to scoring, and he would be a perfect fit in Minnesota. He would take an immense amount of pressure off of Edwards, and give the Wolves another closer down the stretch. Given his age and contract, the Timberwolves can acquire him for less than many would imagine.
Both Julius Randle and Naz Reid can be free agents this summer and are due for new deals. It would be a surprise if Minnesota kept both of them along with pending free agent Nickeil Alexander-Walker, so moving them in a deal makes sense. The 17th pick in the draft is a nice asset, but it shouldn’t get in the way of making a deal for one of the best players in the league.
This deal will allow the Suns to remain competitive with both Randle and Reid, and it gives them an opportunity to add young talent to a team that badly needs some youth. They have put themselves in a situation where they have to trade Durant due to their handling of him around the trade deadline, and they have essentially no leverage in this situation. Being able to acquire two starters and draft capital is a good enough return for the Suns to deal with their aging superstar.
Trailblazers Receive: Isaac Okoro, Craig Porter Jr., 2026 Second-Round Pick, 2027 Second-Round Pick Via Denver, 2028 Second-Round Pick
Cavaliers Receive: Robert Williams III
Portland began taking steps in the right direction in the second half of the season, but they need to continue developing their young players. Donovan Clingan is one of their building blocks, but they don’t have enough minutes for him at the moment. If they trade Robert Williams, that will open up clear playing time for last year’s lottery pick. This deal is all about opening up minutes for Clingan, and the draft capital coming back. Isaac Okoro could be rerouted to a team in need of perimeter defense, but he likely wouldn’t play for Portland given their wing depth.
The Cavs need a backup center to take some pressure off Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, and Williams is a perfect fit for that. Due to injuries, he likely can’t play extended spurts, but for 15-18 minutes a night, he can provide rim protection and rebounding. Losing Okoro hurts their perimeter defense, but his role is inconsistent due to his lack of offensive production, so they can stand to lose him. Trading for an injury-prone player may be scary for Cavs fans given their poor injury luck in the playoffs, but they need to find a reliable backup big, and Williams is one of the best available.
Jazz Receive: Jrue Holiday
Celtics Receive: Collin Sexton, KJ Martin, Svi Mykhailuk, 2025 First-Round Pick(#21)
This may seem like an odd deal for the Jazz to make, but they need to add some proven veterans to their young roster. Jrue Holiday is a champion and an excellent mentor for this Jazz roster and should be able to be had at a reasonable price. Utah has enough draft capital to move off of a pick in the early twenties, and truthfully, not enough minutes for every rookie to go around. Collin Sexton is a good player, but he fits much better on a contender than a rebuilding team. Utah has been shopping him seemingly since they acquired him, so it is clear they are ok with moving on from him.
The Jazz are not in a position to contend, but they need to speed things up a bit, and acquiring a proven veteran like Holiday on a discount should be something they look at.
The Celtics may hope to get more for Holiday, but it is unlikely given his contract situation and age. Collin Sexton is a nice piece to get back as he is a proven scorer and a fierce competitor on defense. He has just one year left on his contract, and that will go a long way in helping the Celtics goal of cleaning up their cap sheets.
Both K.J. Martin and Svi Mykhailuk are on non-guaranteed contracts, so Boston can release them immediately and gain much-needed salary relief. The 21st pick is the key for Boston in this deal as it allows them to add a rookie on a controllable contract for the next four years. The Celtics need to add cheap talent around Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and the 21st pick will help with that.
The Thunder don’t need to make a big move, but they can get aggressive in the draft. The Nuggets need to decide if they think their core can still contend. The Timberwolves need to find another shot-creator to pair with Anthony Edwards. The Trailblazers need to continue developing their youth, and the Jazz need to start being competitive. Finding difference-making deals will be tough for some of these teams due to the salary cap, but it can be done.
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