NBA Trade Rumors Rankings: Michael Porter Jr., Anthony Davis and more

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We're back with another installment of our Trade Rumors Rankings series, where we rank the five players who have appeared most often in trade rumors of late.

Today, a player who looks headed towards first-time All-Star honors this season made the cut, along with a slew of other high-level players, most of them household names. There are even two former No. 1 picks on the list today, one much more recent than the other.

5. Michael Porter Jr. (Brooklyn)

This week, a somewhat new name has appeared in various bits of trade scuttle, that of Michael Porter Jr. Just before the new year, The Athletic reported that Porter Jr. was a name to watch for the Milwaukee Bucks, who have apparently been telling teams they plan on being buyers this trade deadline:

It remains to be seen if he can pull off anything of significance, as Milwaukee is (by its own doing) limited when it comes to assets and options. The list of names that are known to be under consideration is likely much longer than what is publicly known, but a few have emerged. The Kings’ Zach LaVine is a confirmed target, as is — according to ESPN — Sacramento’s Malik Monk and Portland’s Jerami Grant. League sources say Brooklyn’s Michael Porter Jr. is a name worth watching as well.

Further, Jake Fischer stated that the Golden State Warriors have discussed whether or not to go for Porter Jr.:

Sources say that Golden State, which helped inspire this whole notebook, has indeed had some internal discussions about whether to pursue Porter.

It's only logical that Porter Jr. has seen his trade value skyrocket this season, his first at the helm of a team's offense, as the 27-year-old has been fantastic for the Brooklyn Nets, putting up nearly 26 points per contest on 41 percent shooting from three. Porter Jr. is one of just five players putting up a 25/7/3 stat line in 2025-26, a list that also features Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic and a player coming up later on this list.

And considering the former Mizzou Tiger is only under contract for one more season after this one (he'll earn $40.8 million in 2026-27), that also makes him an appealing trade candidate, as does the fact that his team, the Nets, aren't close to competing, so they, being in asset acquisition mode, should be open to shopping him over the coming month.

Expect more Porter Jr. scuttle over the coming weeks.

For the latest Michael Porter Jr. trade rumors, click here.

4. Zaccharie Risacher (Atlanta)

There's been back-and-forth dialogue on the Zaccharie Risacher trade front this week.

First, Marc Stein reported that the Atlanta Hawks might be open to trading Risacher if it means being able to land the player who finished first in this ranking:

It is also increasingly believed that Atlanta is willing to surrender Zaccharie Risacher in the proverbial rightscenario, since the No. 1 overall pick in the draft just 18 months ago has not developed as the Hawks would have hoped to this point. Yet even if the Hawks are prepared to package Risacher with the expiring contracts held by Kristaps Porziņģis and Luke Kennard for Davis, it is unclear how much additional draft compensation they would be willing (or able) to add to the deal to convince the Mavericks part with Davis in-season.

NBA reporter Chris Haynes reported similarly earlier in the week, too:

Haynes also noted that a potential deal involving the Hawks would not include Trae Young, with the Mavericks likely focusing on the Hawks’ former first overall pick. "If a deal was to materialize ... I was told it would not involve Trae Young. Dallas would likely want expiring deals, young assets, and picks — and probably, likely to include last season's number one pick, Zaccharie Risacher," Haynes added.

However, most recently, The New York Times pumped the brakes on that talk, stating that Hawks sources pushed back on the idea that they'd want to trade the former No. 1 pick:

Yet while the Mavericks are known to be pushing for young prospects (and expiring contracts) in talks relating to Davis, Hawks sources pushed back hard on reports that they’d be willing to include 2024 No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher. While the second-year small forward has struggled in his second season, team officials are quick to point out the highlights from the tail-end of his rookie season that inspired such optimism about his development internally.

Risacher has been disappointing in his second NBA campaign so far, no doubt, but he still hasn't even turned 21 yet, so it feels a little early for Atlanta to be giving up on him. At the same time, if it means landing a 10-time All-Star? Maybe that makes the idea of trading away a former No. 1 pick in his second season a little more palatable.

For the latest Zaccharie Risacher trade rumors, click here.

3. Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee)

Much was made when two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo deleted mention of the Bucks on his social media pages. But Antetokounmpo told the media this week that his doing that didn't mean anything:

Sources close to Antetokounmpo said that in reality he had cleared his social media weeks earlier to reduce his online presence. He did so to be more private and protect his family, but he was clear that he did not want the Bucks to focus on such trivial things. "The younger generation, they just pay attention to so much," Antetokounmpo told reporters earlier this month during a meandering 24-minute news conference about his future. "Like, what does that mean? Deleting the Bucks stuff from social media platform. We give so much attention to that. I told him my intention was not to ... first of all, all the moments that mean something are there."

At the same time, the Bucks reportedly have been telling teams that they want to add to their roster at the trade deadline, not trade away their generational superstar:

The Bucks have remained steadfast in their refusal to engage in serious trade talks with teams around the league about Antetokounmpo. Rival executives believe that until the two-time MVP makes it abundantly clear he wants out of Milwaukee, the Bucks are not going to give up looking for ways to salvage his tenure. "Our intent is to build this team and continue to add, not subtract," a team source told ESPN.

Our own Michael Scotto stated similarly earlier in the week:

Michael Scotto: I’ve spoken to plenty of GMs that are would love to have Giannis Antetokounmpo and have tried to talk to Bucks GM Jon Horst about acquiring him and quite frankly, he's not going anywhere. They they've been telling me uh the Bucks have been steadfast that he's not going anywhere.

Antetokounmpo also got animated with a reporter who asked him about Antetokounmpo being in Milwaukee:

Do you want to be here if you guys are not able to… Giannis Antetokounmpo: I'm here. I’m here. I'm here. Don't ask me that question. I'm here. It's disrespectful towards myself and my teammate. I wear that jersey every single day. Disrespectful towards the organization, my coaching staff, myself, and all the people that work hard for me to come out here and say, ‘I don't want to be here.’ Don't ask me that question. I'm here. I'm putting on the jersey. And as long as I'm here, I'm going to give everything I have even in the last second of the game."

We'll see how this situation unfolds, but recent losses like the one Milwaukee suffered against the lowly Washington Wizards on New Year's Eve won't help with the pressure of the saga for the Bucks.

For the latest Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors, click here.

2. Trae Young (Atlanta)

The news on the Trae Young trade market has been a bit negative of late.

For starters, ESPN reporter Tim MacMahon doesn't even believe the Hawks can trade Young for anything of value due to his standing around the league:

MacMahon added that moving Young and receiving valuable assets in return is unlikely to be easy. "It's not going to be easy," he noted. "There's not going to be some wide array of teams raising their hand and trying to get in on the bidding, and I'm not sure if you're even going to be able to make a trade that's going to bring value in return."

MacMahon also stated that it appears the Hawks are open to ending the Young era in Atlanta:

According to ESPN’s Tim McMahon, the Hawks are “indicating that they’re looking for the exit ramp” with the Young era. This season, the Hawks had an opportunity to play 23 games without the All-Star. In that time, they’ve won 56 percent of their games (13-10). With Young on the floor, the Hawks have won just 20 percent of their games. Two wins and eight losses. Chemistry takes time, but the Hawks are seemingly growing impatient.

Likewise, Stein reported that the Hawks are more open to trading Young than ever before:

There is a growing belief leaguewide that the Hawks are more open to trading him away than they've ever been, but what happens to their payroll if no such trade materializes and Young winds up exercising that option? Can the Hawks dare to find out by trading for Davis this winter without Young exiting at the same time?

However, Haynes mentioned that Young would not be involved in a potential trade for the next player on this list.

It'll be interesting to see what Young's trade value is if the Hawks do end up moving him. On the one hand, he's made Atlanta 9.5 points per 100 possessions worse this season during his time on the floor, which hasn't even been all that much since he's been injured this year. What's more, in 10 games with Young this season, the Hawks are 2-8. In the 25 games he's missed? Atlanta has gone 14-11.

Although Young did lead the Hawks on one deep playoff run early in his career, there's more evidence by now to indicate that it might be tough for him to be the best player on a true contender. And couple that with his enormous salary (Young is owed $49.0 million in 2026-27, a campaign in which he will have a player option on his deal), and you can see why there's doubt as to his value as a trade asset.

For the latest Trae Young trade rumors, click here.

1. Anthony Davis (Dallas)

The most popular name on the trade market this season has been that of 2019-20 NBA champion, Anthony Davis. Every week, there are multiple new reports and mentions on the Davis trade front.

Most recently, Zach Lowe mentioned the Bucks and Los Angeles Clippers as potential suitors for Davis:

Zach Lowe: I do expect the Bucks to try to buy and if they continue that stance for another month. When Dallas fired Nico Harrison and I went through all the fake Anthony Davis trades, I said right away, you've got to look at teams that are desperate to win and underperforming and can bundle some expiring salary. And I said like I'd look at the Bucks. I'd look at the Clippers for Anthony Davis and I still would for those reasons. But to me, if the Bucks continue on this stance of bye bye-bye, they're just a lock to end up with one of these sort of distressed high leverage high salary players like a Zach LaVine, Michael Porter Jr., I mentioned AD.

Meanwhile, the New York Times reported, after the Golden State Warriors were mentioned in a report with Davis, that it was the Mavericks who had approached the Warriors about a potential deal for the two-way big man, not the other way around:

While a league source said the Mavericks do have interest in the Warriors’ Jonathan Kuminga, who can’t be traded until Jan. 15 but is widely expected to be dealt before the deadline, the fifth-year forward’s salary ($22.5 million) comes well short of Davis’ ($54.1 million) and would thus require the inclusion of another big contract — i.e. Green ($25.8 million)…What’s more, it should be noted that the Mavericks called Golden State about the Davis possibility — and not the other way around.

Stein also discussed Davis and the Warriors, though he said that Golden State was not actively pursuing the former No. 1 pick:

The Warriors have held a longstanding fondness for Davis and I'm told that they have indeed had some internal discussions about pursuing him, but they do not appear to be actively doing so six-ish weeks out from the deadline. Golden State, for starters, has no realistic pathway to acquire Davis unless it is also willing to part with Jimmy Butler or franchise fixture Draymond Green. I'm likewise told that Davis' contract — with potentially two years still left on it if the 32-year-old exercises his $62.7 million player option in 2027-28 — and the injury woes he has endured since becoming a Maverick have thrust a measure of pause into Golden State's deliberations.

However, another team, Atlanta, was mentioned as a real potential suitor for Davis:

The Hawks are a real-deal suitor for Davis. Just how far, though, are they willing to go in terms of a Davis offer? Haynes also reported that Trae Young would not be included in such a swap, but that creates potential financial obstacles for a franchise not exactly known for lavish spending. Davis is owed $58.5 million next season and is likewise known to be eager to secure an extension in August when he becomes eligible for one ... whether that's with the Mavericks or a team that acquires him.

Davis missed less time than expected with his recent groin issue, but it's the fact that the big shot-blocker is always dealing with one health-related setback or another that tanks his trade value. When he's out there in top form, Davis remains a game-changing two-way presence with elite scoring, rebounding and high-level shot-blocking.

It's just a question of when he's actually going to be out there to provide those excellent attributes; that's the problem.

For the latest Anthony Davis trade rumors, click here.

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: NBA Trade Rumors Rankings: Michael Porter Jr., Anthony Davis and more

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