It doesn’t really feel like it, but NBA trade season is upon us. Usually, multiple deals would have happened by this point of the season, but we’ve only seen Trae Young moved so far. That said, with the East being wide open and the West being tightly contested, many teams will surely be looking for ways to get better and find an edge in the coming weeks. Here are five mock trades that are far from blockbusters but would help teams improve on the margins and gear up for the home stretch of the year.
(Note: all of these deals were deemed possible by Spotrac’s trade machine. If you notice any financial issues here, don’t come at me.)
Trade #1
Bulls receive: Jonathan Kuminga
Warriors receive: Zach Collins
Kuminga’s time with the Warriors needs to come to an end. The team continues to keep him around just to completely refuse to play him— he hasn’t checked into a game since December 18th. From an outsider’s perspective, it’s borderline unfair, regardless of how good they think Kuminga actually is. Here, the former seventh-overall pick would find himself in a fresh situation where he would not just play, but potentially thrive.
Kuminga’s true talent and impact are tough to gauge, but at his best, he’s posted some impressive numbers. He averaged 15.3 points on 48/40/71 splits in the 2025 playoffs. His strengths as a play finisher and mid-range shotmaker are fueled by his athleticism and positional size. In Chicago, he could pop in the fast-paced system Billy Donovan has been working to build. It’s clear that Kuminga just doesn’t mesh with the way the Warriors play basketball. He needs more freedom, and he could find it in Chi-Town. Plus, unlike Golden State, the Bulls have traditional point guards in Josh Giddey and Tre Jones who could set Kuminga up in his spots. There’s a world where Kuminga just isn’t that good, but Chicago can afford to take that gamble because pretty much nothing could be worse than Patrick Williams.
Golden State has undoubtedly burned away a lot of Kuminga’s value by stowing him away on the bench, so getting any sort of draft capital for him is probably out of the question. However, in this package, they’d be adding a role player who could really help them out. Zach Collins is a tough-as-nails big man with standout feel for the game. The Dubs lack traditional center play, and Collins does quality work on the glass and in the paint on both ends. He is also very comfortable directing handoffs and split actions as a high post hub. Overall, Z-Bo would be more useful for the team than Kuminga is right now. As an extra sweetener, the Warriors would be shedding $4m of salary here.
Trade #2
Magic receive: Bogdan Bogdanovic
Clippers receive: Jonathan Isaac, 2027 SRP via BOS
The Magic need a guy who can make some freaking shots. They’re 27th in 3P% and 25th in three-point attempts per game. With Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs and Anthony Black all being below-average shooters, the team just isn’t going to be too successful if they don’t add someone who can hit some threes. Desmond Bane was supposed to help, but even he’s shooting a paltry 33.5% from deep on the second-lowest volume of his career. Bogdan Bogdanovic is about as proven of a gun-for-hire as Orlando could get. The veteran shooting guard is a lifetime 38.1% three-point shooter who has drained countless timely treys both in the NBA and on the international stage for Team Serbia. He’s playoff tested and ready to compete.
Bogdanovic has fallen out of favor in Los Angeles as young guys such as Kobe Sanders and Jordan Miller have begun to ascend, so in this deal the Clippers would be landing a bench piece they’d likely get more use out of. Jonathan Isaac’s offensive deficiencies have buried him into a 10th-man role, but he’s an elite per-minute defender who offers way more scheme versatility than Ivica Zubac and Brook Lopez. Ty Lue’s crew was a top-three defense in 2024-25, but they’ve fallen all the way to 22nd this year. Isaac would trigger some positive regression.
Trade #3
Lakers receive: Day’Ron Sharpe, Ziaire Williams
Nets receive: Gabe Vincent, Adou Thiero, 2028 FRP via LAL (lottery protected)
Things have gotten stale for the Lakers as they’ve slipped further away from the top of the Western Conference standings. They could use upgrades in a lot of areas on both sides of the ball. This trade would improve their 26th-ranked defense while also giving JJ Redick two guys he can consistently trust to play minutes (he’s had to experiment with lineups throughout the year). Sharpe is one of the best backup centers in hoops, a 98th percentile defensive rebounder and 73rd percentile rim protector (per BBall Index) who excels as a roll man on offense. Deandre Ayton can’t be counted on to give effort and play hard, but Sharpe can. Williams is a bothersome wing stopper who’s worked on his three-point shot over time. Sharpe and Williams are legitimate contributors at 24 years old which is why they’d command a first round pick.
Brooklyn would be happy to bring in some draft capital here while also clearing up more minutes for their developmental muses moving forward as they continue their tank. Adou Thiero is a fun athletic prospect who was selected 36th overall last June.
Trade #4
Pistons receive: Svi Mykhailiuk
Jazz receive: Marcus Sasser, 2027 SRP via DAL
Detroit is having an awesome year, rising to the pinnacle of the East behind the efforts of their formidable defense. Their offense doesn’t always pack a punch, though, and they definitely miss Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. to some degree— they’re just 26th in the NBA in three-pointers made per game. Svi Mykhailiuk is a solid rotation wing who would give the Pistons a little boost offensively. The Ukraine Maker is quietly averaging career-highs in points per game (9.0) and assists per game (2.0) while shooting 38.5% from beyond the arc with the Jazz this season. He’s started all 35 games he’s appeared in, but Utah has started giving him, Jusuf Nurkic and Kyle Anderson DNP-CDs as they try to bottom out for Boozer. There’s no reason why the Pistons couldn’t get Mykhailiuk for an interesting young player and a pick.
Trade #5
Hornets receive: Simone Fontecchio
Heat receive: Tre Mann
The hive has been buzzing in Charlotte recently, with LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller and company getting hot and picking up impressive wins against OKC and the Lakers. The vision for this team is starting to become actualized, so why not keep accelerating the growth? Tre Mann looked like a future 6MOY in 2024-25 before he went down with a season-ending injury. Since returning, he’s been limited to reserve duties for the Hornets, playing a career-low 17.6 minutes per game. He’s a fun player, but Simone Fontecchio would be more helpful for this squad. The Italian is a catch-and-shoot ace and a respectable positional defender who could play off of Ball and Miller. Mann does his finest work as an on-ball creator, which is why he’s struggled to mesh with Charlotte’s core, but Fontecchio wouldn’t have that problem.
Miami might get more out of Mann. They’ve committed to a ball-screen-avoidant attack, and the Florida product is a sharp ball handler and isolation scorer who could be a spark for what’s currently the 21st-ranked offense in the association.
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