The NBA trade deadline isn't until Feb. 8, but we have already seen a major trade between the New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors. After years of rumors, the Raptors finally traded OG Anunoby, sending him to the Knicks in a deal that saw RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley head to Toronto. Trade rumors and buzz will only continue to pick up from here as we hit Jan. 15, a key date on the NBA calendar.
Jan. 15 trade restriction
On Dec. 15, 2023, a grand total of 81 NBA players became trade-eligible. These were players who signed new contracts with teams during the offseason. A full list of those players can be found here, but these weren't the only players who had trade restrictions.
A smaller group of NBA players couldn't be traded until a month after the “newly signed trade restriction” players become trade-eligible, and that date obviously lands on Jan. 15, 2024. Players who meet this criteria both re-signed with their previous team and also got a raise of over 20%. Additionally, these players' salaries have to be greater than the league minimum and had to be signed using Bird or Early Bird Rights. Their team must also be over the salary cap. This date is important as it is the final big trade restriction prior to the trade deadline.
There are significantly fewer players who just now became trade-eligible on Jan. 15 in comparison to Dec. 15, but there are bigger and better players who have become trade-eligible this go-around. Many of these players are unlikely to be traded because their respective teams invested heavily into them in the not-so-distant past, so clearly their teams view them as a part of their plans.
However, this is the NBA. The NBA is a business, and players are traded more frequently and in less than expected scenarios than ever before. That makes it fully possible that one or more players with a Jan. 15 trade restriction will be traded now that they are eligible to be moved. Below, we have provided a complete list of all 17 players who are trade-eligible on Jan. 15.
NBA players eligible to be traded starting on Jan. 15
Brooklyn Nets
Cameron Johnson
Charlotte Hornets
Miles Bridges (can veto any trade)
P.J. Washington
Chicago Bulls
Ayo Dosunmu
Coby White
Los Angeles Lakers
Rui Hachimura
Austin Reaves
Milwaukee Bucks
Brook Lopez
New Orleans Pelicans
Herbert Jones
Orlando Magic
Mo Wagner
Philadelphia 76ers
Paul Reed (can veto any trade, can't be traded to Jazz)
Portland Trail Blazers
Jerami Grant
Matisse Thybulle (can veto any trade, can't be traded to Mavericks)
Sacramento Kings
Trey Lyles
San Antonio Spurs
Tre Jones
Toronto Raptors
Jakob Poeltl
Washington Wizards
Kyle Kuzma
Takeaways from the Jan. 15 date
Every player who becomes trade-eligible on Jan. 15 is a legitimate rotation-caliber player. While that means some of these teams may not want to move on from their players, it also means these players will be highly coveted by other teams.
Kyle Kuzma is the best example of this. He is an above-average starter in the NBA, and he has already heard his name involved in trade rumors. The Wizards are bad, and the team seems destined for a full-blown rebuild. A likely scenario for the Wizards is one that sees them ship out their veteran players for future assets like draft capital and young/cheap players. ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel reported that the Wizards are going to seek multiple first-round picks for Kuzma. That may seem like a lot, but that is the going rate for a player of Kuzma's caliber. The power forward has taken his game to new heights this season, although it hasn't resulted in winning for his team.
While Kuzma's situation will be intriguing, all eyes are on the Lakers as they decide what to do with their roster. LeBron James' crew has stumbled to a 19-21 record on the season and clearly needs an upgrade. D'Angelo Russell and several others became trade-eligible on Dec. 15, but now two more key pieces have just become trade-eligible on Jan. 15: Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura.
While the Lakers have signaled to teams they don't want to trade Reaves, perhaps they get desperate enough to pull the trigger on a deal in order to bring in an upgrade. Zach LaVine has long been rumored as a possible options, though now Dejounte Murray seems to be the hotter name as the Hawks look to retool their roster amid another disappointing campaign. Will Los Angeles look to make another splash at the trade deadline like last season? Stay tuned.
The Raptors will be another team to watch even after already making a big trade. Jakob Poeltl is now eligible to be moved, but Pascal Siakam is the big name to watch. Siakam's situation is made even more interesting by his impending free agency and apparent desire to hit the open market instead of committing to any new team. Siakam's name has been in trade rumors for a while now, so will he finally be on the move? Will the Raptors really blow this thing up?
Jerami Grant is another player who has had his name in trade rumors in the past. He is the Trail Blazers' best player and, therefore, their best asset if they decide to further their rebuild that started when Damian Lillard was traded to the Bucks.
Additionally, the Bulls are a team that seems destined to make a move before the trade deadline. LaVine is the name people have talked about as a player to target on the Bulls given his desire to be elsewhere, but there are some other possible trade candidates as well. However, with Chicago playing better of late, a rebuild seems to be out of the question. Coby White is certainly not going anywhere as he enjoys a breakout season.
Miles Bridges, Paul Reed, and Matisse Thybulle are the three players on this list who can veto a trade. Reed and Thybulle can veto trades because they had offer sheets matched in the offseason.
It will be interesting to see how the trade market shakes out this season. There are some notable names available, and there's usually at least one big surprise before the deadline. The countdown to Feb. 8 officially begins now.
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