The NBA season is still young, but trade rumours are already starting to surface.
Even though the trade deadline is not until February 5th, a month into the campaign has given teams enough time to look at their rosters to start thinking about potential moves.
For clubs with championship ambitions, this is when plans start to form about who might be available and what pieces could fit.
On the other side, those near the bottom may soon decide it is time to cash in some assets and set themselves up for what looks like a loaded 2026 NBA Draft class.
Marc Stein links three NBA All-Star guards to trade talk, including one already seen as the favourite to move
A few high-profile guards could be on the move before the trade deadline hits.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, teams believe that LaMelo Ball, Ja Morant and Trae Young could all become available over the next month.
“These 3 all star guards are being grouped together by executives.
“LaMelo [Ball], Ja [Morant], Trae Young.
“Maybe they aren’t available today, but they are players teams are anticipating could be available by deadline.”
Which All-Star guard is most likely to be traded?
The Atlanta Hawks have shown they can win games without Trae Young in the line-up, but keeping him might still be their best bet if they are focused on staying competitive this season.
Atlanta currently sit fifth in the East, so there is no immediate pressure to make a drastic move.
LaMelo Ball’s name has been thrown around in trade chatter recently, though he pushed back against a report claiming he was frustrated with the Hornets by responding with a clown emoji on social media.
That brings us to Ja Morant, who feels like the most likely candidate of the three. There have been ongoing issues between him and the Grizzlies front office, and his performance this season has not helped matters.
The Grizzlies are 6-11 and sitting 11th in the West, which might push them towards considering a trade as they look to reset their roster for the future.
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