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The 15 NBA players most likely to be traded this season
Rocky Widner/Getty Images

The 15 NBA players most likely to be traded this season

Every NBA season, the month of February rolls around and trade talks dominate league headlines. It may only be November, but lets take a look at 15 players who could be traded this season.

1) DeMarcus Cousins

At this point we’re all aware that the relationship between All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins and the Sacramento Kings front office is on the verge of imploding. The firing of Mike Malone, bringing in a new point guard seemingly every other month, and comments from current head coach George Karl have caused “Boogie” to seriously question whether he wants to stay with the Kings long term. If the Kings endure another losing season, and Cousins’ relationship with Kings brass continues to sour, the budding superstar could very well make a formal trade request before the February deadline. Whether the Kings feel they could get equal value for Cousins in a trade, however, is another story entirely.

2) Harrison Barnes

A key cog in the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors rotation, forward Harrison Barnes is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. With the salary cap projected to increase, the 23-year-old Barnes will likely be offered multiple mega deals. The Warriors have a decent amount of cap flexibility, but if Warriors' brass feel they won’t be able to hold onto Barnes after this season, there’s a chance they could flip him at the deadline. After all, Stephen Curry will be a due for a massive contract extension after this year.

3) Joe Johnson

If it feels like Joe Johnson’s name has been floated around in trade talks for the past several years now, it’s because it has. In the final year of his contract however, this will likely be the season that the Brooklyn Nets are finally able to find a suitor for the seven-time All-Star. Even at 34, Johnson could be a valuable contributor off the bench for a contender. Johnson is a shoo-in to be traded this season.

4) Jamal Crawford

The Los Angeles Clippers have a log-jam at the shooting guard position. J.J. Redick, Lance Stephenson, Austin Rivers, and former Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford all contest for minutes at the position. The Clippers nearly traded Crawford to the Cavs over this past offseason, and although Crawford is a fan favorite, moving him at some point makes a lot of sense for the Clips. Crawford is in the final year of his contract, and at age 35 his production is beginning to decline. With DeAndre Jordan the only true center on the roster, flipping Crawford for a big who can crack the rotation and provide bench depth come playoff time would make the Clippers even more dangerous than they already are.

5) Brandon Jennings

It seems inevitable that Detroit Pistons point guard Brandon Jennings will be traded sooner than later. The Pistons have invested long-term in Reggie Jackson as their starting point guard, making Jennings expendable. However, Jennings is recovering from an achilles injury at the moment, and the rest of the league will need to see him return to the court first before any trade for the 26-year-old could be arranged.

6) Nikola Pekovic

With the arrival of number one overall pick Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves center Nikola Pekovic is essentially on borrowed time now. As the season progresses the T’Wolves front office will undoubtedly look to off-load Pekovic, but the two years and $24 million remaining on his contract after this season will make any trade of equal value for “Pek” nearly impossible to pull off. Still, Pekovic is an absolute bulldozer in the paint, and at 29 he is still in his prime. Someone will bite at some point.

7) Kenneth Faried

He’s a good player, but in an NBA that is fueled by floor spacing and three point shooting, Denver Nuggets power forward Kenneth Faried is in basketball limbo. Faried is a ferocious rebounder and never lacks energy on the floor, but his with a limited skill set on offense, it’s difficult to imagine “The Manimal” ever starting for a true contender. He would however be an amazing player for a contender to have come off the bench for them. Faried has value, and with the Nuggets rebuilding, a trade could be in order down the line.

8) Taj Gibson

A strong low-post player, count on Bulls power forward Taj Gibson being moved before the trade deadline. With the emergence of Nikola Mirotic, arrival of rookie Bobby Portis, and presence of Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah, head coach Fred Hoiberg has no shortage of front court options. The writing is on the wall in Chi-town for Gibson.

9) Nick Young

Although he’s not very well-liked by NBA purists, Lakers small forward Nick Young can come off the bench and score. He also has a very trade friendly contract, and for a team looking make a playoff push, “Swaggy P” could be a nice addition. The Lakers probably couldn’t fetch much for him, but when taking Young’s rocky relationship with head coach Byron Scott into account, that might not even matter.

10) Jose Calderon

It feels like the Knicks have been trying to trade Calderon since the moment they acquired him last year from the Mavericks. When healthy, Calderon is savvy point guard, who can run an offense, and shoot. With youngsters Jerian Grant and Langston Galloway on the rise, expect the Knicks to try to move Calderon once again.

11) Ryan Anderson

It seems the New Orleans Pelicans are just now coming to the realization that Ryan Anderson experiment has failed. With superstar Anthony Davis better suited to play power forward, there just isn’t room on the Pelicans front line for Anderson. His contract isn’t horrible, and NBA teams love big men who can shoot, so Anderson would appear to be a likely trade candidate.

13) Jeff Green

It appears the Memphis Grizzlies have taken a step back this season. If this is in fact the case, expect the Grizzlies to make a move, and the player they would most likely move in any trade would be small forward Jeff Green. Since acquiring Green from the Celtics last season he just hasn’t gelled with the team, and with an expiring $9 million contract, the Grizz could surely find another player of value on the open market.

14) Nene Hilario

Wizards power forward Nene Hilario has fallen out of favor with head coach Randy Whitman, and with an expiring $13 million contract, he is a major trade chip. With John Wall and Bradley Beal developing into super-stars, the Wizards are closer to being an Eastern Conference contenders than most casual NBA fans may realize. They would likely have to eat a fat contract in return, but flipping Nene would bring the Wizards closer the NBA’s elite teams.

15) Al Jefferson

Of all the players on this list, Hornets big-man Al Jefferson is the least likely to be traded, but it would make sense for Charlotte to explore the possibility. The Hornets are rebuilding, and are heavily invested in front-court lottery picks Cody Zeller and Frank Kaminsky. The Hornets also have center Spencer Hawes on the books through the 2018 NBA season. Jefferson has an expiring $13 million contract, and Hornets could easily trade Jefferson to a would-be contender for a coo of young talent and draft picks. It makes sense on many levels, but what’s far more likely is that the Hornets will look to extend or re-sign Jefferson to another contract. Simply put, owner Michael Jordan like’s Jefferson a bit too much to trade him.

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