5 Trades That Should've Happened During 2026 NBA Offseason

NBA training camps are in full force, marking the official end of the 2026 offseason.

There was no shortage of blockbuster trades, as players like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jaylen Brown, Kawhi Leonard, Ja Morant, LaMelo Ball, Paul George, Brandon Ingram and others were all moved.

For all the big deals that transpired, it feels like a few more trades should have happened.

The San Antonio Spurs officially have a De'Aaron Fox problem with the emergence of Dylan Harper. The Golden State Warriors don't even look like a playoff team after a summer of inactivity. Kyrie Irving seems out of place on a rebuilding Dallas Mavericks squad.

Here are five trades that should (and still could!) have happened.

De'Aron Fox to Rockets, Dylan Harper Era Begins in San Antonio

The San Antonio Spurs didn't know they were going to have the opportunity to draft a guard like Dylan Harper when they originally traded for De'Aaron Fox. No one would blame them for wanting to move on from him now.

Fox was an All-Star last year and is still a really good player at age 28. Unfortunately for him, Harper and Stephon Castle are the backcourt of the future in San Antonio. Harper is way too good to play the sixth-man role for another season, as the Spurs had a net rating of plus-32.6 in the 700 possessions that Victor Wembanyama and Harper shared the floor without Fox. San Antonio needs to get their two stars on the court together as much as possible.

Fox going to the Houston Rockets makes a lot of sense, as Fred VanVleet is coming off a torn ACL at age 32 and head coach Ime Udoka didn't seem to trust Reed Sheppard just yet. Fox would be an upgrade over both, averaging 18.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game last year.

A core of Fox, Amen Thompson, Kevin Durant, Tari Eason and Alperen Şengün could do some incredible damage, even in the West.

For the Spurs, a return of VanVleet and his expiring $25 million salary and Jabari Smith Jr. would be enough to make the money work. Fox is the best overall player in the deal, although San Antonio would get off of his four-year, $221 million contract and open up a starting job for Harper, which is the ultimate goal here.

Houston could ask for some draft compensation in return given the heftiness of Fox's contract, even if the two-time All-Star is a major upgrade over VanVleet.

The Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Clippers likely won't rank high on your list of league pass teams, although both rosters could use some tweaking to maximize their season and watchability.

The center position for the Clippers is pretty rough right now. Brook Lopez is 38 years old and second-year big man Yanic Konan Niederhäuser underwent foot surgery in March to deal with a Lisfranc injury. With the Oklahoma City Thunder reserving the right to swap first-round picks with Los Angeles next summer, there's no incentive for the Clippers to lose. Upgrading the center spot is necessary.

Turner, 30, would bring his unique blend of three-point shooting (38.3 percent) and shot blocking (1.6 per game) to Los Angeles and should be widely available from a Milwaukee Bucks team that needs to create a bigger role for their own young center

Kel'el Ware is the best piece the Bucks received from the Miami Heat in the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade. Keeping him on the bench behind Turner would be a terrible mistake.

Ware, 22, is a true 7-footer who averaged 18.1 points, 14.0 rebounds and shot 51.4 percent from three in the 10 games in which he played at least 30 minutes last season. Milwaukee needs to make the former first-round pick a starter on Day 1.

The Bucks don't need a big return in exchange for Turner. The Clippers have some expiring contracts to send out if needed. This isn't the biggest trade, but it would improve both franchises now and in the future.

Kyrie Irving Brings His Magic to Orlando

Watching Kyrie Irving play basketball over the past 15 years has often been a magical experience. Few contenders need this kind of offensive boost more than the actual Magic.

Despite adding Desmond Bane last season to a core of Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs, Orlando ranked 18th in offense during the regular season and were dead last among the 16 playoff teams.

Constructing a deal that would send Suggs and picks, or other pieces, to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Irving makes too much sense for both teams.

The Magic are desperately trying to win now after three straight first-round playoff exits and could use Irving's ball-handling, playmaking, scoring and outside shooting to help transform the team's offense under new first-year head coach Sean Sweeney. Sweeney not only helped coach De'Aaron Fox to an All-Star season and develop Dylan Harper into a future star with the San Antonio Spurs last year, but he was also on the Mavericks' coaching staff with Irving from 2022 to 2025.

For Dallas, trading a 34-year-old Irving for a 25-year-old Suggs and other assets helps unite the timeline. Irving is coming off a torn ACL and may not be happy with the Mavs this season if they slip below the play-in tournament line.

The Mavs simply aren't ready to contend now around a 19-year-old Cooper Flagg. They need to do what's best for Flagg's next 10 years, not his next 10 months.

An Irving trade needs to happen at some point this season, with the Magic at the top of the list of teams who need him.

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Trey Murphy III, Dejounte Murray Keep Warriors In Title Hunt

The Golden State Warriors and New Orleans Pelicans had two of the NBA's worst offseasons after finishing 10th and 11th in the West last year, respectively.

It wasn't what the two franchises did, but rather what they didn't do.

Simply running back the vast majority of their cores won't be enough to make the Western Conference playoffs. Perhaps not even the play-in tournament, especially with the Utah Jazz and Dallas Mavericks looking much improved on paper.

As much as the Warriors would love to keep Jimmy Butler, waiting for the veteran forward to return from a torn ACL is going to doom the season. Kristaps Porziņģis and Moses Moody could both miss the start of the year as well.

Using Butler's expiring salary, along with a haul of first-round picks, to make a run at Trey Murphy III and Dejounte Murray could help save the Warriors' title hopes and benefit the Pelicans in the long run.

Murphy, 26, averaged 21.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.5 steals and shot 37.9 percent from three last season. He'd immediately become the Warriors' starting small forward while Murray (16.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.6 steals, plus-8.2 swing rating ) could start alongside Stephen Curry or become Golden State's sixth man.

For New Orleans, the move opens up a bigger role for second-year guard Jeremiah Fears and newly acquired wing Bennedict Mathurin. Butler could assist in a late-season playoff run or help open up cap space next summer when his $56.8 million salary comes off the books. The Pelicans should be asking for multiple first-round picks to complete such a deal, helping both franchises in the process.

Detroit Pistons Trade for Offensive-Minded Wing

The Detroit Pistons aren't going to sniff 60 wins again this season unless they can add a reliable No. 2 offensive option alongside Cade Cunningham. Simply swapping out Tobias Harris for John Collins does little to get this team closer to a championship.

The ideal trade target would be a wing who can create for themselves and others, helping to keep the offense humming when Cunningham needs a break or hits an inevitable shooting slump.

This list could include players like Tyler Herro, RJ Barrett, Lauri Markkanen, Franz Wagner or even Austin Reaves, should any become available.

Detroit has all of its first-round picks moving forward , making a potential blockbuster more likely. Former No. 5 overall pick Ron Holland II could be used as trade bait, as the runway hasn't been opened for him in Detroit to reach his potential.

The backbone of a great defense is already in place here and should be for years to come, with Ausar Thompson signing a five-year extension. Cunningham is arguably a top-10 player. There's a fair amount of shooting with Isaiah Joe added to the roster.

In the playoffs, however, this team becomes too predictable. Having a second guy who can create offense out of thin air is a must.