12 Notable Players Who Are Now Trade-Eligible

Most of the players who signed new contracts as free agents this past summer became eligible on Sunday to be traded. That list includes a number of stars — Celtics point guard Kemba Walker, Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, and the Nets duo of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are among the players who can now be dealt.

Of course, that group of players won’t be traded this season or anytime soon. While many noteworthy players became trade-eligible on December 15, it’s merely a technicality for those ones who are untouchable.

Today then, we’re focusing on a dozen newly trade-eligible players who are noteworthy not because of their star power but because they’re viable candidates to be moved in advance of this season’s February 6 trade deadline.

Approximately 120 players became trade-eligible on Sunday, so the list below only makes up about one-tenth of that group. You can check out the full list here.

Here are 12 notable players who are now eligible to be traded:

1. D’Angelo Russell, G (Warriors): Viewed as a trade candidate since the moment he agreed to join the Warriors due to his questionable long-term fit in Golden State, Russell may not be dealt this season. But it seems like it’ll just a matter of time before the Dubs seriously consider the possibility.
2. Alec Burks, G (Warriors): A minimum-salary player like Burks or big man Willie Cauley-Stein is a more realistic short-term trade candidate for the Warriors. Moving a minimum-salary veteran without taking a player back would give the team a little added breathing room below its restrictive hard cap.
3. Marcus Morris, F (Knicks): Morris has insisted he wants to stick with the Knicks rather than being traded, but his one-year contract and impressive on-court production will make him an intriguing trade chip. He may represent New York’s best – or only – chance to net a first-round pick in a deal.
4. Taj Gibson, F/C (Knicks): While Morris is the Knicks’ best trade candidate, he’s hardly the only one. Gibson’s contract, which only has a small partial guarantee for next season, is fairly trade-friendly, and he’d be a fit with just about any contender.
5. Wayne Ellington, G (Knicks): OK, you get it — a lot of Knicks could be on the trade block this winter. Besides the three we’ve already listed, Bobby Portis, Julius Randle, Elfrid Payton, and Reggie Bullock became trade-eligible on Sunday too, and none should be considered untouchable.
6. Thaddeus Young, F (Bulls): Things haven’t gone well for the Bulls or for Young this season. There’s time to turn it around, but if that doesn’t happen, Young’s camp could encourage the Bulls to trade the veteran forward to a team willing to give him a larger role.
7. J.J. Redick, G (Pelicans): Redick is the sort of rotation player who can be plugged into any roster and be effective, so the Pelicans should expect to receive inquiries. The veteran sharpshooter still believes New Orleans can bounce back from its rough start, but if the club gets the right offer, a Redick deal isn’t out of the question.
8. Jabari Parker, F (Hawks): I made a case last month for why I think Parker might be a logical trade candidate. At the very least, he’d be way easier for the Hawks to move than the three big expiring contracts belonging to Chandler Parsons, Allen Crabbe, and Evan Turner.
9. DeMarcus Cousins, C (Lakers): Cousins likely won’t play this season, but that doesn’t mean the Lakers can’t use him as a salary-matching piece in a trade. Three Lakers players have de facto no-trade clauses, and most of the rest of the roster earns less than Cousins, making him one of the club’s most obvious trade chips by default.
10. Mike Muscala, F/C (Thunder): Like the Warriors, the Thunder could benefit financially from trading a minimum-salary veteran, then replacing him with a new player on a smaller, prorated minimum deal. Making that move with the struggling Muscala would allow Oklahoma City to sneak below the tax.
11. Stanley Johnson, F (Raptors): If the Raptors pursue a smaller-scale trade, Johnson looks like one of the team’s most expendable pieces. He’s earning $3.6MM, but has barely played at all in his first season in Toronto.
12. Dewayne Dedmon, C (Kings): Dedmon is another free agent signing that hasn’t exactly worked out as his new team planned, as Richaun Holmes has usurped him as Sacramento’s starting center. The Kings will likely be patient with Dedmon, their second-highest-paid player, but if a favorable change-of-scenery opportunity arises, they’ll surely consider it.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.