Trade value rankings: The NBA's 30 most valuable contracts

With the NBA's offseason business all but complete and the 2025-26 season a couple of months away, let's take stock of how the league's stars measure up when it comes to trade value. Think of this subjective ranking as the 30 players who would command the biggest returns on the hypothetical trade market.

Unlike standard player rankings for the season ahead, this list factors in age, contract status, and a big-picture view. That helps explain our most glaring omission, as LeBron James failed to crack this list after a summer in which a trade market reportedly didn't materialize for the league's all-time leading scorer.

If we were ranking players merely based on their expected production and championship weight in 2025-26, James would register in the top 10, even as he prepares for his record-breaking 23rd season. But from a trade-value perspective, a 40-year-old legend on an expiring contract that comes with a no-trade clause and a $52.6-million cap hit doesn't measure up to a budding star under long-term team control.

I also considered great role players on bargain contracts, like Derrick White, Trey Murphy, and Deni Avdija, but that trio ultimately fell short, as did a handful of other honorable mentions you'll find at the end of this piece.

All contract figures courtesy of Spotrac. Asterisk denotes the final year is a player option. AAV indicates average annual value, followed by the average percentage of the salary cap the player will take up.

1. Victor Wembanyama, Spurs
Age: 21
Contract: 2 years, $30,245,126 ($15.1M, 9.3% of cap)

Wembanyama has lived up to the billing since being one of the most hyped prospects in sports history, averaging roughly 23 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, and four blocks over his first two NBA seasons. If he stays healthy, he'll be a perennial MVP and Defensive Player of the Year threat as soon as this campaign. Still only midway through his rookie-scale contract, Wembanyama is technically under team control for another six or seven years (unless he rejects the eventual maximum extension coming his way next summer, which would be unprecedented).

2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder
Age: 27
Contract: 6 years*, $351,572,928 ($58.6M AAV, 32.5% of cap)

The reigning MVP just put together the type of year only Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Shaquille O'Neal can relate to. He's a top-two player on the planet, the centerpiece of the NBA's best team, smack-dab in the middle of his prime, and under team control for at least the next half-decade.

3. Nikola Jokic, Nuggets
Age: 30
Contract: 3 years*, $177,099,342 ($59M AAV, 34.7% of cap)

The Joker is still the best player alive. If his contract had a bit more term left on it, he might've taken top spot on this list - even at 30. Who would argue it after Jokic averaged a 29.6-point triple-double last season?

4. Luka Doncic, Lakers
Age: 26
Contract: 4 years*, $206,838,444 ($51.7M AAV, 30.6% of cap)

Just entering his prime, Doncic's five All-NBA first-team selections already trump the career outputs of legends like Kevin Garnett and Dirk Nowitzki. The Slovenian also appears more motivated than ever after the Mavericks' stunning decision to trade him in February. Now locked into a new contract that keeps him under team control for at least the next three years, Doncic ranks among the top five most valuable players in the league right now - no matter what Nico Harrison says.

5. Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves
Age: 24
Contract: 4 years, $202,446,720 ($50.6M AAV, 28.3% of cap)

Edwards has transformed the Timberwolves from afterthought to contender with an entertaining combination of shotmaking and bravado. His game is a perfect blend of the old-school scoring of two-guards like Jordan and the analytics-friendly shooting of modern guards. Edwards shot nearly 40% (39.5) on more than 10 3-point attempts per game last season, earning his third consecutive All-Star selection and second straight All-NBA second-team nod in the process. He's also missed just 19 contests over his five-year career.

6. Cooper Flagg, Mavericks
Age: 18
Contract: 4 years, $62,730,226 ($15.7M AAV, 9% of cap)

Flagg is the most promising American prospect in at least six years (since Zion Williamson), a fact cemented by his terrific freshman season at Duke and his stunning performance against the U.S. Olympic team in a 2024 scrimmage, when he was still 17 years old. Though Flagg's rookie-scale contract only runs four years, he's technically under team control for eight or nine years. That combination of superstar upside and maximum team control makes Flagg an easy choice here. If you asked the Mavs, they'd probably tell you he should be higher.

7. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks
Age: 30
Contract: 3 years*, $175,369,698 ($58.5M AAV, 34.9% of cap)

Despite being 30 years old with only a couple of guaranteed years left on his contract and an uncertain future, the entire league would move heaven and earth to acquire Antetokounmpo should Milwaukee ever make him available. He's averaged at least 30 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists in each of the last three seasons, a feat only four other players have managed, and only once each. Before Antetokounmpo first accomplished it in the 2022-23 season, no player had posted those numbers in 50 years.

8. Jalen Williams, Thunder
Age: 24
Contract: 6 years, $246,515,397 ($41.1M AAV, 22.5% of cap)

Williams' maximum extension, set to kick in ahead of the 2026-27 campaign, will escalate depending on the individual accolades he receives. Whatever the final number comes in at, J-Dub will be worth it, and every team would gladly pay it. Three years into his career, Williams is already an All-NBAer and an All-Defensive team member. His ruthless efficiency on both ends is Kawhi-esque.

9. Jalen Brunson, Knicks
Age: 28
Contract: 4 years*, $156,549,124 ($39.1M AAV, 22.2% of cap)

Brunson's deal might seem high, but it checks all of the boxes for this list. He's an All-NBA caliber star under team control for at least another three years, and he's earning less than max money, making him one of the biggest bargains in the league. While undersized and defensively challenged guards like Brunson usually prove to be postseason liabilities, he's been anything but that in New York and Dallas, as he's risen to the occasion every time. Brunson's also still young enough that even a rebuilding team would be (or at least should be) willing to cough up significant assets for him.

10. Stephen Curry, Warriors
Age: 37
Contract: 2 years, $122,193,975 ($61.1M AAV, 37.7% of cap)

Curry is 37 years old and nearly a decade removed from his last MVP award, but he's also one of the best offensive players in the game and plenty capable of tilting the floor in his team's favor. Over the past two seasons, Curry has suited up for 70-plus games, averaging 25.5 points on 45-40-93 shooting. What makes Curry's situation different from that of fellow legends like James and Kevin Durant is that he has multiple years remaining on his contract. In a fantasy land where the Warriors make Curry available and rival teams bid on two years of his services, do you really think there are 10 players who would fetch their clubs a larger haul?

11. Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers
Age: 28
Contract: 3 years*, $150,316,884 ($50.1M AAV, 30% of cap)

You might wonder why Mitchell is ahead of some of the younger stars on this list with more term remaining on their contracts. You shouldn't. Mitchell is one of the league's most consistent drivers of elite offense, and his teams have won 68.5% of games when he's in the lineup over the last five years (a 56-win pace). During that span, he's also been one of seven players to make five straight All-Star Games. Not to mention, the last time he was traded with two years and a player option left on his contract, his former team acquired control of five first-round picks.

12. Evan Mobley, Cavaliers
Age: 24
Contract: 5 years, $269,085,780 ($53.8M AAV, 30.1% of cap)

Mobley qualified for the bigger max extension, which might make some queasy about these numbers, but don't overthink it. He won Defensive Player of the Year at the age of 23, while also significantly improving his offensive game. Mobley averaged 18.5 points on 63.3% true shooting, including 37% from deep in his first season as a qualified shooter.

13. Cade Cunningham, Pistons
Age: 23
Contract: 5 years, $269,085,780 ($53.8M AAV, 30.1% of cap)

What a difference a year makes. With the Pistons providing genuine spacing for the first time in his career, Cunningham exploded in 2024-25, averaging 26.1 points and 9.1 assists while leading Detroit to 44 wins and its first playoff berth since 2019. Cunningham's efficiency and turnover issues still leave something to be desired, but a 6-foot-6 guard with Cunningham's combination of shot-creation and playmaking abilities should be a perennial All-Star.

14. Paolo Banchero, Magic
Age: 22
Contract: 6 years, $255,269,169 ($42.5M AAV, 22.7% of cap)

Like Williams, Banchero can still qualify for a more lucrative extension starting in 2026-27. The former No. 1 overall pick isn't as complete a player as Williams, and his shooting range will ultimately decide what caliber of star he becomes, but he deserves top-10 consideration regardless. Banchero has averaged at least 20 points per game and led the Magic in scoring in each of his first three NBA seasons, two of which resulted in playoff berths. The 6-foot-10 shot-creator looks like a prototypical franchise star.

15. Amen Thompson, Rockets
Age: 22
Contract: 2 years, $21,949,209 ($11M AAV, 6.8% of cap)

Like fellow 2023 draftee Wembanyama, Thompson is only halfway through his rookie-scale deal, meaning he has six or seven years of team control left if the Rockets come correct. That makes him extremely valuable, far more so than his career scoring average (11.9) or 3-point percentage (22.1) could ever convey. Thompson is a defensive menace, and he's only scratching the surface of his offensive potential. Don't be surprised if he takes home Most Improved Player this season and climbs higher up this list by next summer.

16. Alperen Sengun, Rockets
Age: 23
Contract: 5 years*, $185,000,000 ($37M AAV, 20.3% of cap)

Mobility and shooting concerns might keep Sengun from achieving full-fledged superstardom, but he already looks like the type of player who will easily outplay his contract. The Turkish big man averaged roughly 20 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists over the last two years of his rookie-scale deal, earning an All-Star selection and leading a 52-win team in win shares as a 22-year-old. The fact that he'll only earn about 20% of the cap over the next four to five years is an absolute steal for Houston.

17. Jaren Jackson, Grizzlies
Age: 25
Contract: 5 years*, $240,000,000 ($48M AAV, 27.5% of cap)

In the two campaigns since winning Defensive Player of the Year, Jackson has averaged 22.3 points per game. Even if he's best suited as a second or third offensive option, his combination of rim protection and shooting makes him one of the best two-way bigs in the league, and his contract runs through the remainder of his 20s.

18. Chet Holmgren, Thunder
Age: 23
Contract: 6 years, $253,665,768 ($42.3M AAV, 23.3% of cap)

If not for injury concerns, Holmgren would be a top-10 candidate. He's a 7-foot-1 defensive stalwart and career 37% 3-point shooter who might be an All-Star six months from now. Holmgren also still has a year remaining on his rookie-scale contract, followed by a five-year extension reportedly without escalators - meaning Holmgren's cap hit won't be affected by any individual accolades. Alas, he missed the entirety of what should've been his rookie year due to a foot injury and sat more than half of the 2024-25 campaign due to a pelvic injury.

19. Devin Booker, Suns
Age: 28
Contract: 5 years*, $304,493,362 ($60.9M AAV, 35% of cap)

Lavishing Booker with an unnecessary two-year extension earlier this summer likely diminished Phoenix's only blue-chip asset, but it's not like Booker's trade value has completely cratered. He's still a bona fide offensive superstar under long-term control, and plenty of teams would happily surrender assets to acquire him, even if it means overpaying the four-time All-Star three or four years from now.

20. Tyrese Maxey, 76ers
Age: 24
Contract: 4 years, $168,705,600 ($42.2M AAV, 23.6% of cap)

Like everyone else associated with the 76ers, Maxey's stock took a hit last season. However, we're still talking about a 24-year-old who has averaged 26 points and six assists over the previous two years. Maxey's combination of speed, playmaking, movement, shooting, and range should keep him in All-Star conversations for the foreseeable future, making his contract a bargain.

21. Scottie Barnes, Raptors
Age: 24
Contract: 5 years, $224,238,150 ($44.8M AAV, 24.5% of cap)

Whether Barnes can ever be a lead offensive engine will determine the heights he and the Raptors can reach together. Still, his two-way skill set, youth, and the fact that he missed out on supermax eligibility made him an easy choice on this list. Barnes is already a terrific playmaking forward who's only just tapping into his All-Defensive upside, and he has an All-Star selection under his belt. A five-year deal with no options that will average out to less than 25% of the cap could be a boon for Toronto.

22. Franz Wagner, Magic
Age: 23
Contract: 5 years, $224,238,150 ($44.8M AAV, 24.5% of cap)

There's a significant amount of skill overlap between Wagner and Banchero in Orlando, and while Banchero likely has more value at the moment, I'm not sure that will remain the case. Wagner's game took a massive leap last season, and an All-Star selection should soon follow. Like Barnes, Wagner missed out on supermax eligibility, which should benefit Orlando (and Wagner's potential trade value) in the future.

23. Jalen Johnson, Hawks
Age: 23
Contract: 5 years, $150,000,000 ($30M AAV, 16.6% of cap)

Injuries (including a torn labrum that ended his 2024-25 season) have slowed the Johnson hype train, but this has the potential to be one of the best bargains of the next half-decade. If he can stay healthy, Johnson looks like a two-way star, having averaged 17 points, nine rebounds, four assists, a steal, and a block over the last two years. The 6-foot-9 forward can do a little bit of everything, giving him All-Star upside on a team-friendly contract.

24. Jayson Tatum, Celtics
Age: 27
Contract: 5 years*, $313,933,410 ($62.8M AAV, 35.1% of cap)

Tatum's place on this list was the hardest to peg. Had it not been for the Achilles injury he suffered during the playoffs, the four-time All-NBA first-team selection would've been in contention for a top-five spot. As it stands, any team trading for Tatum would be betting on him being worth roughly 35% of the salary cap for three or four years following his return from as devastating an injury as an athlete can face.

25. Darius Garland, Cavaliers
Age: 25
Contract: 3 years, $126,499,530 ($42.2M AAV, 24.8% of cap)

Whether it's because he shares a backcourt with Mitchell or just goes about his business quietly, Garland doesn't get the attention some of his peers do. However, he's an efficient 20-point scorer, a great shooter, and has averaged nearly seven assists per game throughout his career. The two-time All-Star's contract is more than fair.

26. De'Aaron Fox, Spurs
Age: 27
Contract: 5 years, $259,490,988 ($51.9M AAV, 29.7% of cap)

Fox is better than some of the players ranked above him, and playing alongside Wembanyama might inflate his value in the coming years. But there's still some sticker shock after the former All-Star secured a mammoth extension earlier this offseason.

27. Jaylen Brown, Celtics
Age: 28
Contract: 4 years, $236,187,840 ($59M AAV, 33.1% of cap)

Although Brown is also a better player than some of the stars ranked above him, his contract suppresses his standing. In the age of aprons and an increasingly punitive luxury-tax system, it's tough to stomach committing roughly a third of the salary cap to a solid All-Star who isn't a genuine superstar.

28. Anthony Davis, Mavericks
Age: 32
Contract: 3 years*, $175,369,698 ($58.5M AAV, 35% of cap)

Davis was traded for the fourth-ranked player on this list just six months ago and remains a tremendous two-way force with at least two years of team control left, so you could argue he should rank higher. However, 35% of the cap is a lot to commit to an injury-prone big man who has never proven he can be the best player on a contender.

29. Karl-Anthony Towns, Knicks
Age: 29
Contract: 3 years*, $171,236,184 ($57.1M AAV, 33.5% of cap)

While Towns can be maddening at his immobile, foul-prone worst, he's one of the most skilled offensive big men in history. He's also coming off one of the best years of his career, having averaged 24.4 points and 12.8 rebounds on 53-42-83 shooting in his first season as a Knick. He's not perfect, and the cap hit might make you uneasy, but with only two or three years left on that contract, I don't think there are 30 players who would return a bigger haul.

30. Kevin Durant, Rockets
Age: 36
Contract: $54,708,609 (35.4% of cap)

Durant rounds out our list because I'm not sure where else to place him. As an expiring contract, I couldn't rank him nearly as high as Curry, but he's still significantly better than just a top-30 player. Durant's expiring deal doesn't contain the no-trade clause that kept James out of our exercise, and he was just dealt for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and multiple picks.

Honorable mentions: Dylan Harper (Spurs), Ja Morant (Grizzlies), Tyrese Haliburton (Pacers), Domantas Sabonis (Kings), Desmond Bane (Magic)

Joseph Casciaro is theScore's lead NBA reporter.