The NBA trade market is described as “stiff” by Tim Bontemps of ESPN, citing a combination of salary cap constraints, CBA rules and the value of draft picks as factors contributing to the difficulty.

Conversations with scouts, executives, agents and league personnel have largely focused on these factors, with few solutions emerging, limiting the movement of big stars in the league.

“Unless big salary players are being swapped for each other, it’s hard to see a huge star making a move in the next month,” Bontemps said.

The NBA announced its salary cap for the 2024-25 season in July, setting it at $140.588 million, with the tax level established at $170.814 million, per the NBA’s official release.

• The Minimum Team Salary is $126.529 million for the 2024-25 season.
• The First Apron Level is $178.132 million for the 2024-25 season.
• The Second Apron Level is $188.931 million for the 2024-25 season.

In addition, the Collective Bargaining Agreement outlines three distinct Mid-Level Exceptions based on a team’s salary situation, per the NBA. For the 2024-25 season, the Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level is set at $12.822 million, the Taxpayer Mid-Level is $5.168 million and the Mid-Level for teams with cap space is $7.983 million.

These constraints, coupled with the limited draft capital available to many NBA contending teams, make it incredibly challenging for teams to trade star players.

Despite Bontemps’ viewpoints, several other NBA experts have pointed out that, even with the stiff trade market, one significant player who could be on the move is New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram.

As Ingram approaches unrestricted free agency, the Pelicans, who hold a 7-29 record — the worst in the league — are in a position where they “cannot afford to be picky,” according to ESPN’s Kevin Pelton.

“Anything better than what the Pelicans could get this summer in a sign-and-trade would still be a win, given their payroll issues going forward,” Pelton wrote. “Multiple teams are reportedly showing interest, but they’ll likely wait to see how he looks returning from injury, and they’ll want to be certain he’s ready for the second half of the season,” ESPN’s Michael Wright added.