The fantasy basketball season is approaching the midway point, which means managers are preparing to think about potential trades.
To stay one step ahead of the competition, understanding which players to sell high on is crucial. In fact, trading the right player away for a quality return can make or break a championship run.
Without further ado, here are five players you should consider trading after their strong starts to the 2025-26 NBA season.
Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard is currently 11th in the NBA with a scoring average of 27.8 points per game. He is efficient from the field, shoots the 3-ball at a respectable rate, and contributes enough production in the rebound, assist, and steals departments. The only uncertainty when it comes to Leonard is his extensive injury history.
At the moment, he is dealing with an ankle sprain. He is still a candidate to play in games right now, though LA will obviously proceed with caution. He was never a threat to play every game moving forward, and their kid-gloves approach could serve them well long term.
Trusting that Leonard will stay on the floor at a consistent rate throughout the remainder of the season is a difficult thing to do, however. Selling high on Leonard would allow fantasy managers to move on from the stress of a potential injury every game while also receiving a valuable trade return given the productive nature of his past month.
Pascal Siakam, Indiana Pacers
Pascal Siakam has been great this season. The same cannot be said for the Indiana Pacers, who are feeling the effects of Tyrese Haliburton’s injury absence in an undeniable manner.
The three-time All-Star is averaging 23.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per contest. He has also missed just one game this season as of this story’s writing. From a player standpoint, having Siakam on your fantasy basketball team is not a problem.
Or … has not been a problem.
The concern here is the Pacers’ record, who currently sit in last place in the Eastern Conference. Indiana will surely be thinking about the future during this gap year and the upcoming NBA draft, which may lead to sporadic playing time for Siakam down the stretch of the season and/or an abundance of caution should the slightest injury pop up.
Keyonte George, Utah Jazz
Keyonte George has been one of the better stories of the NBA season. The 22-year-old has taken a monster step forward in his third campaign, both for the Jazz and fantasy managers. His per-game averages of 23.6 points, 6.9 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.0 steals per outing are all pacing to be career highs.
However, he plays for a 14-25 Jazz squad that is likely more focused on the future than the present. The team simply isn’t that good, meaning George’s production could decline as the season progresses, a worst-case scenario for us. He does not get many shots created for him, and the lack of scoring talent on this roster points to a possible dip in his assist numbers.
The Jazz will likely play George fairly consistently down the stretch since he’s a young player in the midst of a developmental campaign. Tanking or not, keeping George on the floor will allow him to continue to develop. Nevertheless, his current situation could lead to a statistical decline, and that makes cashing in this chip now a viable move.
Miles Bridges, Charlotte Hornets
Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges has been a fairly productive fantasy player through the first few months of the season. He’s currently averaging just under 20 points per game to go along with 6.4 rebounds per outing, respectable counting numbers that any manager would take.
With that being said, Bridges is shooting just 44.5% from the field and 33.5% from beyond the arc, offsetting the good that he has done in the volume categories.
Opposing fantasy managers may welcome the opportunity to acquire a forward with nice numbers at a glance, not understanding that the “how” behind them is an issue that is unlikely to be resolved.
In all reality, there are many better options around the league.
Another note worth mentioning on Bridges is that there’s a chance he could be traded. The Hornets are in the middle of a rebuild and may look to move on from the forward, something that would likely result in a usage dip, thus magnifying his weaknesses while subtracting from his strengths.
Even if Bridges isn’t moved, his playing time may decrease over the final month or two of the season as the Hornets prepare for the NBA draft.
DeMar DeRozan, Sacramento Kings
DeMar DeRozan is one of the more reliable scorers in fantasy basketball as he leans on his midrange jump shot on a consistent basis and has since his days as the lead man for the Raptors. DeRozan may only be averaging 18.6 points per game at the moment — his lowest mark since the 2011-12 season — but he shoots over 50% from the field.
Additionally, he is shooting 36% from beyond the arc, which represents a career-high mark and is a net positive, even if it’s coming on low volume.
26,000 and counting 📈
Tonight, DeMar DeRozan reaches 26,000 career points in the regular season and becomes the 23rd player in NBA history to hit the 26,000-point mark. pic.twitter.com/xd1VeGxnpo
— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) January 12, 2026
Similar to Leonard, moving on from DeRozan does not stem from a belief that his performance will decline. With Leonard, the injury history was the primary concern. For DeRozan, it’s the possibility of a trade and thus less of a featured role.
The Kings are likely headed for a rebuild this offseason, and that process could start sooner than later. With DeRozan still playing at a respectable level at 36 years old, he will surely have a number of trade suitors looking for a hired gun to help get them over the edge. If traded to a true contender, though, the veteran could see fewer scoring opportunities.
Trading him now allows fantasy managers to move on from him before a potential role decrease comes to fruition. As mentioned with other players on this list, even if DeRozan is not traded, the possibility of fewer minutes down the stretch is a reality that also cannot be ignored.
The odds of his value declining moving forward are, in my eyes, greater than the odds of it improving or even sustaining the numbers he’s given you up to this point, and that is an equation I want to distance myself from before it’s too late.
