NBA Teams Reportedly Monitoring Nikola Jokic, Bam Adebayo & One More Star Amid Dreadful Start

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s arrival was supposed to settle Miami’s questions, but the Heat are 2-5, and Bam Adebayo is reportedly one of the names rival executives are watching. Denver is 3-3, and Phoenix has struggled to build a contender around Devin Booker.

According to The Ringer's Howard Beck, rival front offices are keeping tabs on Nikola Jokic, Adebayo and Booker.

“Nikola Jokic sounds a little testy. Bam Adebayo sounds a little aggravated. And Devin Booker? He just seems like a guy whose talent is being wasted. Is it comically premature to speculate about their futures? By most reasonable standards, yes. But the NBA does not abide by the laws of reasonability. Every rival team executive is monitoring the Denver Nuggets’ struggles … and the Miami Heat’s struggles … and the Phoenix Suns’ struggles … and whatever the hell is happening in New Orleans and Sacramento,” Beck wrote.

Beck did not report that any of the three players has asked for a trade, and there is no indication of formal requests or active negotiations. He framed the piece as a rough watch list of players rivals are monitoring, not a forecast of who will be moved.

Beck’s broader argument is that trades of this size rarely come out of nowhere, and that the warning signs usually show up first. He also cited a longtime executive who said the league’s other 29 teams should constantly be thinking about how to land Jokic.

On Booker, Beck was blunter. He wrote that it’s a wonder Booker has lasted 12 seasons in Phoenix without lashing out at someone, given how clunky the Suns have been since their 2021 Finals appearance, and asked, “How much more of this can he take?”

Beck said the Suns could reset their draft capital by trading him, since they aren't getting anywhere with him.

The standings and contracts explain why the three situations draw attention. Jokic, 31, is in the fourth season of a five-year, $276 million contract that includes a player option for the final year.

Denver is 3-3 through six games, with Jokic averaging 22.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.0 assists, and Jamal Murray leading the team with 27.3 points. Those numbers are good, but they come with a mediocre record.

Adebayo’s case is the most surprising because Miami just made a blockbuster move. Through seven games, he is averaging 16.3 points and 8.0 rebounds, his lowest scoring average since 2019-20 and his lowest rebounding average since 2018-19.

He has struggled to fit next to Antetokounmpo. With most of their best role players sent to Milwaukee in the Giannis trade, Beck noted that the Heat have very little of value to trade other than Adebayo.

Jokic’s case is different. An unnamed executive told Beck that Denver has struggled to build around him since the 2023 championship because of financial constraints. League insiders consider an in-season Jokic trade highly unlikely, Beck wrote, though next summer is a different matter. Jokic has pledged his loyalty to Denver and vowed to sign an extension next summer.

Booker’s situation shows how little is certain. Phoenix’s last playoff series win came in 2023, and Beck called the Suns’ prospects this season bleak. Booker is 30 and still firmly in his prime, with a massive contract, and he has previously said he wants to stay in Phoenix. Rivals may be watching, but a player who wants to stay is a significant obstacle.

Teams are watching because stars on struggling teams sometimes become available, and Beck’s watch list reflects conversations with front offices. For now, nothing indicates that Jokic, Adebayo or Booker is pushing for a move.