NBA Players Agree: No One Wants to Be Traded to This Team

Every pro basketball player wants to play in the NBA.

But not every pro basketball player wants to go to any NBA franchise.

Some, as you know, are bigger free agent attractions than others: Los Angeles, Miami, New York.

But in a recent anonymous survey done by The Athletic, they wanted to find out which team players would least want to go to in a possible trade.

One team was the clear answer above everyone else.

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Out of the 125 players who responded to the question on which team would be first on their no-trade clause list, an astounding 35.8% picked the Memphis Grizzlies.

LeBron James, among other stars in the league, has publicly said they don’t enjoy visiting Memphis as much as other cities. One of the big issues for players is the hotel where road teams stay, with some having horror stories about their experiences in Memphis.

Behind Memphis in second place are the Washington Wizards at 11.7%, which has little nightlife and has been a downtrodden franchise for over a decade.

Rounding out the top three are the Sacramento Kings with 10.8%, another team like the Wizards that has been bad for a long time, and a low-key city when it comes to fancy restaurants or clubs.

“I’ll play anywhere, honestly," a player was quoted in the survey article. "But I would have to say Memphis is a place I don’t want to live. So that would be the reason why I wouldn’t want to play there."

Some big markets did take some hits, however, as both the New York Knicks (3.3%) and Los Angeles Lakers (1.7%) had multiple players stating those were the top franchises they hoped never traded for them.

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This story was originally published May 18, 2026 at 9:35 PM.