Scan through the NBA trade rumor mill, and it won't be long before you stumble upon the word untouchable.
As straightforward as it sounds, it kind of falls under the "know it when you see it" blanket of subjectivity. That's partly because the definition doesn't remain consistent for every team.
For those in the business of winning as big and as soon as possible, talent trumps everything. For them, superstar players with super-sized impacts on winning are the untouchables. For franchises taking the longer view toward title contention, though, items like age, upside and long-term outlook drive the discussion.
In some cases, even role players fit the bill if their on-court values sit exponentially above what they would garner on the trade market.
We'll touch on more specifics as we go about identifying the untouchable players on each team's roster for the upcoming offseason. Pending free agents (including those with options likely to be declined) were excluded from this exercise since they won't be under team control any longer.
Atlanta Hawks
- Untouchable: Onyeka Okongwu, Trae Young
With the Atlanta Hawks trending toward a second consecutive play-in tournament appearance, you could make an argument that no one deserves untouchable status. That feels extreme.
Young essentially guarantees his team a top-10 offense. Okongwu, who turned only 22 in December, has the Hawks playing like a top-10 defense when he hits the hardwood (his 112.2 defensive rating would rank tied for seventh as a team). If they aren't cornerstone talents already, they have strongly hinted at the possibility of becoming them sooner than later.
Otherwise, though, this roster could be up for grabs in the right deal. Dejounte Murray hasn't dramatically impacted the defense and seems an imperfect offensive fit with Young. Clint Capela is solid but replaceable. John Collins lives on the trade block. De'Andre Hunter would be hard to get in most deals, but he wouldn't stand in the way of a blockbuster.
Boston Celtics
- Untouchable: Jaylen Brown, Al Horford, Jayson Tatum, Robert Williams III
Despite wobbly moments of late, the Boston Celtics shouldn't feel the need to make a major move. Maybe a premature playoff exit would change that, but there's no reason to expect such an outcome.
That's why the Shamrocks should leave their core untouched. Tatum makes the short list of the Association's best players. Brown is close enough to that group to silence any trade speculation. Given Horford's age (36) and salary (two years, $19.5 million after this season), he is almost certainly worth more to Boston than anything he'd bring back in a deal. A healthy Williams is arguably the Celtics' biggest key for getting from very good to great.
The exclusion of Marcus Smart might surprise some, as he's both the head of the snake on defense and Boston's emotional leader. He's also limited on offense, though, and the Celtics have the backcourt depth to move on without him if he were needed to make an impact trade happen.
Brooklyn Nets
- Untouchable: No one
The Broolyn Nets have a decent amount of talent, but only two players drew serious consideration for this discussion: Mikal Bridges and Nic Claxton. So, why didn't either earn the designation?
Well, while Bridges has been on a tear with this team (26.8 points on 49.6/41.2/91.0 shooting), the production hasn't led to much winning. While one can't assume he's merely a good-numbers-on-bad-team performer, there also isn't evidence suggesting he can be the focal point for a contender. Even if he is the former, there aren't reasons to believe the Nets can contend with him any time soon. If someone wanted to pay a fortune to acquire him, Brooklyn might be better off refilling its asset collection.
As for Claxton, he's an elite defender (96th percentile in defensive estimated plus/minus), but he doesn't have quite enough offense to be off-limits. He hasn't been the same on that end since the Nets lost the gravitational forces known as Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Claxton averaged 13.2 points per game on 73.2 percent shooting before the deadline and is down to 10.8 and 61.2 since.
Charlotte Hornets
- Untouchable: LaMelo Ball, Mark Williams
In 2020, the Charlotte Hornets spent the No. 3 pick on Ball and wound up with a foundational talent. The 21-year-old doesn't have the cleanest injury history—he's sidelined for the rest of this season with a fractured ankle—but it's not (yet?) reason to deny him untouchable status. He's a walking triple-double threat and among the league's most exciting young talents.
The problem is that in the nearly three years since that draft, Charlotte has found just one additional keeper.
And Williams isn't exactly a no-brainer selection. He is rock-solid on the interior, but maybe not spectacular, and he doesn't offer much on the perimeter at either end. Still, given Charlotte's longstanding issues at center, it makes sense for the Hornets to see where the 21-year-old is headed.