2018 NBA trade value rankings, Part 3: The top 20

Ranking the top 50 trade assets in the NBA is a tough job, but someone had to do it. Here is the final section of the list: the top 20.

We’ve finally arrived.

It feels like we hear the same tired storyline every few years about how great a shape the NBA is in because of the young talent in the league, but, well…the NBA is in really good freaking shape.

Quibble with the top 20 all you want, but one look at the first guy and you’ll agree it’s a fairly worthy bunch, so much so that eight players just named to the All-Star team couldn’t make the cut.

In case you missed them, here is Part 1 (honorable mention and first 10) and Part 2 (players 21-40) of our three-part series breaking down the most valuable trade assets in the league approaching the 2018 NBA Trade Deadline.

One last refresher on the rules before we get to the final group of the best assets in the NBA:

• The higher the player, the less likely it is that his team would trade him.
• These rankings aren’t done in a vacuum. Everything matters – salary, age, contract length, team situation – the whole shebang.
• This is an imperfect science. The Wizards probably wouldn’t trade John Wall for Donovan Mitchell because Wall gives them a better chance to win in the immediate future, but the Jazz wouldn’t even listen after they realized what Washington was calling about.

Enough build-up. Let’s get to the top 20.