The June 1 date on the NFL calendar is not arbitrary. It is the moment when the league’s post-designation rules kick in, and teams can spread dead cap charges across two years instead of absorbing them all at once, which means veterans with large contracts suddenly become far more movable than they were in May. Teams that have been quietly waiting for the calendar to turn can now make deals they have been building toward for months, and the players on this list are the ones most likely to be somewhere new when training camps open.
Some of these situations have been open secrets for months. A.J. Brown’s frustrations in Philadelphia have been the most-discussed story of the offseason. Anthony Richardson’s fit in Indianapolis has been questioned since the Colts drafted a quarterback in the first round. Kayvon Thibodeaux and the Giants appear to be heading in different directions. The June 1 date provides a natural resolution point for all of these situations, and the cap math makes acting after that date significantly more attractive to the teams involved.
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The trades on this list are ranked by how likely they actually are, combining public reporting, contract situations, cap savings, and prediction market data where available. A few of them are virtually certain to happen. Others depend on how quickly a willing trade partner emerges. All of them are situations worth watching closely as the first week of June arrives.
10. Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints
Kamara is 31 years old, carries a significant cap number, and the Saints are in a full rebuild that does not obviously have room for a veteran running back at this stage of his career. There is no obvious trade market for him at that price, which is why release is more likely than a trade, but a contending team looking for a proven back could change that calculus quickly. The June 1 date gives New Orleans meaningful cap savings either way.
9. Josh Sweat, EDGE, Philadelphia Eagles
Sweat is caught in an Eagles roster crunch driven entirely by the Brown situation, and the cap relief from moving him after June 1 makes Philadelphia’s decision significantly easier. He is a productive pass rusher who would fit on any number of teams with defensive line needs, and his contract is the kind that looks more attractive to a new team than it does on Philadelphia’s books. A quiet but real trade candidate.
8. Brandon Aiyuk, WR, San Francisco 49ers
Aiyuk’s situation has dragged on since his contract dispute the previous year and the 49ers are facing a cap crunch that makes keeping everyone increasingly difficult. A trade is possible, but a release is equally likely, with the team saving more money by letting him go than by dealing with him. Any team willing to absorb his contract gets a legitimate number one receiver, and there will be interest if San Francisco makes him available.
7. George Pickens, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
Pickens has been one of the most talked-about trade names in the AFC all offseason, with his relationship with the Steelers organization deteriorating to the point where both sides appear ready for a change. Prediction markets give him a 47 percent chance of being traded, which reflects genuine uncertainty about whether Pittsburgh can find the right return before committing to a move. He is one of the most physically gifted receivers in football, and there will be no shortage of teams willing to try.
6. Kyler Murray, QB, Arizona Cardinals
Murray’s situation in Arizona has been complicated since his ACL injury, and the Cardinals have not publicly committed to him as their long-term starter despite the enormous money still on his contract. Trading him after June 1 gives Arizona meaningful cap relief, and a team with a quarterback need that believes in his upside could make a compelling offer. Prediction markets currently give his trade at 26 percent, lower than some names on this list but still significant given the cap involved.
5. Kayvon Thibodeaux, EDGE, New York Giants
Thibodeaux and the Giants have been moving toward a separation for most of the offseason, with New York declining to commit to a long-term extension and Thibodeaux making clear he wants to be on a winning team. Prediction markets gave him a 50 percent trade probability earlier in the offseason, and the reporting from multiple outlets supports the idea that a deal is coming. He is a proven edge rusher in his prime, and the market for his services will be real.
4. Anthony Richardson, QB, Indianapolis Colts
The Colts drafting a quarterback in the first round of the 2026 draft was the clearest possible signal that their confidence in Richardson has limits, and the situation since has done nothing to suggest a reconciliation is coming. Trading him after June 1 gives Indianapolis cap relief and gives Richardson a fresh start with a team that needs a quarterback with his athletic profile. He is only 23 years old, and the talent has never been in question, which means there will be teams willing to bet on him in a new environment.
3. Cole Kmet, TE, Chicago Bears
Kmet’s name has come up in trade discussions more consistently than almost any other player in this offseason, with multiple outlets reporting that the Bears are actively listening to offers. He is a legitimate starting tight end who would upgrade the passing game on any number of contenders, and Chicago’s youth movement makes retaining aging veterans at premium positions less of a priority. The cap savings from a post-June 1 move are meaningful, and the Bears appear ready to act.
2. A.J. Brown, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
Brown is the most-discussed trade candidate in the NFL and has been since he made his frustrations with the Eagles’ offense public earlier this offseason. The Eagles were never going to move him before June 1 because the cap savings after that date are dramatically higher, and prediction markets have been running his trade probability above 85 percent for weeks. Strong reporting points toward the New England Patriots as the likely destination, a move that would give Brown a clean slate and give New England one of the best receivers in football.
1. Jonathan Greenard, EDGE
Greenard sits at 100 percent trade probability in prediction markets, meaning this move is effectively already done and awaiting a formal announcement. He has been one of the more productive pass rushers in the league over the past two seasons, and the team moving him is doing so for cap reasons rather than performance reasons, which makes him the most straightforward deal on this entire list. When prediction markets reach 100 percent, the trade has already happened, except for the paperwork.