The 2026 trade deadline recap

The NBA trade deadline has passed and there was a lot of action. In case you missed it, I covered the James Harden for Darius Garland, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Anthony Davis trades in my last blog so go check that out. Let’s get into the best of the rest.

Giannis remains in Milwaukee

The biggest story of the deadline was Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was rumored to be in many trades leading up to Thursday’s deadline. Only, there was no deal and Antetokounmpo remains a Buck. It doesn’t sound like Milwaukee was all that intent on trading the Greek Freak and why would they be? He is one of the, at worst, 5 best players in the world and has won a championship there. He can indicate he wants a trade all he wants, there has not been a formal request of a deal. The Bucks should want to keep Giannis because he is one of the top 2 players in franchise history (you can debate him vs Kareem). They are better off keeping Giannis rather than trading him. Brooklyn robbed the Suns in the Kevin Durant trade and yet they are tanking with no real star players on the roster. If there was no deal to be had that the Bucks found enticing enough to move Antetokounmpo, keeping him is the right decision. What I will say is spare me all the gloating that there was no trade. Giannis’ Leonardo DiCaprio ‘I’m not f—ing leaving’ video when we all know a trade could well come this summer was a little bit out there. There may never be a trade, he could sign a contract extension with the Bucks but we are certainly going to revisit this conversation in June and July.

Pacers acquire Ivica Zubac

This was a big one, let’s start with the details. Indiana got Ivica Zubac and Kobe Brown for Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, the Pacers 2029 first round pick unprotected and the Pacers 2026 first round pick or 2031 first round pick. The Clippers will get the Pacers 2026 pick if it is in between picks 5 and 9, any other spot and Los Angeles gets the Pacers 2031 pick unprotected.

This is a bold one for Indiana. Zubac is really good and will be an important part of their team next year as they try and get back to the finals but this is a steep price. Even if the Pacers end up with the worst record in the league (they probably won’t), there is still a 47% chance that the Clippers get this pick. That is a huge risk. That doesn’t change the fact that Zubac is an awesome player and will be a dynamite pick and roll partner with Tyrese Haliburton. This season, Zu has averaged 14.4 points and 11.0 rebounds. We watched him flourish with James Harden as a pick and roll partner and I expect that to continue with Tyrese Haliburton. He is also a really good passer and interior defensive player. He is really good at preventing baskets, does not foul and is a very good rebounder on both ends. This is a really good player and you can see why the Pacers wanted to trade for him. The price they paid worries me for sure. To tank the way they have to lose their pick would hurt a lot. Zubac is great and worth the 8th or 9th pick plus, no question. However, this draft is loaded and it will hurt if they lose the 5th pick, a lot. The lottery will be intense.

To me, this is a no brainer for the Clippers. To get potentially a top 10 pick in this draft, another future unprotected pick, a good player in Bennedict Mathurin and a solid rotation big in Isaiah Jackson is a great return. The draft lottery is going to be so intense. The Clippers have turned their season around in a major way after their 6-21 start. Mathurin can score the ball, the Clippers keep talking about these big free agent plans in 2027 so it is unclear what his future with the team will be because he needs a new contract. He can play the Norman Powell role of a scoring guard who can give the Clippers more punch the rest of this season and see what happens this summer. This trade is about the picks anyways. There is a pretty solid chance that the Clippers get the Pacers pick this year, that would be franchise changing for Los Angeles. Kawhi Leonard remains but it feels like the Clippers might be headed towards a new era.

Warriors acquire Kristaps Porzingis

This was an odd one to me. The Warriors and Hawks agreed to trade Kristaps Porzingis to the Warriors for Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield. It is a deal with big names in it but it really does not move the needle for either side.

Let’s start with Golden State. They have been after a stretch big for a while now and, in theory, Kristaps Porzingis fills that role. They signed Al Horford this offseason but he has not really hit. Quinten Post is also there but relying on him is something Golden State has tried tio avoid. When he is on the court and healthy, Porzingis presents mismatch opportunities on postups, can shoot three pointers (career 37%) and is an elite rim protector, using his height of 7 foot 3 to clean up the defense. The issue is he is just never healthy. He’s played in just 17 games this season, 42 games last season and missed 12 playoff games during the Celtics 2024 title run. He did not play well at all in the playoffs last year due to a chronic illness and has missed a ton of time this year due to illness, which is not his fault but still a thing. In theory, Porzingis can help Golden State but he needs to stay on the floor which seems unlikely.

This is a strange one for the Hawks. They were very active this deadline after a disappointing start to the season. Neither Kuminga or Hield are going to knock your socks off, I feel like we all know who they are at this point. Kuminga is an athletic wing who at times during a season will show you that he can be a really good player with a random week where he averages 25 points per game. The rest of the time he is fine, inconsistent and not a great shooter, frustrating, even. Hield is a great shooter but not a ton else, he is bad on defense (that will fit well alongside the rest of the Hawks) and has been in and out of rotations for most of his career. Atlanta took back money next year in this deal which is odd to me but maybe they’ll find a trade partner for Kuminga, if they pick up his team option.

Hornets acquire Coby White

The Bulls made a lot of deals at this deadline. In what was perhaps the biggest name they traded, they sent Coby White to the Hornets for Collin Sexton and two 2nd round picks. Mike Conley and Ousmang Dieng were also in this trade but Conley was waived and Dieng was flipped by Chicago. Both players had been acquired in previous trades.

The Hornets making a buyer's move is fun. White is an upgrade to Sexton, he is a better scorer and passer than Sexton is. White is a dynamic offensive player who can score in all sorts of different ways. This role will likely be different for him as I assume the Hornets will bring him off of the bench. However, he can still impact the game in those minutes. Over the past 3 seasons, White has averaged 19.5 points, 4.8 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game on shooting splits of .45/.37/.86. He is a really good and really complete offensive player who can score at all three levels and is a good and smart passer. This is a great pick up for Charlotte and really fun that they are making a win-now trade after winning 8 games in a row. They can make the playoffs in a weaker Eastern Conference and will not be fun to play in round 1.

The Bulls probably waited too long to make a White deal, they probably could have gotten a first round pick had they moved him at last year’s deadline. However, this is a fine trade. They acquired a lot of guards over the past couple of days and were never going to pay White what he wanted on the open market so get something while you can. This has been a team stuck in neutral for a bunch of years now and this deadline was a step out of that. They made a lot of deals so we will be talking about them more.

Bulls acquire Jaden Ivey in three team trade with Timberwolves and Pistons

This three team deal saw the Bulls get Jaden Ivey and Mike Conley (as was mentioned earlier Conley was flipped and waived), the Pistons got Kevin Hueter, Dario Saric (previously acquired from the Kings) and a 2026 protected pick swap from the Timberwolves and Minnesota got cash, also space under the first apron to make other moves.

We are quickly talking about the Bulls again. This is a buy low on Ivey move for the Bulls. The 5th pick in the 2022 draft has shown flashes of really high level play over his first 3 and ½ seasons. He has shot the three ball very well this year, at 37% over 33 games with the Pistons. However, there just was not a role for him in Detroit anymore. There is also the issue of his impending restricted free agency. What does that deal look like and how far are the Bulls willing to go to pay him are questions Chicago is going to need to be prepared to answer. This is a solid deal by the Bulls, Huerter had no future with the Bulls and Saric was probably going to be waived. Ivey is a pretty good player who may very well be in their long term plans but the issue of his free agency exists.

I was disappointed by the Pistons trade deadline. They have a real shot to make the Finals in the Eastern Conference and they did not strike. I really thought Michael Porter Jr. would be a perfect fit. This is a fine move, Saric won’t play and Huerter can make threes. I do have worries about Huerter, that three ball is super inconsistent and he has only shot 30% from three in the playoffs for his career. The Pistons did need to add some shooting but it being Huerter that they added does not make me feel better about where they are. Moving up like 7 or 8 spots in the draft is good business.

The Timberwolves traded Mike Conley in this deal, typically when you trade a player and he is waived you cannot re-sign him. However, the NBA changed the rule that if you are traded in between the time your former team trades you and re-signs you, you can re-sign with your previous team. That is the Andrew Bigut rule who was traded by the Warriors to the Mavericks in July 2016 then the Mavericks to the Sixers at that trade deadline but could not re-sign with Golden State due to the Zydrunas Ilgauskas rule. That rule came about after Ilgauskas was traded by the Cavaliers, bought out and then re-signed with Cleveland 30 days later in 2010. There are a lot of rules but what you need to know is that Mike Conley is allowed to re-sign with Minnesota. Maybe there will be a Mike Conley rule one day.

Kings acquire De’Andre Hunter

Why did the Kings do this trade? In a 3-team deal with the Cavaliers and, you guessed it, the Bulls, the Kings acquired De’Andre Hunter in the first deal of the week. Cleveland received Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis and the Bulls got Dario Saric and 2 second round picks as a part of the deal.

This is a good deal for Cleveland. Hunter had not been what they thought he would be after the trade last season and Ellis is going to help them. Keon Ellis is a good player, even if he is not having his best season. He is going to be a free agent this summer and is eligible for a 3yr/$52 million extension starting February 9th, I would not give him that number but maybe they’ll meet in the middle. He will help the Cavs, a plus defender, Ellis will provide Cleveland with some more secondary ballhandling and spacing as well. His lack of size worries me but he can guard small fast guards, of which there are a few in the east. The Dennis Schroder experiment in Sacramento did not work out. He will give the Cavs some ballhanding off of the bench when one of James Harden or Donovan Mitchell sits and can help if one does not play. He was primarily a salary match in this deal and could be flipped this summer if Cleveland needs to shed salary.

De’Andre Hunter is a fine player but a better player in theory. He is 6 foot 9 who can play some off of the bounce, that should be a really helpful player. However, he just isn’t because he is a bad defensive player and a mediocre three point shooter. He hasn’t made his threes this season shooting just 31% on the year. The Kings could use a wing but I am not sure this is the wing I would have traded for.

Timberwolves acquire Ayo Dosunmu

We talked about the Wolves needing a guard and since the Bulls have every guard in the league on their roster they went to Chicago to get one. Minnesota got Dosunmu and Julian Phillips from the Bulls for Rob Dillingham, Leonard Miller and 4 future 2nd round picks. I like the deal for both sides.

The Wolves have dearly missed Nickeil Alexander-Walker this year and Dosunmu is a pretty ideal replacement. The Wolves put their eggs in the Dillingham basket after he was the 8th overall pick in the 2024 draft he hasn’t found a role, falling completely out of Chris Finch’s rotation. This had led to a lot of Bones Hyland recently… like too much Bones Hyland. Thus, they added Dosunmu who is a very good defender, good at playing off of the bounce and making 45% of his threes this year. He is a really good player and I think lifts the Wolves into a title conversation. He will be a free agent so Minnesota will need to focus on re-signing him this offseason.

I like the bet on Dillingham for the Bulls. He is probably too undersized to play in the NBA and I am not sure where they will find minutes for him but he was the 8th pick in the draft just a year and a half ago. There is a reason for that, maybe the Bulls can unlock Dillingham and turn him into a useful player. Leonard Miller is 6 foot 9 and interesting and four 2nd round picks is a good haul for an expiring contract.

Celtics acquire Nikola Vucevic

I think the Bulls were involved in every deadline deal. They traded Nikola Vucevic and a future 2nd round pick (that Boston later flipped to the Jazz) for Anfernee Simons and a 2026 2nd round pick from the Pelicans. This deal is obvious for the Bulls, Vuc didn’t have a long term future there so getting a high 2nd rounder is smart, Simons is a free agent so they don’t need to sign him. The Boston angle is most interesting.

Simons had become very important to the Celtics. He is shooting 40% from three on the season and 44% on catch and shoot looks. His shot has been money this season for the Celtics and he gave the team an extra layer of ball handling which they have needed. Now, if Jayson Tatum returns, which it seems like he is going to, the ball handling point is not as important but if he doesn’t the Celtics are really going to miss Simons off of their bench. Vuc is a good addition, he is a better player than Luka Garza is with a similar skill set. He has made his threes this year so Boston will hope that carries over and his passing from the 5 will be important for them too. I just am not sold that this is the right deal for the Celtics.

Thunder acquire Jared McCain

This is a sell high by Philadelphia as they send McCain to the Thunder for a 2026 first round pick via the Rockets and 3 future 2nd round picks. They didn’t get a player in return in what is a fascinating trade.

There were 2 big votes of no confidence this week, the Cavs trading Darius Garland to the Clippers for James Harden and the Sixers trading Jared McCain. McCain was the 16th pick in the draft just a year and a half ago and probably would have won Rookie of the Year had he not gotten hurt. There are 2 ways this could go. One is that this is another Michael Carter-Williams situation where the Sixers were right to get out and McCain flames out. The other is that McCain reverts to his 2024 form and continues to improve as a player. He is going to the Thunder so if I had to bet, I’d say the latter just on that fact alone.

The second apron is coming for the Thunder and they need to add guys around their big 3 of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren. McCain has a chance to be that. He projects as a microwave scorer off of the bench and looked like one in his rookie year before tearing his meniscus. This comes down to whether or not McCain can find that form again or not on who wins this trade.

Lakers acquire Luke Kennard

This was a small deal and the only deal the Lakers made at the deadline. They sent Gabe Vincent and a 2032 2nd round pick to the Hawks for Luke Kennard. It is a fine deal, Laker fans will inevitably overrate Kennard though. He has shot 47% from three on the season but only shoots 3 per game. Great shooters need to take more than the wide open looks and Kennard just has not done that this year. I am not sold that he will be in JJ Redick’s playoff rotation. For the Hawks they have added Hield and Corey Kispert, which made Kennard expandable. This deal does make the Vit Krejci deal for 2 future 2nd round picks weird. I like Krejci and would not have made that deal.

Knicks acquire Jose Alvarado

The Knicks got Jose Alvarado in a three team trade with the Bulls and Pelicans that sent Guerschon Yabusele to the Bulls and Dalen Terry (who was already waived) and 2 future 2nd round picks to the Pelicans. Yabusele waived his player option for next season as a part of the deal. At a first glance, while Alvarado is a good player, he seems redundant with the Knicks. With Tyler Kolek, Deuce McBride and Jordan Clarkson already behind Jalen Brunson as small guards, it seems weird to add another guard. Then, the news of McBride’s surgery for a sports hernia broke and the deal made sense. Alvarado is best known for sneaking up behind players and stealing the ball on inbounds underneath the basket. He is a good player though and a good addition for New York. He is a very pesky defender who plays really hard and is a pretty good three point shooter. He will be a free agent so it will be interesting to see what comes of that but this is a good pick up on the margins for the Knicks.

Grizzlies keep Ja Morant

We started with a guy who was not traded so let’s end with a guy who was not traded. It really seemed like the Grizzlies wanted to trade Ja Morant but could not get anyone to bite. I am okay with that. Morant’s value has, clearly, never been lower, which is fair. He has not been healthy, hasn’t made jump shots and doesn’t play defense. Why would anyone want that guy? However, the peak of Ja Morant is still a really good player, even if I am unsure he will ever reach that peak again. The evidence suggests he very well may not. Yet, if I am the Grizzlies I would have taken the bet that he can get back there. What is the rush to move him? They got 4 first round picks in the Desmond Bane deal this summer (they already traded one of them), 3 in the Jaren Jackson Jr. deal on Tuesday and control all 7 of their future picks. They have 13 first round picks in the next 7 years. Cedric Coward is really good, Zach Edey is good (if he ever could stay healthy) and they are going to get another lottery pick in this draft. There is no rush to move Morant for pennies on the dollar, even if it seems like they were ready to do just that.