Another NBA trade deadline has passed, and two of the most fascinating players thought to be available, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo and Memphis’ Ja Morant, remained with their teams.
But there were some fireworks. Anthony Davis, James Harden, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ivica Zubac have new homes.
What were some of the best and worst moves? To look back on this deadline and to understand what it might mean for the rest of the season and beyond, The Athletic has assembled three of its writers: Will Guillory, who covers the Houston Rockets and New Orleans Pelicans, Joel Lorenzi, who covers the Chicago Bulls and the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Josh Robbins, who covers the Washington Wizards and the Orlando Magic.
Which team helped itself the most during this trade-deadline cycle?
Guillory: This might be a predictable take from me, but I think the Jose Alvarado addition is going to do wonders for the New York Knicks. Alvarado brings the passion and defensive intensity that the Knicks have been lacking at times this season. The emotion he plays with every game is going to make him an instant fan favorite in Madison Square Garden.
And for the folks who haven’t been watching a lot of the New Orleans Pelicans lately — hard to blame you — Alvarado has made serious improvements to his offensive repertoire over the past two seasons. He’s a confident shooter from distance, whether it’s in catch-and-shoot situations or off the dribble. He’s got a great feel for speeding the game up at the right time and creating shots for bigs by getting to the rim. It will be tough to play Alvarado with Jalen Brunson, both smaller guards, against bigger teams. But that’s fine. Even if they need only 15 or so minutes from Alvarado in the playoffs, he’s going to be impactful.
Lorenzi: I loved what the Clippers did, but I will cede the floor to Josh on them.
Beyond that, I liked Western Conference contenders that made marginal moves. The Oklahoma City Thunder somehow stole Jared McCain, last year’s Rookie of the Year favorite before injury ended his season prematurely, from the Philadelphia 76ers for a sliver of their massive collection of picks. McCain fits a clear need with his shooting (added bonus that he’s a ballhandler), and he has two years left on his rookie deal after this one, particularly important for a team that has paid its three All-Stars. Philadelphia general manager Daryl Morey said Friday morning he felt he was selling high on McCain. Smile and look away, everyone.
I’d lump Minnesota in there for grabbing guard Ayo Dosunmu. He doesn’t make Minnesota better than the fully healthy Thunder, but he fills the Timberwolves’ needs as an offensive stabilizer and someone capable of both lifting the bench and playing next to Anthony Edwards. A good get, and a fine way to capitalize on Chicago’s fire sale.
Josh Robbins: I like what the Clippers did. It was time for them to begin to start over. They received a pair of first-round picks (including Indiana’s pick this year if it falls between fifth and ninth) from the Indiana Pacers, plus Bennedict Mathurin, for Ivica Zubac. I also think moving James Harden now was smart because he brought back Darius Garland, a two-time All-Star who’s only 26 years old.
Sure, the Clippers had finally found their footing after an awful start to their season. But let’s be real: Even with Kawhi Leonard, Harden and Zubac, they weren’t going to get past the Thunder and didn’t stand much of a chance against the Denver Nuggets. Better to strike now, before Harden loses another early postseason series.
Which team that needed to improve didn’t do enough?
Guillory: I have no idea what the Miami Heat are doing. I understand that trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo before the trade deadline was a long shot. I even get why they might be hesitant to pursue Ja Morant given everything that comes with having him on the roster.
But this is a team that claims to come into every season with championship aspirations. Yet, the Heat are in Play-In territory right now, without much apparent upward mobility. There are so many directions this team could’ve gone, but to come away from the deadline having made zero deals is baffling. What’s the plan? How does this team become a contender again?
Acquiring Norman Powell and turning him into an All-Star was a major win. But now he’s set to hit unrestricted free agency. Not to mention, Tyler Herro will have only one year left on his contract after this season.
Year after year, we hear that the Heat will be in the mix for the next disgruntled superstar. Kevin Durant. Donovan Mitchell. Giannis. But it’s been a long time since they actually got one, keeping them in this disappointing spot.
Lorenzi: The Rockets are in a weird tier among Western Conference contenders, and I can’t vibe with them sitting still. My issue is less about them standing pat and more about their reasoning. General manager Rafael Stone told reporters Thursday that he asked himself a question regarding Houston’s injury luck this season: “Is this just not our year?”
That is a bizarre thing to wonder aloud to the media and the public. I think there are wrinkles left to be ironed out with Durant and the young guys, so it doesn’t seem as if this year is a complete waste. But Durant, 37, doesn’t have all the time in the world. I want to understand Stone’s rationale, and I think it’s fair for him to avoid making a panic move.
I just never had “figure it out down the stretch” as my solution to Houston’s deadline. And I keep reading that quote, wondering if it’s real.
Robbins: The Magic entered this trade deadline eager to move off Tyus Jones’ contract to avoid paying the luxury tax (and delaying their repeater-tax clock by one year) and because Jones’ half-season tenure had been an on-court failure. The Magic did that, at the cost of parting with two second-round picks.
With huge upcoming salary commitments to the nucleus of Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs and Desmond Bane, Orlando faced heavy constraints on its ability to do something now. That said, no matter how good the Magic’s starting five has been when healthy, it’s difficult to be bullish on their half-court offense in the playoffs, when the game slows down and 3-point shooting and floor spacing become even more important. The Magic needed to add another 3-and-D guy and more scoring off the bench. They didn’t do it.
What’s the one trade-deadline move you like the most?
Guillory: I love both of the major moves the Clippers made.
As good as they’ve been over the past few weeks, I don’t think anyone saw the Clippers as a serious threat in the Western Conference, as Josh said. And if anyone was still holding out hope, that belief would have been based on two things that rarely have a happy ending: Kawhi Leonard’s health and Harden’s playoff performance.
Instead, the Clips punted on this current iteration of the team while they still had a chance, getting something back for two of their veterans. Although Garland has been fighting through nagging toe issues since last postseason, he’s young and under contract for two more years. When healthy, he’s one of the better pure point guards in the league. He’s an easy player to build around.
While Zubac’s maturation last year was one of the best stories in the league, turning him into two quality rotation players (Mathurin and Isaiah Jackson) and two first-round picks is a steal considering how much the value of non-All-Star centers has dipped in recent years.
And with the protection Indy put on that 2026 first-rounder, it’s a pretty decent gamble for LA in the short and long terms. Reminder: The teams with the two worst records in the NBA last year (Utah and Washington) ended up picking at fifth and sixth, respectively, in the 2025 draft. Even if it doesn’t work out, I’m not mad at the Clippers betting on Indy eventually falling off by the time 2029 and 2031 (when the Clippers will get a pick from Indiana if one doesn’t convey this year) come around.
Lorenzi: We’re not going to make this a Clippers lovefest. It is really easy to be a fan of the upside of their deals. I want to make this about a deal I’m … fine with?
I know people were stunned by Washington’s trade for Anthony Davis. Grouped with the recent addition of Trae Young, it feels as if the Wizards are accelerating their timeline. And I’m cool with that. As long as neither plays this year and the Wizards secure good odds in the lottery, next year can be fun.
The team acquiring Anthony Davis this year is receiving more praise than the one that acquired him last year. (Ezra Shaw/Getty)
Davis, when he’s available, is still a solid first option and should certainly be helpful for the development of young Wizards big man Alex Sarr. They didn’t even need to part with any particularly valuable assets to get him. Now I’m envisioning a world where the Wizards get BYU wing AJ Dybantsa and have a terrifying forward in the fold to lead their young core.
Robbins: I’m going to reinterpret this question as asking for a somewhat under-the-radar move that could make a difference in a playoff series.
Our colleague John Hollinger cited the Timberwolves’ addition of Dosunmu as a potentially shrewd financial move. Dosunmu should also help Minnesota at playoff time. With his ability on defense and his strong 3-point shooting, Dosunmu could swing a tight game in a series — when the margins are narrow. The cost of sending guard Rob Dillingham, forward Leonard Miller and four second-round picks to Chicago is an acceptable one.
What’s the one move you like the least?
Guillory: After all those reports. After all the drama behind the scenes. After the repeated benchings. The Jonathan Kuminga soap opera in Golden State ends with the Warriors getting … Kristaps Porziņģis?
Sure, Porziņģis is impactful as a floor spacer and a rim protector. He might fit in really well next to Steph Curry and Draymond Green. There’s just one issue.
He never plays.
He’s played in 17 games this season. He’s suited up only five times since Dec. 1. Last season, he played only 42 games.
Maybe the Warriors will look like geniuses a couple of months from now when Giannis comes strolling into Chase Center as the Warriors’ latest miracle addition. But there’s no way anyone thinks adding Porziņģis will change the fortunes of the 2025-26 Warriors.
For now, he joins a few other guys on that roster whose best years are behind them.
Lorenzi: I grimaced at Cleveland grabbing Harden. I get that they sensed long-term issues with Garland’s injuries, and that they needed a short-term answer for those issues. I also get that, somehow, Harden, a guard who gave the Clippers’ offense a respectable floor and is always available to play, wound up a perfect one-for-one swap with Garland, necessary given Cleveland’s financial situation.
But by all accounts, the Cavaliers made this move with their playoff hopes in mind. An attempt at a push for the East. We do know who Harden is in the postseason by now, right? Unless he has a redemption arc in him, Harden isn’t known for the kind of heroics necessary to lift these Cavs in the playoffs. Not to mention the Clippers inherited 26-year-old Garland, and Harden will turn 37 before camp.
Robbins: I like what Zubac brings on defense, and I like his impact on the offensive boards. I think he’ll replace most of what the Pacers lost when Myles Turner left last summer in free agency. But I dislike the steep price that Indiana paid: two first-round picks, only one of them lightly protected.
If I were the Pacers, I’d be concerned that Zubac playing the remainder of this season could adversely impact their lottery odds. At his best, Zubac could contribute to a win here and there that could land Indiana out of the top four of the draft order and also raise Indiana’s floor out of the top six or top seven.
What issue that wasn’t resolved at the deadline are you most curious about heading toward the offseason? (No Giannis answers allowed!)
Guillory: The Los Angeles Lakers, Rockets and Timberwolves are all legitimate playoff teams with big-name stars leading their teams. Yet it feels as if all three need a significant move to reach the same tier as OKC, Denver and San Antonio.
How do they plan on making those moves? All three GMs leading those teams (Rob Pelinka, Stone and Tim Connelly) have shown they aren’t scared to make huge trades. They’ve also shown that they love shopping for marquee players. But can they find the right deals to take their respective teams to the next level?
Houston feels like a team that would rather get some of its big-money guys (Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams) back healthy before shaking things up significantly. And of course, the Lakers have a LeBron James saga waiting for them once the summer arrives.
But I’ll be keeping a close eye on all three of these teams once the offseason begins. With all three of them, it wouldn’t shock me if they won the title in 2027 or if they took a step back, putting those aforementioned GMs in danger.
Lorenzi: The curious case of Morant. It doesn’t sound like any team made a serious attempt at acquiring the once-dazzling point guard. Now, assuming he’s healthy, he’ll play out the season with the Grizzlies, who have already traded away virtually every remnant of the fun team from earlier in the decade that he led. Morant is Will Smith in the finale of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” hands in his pockets, looking around at an empty room.
What is Morant’s market? Among buy-low candidates, he seems especially risky. The Grizzlies clearly want to trade him, but not so badly that they took the best (or least-bad) offer at this deadline. The rebuild will go on, but it’ll be awkward for these next 30 games or so.
Robbins: When will the Sacramento Kings begin a long-overdue rebuild? They did not part with their three highest-salaried veterans: Zach LaVine, Domantas Sabonis and DeMar DeRozan. Given the remaining salary commitments to LaVine (a $49 million player option for 2026-27) and Sabonis (owed $45.5 million next season and $48.6 million in 2027-28), the upcoming offseason will be crucial for the Kings. As an aside, as with so many teams near the bottom of the current NBA standings, May’s draft lottery will be critical for Sacramento.