By Terrell Munford

As the majority of basketball fans know, the National Basketball Association trade deadline passed last week, and a lot of big moves shook up the league. The trade deadline also had a lot of in-season implications about two star-studded teams: the Milwaukee Bucks and the Memphis Grizzlies. Rumors swirled about superstars Ja Morant and Giannis Antetokounmpo, who reportedly looked to move on from their respective franchises and search for their forever home where they could finally win a championship. 

The NBA trade started off with a shock when Jaren Jackson Jr. of the Memphis Grizzlies was traded to the Utah Jazz, alongside Jock Landale, John Konchar and Vince Williams Jr. in exchange for Georges Niang, Kyle Anderson, Walter Clayton Jr. and Taylor Hendricks. Another trade that surprised the NBA world was 10-time all-star Anthony Davis being traded to the Washington Wizards, along with Dallas Mavericks teammates D’Angelo Russell, Danté Exum and Jaden Hardy. On the flip side, the Mavericks acquired Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Tyus Jones and Marvin Bagley III. Dallas also got a 2026 first-round pick from Oklahoma City, a 2030 first-round pick from Golden State and three future second-round picks from the Wizards. 

Another star on the move during the NBA trade was Los Angeles Clippers star James Harden. After demanding a trade out of the City of Angels, he got exactly what he wanted. The Clippers swapped Harden for the Cavaliers’ Darius Garland. This marks Harden’s sixth team change as he enters his 16th season in the NBA. This comes to no surprise for fans, since Harden is looking to leave and make his way out of the team, as the Clippers’ aspirations do not align with his. 

The Boston Celtics added some new fire power to their roster, as they acquired Nikola Vučević to their squad. Vučević can shoot beyond the arc very well, is good in the paint and is a phenomenal facilitator who sees his teammates in the right spot at the right time. Boston also acquired a 2027 second-round pick in this trade. Meanwhile, the Chicago Bulls, looking to add to their young squad, acquired Anfernee Simons and Jaden Ivey from the Detroit Pistons. The Charlotte Hornets picked up Coby White from the Chicago Bulls, which is huge for their team since White can provide more offensive juice on the court on any given night, as he is averaging 18.6 points a game. 

Basketball fans were excited by recent NBA trades.
Graphic by Gail Demeraski/The Rider News

Now for Antetokounmpo and Morant, both superstars did not get traded during the trade deadline. Both the Bucks and Grizzlies have decided to keep their superstars, even though both teams earlier on in the season were listening to trade offers for both of them. In addition, trade rumors swirled that Memphis was ready to move on from Morant and go into a rebuild phase centered around their young, talented core of Cedric Coward, Jalen Wells and Zach Edey. Even though it seems right that the Bucks and Grizzlies have decided to keep their superstars, I bet that they will continue to listen to offers entering the offseason for both Morant and Antetokounmpo as the NBA continues to shake up. 

The question now is: what comes next? We will have to wait and see as the NBA season progresses. Whatever happens, I will be excited to see where some of the greatest talents in basketball end up and call their new home. 

Terrell Munford is a junior journalism major