NBA trade deadline 2026: Mavs reportedly trading Anthony Davis to Wizards in 8-player swap; 76ers sending Jared McCain to Thunder; latest on Giannis Antetokounmpo

The Oklahoma City Thunder simply defeated the Orlando Magic on Tuesday, however the win got here with a doubtlessly important price. Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sustained an belly harm in the course of the contest, and shall be out a minimum of by way of the All-Star break due to the difficulty, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.

The severity of the harm is just not identified in the mean time. The workforce plans to re-evaluate Gilgeous-Alexander after the break, that means he’ll miss — at minimal — 5 video games earlier than a attainable return.

It’s unclear when Gilgeous-Alexander sustained the harm. The 27-year-old turned in a powerful efficiency in the course of the Thunder’s 128-92 win over the Magic on Tuesday, scoring 20 factors and doling out 9 assists in practically 28 minutes on the courtroom.

Read more on the news here.

The Philadelphia 76ers are trading second-year guard Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder in trade for a 2026 Houston Rockets first-round choose, in addition to three second-round picks, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

The information arrived on Wednesday, the identical day Charania reported that Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the team’s leading scorer and the league’s reigning MVP, will be out through at least the All-Star break due to an belly pressure he suffered Tuesday night time throughout a 128-92 win over the Orlando Magic.

The Sixers chosen McCain out of Duke with the sixteenth general choose in the 2024 NBA Draft, and he confirmed glimpses of stardom early final season, however the 21-year-old has struggled with accidents since.

The Anthony Davis period in Dallas is now over.

The Mavericks struck a deal to ship Davis to the Washington Wizards, in accordance to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

The Sacramento Kings are the workforce most strongly related to Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant in trade talks because the deadline approaches.

Sacramento loves Morant’s excessive upside and views him as a participant who may return to star standing. The Miami Heat are additionally among the many groups linked to Morant. The NBA trade deadline is Thursday, Feb. 5 at 2:00 p.m. ET.

As the NBA trade deadline rapidly approaches, Los Angeles Lakers ahead LeBron James is probably not on his approach out the door simply but, however some really feel this may very well be his remaining season in LA.

Joe Vardon and Jason Lloyd of The Athletic really feel just like the Cleveland Cavaliers are the apparent touchdown spot for James this summer time as he enters free company and doubtlessly returns for season No. 24.

“LeBron James will be a free agent this summer, and if he chooses to play a 24th NBA season, sources close to him said Cleveland would be an obvious destination. His salary would not be close to the $52.6 million he’s earning now in Los Angeles, but at age 41 he is aware of the market realities facing him if he extends his career.”

The Miami Heat are reportedly now trying to trade for Memphis Grizzlies level guard Ja Morant and thus are not seen as being on the forefront of the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes.

Miami is amongst different groups like Sacramento and Minnesota, believed to be in the combo for the seventh-year guard. Morant has been sidelined for a lot of the season, having appeared in simply 20 video games. In these video games, Morant is averaging 19.5 factors, 8.1 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1 help per sport.

Nikola Vučević is now a Boston Celtic, because the group took on Vučević and a second-round choice for Anfernee Simons and a second-round choice.

Let’s get into some trade grades.

Boston Celtics: B+

Look, this workforce wanted a middle, particularly one who can stretch the ground. Vučević can try this. He’s hit 39.1% of these photographs over his final 121 video games and is getting them up at a good quantity (4.5 per), which inserts effectively with how Boston performs.

Vučević additionally offers the workforce with sturdy rebounding (10.4 for his profession) and may string collectively good passing patterns.

He’ll give the Celtics an inside offensive increase they’ve lacked for some time, all whereas the group saves cash on its tax invoice.

Yes, the Celtics did quit a excessive second in what may very well be a completely loaded draft, but when meaning fixing a difficulty and getting a extra streamlined cap sheet, so be it. That must be price it on the finish of the day.

Find out what grade the Bulls earned in Tuesday’s swap.

The 38-year-old Conley was dealt from the Timberwolves to the Bulls on Tuesday, however in accordance to Chris Haynes, the veteran guard will doubtless be dealt once more earlier than the NBA trade deadline on Thursday.

Conley, who’s averaging a profession low 4.4 factors in 18:27 minute per night time over 44 video games this season, is on an expiring contract.

As it pertains to the Greek Freak, sources mentioned Milwaukee is just not feeling pressured to discover a appropriate deal earlier than Thursday. The Bucks are comfy gathering aggressive affords from the likes of Miami, Minnesota, Golden State and others, and reassessing issues after the season.

The Bucks’ due diligence on the market — and their long-term partnership with Giannis — doubtless received’t have an effect on his choice to transfer on from the franchise, however it exhibits a proactive strategy to discovering an answer that works for each events.

There continues to be a risk of Antetokounmpo being moved on the deadline, with groups like Minnesota making strategic strikes to unencumber funds, and Golden State reportedly keen to embody franchise bedrock Draymond Green in trade talks, however Milwaukee will make one of the best deal attainable on the most opportune time for the franchise.

Read more on what we’re hearing around the league approaching Thursday’s deadline.

Nothing’s sure. But there’s an opportunity that Draymond Green performed his final sport for the Golden State Warriors Tuesday night time.

Green’s title has been bandied about in trade rumors because the Warriors are believed to be looking for a high-level participant (Giannis Antetokounmpo, perhaps?) to pair with Stephen Curry for a run at one other championship on the finish of Curry’s prime.

If Green’s 13 1/2-season run with the Warriors is over, he is at peace with it. He spoke about the opportunity of this being the tip following Golden State’s 113-94 loss to the 76ers Tuesday night time.

Be warned, the language is just not protected for work. This is Draymond, in spite of everything.

Not lengthy after Tuesday’s blockbuster trade, James Harden spoke about it with ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. He denied requesting a trade, per Shelburne. But he’s “excited” to make the transfer to Cleveland.

Harden, who’s one of two top-10 all-time NBA scorers without a championship alongside Karl Malone, believes he’ll have a greater probability to safe that elusive NBA title with the Cavaliers than with the Clippers.

“In Cleveland I see an opportunity to win in the East,” Harden informed Shelburne. “They got a very good team, coaching staff, all of the above.

“So as a lot as I wished to keep in LA and provides it a go, I’ve by no means received one earlier than. As a basketball thoughts I believe we now have a bit higher probability.”

For extra on Harden’s response, read here.

Per Mark Medina of Spectrum Sportsnet LA, “there’s optimism” throughout the Los Angeles Clippers that Darius Garland shall be accessible to return from harm to make his workforce debut after the All-Star break.

Garland, who joins the Clippers from the Cavaliers by way of the James Harden trade, has missed 25 video games this season with accidents to each toes. He’s been sidelined for the final 9 video games with a sprained proper huge toe.

The Clippers will host the Denver Nuggets on Feb. 19 in their first sport out of the All-Star break. They’ll be hoping to contend for the playoffs after recovering from a 6-21 begin to put up a 23-26 report as of Tuesday.

Every NBA workforce is in search of huge males who can area the ground and shield the rim, and the Boston Celtics discovered somebody who can a minimum of do a type of issues: Nikola Vučević.

The Celtics scored Vučević for Anfernee Simons and a second-round draft pick, in accordance to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

The now-former Chicago Bulls heart has shot 39.1% on 4.5 3-point makes an attempt per sport over the previous two seasons. He can also be, ugh, the anchor of the NBA’s Twenty fourth-rated protection.

How that helps the Celtics stays to be seen. They will add him to a big-man rotation that features Neemias Queta, Luka Garza and Amari Williams — hardly a powerhouse rotation. It was seen at season’s begin as worse than it’s has been. Vučević is, on the very least, an improve over Garza as a reserve heart on the Eastern Conference’s third-place roster.

Read more here.

Trading Giannis Antetokounmpo earlier than Thursday’s NBA trade deadline is just not an urgency for the Milwaukee Bucks, Yahoo Sports’ Kelly Iko reports.

After trading Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz on Tuesday, the Memphis Grizzlies are subsequent anticipated to transfer Ja Morant, reports Yahoo Sports’ Kelly Iko.

Harden joins forces with Donovan Mitchell in the Eastern Conference, hoping to make one final quest for a championship and an enormous payday. Harden most likely cares concerning the bag greater than a trophy, however that is a debate for an additional day.

Harden’s function as a major facilitator will not change with the Cavs. However, we may see him relinquish some ball-handling tasks to Mitchell, because the latter is greater than able to initiating offense. Still, with a wholesome Evan Mobley (doubtlessly), Jarrett Allen and a far deeper roster, I do not suppose Harden’s help charge will dip a lot from what we have seen this 12 months. Harden ought to stay a top-15 asset in fantasy throughout codecs, regardless that the utilization is probably not in abundance because it was in L.A. The scoring, nonetheless, is probably going to drop off from 25 per sport as a result of he will not have to take as many photographs when the roster is at full power. Short time period, although, he is getting buckets. Fantasy managers ought to maintain.

Read more here.

Despite the Los Angeles Lakers’ latest slide, going 9-7 in January and dropping to the No. 6 spot in the Western Conference, the workforce has no intention of trading LeBron James, reports ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.

James, 41, has a no-trade clause in his contract and thus would have to approve of any deal the Lakers may doubtlessly make. However, he may transfer to one other workforce subsequent season if he chooses to play. The Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks and Golden State Warriors have been rumored as attainable locations.

In addition to the Lakers’ stoop, a Jan. 21 ESPN report detailing a rift between James and Lakers governor (and minority proprietor) Jeanie Buss fueled hypothesis that the two sides could move on.

The Los Angeles Clippers are trading James Harden Cleveland Cavaliers in trade for Darius Garland and a second-round choose, ESPN’s Shams Charania studies.

Conjecture of potential trade for Harden gained steam simply forward of the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 5, as Yahoo Sports’ Kelly Iko reported late Monday evening that the Clippers and Cavs have been engaged in discussions surrounding the veteran All-Star.

The 36-year-old Harden is in the second 12 months of a two-year, $81.5 million deal he signed final June when he declined to activate the opt-out clause in his contract. Because of the construction of his contract, he may have declined any trade.

Harden does have a $42.3 million participant possibility for 2026-27, however solely $13 million of it’s assured.

Read more on the deal here.

With lower than 48 hours to go earlier than the NBA trade deadline, groups are going WILD at present, because the Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons and Minnesota Timberwolves have related on a three-way deal.

The particulars:

Chicago receives: Jaden Ivey and Mike Conley Jr.

Detroit receives: Kevin Huerter, Dario Šarić and a 2026 protected first-round choose swap courtesy of the Wolves.

Minnesota receives: Well, primarily nothing. And that is the purpose.

Let’s get into some grades here.