play1:36How could a Giannis-to-Warriors trade work?Bobby Marks uses the NBA Trade Machine to break down how the Warriors and Bucks could match up on a trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo.
play1:07Charles Barkley rips the Cavs-Kings tradeCharles Barkley explains why the Cavaliers, Kings trade including DeAndre Hunter, Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder makes no sense for either side.
Tim BontempsCloseTim BontempsESPN Senior WriterTim Bontemps is a senior NBA writer for ESPN.com who covers the league and what’s impacting it on and off the court, including trade deadline intel, expansion and his MVP Straw Polls. You can find Tim alongside Brian Windhorst and Tim MacMahon on The Hoop Collective podcast.Follow on X and Brian WindhorstCloseBrian WindhorstESPN Senior WriterESPN.com NBA writer since 2010 Covered Cleveland Cavs for seven years Author of two booksFollow on XMultiple AuthorsFeb 3, 2026, 09:14 AM ET
Perk rips Clippers for exploring Harden trade (1:46)Kendrick Perkins rips the Clippers for not being able to keep James Harden happy and discusses which team should look to trade for him. (1:46)
How could a Giannis-to-Warriors trade work?Bobby Marks uses the NBA Trade Machine to break down how the Warriors and Bucks could match up on a trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Bobby Marks uses the NBA Trade Machine to break down how the Warriors and Bucks could match up on a trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Charles Barkley rips the Cavs-Kings tradeCharles Barkley explains why the Cavaliers, Kings trade including DeAndre Hunter, Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder makes no sense for either side.
Charles Barkley explains why the Cavaliers, Kings trade including DeAndre Hunter, Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder makes no sense for either side.
With just over 48 hours until the NBA trade deadline (Thursday, 3 p.m. ET), impactful deals have been largely nonexistent.
Yes, the Atlanta Hawks moved All-Star guard Trae Young a month ago, but this season’s only other trades happened over the weekend, when the Sacramento Kings and Cleveland Cavaliers swapped De’Andre Hunter and Keon Ellis and the Hawks struck again, sending Vit Krejci to the Portland Trail Blazers. (That’s a stark contrast to what the first few days of February 2025 delivered.)
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Monday night that James Harden and the LA Clippers are working through a trade to send the 11-time All-Star elsewhere. Meanwhile, will the Milwaukee Bucks find the right trade partner for Giannis Antetokounmpo between now and the deadline? If so, it could create a chain reaction of movement from teams previously on the sidelines.
The Cavaliers know they are facing a huge decision this summer, one year before Mitchell can become a free agent in the 2027 offseason. If the Cavaliers again exit in the first or second round — as Mitchell has in each of his first eight seasons — will he be willing to commit to another extension in Cleveland? That seems unlikely. No one is more aware of that than the Cavaliers, who have already made one deal and are clearly interested in making more between now and Thursday afternoon.
Windhorst: Only the Bucks know the exact landscape. It is possible that general manager Jon Horst and Milwaukee’s front office have the basis of an offer they’d pursue and it could get serious. Rival teams, however, believe it makes a lot of sense to wait until summer. The possible big offer from Golden State, a deal that could net the Bucks up to four first-round picks, will likely still be there in June.
Meanwhile, the Bucks can wait until they know exactly where their pick and every first-rounder will land. Plus numerous possible suitors, such as the Miami Heat, can offer a better package of picks once the league year flips.
Bontemps: One Western Conference executive told me that “Everyone is preparing for this to happen in the summer.”
Another factor that could inform offseason Giannis trade talks? The upcoming playoffs — which has a chance to be truly chaotic. Eliminated contenders who feel they are “one star away” could pick up the phone, and Milwaukee could be in a position to take full advantage. As another longtime executive is fond of saying, “Disappointment leads to action.”
Milwaukee is in a big hole from an asset standpoint right now, but an Antetokounmpo trade could quickly change that.
Bontemps: With Davis sidelined because of a hand injury, the belief around the league for weeks has been that the trade deadline will pass without a move. Davis has also made it clear he wants to stay in Dallas. So why is this still coming up?
Windhorst: This will largely depend on what Dallas is willing to do with the expected return. In initial talks with teams, the Mavs were looking for a premium, including multiple first-round picks or a prime player, per sources — textbook stuff when putting a star on the market. There is also the matter of Davis eying an extension this summer. There were no takers.
If Dallas reduces its demands by electing to take back expiring salaries and perhaps one good asset, the possibility of an AD deal increases. That’s probably a late Wednesday or early Thursday scenario. The Mavs could just as easily wait, as there is no longer any pressure on this season.
Windhorst: The Warriors have limited time left in the Stephen Curry experience and have more incentive to acquire Antetokounmpo now for a postseason run instead of during the summer. That’s why they are believed to be quite aggressive. Golden State does have the prickly matter of trying not to offend players who might be in the offer, and that already has been a talking point.
Bontemps: Miami has been preserving cap space for 2027, and I don’t see the Heat deviating from that plan. That is, unless they can get Antetokounmpo. The New York Knicks are so limited in draft assets that they don’t have much maneuverability. If they can’t get an Antetokounmpo deal done, it’s unlikely they do anything beyond tinkering around the edges (such as moving on from Guerschon Yabusele, for example).
If Minnesota can’t land Antetokounmpo, could the Wolves find their point guard of the future? The franchise has been searching for Mike Conley’s long-term successor for years to no avail, including drafting Rob Dillingham two years ago in a move that hasn’t panned out. Perhaps one finally will this week.
The Grizzlies have made Morant available for weeks, but sources have been skeptical of general manager Zach Kleiman finding a deal. Those same sources are more interested in whether Jaren Jackson Jr. could find a new team this week, though the cost to get him out of Memphis is believed to be quite high.
The Raptors have been linked to big names throughout this cycle and continue to impress this season. One name several sources have connected to the Raptors is Kings big man Domantas Sabonis. The Kings, bumping up against the luxury tax for next season after Saturday’s Hunter trade, will need to shed some salary. Toronto, meanwhile, would also be hoping to duck the tax in such a move.
As for the possible transaction itself, whether Harden goes to Cleveland or elsewhere, he has a unique contract that plays a factor. He has the ability to block any trade so the Clippers must work with him. Next season is a player option at $42 million, but it functions like a mutual option because only $13 million of it is guaranteed. Harden has asked for a trade three times previously in his career and all three times – in Houston, in Brooklyn and in Philadelphia — he has gotten it. He knows how to work the system and either getting that option fully guaranteed to getting an understanding on a new contract could well be a part of the negotiation.
Bontemps: By the way, a big winner of this potential trade? The Oklahoma City Thunder. The Clippers have been one of the NBA’s hottest teams over the past few months, and are 17-5 in their last 22 games after Monday night’s loss to the 76ers. It’s hard to see LA keeping up that pace by swapping out Harden. by swapping out Harden for Garland, who has missed most of the past year with various foot issues. Oklahoma City, of course, has the Clippers’ unprotected first-round pick — part of the Paul George trade that keeps on giving.
Windhorst: Based on my conversations around the league, the Timberwolves could be very active. Like the Cavs, the Wolves are invested in a mature team operating under heavy expectations. They’ve had their moments this season, including two wins over the Oklahoma City Thunder, but the Wolves generally would prefer to be higher in the standings. As a relic of the trades used to build this roster, Minnesota has limited draft assets, which means trade discussions have been player-driven. The Wolves have been investigating backcourt options in addition to trying to pry themselves into Antetokounmpo talks.
The Celtics have been expected to pursue center help all season, especially if their new-look roster made its way into the playoff picture. Boston is ahead of schedule, sitting in a tie with the Knicks for second in the East, meaning the front office can potentially pair a deadline move with the possible return of Jayson Tatum from a torn Achilles this season. Guard Anfernee Simons probably would be traded in such a deal, which could also allow Boston to get out of the luxury tax, depending on the trade’s construction.
The Pacers, without the injured Tyrese Haliburton, sit near the bottom of the standings and will likely net a high lottery pick in the loaded 2026 draft this year as a result. But for weeks, rival teams have spotlighted Indiana as a contender for “pre-agency,” adding talent now to help regain its elite status when Haliburton returns in 2026-27. The Pacers continue to seek a long-term answer at center after free agent Myles Turner left for Milwaukee last summer. And with Bennedict Mathurin headed for restricted free agency this offseason, the expectation among sources is he could be moved to either acquire center help or to find a cheaper long-term wing option.
Perk rips Clippers for exploring Harden trade (1:46)Kendrick Perkins rips the Clippers for not being able to keep James Harden happy and discusses which team should look to trade for him. (1:46)