NBA buzz: Latest updates, trades, intel ahead of Feb. 5 deadline

The NBA trade deadline is Feb. 5 at 3 p.m. ET, and we have you covered on all the buzz around the league as the 2025-26 season heats up.

From a 12-time All-Star leaving his team to franchise stars weighing their options, this season is already delivering the drama … and we haven’t even hit Christmas Day. What could happen in the days and weeks before the deadline? While there hasn’t been a trade just yet — the unofficial kick off to trade season happened on Dec. 15, with nearly 90% of players becoming eligible to be moved — it’ll get only hotter from here.

Check back here for all the latest trade buzz, news and reactions from our ESPN NBA insiders, with the latest info at the top:

Quick links: 30 questions | Who can be traded? | TransactionsDepth charts | More trade deadline coverage

Dec. 30

Ripple effects of Joker’s knee injury

The Denver Nuggets will be without Nikola Jokic for at least four weeks with a hyperextended left knee, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Tuesday.

It’s nearly impossible to overstate Jokic’s importance to Denver. Even by his lofty standards, the three-time NBA MVP was in the middle of an extraordinary season: 29.9 points, 12.4 rebounds and 11.1 assists per game averages that place him in the league’s top five in points and first in rebounds and assists. When Jokic has been on the court this season, the Nuggets are plus-12.3 points per 100 possessions, per NBA.com/stats. When their center sits, the Nuggets are minus-6.3, with an offense that would rank 27th in the league.

Denver can slide in summer acquisition Jonas Valanciunas, but he’s not a starting-quality center at this point in his career. There isn’t much depth behind him. The Nuggets, meanwhile, had already entered Monday’s game missing three starters, with Christian Braun (ankle), Aaron Gordon (hamstring) and Cameron Johnson (knee) all sidelined. Nuggets coach David Adelman told reporters before Monday’s loss that Braun and Gordon could return during Denver’s current seven-game road trip, while Johnson is out for at least another three weeks.

Beyond the immediate impact on Denver’s lineup, there are more ripple effects from Jokic’s injury:

MVP and award races: Jokic has finished first or second in MVP voting each of the past five years. This injury virtually guarantees that streak will end. If Jokic is reevaluated in four weeks, he will have missed about 16 games, which means he could miss only one across the rest of the season to meet the 65-game threshold for end-of-season awards. Jokic joins a list of stars in danger of missing out on — or already ineligible for — MVP, All-NBA and Defensive Player of the Year consideration, including LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Victor Wembanyama and Anthony Davis.

Denver’s trade deadline: Don’t count on the Nuggets swinging deals to bolster their roster in Jokic’s absence. Denver is without any first-round picks, or even much salary, to use in a trade. They will likely have to ride this out until their superstar returns.

West playoff race: For the rest of the West — particularly the teams at the top — Jokic’s injury could have a massive impact. Monday’s loss left Denver tied with the Houston Rockets for third in the West but just three losses ahead of the Phoenix Suns in seventh. Across the past four seasons, Denver is 13-23 without Jokic. It’s hard to expect much better than that 36% clip, especially with the other injury issues facing the Nuggets. All of that could upend the West playoff picture, particularly if Denver tumbles into the play-in. (How does an Oklahoma City Thunder-Nuggets first-round matchup sound?) — Tim Bontemps

Dec. 29

What are Cleveland’s options ahead of the deadline?

Cleveland Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman is not naive about the financial hurdles facing his roster.

“The question will come for us,” Altman told ESPN’s Brian Windhorst before the season. “How do you navigate this collective bargaining agreement and the restrictions that we have? For us, we’ve set ourselves up to have a runway with the guys we have.”

The Cavs could face their first road block in the 2027 offseason, when Donovan Mitchell can become a free agent if he forgoes signing an extension this summer and then declines his $53.8 million player option for the 2027-28 season.

But in the immediate future, what are Cleveland’s options to improve a roster that is currently one game above .500 after leading the Eastern Conference last season with 64 wins?

Factoring in the $394 million price tag in salary and luxury tax penalties, Altman and his front office have two options leading up to the Feb. 5 deadline.

Cleveland can choose to remain patient and hope for improved health. After using just 23 different starting lineups last season, Cleveland is already at 17 through the season’s first 33 games.

The second and more challenging path is exploring a trade. Cleveland is the only team over the second apron this season, leaving obstacles in its way. Cleveland is not allowed to take back more salary, aggregate contracts or send out cash in trades and cannot sign a waived player making $14.1 million or more.

Last season’s trade for De’Andre Hunter left the Cavs with no control of their 2026 first-round pick (the Atlanta Hawks can swap, leaving Cleveland with the San Antonio Spurs’ selection). Their next available first-rounder to trade is in either 2031 or 2032. Because the Cavs will likely finish over the second apron this season, their 2033 first-rounder will become frozen. Cleveland does have four second-round picks available to trade.

With the Boston Celtics’ series of moves this summer as a reminder, there are severe consequences when second apron teams are not championship-caliber. For Cleveland, the clock is ticking. — Bobby Marks

Brian is joined by Tim Bontemps and Tim MacMahon to discuss the Atlanta Hawks recent struggles and if they should move on from Trae Young. They also talk about the potential trade market for Young and the Dallas Mavericks’ Anthony Davis.

“The Mavericks would like to work out a deal to send Anthony Davis to Atlanta but Trae Young is not going to be part of that,” MacMahon said on the podcast.

The trio broke down why the trade market is so difficult this season before ending on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future in Milwaukee.

“I suspect the Bucks are going to improve their roster, and they’re going to trade the remaining drafts stuff they have and salary,” Bontemps said. “Go try to get better, because that’s the only thing they’ve done year after year after year now for five, six, seven years.”

Who could the Bucks target in a trade?

Here’s an excerpt from ESPN reporter Jamal Collier’s story on Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks that published Monday:

Multiple team and league sources say the team has been active in pursuing the trade market, engaging in internal conversations about, among others, Sacramento’s Zach LaVine, whom they have had interest in and chances to acquire in the past, and Malik Monk, as well as Portland’s Jerami Grant.

However, Horst finds himself with fewer resources to execute another blockbuster than ever before.

The Bucks have only one first-round pick, in either 2031 or 2032, available to trade. The Bucks have not made that pick available in trade discussions for the past year, and team and league sources do not believe they would do so now unless it was for a significant star.

Read the rest of the story here.

Dec. 26

On ESPN’s “Howdy Partners” podcast, Tim MacMahon and Michael C. Wright discuss the Spurs’ ongoing eight-game winning streak, which included three wins over Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder, and how it’s being fueled in large point by the defense.

“I had somebody with the Spurs point out to me that everybody’s talking about Stephon Castle as a defender, and for good reason. He’s an All-Defense-caliber guy. A lot of people are talking about how Dylan Harper as a rookie really gets up on people,” Wright said. “But De’Aaron Fox is playing the best defense of his career, and they’re having him start out against primary guys like Jalen Williams.”

The duo then pivots to the latest on Dallas Mavericks star Anthony Davis, who has already missed 16 games this season and on Christmas Day suffered a minor groin strain and will miss a few more, sources told ESPN.

“It just reinforces, unfortunately, that AD is not a guy you can rely on,” MacMahon said. “This does not help the trade market for him, obviously, because it’s just a blatant reminder to the rest of the league as well.

“We’ve got, what, about five weeks or so until the trade deadline and, [for Dallas] it might come down to … Do we take a deal that’s less value than we’d like to or do we wait until the summer? The idea of extending AD this summer, Mavericks people will tell you, ‘Oh, you know, we haven’t ruled that out.’ I’m like, ‘OK , you probably should.’ I understand why you’re saying that, but I don’t believe you.”

Brian is joined by ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Tim MacMahon to react to another huge win for the San Antonio Spurs over the Oklahoma City Thunder. The guys discuss if San Antonio’s 3-0 record against the defending champs shows that the Spurs need to be taken seriously as contenders, and if this highlights any issues for OKC. Plus, they break down how concerned we should be about the Los Angeles Lakers’ defense and talk about two role players starring for the New York Knicks and a very strange week for the Golden State Warriors.

Dec. 25

Can the Nuggets make a move to help deal with their injury issues?

The Nuggets are now down three starters, with Cameron Johnson joining Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun on the injured list. Johnson suffered a right knee injury on Tuesday and will be reevaluated in four to six weeks, sources told Shams Charania. The injuries will test the resolve of the Nuggets’ rookie front office, which is led by Ben Tenzer and Jon Wallace.

For short-term relief, Denver has an open roster spot to sign a player or could wait until Jan. 5, the first date a team can sign a player to a 10-day contract. The Nuggets also have two trade exceptions ($6.9 million and $5.4 million) available to use in a trade. Because the exceptions were created after July 1, they are allowed to use either exception and still exceed the first apron.

Denver is $402,000 above the luxury tax, and signing a player or using the exception further will put it over. For a fourth straight season, the Nuggets are projected to pay a luxury tax penalty. The one thing they do not have available is draft capital. They sent their last available first-round pick to Brooklyn to acquire Johnson in June and have only two second-rounders. — Bobby Marks

Dec. 24

Brian is joined by ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Tim MacMahon to discuss the NBA’s ideas to combat tanking before they talk about if the Boston Celtics current position in the East could lead to Jayson Tatum’s return before the playoffs. They then cover the New Orleans Pelicans recent rise, the Christmas NBA slate and the latest drama between Draymond Green and Steve Kerr.

Dec. 22

Bucks are looking to add ahead of the trade deadline

The Milwaukee Bucks have lost three in a row and are three games out for the final play-in spot in the East. Despite their struggles in the first quarter of the season and speculation around the future of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee is looking to add players ahead of the trade deadline. Multiple teams at the G-League showcase in Orlando confirmed to ESPN that the Bucks have been canvassing the league looking at trades that can improve their roster.

Milwaukee has one first-round pick available to trade, either in 2031 or 2032. It has a 2026 second-rounder from Utah, but that pick is unlikely to convey because it is protected Nos. 31-55.

The Bucks’ roster is top heavy in salary with Antetokounmpo, Myles Turner, Kyle Kuzma and Bobby Portis earning 77% of their active salary. Turner and Portis signed four- and three-year contracts, respectively, over the offseason. Kuzma has two years ($22.1 million and $20.3 million) left on his contract. Even with the $20.1 million in stretched money from the Damian Lillard move last summer, Milwaukee is $19.5 million below the first apron and can take back salary in a trade. The Bucks are 2-10 when Antetokounmpo has not played this season. — Bobby Marks

Brian is joined by ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Tim MacMahon to discuss the early season struggles for the Cleveland Cavaliers and what, if anything, they can do to turn their season around. They then talk about the current state of refereeing and the Minnesota Timberwolves recent win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Dec. 19

Brian is joined by ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Tim MacMahon to discuss Bontemps’ first MVP straw poll of the season, including Victor Wembanyama’s potential in the MVP race, the newcomers on the list and the historic race between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic at the top of the poll.

Dec. 18

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo told reporters that he’s “locked in” on the Bucks and that any trade conversation is between his agent and the franchise.

“If my agent is talking to the Bucks about it, he’s his own person. He can have any conversation he wants,” Antetokounmpo told reporters prior to Thursday’s game against the Toronto Raptors.

“At the end of the day, I personally have not had the conversation with the Bucks. I’m still locked in, locked in on my teammates, most importantly locked in on me getting back healthy.”

The Bucks are 1-3 since Antetokounmpo’s right calf strain on Dec. 3.

ESPN’s Shams Charania reports that the Cleveland Cavaliers have been getting “a ton of incoming calls from on their players” as the team’s struggles have continued.

“When I talk to rival teams, Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley are really the two untouchable players on this roster,” Charania said on NBA Today.

The next month will influence how aggressive Cleveland is ahead of the trade deadline, per Charania.

ESPN’s Tim MacMahon and Michael C. Wright cover the recent NBA news across the state of Texas, including the San Antonio Spurs’ recent win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Cup semifinals and the comparability of the Spurs and Houston Rockets. The hosts also discuss the consistently historic performances of Cooper Flagg and his case for the best season from an 18-year-old in NBA history.

Dec. 17

Brian is joined by ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Tim MacMahon to discuss the New York Knicks winning the NBA Cup over the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night. They also break down what the Spurs showed the rest of the league during their run to the Cup final before moving on to big updates from NBA commissioner Adam Silver on NBA expansion, the potential future of the NBA Cup and the Terry Rozier investigation. They close on the recent impressive play of Cooper Flagg.

Important deadline rule goes by without a deal

The Dec. 16 deadline for teams to trade for a player and then aggregate his contract prior to the Feb. 5 deadline came without any transactions.

Unlike last December, when Brooklyn traded Dennis Schroder to Golden State, there were no trades. Because the Warriors acquired Schroder prior to the deadline, they were allowed to trade him again without any restrictions. Schroder was sent to Detroit as part of the Jimmy Butler blockbuster. Going forward, players are not allowed to be combined with additional salary in a second trade. — Bobby Marks

Dec. 16

What moves lie ahead for Cup finalists?

The two remaining teams in the NBA Cup, the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs, are a contrast in roster building. The Knicks have added starters Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns in four separate trades. San Antonio has built through the draft, with starters Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell and reserves Dylan Harper, Jeremy Sochan, Keldon Johnson and Carter Bryant. And while the Spurs traded four first-round picks in February for guard De’Aaron Fox, they remain well-equipped with draft assets.

San Antonio has the right to swap first-round picks with the Atlanta Hawks in June’s draft and has an unprotected first-rounder from the Hawks in 2027. The Spurs can also swap with the Boston Celtics’ first-rounder in 2028 (if 2-30), swap with the more favorable first-rounder between the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves in 2030 (if 2-30) and swap with the Sacramento Kings’ first-rounder in 2031.

The Knicks’ only tradeable first-rounder is from the Washington Wizards in 2026, but only if the pick falls outside the top 8. (The pick will become second-rounders in 2026 and 2027 if not conveyed.) — Bobby Marks

From Ramona Shelburne: The Clippers and Chris Paul went into their reunion with good intentions: an opinionated future Hall of Fame player at the end of his career hoping for one final ride with his former team; that team, which is near the end of its largely disappointing, hugely pressurized Kawhi Leonard experiment — which has resulted in exactly one conference finals appearance in six seasons — hoping their former front man could address a leadership vacuum it has struggled to fill.

But endings are rarely clean or painless in the NBA. And this one — for both player and team — was born out of the most flammable combination in sports: misconceptions and dysfunction.

The reunion was more than simply doomed from almost the beginning; it might also serve as foreshadowing of a future for the Clippers even more challenging than their present.

Dec. 15

Will the Dallas Mavericks look to trade Anthony Davis? What will it take to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo if the Milwaukee Bucks open trade talks for the two-time MVP? Those are two of the many questions NBA front offices will need to discuss leading up to the Feb. 5 trade deadline.

And with Monday marking the unofficial start of trade season — nearly 90% of the players are eligible to be moved — those questions will begin to be answered.

Along with identifying the trade season focus for all 30 teams, Bobby Marks breaks down the important information — the apron status, trade exceptions to watch, most valuable first-round picks and big expiring contracts — that could help define which direction each franchise takes in the coming months.

Brian is joined by ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Tim MacMahon to discuss the NBA Cup semifinals following the New York Knicks’ win over the Orlando Magic and the San Antonio Spurs’ victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. The trio talk about the Spurs’ impressive performance against the Thunder and debate whether it is proof they’ll end up in the top four in the Western Conference.

The three then discuss the Knicks as elite contenders in the East as well as the struggling Cleveland Cavaliers before Brian details his travels last week.

Dec. 12

The trade season expanding on Dec. 15 was a primary topic on Brian Windhorst’s The Hoop Collective podcast on Friday. Will there be any action in December?

“I don’t think there’s going to be trades happening next week,” Windhorst said. “But it coincides with the point in the season where teams start to make some decisions about the ineptitude or … some of the weaknesses of their rosters. And that’s when things start to get going.”

ESPN’s Bobby Marks shared Windhorst’s sentiment.

“Eighty-two players starting on Monday are eligible. December is relatively somewhat of a quiet month, tradewise,” Marks said. “Certainly we start hearing more rumors, but we had a trade last year on the first day players were eligible and Dennis Schroder was traded from Brooklyn to Golden State.

“And I think going into Monday we’ll have eyes on Chris Paul as far as to figure out … if it eventually gets resolved here. But I think the total number is 90% of the NBA is trade-eligible as of Monday.”

Dec. 10

Dereck Lively II, Dallas’ starting center, will undergo season-ending surgery to address lingering discomfort in his right foot, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Wednesday. The news comes after Lively had surgery in July to clean out bone spurs in the same foot.

He played in only seven games this season.

Several teams are expected to be interested in trading for Anthony Davis, including the Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks and Toronto Raptors, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Dallas is open to exploring trades for Davis as well as veteran guards Klay Thompson and D’Angelo Russell, per sources.

The Mavericks are currently 10-16 and holding on to the last play-in spot in the Western Conference.

The Warriors will be open to discussing trades for Jonathan Kuminga when he is eligible to be moved on Jan. 15, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania. Golden State hopes to improve the roster and Kuminga’s $22.5 million salary could lead to a larger trade haul.

Sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania that the Pacers are in the market for a center after losing Myles Turner to the Milwaukee Bucks during the offseason.

The Kings and first-year general manager Scott Perry are open to trade talks throughout the roster, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania. Teams around the league are keeping their eyes on veterans Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, as well as 25-year-old guard Keon Ellis.

Dec. 5

On the Hoop Collective podcast, host Brian Windhorst described the difficult trade landscape for Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks.

“What I’m telling you is that when I talk to executives and these executives are not in trade talks with the Bucks or another for a star player right now, the mood in the NBA right now is not to give up four first-round picks for anybody,” Windhorst said. “This is how teams are thinking right now. They’re a little freaked about the aprons. There ain’t going to be no five first-round pick trades. I know that we saw those for a while. That’s just not going to happen.”

The trade market has dried up compared to former seasons, according to Windhorst.

“I can hear somebody out there listening to this podcast saying, ‘What are you talking about? This is Giannis. Giannis will go for two star players and six firsts,” Windhorst added. Maybe that will happen. I am just telling you, I talk to the guys who make these trades every day, all day long, and the appetite is just different.

“Everybody is feeling a certain way. I’m just telling you I could end up being wrong. I’m just reporting back.”

Dec. 3

Sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania that Giannis Antetokounmpo and his agent Alex Saratsis are discussing whether Antetokounmpo’s best fit is still with the Bucks or elsewhere.

“I know that he asked for a trade and then said I’m going to be a Buck this year,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on ESPN Cleveland on Wednesday. “I know a lot of people in the league think he won’t be a Buck next year.”

A resolution is expected in the coming weeks in how Antetokounmpo and Milwaukee approach the Feb. 5 trade deadline. The Bucks are 10-13.

Antetokounmpo is averaging 28.9 points, 10.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game on 64% shooting.

Paul, a 12-time All-Star, announced Wednesday that he was sent home ahead of the Clippers’ game in Atlanta against the Hawks. The 40-year-old veteran signed a one-year deal with the franchise during the offseason, but ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that he and coach Ty Lue had not been on speaking terms for several weeks.

The point guard started all 82 games last season for the San Antonio Spurs but was averaging 14.3 minutes and 2.9 points per game this season in L.A. The Clippers can’t officially trade Paul until Dec. 15.

Trae Young, LaMelo Ball and Ja Morant have all had turbulent starts to the 2025-26 season and one league source told ESPN’s Tim MacMahon that the trio “might all have negative value” ahead of this season’s trade deadline.

Young’s defensive limitations have hurt his ceiling as a franchise’s centerpiece, with one East scout saying: “He’s just small and doesn’t play any defense.”

As for Ball, it’s his in-game decision-making that has left some scouts and front offices wanting more. “Can I trust LaMelo in the playoffs and games that matter late in the season?” an East executive said. “We just don’t know.”

The off-court issues for Morant remain the biggest concern about his future with Memphis or potentially beyond. “The combination of pain in the ass, injury-prone, not that good anymore, and big contract is a bad one,” said an East executive.

Dec. 1

The Chicago Bulls have started the season 9-11 and currently sit in 10th in the Eastern Conference. The early season struggles have led to the front office to explore the idea of adding a difference-maker, including the Dallas Mavericks’ Anthony Davis, per ESPN’s Jamal Collier.

The franchise does remain committed to keeping its young core — Josh Giddey, Coby White and Matas Buzelis — and wouldn’t trade any of those players to get a deal done, per Collier.