The 2025-2026 NBA trade deadline proved to be one of the most action-packed deadlines the league has had in a while, consisting of many All-Stars and high-level players. In this article, I will detail each trade and the implications those trades can have on the rest of this season and the future.
The first major trade of this NBA season occurred Jan. 7, 2026, when the Atlanta Hawks traded their star player, Trae Young, to the Washington Wizards. Leading up to the trade, many news outlets began to report that the Hawks were listening to offers regarding their star player in an attempt to rebuild for the future. Now, Trae Young isn’t some random talented player. He led a very young Hawks team to the Conference Finals in 2021, eventually losing to the soon-to-be champions, the Milwaukee Bucks, led by MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. So when the news broke that Trae Young could very well be traded soon, many began to speculate which teams he could go to. While many suggested desirable teams such as the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Miami Heat, further news was released: “Trae Young’s preferred destination is the Washington Wizards.” The vast majority of people reacted the same way: “What? Who would want to go to the Wizards, and why are the Wizards trying to get Trae Young?” Many began to assume that his primary reason for going to the Wizards was money, which may have very well been true. A couple of days later, the news broke: “Trae Young has been traded to the Washington Wizards in exchange for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert.” In my opinion, this was a horrible trade for the Hawks; they traded their star player of seven years for a couple of role players. On the other hand, this was a great trade for the Wizards, as they now have a player to build around for the future, along with the next star they acquired later in the year, which I will detail later. As a result of this trade, the two players traded for each other in the 2018 draft, Luka Doncic and Trae Young, have both been traded from their former teams, showing how any player can get traded in the NBA, even the best of the best.
Jaren Jackson Jr. was traded from the Memphis Grizzlies to the Utah Jazz along with a couple of role players Feb. 3 for Taylor Hendricks, Kyle Anderson, Georges Niang, Walter Clayton Jr. and three first-round picks. The first-round picks will prove to be very helpful in the future, especially since the Grizzlies may be entering a rebuild in the next couple of years. However, they just lost a two-time All-Star and a Defensive Player of the Year.
On the other hand, this was a great trade for the Jazz, as they now have two star players, Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr., along with a future All-Star in Keyonte George, who has taken a big leap this season. The future for the Jazz is looking bright, whereas the Grizzlies’ future may consist of a rebuild, especially with a looming Ja Morant trade.
The next major trade came when James Harden was traded from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Darius Garland. Approaching the trade deadline, no one could have suspected that James Harden would be traded until a report came out that Harden and the Clippers were discussing trades a few days prior to the deadline.
Two days later, the news broke that James Harden was traded. In my opinion, this was a solid trade for both teams, as the Clippers now have a young star, while the Cavaliers have a win-now player they can attempt to win a championship with. As of now, the Cavaliers are looking very promising with their new star, proving to be a good fit alongside Donovan Mitchell.
The next trade also came as a big shock to the NBA community: Anthony Davis was traded from the Dallas Mavericks to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley III, two first-round picks and three second-round picks.
With this news, the Trae Young trade finally makes sense for the Wizards. In the coming years, the Wizards can make a considerable run in the Eastern Conference with their two star players, along with young and upcoming players such as Alex Sarr. In addition, with this Anthony Davis trade, the Mavericks essentially traded Luka Doncic for Khris Middleton. Luka Doncic for Khris Middleton. Unbelievable. Cooper Flagg is currently the only asset keeping Mavericks fans from staging an uprising.
Finally, the last two big moves this season were Jonathan Kuminga to the Hawks and Ivica Zubac to the Indiana Pacers. The trade many had been awaiting finally happened, as the Golden State Warriors traded Kuminga. Kuminga is a solid player with a lot of upside but was limited by the Warriors, especially with Coach Steve Kerr’s unwillingness to give him enough minutes the last couple of seasons. With a fresh start, Kuminga should become a more distinguished and respected player.
Along with James Harden, the Clippers also traded their center, Ivica Zubac, to the Pacers in exchange for Bennedict Mathurin. This is a great move for the Pacers. The Pacers made it to the NBA Finals last season, when their star player, Tyrese Haliburton, tore his Achilles in Game 7, posing one
of the greatest “what-ifs” in NBA Finals history. Haliburton has been out all season, and as a result, the Pacers are near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. With this move, they are replacing the hole left by Myles Turner, who left the team to join the Milwaukee Bucks last offseason. Zubac is a great addition to the Pacers’ lineup and will hopefully be impactful in the years to come.
The 2025-2026 season trade deadline was a roller coaster, filled with trades and rumors that shifted the trajectory of the NBA this season and beyond. One widely discussed name, however, did not get traded: Giannis Antetokounmpo. He was one of the most sought-after players at the trade deadline, especially with constant reports that he wanted a trade. The deadline passed, with Giannis proceeding to troll on social media. Will he get traded this offseason, or was all the talk for nothing?
