It took a while, but the NBA trade season is officially here now that the Trae Young deal came together rather quickly. As usual, this post will be constantly updated to serve as a one-stop shop for every trade that happens up until the deadline.
Like last year's edition, the confirmed salaries come from Keith Smith's work at Spotrac, previously traded draft pick details come from RealGM, and I always make sure to list which reporter was first on the news. The latest deals will be added at the top of the post so that you don't have to keep scrolling to the bottom for updates, and salaries are color-coded based on whether they're player options, team options, or non-guaranteed.
Boston ducks the tax at the buzzer (Shams 2/5)
Hornets receive:
Celtics receive:
TBD but likely a fake 2nd or old draft rights
I was wondering why Boston would do the Minott deal and not have a follow up trade lined up to get out of the luxury tax completely, but it turns out there was one last deal to be reported an hour after the deadline passed. As long as the teams were in the queue to make the trade call into the league office by noon PST today, trades can go through.
Milwaukee re-routes Richards (Shams 2/5)
Bulls receive:
Bucks receive:
This will technically end up being a three-way trade with Phoenix's involvement below, but the main point is that Milwaukee is ending up with Dieng instead of Richards, who provides some much needed center help to Chicago.
Charlotte and Dallas flip new guards (Shams 2/5)
Mavericks receives:
Charlotte receives:
Even with both of these guards being acquired just yesterday, they can be traded here since it's a one for one deal without being aggregated. It makes sense, too, since Dallas could really use a set up man and now have more financial flexibility than over the summer. Fischer added that Jones was their main target over Russell but couldn't afford him at the time.
Indiana gets their center (Fischer that it was close, Shams and Siegel the deal 2/5)
Pacers receive: $20,756,880 total
Clippers receive: $16,787,573 total
2026 Pacers 1st round pick (protected 1-4 and 10-30, then becomes 2031 1st)
2029 Pacers 1st round pick
2028 Mavericks 2nd round pick
I don't think we've ever seen so many lottery teams be buyers (and all for big men), but since Zubac is on such a great contract, I get it in this case. Including this year's protected pick is fascinating since Indiana currently has the third-best lottery odds. If they stay in that position, then L.A. will have a 47.86% chance of the pick dropping to #5, #6, or #7, otherwise it will become an unprotected 1st five years from now.
Of course, the Pacers aren't like the Jazz or Wizards since they were just a game away from winning the Finals last season before having to take this gap year due to Tyrese Haliburton's torn Achilles. Now they've locked in his new pick and roll partner with a 28 year old (29 next month) who also made 2nd team All-Defense. And they could still add a top-4 pick (in a great draft) to this core with their odds basically coming down to a coin flip pending any big movement in the standings.
The Clippers 1st rounder that the Thunder own just got dangerously good again after they had been on a hot streak, but that was a sunk cost for them anyway. After making the Harden trade, cashing in on Zu at the likely peak of his value makes sense with the upside of this return. In addition to the draft picks, Mathurin is nice get since he's only 23, averaging a career-high 17.8 points, and will be a restricted free agent. He didn't fit into Indy's long-term plans with the other money that they owe and the luxury tax basically acting as a hard cap for them, but he has a ton of talent and had his moments in their Finals run.
Philly salary dumps Gordon (Shams 2/5)
Grizzlies receive:
76ers receive:
TBD but likely a fake 2nd or old draft rights
Philadelphia had already gotten out of the tax, but now this opens up another roster spot to convert their other Two-Way forward, Jabari Walker.
Brooklyn continues to be a salary dumping ground (Shams 2/5)
Nets receive:
Celtics receive:
TBD but likely a fake 2nd or old draft rights
This edges Boston closer to being able to get under the luxury tax line completely. Stein also reported that they're converting the Two-Way contract of Amari Williams, the #46 pick last year, to two year deal that's basically in conjunction to this. I'm projecting that a team option is included so that they can leverage a longer deal in the summer, and you can see the difference in salary for this roster spot here:
Denver gets out of the tax (Shams 2/5)
Nets receive:
Nuggets receive:
2026 2nd round pick (Lesser of Clippers or Hawks)
Maybe because Tyson was a relatively highly picked 2nd rounder (37th overall in 2023), but this deal proved less costly than some other for Denver to duck the tax. They also create a tiny Trade Exception worth this salary, but these small ones are only really useful for claiming a player who's on a small salary that might not technically be a "minimum contract." It's also being mentioned how they can now convert Spencer Jones' Two-Way contract, but they already had an open roster spot...they just didn't want to use it due to the tax.
Brooklyn will need to create a roster spot again now for this deal that sees them help rebalance their bounty of draft picks to a different year and with more upside.
Update: Shams reports that Cam Thomas will be waived to allow him to find a new home. He's far from perfect, but the lack of interest in him in both restricted free agency and the trade deadline is surprising to me. Now he'll be able to provide an offensive spark off the bench for any team at pretty much no cost.
New York adds a backup PG (Shams first, Haynes the return 2/5)
Knicks receive:
Pelicans receive:
This might end up being a three-teamer with Chicago to loop in last night's trade, but Terry can be re-routed immediately since he's not being aggregated here. I thought that New York was relatively set at guard with Miles McBride, Landry Shamet, Tyler Kolek, and Jordan Clarkson already available as bench options, but Alvarado has been a rumored target of theirs for a while. He is a defensive upgrade, of course, and going from Yabusele's salary to this gives them more breathing room under the Second Apron to fill their last roster spot.
Update: Fred Katz broke some news that McBride needs sports hernia surgery and might be sidelined until the playoffs, which makes this trade even more important.
Boston sheds more salary (Shams 2/5)
Jazz receive:
Celtics receive:
TBD but likely a fake 2nd or old draft rights
This doesn't get Boston out of the luxury tax yet, but they keep getting ever closer. Like with the Ball trade, Utah is just churning through their open roster spot to pick up something for their room below the tax line. Unsurprisingly, Scotto adds that Boucher is going to be waived to hopefully join a playoff team.
Phoenix gets out of the tax (Shams 2/5)
Bucks receive: $7,048,494 total
Suns receive: $4,592,548 total
Immediately after Shams reported that Milwaukee is keeping Giannis (meaning even more rumors due to this delaying of the inevitable), the talk of them wanting to go the other way and add came to fruition here. Richards is a solid backup big man thanks to his rebounding, and while both Anthony and Coffey have proven to be useful rotation players in the past, they didn't work out as minimum signings. Hayes-Davis also returns to Wisconsin after starring for the Badgers back in the day, so that's fun.
The main thing here is that Phoenix has climbed all the way out of the Second Apron to duck the tax completely after this. All three of Anthony, Coffey, and Hayes-Davis can be taken in via the Minimum Exception, and the Suns will create two separate Trade Exceptions worth the salaries of Richards and Hayes-Davis.
L.A. land a shooter (Dan Woike that it was close, Shams the deal 2/5)
Lakers receive:
Hawks receive:
There goes the only 2nd rounder that L.A. owned. Kennard is an absolutely elite shooter, but given his tendency to fall out of rotations in the playoffs due to his defense, I'm a little surprised that this is the move the Lakers used it for. The money being a wash is nice since they're so close to the Second Apron, and the expiring salary doesn't hinder their cap space plans for the summer, at least.
Following last night's addition of a similar shooter in Hield, this helps balance out Atlanta's roster that lacks point guards. The draft pick being so far out helps its upside chances since Luka Doncic will be older and possibly not on the team by then. Lastly, they can use their Bogdan Bogdanovic Trade Exception here before it expires tomorrow and create a new TE worth Kennard's salary with a new shelf life for a year.
Minnesota lands its guard help (Jon Krawczynski 2/5)
Timberwolves receive: $9,740,195 total
Bulls receive: $8,797,797 total
It's kind of funny that these teams agreed to this deal now after they just made the Conley trade two nights ago that could have potentially been looped in here. Dosunmu garnering one more draft pick than White is also notable given how both are pending free agents, with Scotto adding details on which picks are involved. Maybe that's due to Dillingham's salary for next season, but in theory landing the #8 overall pick from just two years ago was part of the appeal of this deal.
Maybe the expected price point to re-sign White versus Dosunmu was a factor, but in any case, this was a great pickup worth those picks in my opinion. Minnesota really needed another guard who can do a little bit of everything like this. Despite only averaging 26.4 minutes this season, he's averaging 15 points and 3.6 assists (against only 1.4 turnovers) on 51.4%/45.1%/85.7% shooting while taking 4.3 threes. The scoring, 3PA, 3P%, and FT% all career-highs, and he just turned 26 last month. Dosunmu doesn't have quite the same size or defensive versatility that they had with Nickeil Alexander-Walker last year, but he has good length length himself at 6'3.5" without shoes and a 6'10.5" wingspan that's actually a touch more than NAW's 6'9.5".
Chicago finally swaps out a guard for size (Shams 2/4)
Bulls receive:
Knicks receive:
It's unfortunate that Yabusele, who had a strong market in free agency, didn't fit with what was being required by Mike Brown, who was hired after the signing. At least now New York was able to get off of the money owed in next year's player option without having to attach anything to him, and who knows, maybe Terry will provide surprising depth with a change of scenery. I like him coming out of Arizona, but the former 1st rounder never found a way to make an impact. Now Chicago at least has some heft up front following their flurry of trades that left the roster so guard heavy at the moment.
Toronto adds center depth (Shams 2/4)
Raptors receive:
Warriors receive:
2026 Lakers 2nd round pick
Golden State has a severe lack of 2nd round picks, so picking up one here for their own former late 2nd rounder who hasn't been able to hold onto a rotation spot is solid. Toronto's big man rotation has been in flux with Jakob Poeltl's back injury, so they get a cheap option here with an extra pick that they had. I'm guessing that they'll use part of the MLE here, or they could use the new Agbaji Trade Exception, while still having room under the tax line after that deal.
The Kuminga saga finally ends (Shams 2/4)
Warriors receive:
Hawks receive: $31,719,512 total
I had thought about Porzingis as an ideal stretch big fit next to Draymond Green when Boston was shopping him over the summer, but the money didn’t work at the time with Kuminga’s Base Year Compensation issues in a sign-and-trade. Now it does, and I believe that since the salaries are actually a match in a one for one trade, Golden State creates a Trade Exception worth Hield's $9,219,512. The veteran shooter needed to be included since First Apron teams must send out more money than they receive, and it doesn't hurt that they also get off of the $3 million that he had guaranteed for next season. This also creates an open roster spot to convert Pat Spencer's Two-Way contract. (2/5 Update: Upon further examination this morning, I realized that with the trade mechanics of an Apron team, a TE isn't created here. My mistake.)
This is not the blockbuster that fans wanted, but Porzingis is an impactful player on both ends with averages of 20.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.8 blocks in 30 minutes over the past four season. The 49.6%/38.7%/84.4% shooting coming with 5.4 three point attempts per game is especially nice for a rim protector. The question around him is always availability, and a myriad of health issues has limited him to just 17 games this season after 42 and 57 the prior two with the Celtics. Al Horford was one of his front court mates there, and they'll now reunite to form a versatile group of big men with Green. That is if all can stay healthy, of course, but at least Porzingis is only 30 years old and comes with no future commitment if things don't work out.
This is also a pretty risk free gamble for Atlanta given the team option on Kuminga and small guarantee for Hield. Their GM, Onsi Saleh, was in Golden State when they drafted the athletic forward, who was actually selected 13 spots ahead of Hawks star Jalen Johnson. I'm curious to see how their fit together will look, especially since last year's #1 pick Risacher recently came back from injury, but in any case, this is a nice upside play at the cost of an expiring contract that didn't work out. Kuminga could never seem to find his way consistently enough with what the Warriors wanted him to do compared to how he wants to play, but the talent is there for the 23 year old.
