Cavs, Kings, Bulls Finalize Trade Involving Ellis, Hunter, More
The Cavaliers, Kings and Bulls have officially completed their three-team trade, according to press releases from Cleveland, Sacramento and Chicago.
The full deal is as follows:
- Cavaliers acquire Keon Ellis, Dennis Schröder, and Emanuel Miller; waived Luke Travers.
- Kings acquire De’Andre Hunter.
- Bulls acquire Dario Saric, 2027 second-round pick, and 2029 second-round pick; waived Jevon Carter.
“After careful evaluation and a clearer view of the Eastern Conference landscape, we believe adding Dennis and Keon strengthens our depth, expands our flexibility, and positions us to keep building a Championship caliber team now and into the future,” Cavs president of basketball operations Koby Altman said in a statement.
“In a season defined by its parity, this move better aligns us for a deeper postseason run. I’m thankful as well to De’Andre, who made an immediate impact upon his arrival to Cleveland and represented the Cavaliers with class. We appreciate everything he did for us both on and off the court, and we wish him the best in Sacramento. We drafted Luke in 2022 and have seen his development improve each year and thank him for his contributions to the franchise.”
Our primary breakdown of the trade can be found here. The involvement of Miller and Travers was outlined here.
The Kings have now have two standard roster openings after sending out three players (Ellis, Schröder, Saric) for one (Hunter). They will have 14 days to get back to at least 14 players on standard contracts. The Cavs and Bulls, meanwhile, have full 18-man rosters.
Warriors Reportedly Assured Jimmy Butler They Won’t Trade Him
The Warriors recently informed Jimmy Butler they don’t plan to trade him as he rehabilitates from a torn ACL in his right knee, a league source tells Nick Friedell of The Athletic.
Jake Fischer and Marc Stein of The Stein Line reported on Saturday that they have received “strong indications” that Golden State’s offer for Giannis Antetokounmpo is unlikely to include Butler. Both players make $54.1MM this season.
General manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. said he didn’t expect to trade Butler in the wake of the six-time All-Star’s season-ending injury. However, that was before the Bucks became more receptive to offers for the two-time MVP.
Multiple reports have indicated Stephen Curry is the only untouchable Warrior in talks for Antetokounmpo. Golden State’s actions will speak louder than words when it comes to Butler, Friedell notes.
If Butler is not part of the Warriors’ offer, four-time champion Draymond Green will likely have to be part of the outgoing package for salary-matching purposes. He addressed that possibility on Friday.
“I’ve been here for 14 years,” Green said. “I have no reason to sit and worry about leaving. But if I’m traded, that’s part of the business. I ain’t losing no sleep, though. I slept great last night.”
Other members of Golden State’s roster admit the lead-up to the trade deadline is a stressful experience.
“It’s hard on all of us,” veteran big man Al Horford told Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area, “but especially for younger players that are trying to find their way and establish themselves. This time of year, I find that it doesn’t matter what team you’re on, it’s always going to be stressful.
“It’s tough. We kind of have to have some sort of empathy for everybody, because we’re all just kind of going through it. And there’s a lot of ‘what ifs’ and things like that. From my experience, once the deadline passes, everybody kind of takes a deep breath. It slows down, and you’ll see a better team.”
Backup guard De’Anthony Melton is trying to tune out the outside noise, according to Poole.
“Honestly, you just got to put your head down and work,” Melton said. “Some stuff is out of your control. Early in my career, one of the vets told that when a superstar or whatever wants to get moved, everybody’s on the (trading) block. Nobody’s above the program.”
Jason Kidd Rips Media, Officials After Saturday’s Loss
Following Saturday’s loss at Houston, Dallas’ fourth straight defeat, Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd went on an expletive-filled tirade regarding media criticism of Kidd using Cooper Flagg as the team’s de facto point guard to open his rookie season, writes Christian Clark of The Athletic.
“I don’t give a f–k about the criticism,” Kidd said. “The criticism, that’s your opinion. You guys write that bulls–t. I’ve done this. I’ve played this game. I’ve played it at a very high level, and I know what the f–k I’m doing.”
As Clark observes, the Mavs went 2-5 and had the worst offensive rating in the league in the first seven games of the season before Kidd moved Flagg off the ball. But the Mavericks have once again been playing without a traditional point guard of late and the No. 1 overall pick has thrived the past two games, putting up 49 points and 10 rebounds on Thursday and finishing with 34 points, 12 rebounds and five assists on Saturday.
“I don’t give a f–k what you guys write,” Kidd said. “Because you guys have never played the game before. I have built players. I know what the f–k I’m doing. To take criticism, it only makes me better. Because if I wasn’t doing it right, you guys wouldn’t be poking holes at what I’ve done.”
According to Tim MacMahon of ESPN, Kidd also ripped the officiating crew following Saturday’s loss. He was particularly upset about a play with 25 seconds remaining, when Flagg drove down the lane and missed a left-handed layup that would have tied the game.
“I saw a foul,” Kidd said. “[Officials] Sean [Wright], Simone [Jelks] and Jason [Goldenberg] were awful tonight. The referees were unacceptable. It’s a foul, and he needs to be at the free throw line. Now, does he make both? That’s up to the player, but the referees did not do their job. They were terrible.”
Flagg set a record for a teenager when he scored 49 points and his 83 combined points are the most a teenager has scored over a two-game span in league history. The 19-year-old also became the first teenager to record consecutive 30-point double-doubles, per MacMahon.
“I definitely felt some contact, but at the end of the day, the refs are the ones making the call, so it is what it is,” said Flagg. “I mean, it’s tough. You just got to play through it. It’s part of the game. It’s not the first time in my life that I haven’t got calls, and it’s probably not going to be the last. So whatever it is, just got to keep playing through it.”
For what it’s worth, Dallas (15-of-26) attempted 11 more free throws than Houston (11-of-15), Clark notes.
Trade Rumors: Jones, Smith, Bulls, Kings, Cavs, Sharpe
The Bulls have been receiving interest in point guard Tre Jones and forward/center Jalen Smith over the past few weeks, writes Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune. While Jones seems to be available, Poe suggests the Bulls are unlikely to trade Smith unless they get an appealing offer.
Both Jones and Smith have guaranteed contracts for next season. Jones’ deal also features a $8MM team option for 2027/28.
According to Poe, any of Chicago’s players on expiring contracts could be on the move prior to the deadline if the Bulls receive a “reasonable return.” The Bulls already showed a willingness to take on unwanted salary when they agreed to acquire Dario Saric for a pair of second-round picks (they’re waiving Jevon Carter to make roster space).
However, that doesn’t mean the Bulls are going to make trades just for the sake of it, particularly one that involves a player like Coby White, multiple sources tell Poe.
Most of the players on Chicago’s roster are in their mid-20s and have been in the league for several years. Head coach Billy Donovan says the team is focused on acquiring more young talent.
“We have to keep building out with younger people,” Donovan said, per Poe. “I don’t think there’s any question about that from a roster standpoint. … If you’re just talking about the guys that are here that are going to be under contract, they’re going to need more. So however those conversations take place, whether it’s in July or whether it’s at the trade deadline, I think the front office is looking to try to build it out as best they can.”
Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:
- The Kings had opportunities to trade Keon Ellis for multiple second-round picks, but they wanted to unload Dennis Schröder‘s contract and value De’Andre Hunter‘s size and length, viewing him as a better positional fit moving forward, sources tell Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints. As Siegel reported a few days ago, the Lakers also had interest in Hunter, but they were leery of taking on the $24.9MM he’s owed next season without receiving draft compensation in return, so they backed out of conversations with the Cavaliers.
- According to Siegel, the Kings are viewed as the “biggest sellers” at the deadline, and they have been making trade calls involving Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan and Malik Monk. Of the three players, Sacramento is most motivated to move Monk, Siegel adds (via Twitter). A “few” teams — most notably the Raptors — have some interest in Sabonis, but there doesn’t seem to be much of a market for DeRozan or Monk, per Siegel.
- The Cavaliers continue to dangle Lonzo Ball in trade talks, according to Siegel (Twitter link). The veteran guard has had a disappointing first season in Cleveland and earns $10MM this season, with a $10MM team option for ’26/27.
- As Siegel observes, if the Cavaliers decide to retain Ellis long term (he will be extension-eligible on Feb. 9), that could have an impact on the futures of Sam Merrill and Max Strus. While I’m skeptical the Cavs would move Merrill given how well he’s played this season when healthy, Strus has yet to play in ’25/26 due offseason foot surgery and ’26/27 is the final year of his contract. Siegel suggests those sorts of conversations would likely wait until the summer and may depend on what happens with Ellis.
- The Nets appear to be reluctant to trade Day’Ron Sharpe, but the backup center has drawn interest from the Lakers, Raptors, Celtics and Pacers, Siegel reports.
Cavs Receiving Miller From Bulls, Waiving Travers To Complete Ellis Deal
In order for all three teams to “touch” in the agreed-upon trade involving Keon Ellis, Dennis Schröder and De’Andre Hunter, the Bulls are trading two-way player Emanuel Miller to Cleveland, sources tell Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune.
The Cavaliers are waiving Luke Travers, who is also on a two-way contract, to make roster room for Miller, as first reported by Olgun Uluc of ESPN and confirmed by Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter links).
Miller, a second-year forward, has only made five NBA appearances this season, averaging 3.0 points in 6.6 minutes per game. He’s had a much larger role in the G League with the Windy City Bulls, averaging 17.5 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 2.2 APG and 0.9 SPG on .529/.354/.691 shooting in 21 games (33.8 MPG).
Travers, a former second-round pick, made 12 appearances for the Cavs in his second season, averaging 2.3 PPG and 2.0 RPG in 8.6 MPG. The Australian wing filled the stat sheet in the NBAGL with the Cleveland Charge, putting up 17.1 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 4.9 APG, 1.8 SPG and 1.6 BPG in 15 games (31.5 MPG). He struggled with efficiency, however, posting a .424/.283/.618 shooting line.
The full trade appears to be as follows:
- Cavaliers receive: Ellis, Schröder (from Kings), Miller (from Bulls). Will waive Travers.
- Bulls receive: Dario Saric (from Kings), two second-round picks (a 2027 second-rounder from Cleveland via Denver, and a 2029 least favorable pick from Sacramento). Will waive veteran guard Jevon Carter to acquire Saric.
- Kings receive: Hunter (from Cavaliers). Open two roster spots to eventually promote Dylan Cardwell from his two-way deal.
As Keith Smith of Spotrac observes (via Twitter), the Cavs’ standard roster will be full once the trade is finalized, which means they won’t have room to convert Nae’Qwan Tomlin from his two-way deal. The second-year forward, who has become a rotation regular in Cleveland, can only be active for four more games.
The Cavaliers are still likely to promote Tomlin, Smith notes, whether by making additional trades or waiving a player after the deadline.