Bucks Tell Teams They’re Keeping Giannis Antetokounmpo
The Bucks have informed interested teams that they’re hanging onto forward Giannis Antetokounmpo through Thursday’s trade deadline and will begin focusing on separate trade opportunities, reports ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).
The decision removes the top attraction from this year’s pre-deadline trade market and sets up an eventful offseason when rival teams will be able to make more tempting offers.
The Warriors, Timberwolves, Heat and Knicks were believed to be the most active suitors for Antetokounmpo, but the Bucks were signaling to teams over the past few days that they weren’t ready to part with their franchise player, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints (Twitter link).
As a result, those teams began focusing on other moves, with Golden State acquiring Kristaps Porzingis, Minnesota dealing for Ayo Dosunmu and New York swapping Guerschon Yabusele for Dalen Terry.
ESPN’s Jason Collier reported earlier today that Milwaukee wasn’t feeling pressure to find a deal before the deadline, and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line got the same impression, with one rival executive telling him the Bucks “were never serious” about moving Antetokounmpo prior to this summer (Twitter link).
While holding onto Antetokounmpo could increase his eventual trade value, it also gives him more control over the process. He’s only under contract for one more season at $58.5MM and holds a $62.8MM player option for 2027/28. Being able to opt out next summer means he’ll have some leverage to quash a potential deal if he’s not being sent to a place that he wants to go.
Antetokounmpo will become eligible for a four-year, $275MM extension on October 1 if he remains in Milwaukee, notes Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link). If he’s traded before then, he’ll have to wait six months from the day the deal is finalized until he can sign that maximum extension (he could get a slightly shorter, less lucrative deal within the six-month window).
Antetokounmpo is currently sidelined due to a calf strain, and with the Bucks lingering in 12th place in the East at 20-29, it may be in their best interest to have him sit out the rest of the season to maximize the value of their first-round pick and avoid the risk of injury heading into the summer. However, league sources tell Eric Nehm of The Athletic that Antetokounmpo wants to return to action once he’s fully recovered in hopes of helping the team secure a play-in spot.
Antetokounmpo has been sending out mixed signals about his desire to stay in Milwaukee since trade rumors began to heat up. He said Tuesday that he loves the city and would prefer to retire as a Buck, but he also suggested that he’s not fully convinced that the team can quickly be rebuilt into a title contender, adding that he has to look at his options.
Multiple reports have stated that the Bucks are seeking young talent and draft assets in an Antetokounmpo deal. Several teams that currently have limited draft picks available will be able to increase their offers beginning this June.
Mavericks Notes: Irving, Flagg, Davis Trade, Kidd
The decision to trade Anthony Davis may seem like the start of a youth movement, but that doesn’t mean the Mavericks are looking to part with Kyrie Irving, Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal writes in a subscriber-only story. Sources tell Afseth that the front office sees “long-term potential” in pairing Irving with rookie sensation Cooper Flagg and they’ll be the foundation to build the roster around.
Afseth hears from league sources that Flagg’s ability to handle the ball and make early reads on offense is living up to the team’s expectations heading into the draft. Some members of the organization consider him to be the team’s best passer as well as its top scorer.
Irving has been sidelined since last March with an ACL tear, so the Mavericks haven’t gotten to seen him and Flagg on the court together yet. Coach Jason Kidd said recently that the team’s disappointing record won’t affect its plans to bring back Irving this season, and there appears to be progress on that front.
Sources tell Afseth that Irving has been conducting regular skill work with assistant coach Phil Handy and has taken part in one-on-one games against members of the Mavs’ coaching and player-development staff. Afseth, who has stated in the past that Irving is expected to be physically capable of returning to action sometime after the All-Star break, watched him play recently and reports that he looked “sharp” in the workouts, creating space on his jumper, attacking the basket with his dribble and finishing drives as well as ever.
There’s more from Dallas:
- Parting with Davis’ contract — and his uncertain future due to frequent injuries — was necessary to start building a winning roster around Flagg, Christian Clark of The Athletic and Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required) state in separate stories. Clark notes that the deal drops the Mavericks’ salary from near-second apron territory at $207.8MM to below the tax threshold at $187.9MM while helping to replenish their depleted draft stock. Curtis points out that the three players sent to Washington along with Davis — Jaden Hardy, D’Angelo Russell and Dante Exum — weren’t able to provide effective point guard play with Irving sidelined and were surpassed in the rotation by Brandon Williams and two-way rookie Ryan Nembhard, who may receive a standard contract later this month.
- Kevin Sherrington of The Dallas Morning News offers enthusiastic support for the trade and says whoever is responsible for putting it together should be named the full-time general manager. Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi have been sharing GM duties since Nico Harrison was fired in November.
- The Mavericks had four demands in Davis trade talks — draft assets, clearing long-term salary, roster flexibility and the ability to build for the future around Flagg — and the Wizards were able to meet them all, per Fred Katz of The Athletic. The Mavs weren’t determined to move Davis ahead of the deadline, sources tell Katz, but they recognized that his expected extension demands this summer will be higher than they wanted to pay.
- Kidd responded to the $35K fine he received for a profanity-filled tirade following Saturday’s loss at Houston, relays Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). Kidd was upset at the officials for not calling a foul on a Flagg shot attempt late in the game and at reporters for questioning his use of Flagg at point guard early in the season. “I take full responsibility for that, for my actions, for my fine,” Kidd stated, “but I said what I had to say.”
Chris Paul To Raptors, Ochai Agbaji To Nets In Three-Team Deal
February 5: The three-team trade is now official, according to the Nets (Twitter link), who have waived veteran wing Haywood Highsmith in order to create a roster spot for Agbaji.
As Gozlan tweets, Brooklyn now has about $8.9MM in cap room remaining and also still has its $8.8MM room exception, which could be used to absorb another salary in a deadline deal.
February 4: The Clippers, Raptors, and Nets are in agreement on a three-team trade that will send guard Chris Paul from Los Angeles to Toronto, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter links).
Fourth-year forward Ochai Agbaji is headed from Toronto to Brooklyn in the deal, along with the Raptors’ 2032 second-round pick, says Charania. The Clippers will receive the draft rights to 2019 second-rounder Vanja Marinkovic from the Nets, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link), and will send $3.5MM in cash to Brooklyn, per NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link).
The Raptors won’t require Paul to report to the team, according to Charania, who suggests the veteran point guard may be flipped to another club before Thursday’s deadline. If not, he’ll likely be waived.
It’s a cost-cutting move for both the Clippers and Raptors. The Clippers will open up an extra roster spot and create breathing room below their hard cap, which they’ll likely use to promote two-way players Jordan Miller and Kobe Sanders to standard contracts. Toronto, meanwhile, will duck below the tax line by swapping out Agbaji’s expiring $6.4MM contract for Paul and his $2.3MM cap hit, creating a $6.4MM trade exception in the process.
The Nets will take advantage of being the NBA’s only team with cap room by taking on a half-season of Agbaji, receiving more than enough cash to cover his remaining salary, and adding another second-round pick to their sizable collection of draft assets in the process. Acquiring Agbaji will bring Brooklyn’s cap room below $9MM, though the team would also have the option of using its $15MM+ in room in a separate deal, then absorbing the Raptors forward using its room exception.
The Nets have a full 15-man roster, so they’ll need to trade or waive a player to create room for Agbaji.
The Clippers announced over two months ago that they were “parting ways” with Paul, who wasn’t a good cultural fit, but that just meant he’d no longer be around the team, not that he was off the roster. L.A. didn’t want to waive him since it would mean eating his guaranteed salary and leaving his $2.3MM cap hit on the team’s books, compromising the front office’s ability to make additional moves around the edges of the roster.
L.A. will now have about $3.4MM below its first-apron hard cap along with a pair of open roster spots, notes cap expert Yossi Gozlan (Twitter links). Toronto will be roughly $3.1MM below the tax line and will also have two openings on its standard 15-man roster.
Bucks Not Feeling Pressure To Trade Giannis Antetokounmpo
The Bucks aren’t feeling pressure to trade Giannis Antetokounmpo ahead of Thursday’s deadline, sources tell Jamal Collier of ESPN.
Although an Antetokounmpo deal in the coming hours remains a possibility, several signs are pointing toward the saga carrying over into the offseason as the 2:00 pm CT deadline nears, Collier writes.
The Knicks and Warriors appear to have backed off their pursuit of the two-time MVP, leaving the Heat, Timberwolves, and any potential mystery teams as the suitors still in the running. But even those clubs still involved have become increasingly dubious that a trade will happen today, Collier notes.
It’s not uncommon for a team to seriously explore the possibility of trading a star player at the deadline and then revisit those conversations in the offseason. The Pelicans memorably took that route with Anthony Davis in 2019 before trading him to the Lakers that summer. The Suns took a similar path with Kevin Durant a year ago, discussing deals in January and February and then holding onto him until July, when he was sent to Houston.
While this is the closest the Bucks have ever come to trading Antetokounmpo, it’s also still not an absolute lock that he’ll be wearing a new jersey by opening night of next season.
According to Collier, Milwaukee has continued to explore the trade market for opportunities to upgrade its roster, hoping to find a buy-low opportunity with a trade partner looking to shed long-term salary. The Bucks have been linked to Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant, for instance.
Antetokounmpo said in a conversation with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel this week that he still holds great affinity for Milwaukee and would prefer to remain with the Bucks if they could give him a legitimate chance to compete for a championship. He reiterated that message during a separate discussion with Eric Nehm of The Athletic when asked if he’d commit to another season in Milwaukee if the Bucks could build a roster capable of winning consistently.
“You’re saying that if they can convince me to stay within the team, and the next year that we can compete? Oh yeah, 1,000 percent,” Antetokounmpo said. “One million percent.”
Still, it will be extremely challenging for the Bucks – who have a 20-29 record this season – to improve their roster that significantly, given their limited trade assets. The team currently has just one tradable first-round pick, in either 2031 or 2032.
The Bucks may also not be motivated to continue pursuing win-now moves if Antetokounmpo isn’t willing to commit to them beyond next season — he becomes extension-eligible this October and could reach unrestricted free agency as soon as the summer of 2027 if he doesn’t sign a new deal before then.
Hawks Finalize Jock Landale Trade, Waive Duop Reath
The Hawks have officially finalized their previously reported trade with the Jazz, acquiring center Jock Landale from Utah in exchange for cash considerations, the team confirmed in a press release.
While that agreement was reported as part of a Jazz/Cavaliers trade, it appears the two moves will be completed separately rather than as a single three-team transaction — the Hawks’ announcement doesn’t include any mention of Cleveland’s involvement in the deal.
Landale, 30, was having a career year for the Grizzlies prior to being sent to Utah in the Jaren Jackson Jr. blockbuster, averaging 11.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 23.6 minutes per game across 45 outings (25 starts). He was also knocking down 38.0% of a career-high 2.9 three-point tries per game.
The Australian big man will provide frontcourt depth for a Hawks team that has been impacted by injuries up front this season and is sending Kristaps Porzingis to Golden State.
Landale is on a one-year, minimum-salary contract, so Atlanta can acquire him without sending out matching salary. The team did need to open up a spot on its 15-man roster for Landale though, and did so by placing recently acquired center Duop Reath on waivers (Twitter link).
Reath, who was dealt from Portland to Atlanta in Sunday’s Vit Krejci trade, recently underwent season-ending foot surgery and wasn’t expected to remain on the Hawks’ roster. His $2,221,677 cap hit for this season will remain on the team’s books, but he isn’t owed any salary beyond 2025/26.
Latest On Anthony Davis Trade
Rumors began to emerge Tuesday about a “secret Eastern Conference team” that might have interest in trading for Anthony Davis, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line (subscription required). Those whispers turned out to be legitimate as the Wizards swooped in to acquire the 10-time All-Star, furthering a shocking roster overhaul that began with a trade for Trae Young four weeks ago.
Stein states that the Mavericks elected to take the “only palatable” trade offer that was available for Davis, who has been sidelined since January 6 with a hand injury. Stein notes that the Raptors also expressed interest in acquiring Davis, but any deal with Toronto would have required Dallas to take on unwanted long-term contracts.
Even though the Mavs got limited value in the two first-round picks they acquired from Washington and no players who fit into their long-term plans, Stein hears that they decided it was best to act now because Khris Middleton has a $33.3MM expiring contract and wouldn’t be able to be included in the deal if the teams waited until summer.
Stein adds that the primary motivation in unloading Davis is to begin constructing the roster around star rookie Cooper Flagg, with one team source saying, “The building-around-Cooper Era starts now for real.” Parting with Davis’ maximum-salary contract — and his desire for an extension this summer — gives Dallas much more flexibility to add players who are a better fit with Flagg’s timeline.
Stein shares a few more tidbits regarding the trade:
- Sources tell Stein the Wizards wanted to add Davis to prove to Young that they’re serious about becoming a playoff contender. Young holds a $49MM player option for next season, and Washington is hoping to work out a long-term extension with him this summer.
- Stein hears that rival teams have expressed interest to Dallas in acquiring Marvin Bagley III, who was in the midst of a productive season as a backup big man with the Wizards. Bagley has a $2.3MM expiring contract.
- At one time, the Wizards were projected to have about $80MM in cap room for the offseason, but Stein states that they were realistic about their chances of landing impact free agents and opted to pursue Young and Davis in “pre-agency” instead. Stein adds that Washington has been searching for a center who allows Alex Sarr to fit into his more natural position of power forward, but Davis has historically preferred to play at the four spot as well so it’s not clear how their duties will be defined.
Trade Rumors: Giannis, Morant, Alvarado, Knicks, Raptors
While Thursday is usually the busiest day of the NBA’s trade deadline week, Tuesday and Wednesday have been more active than usual this season, observes Fred Katz of The Athletic.
There are a number of reasons why that may be the case, but one front office executive who spoke to Katz believes teams are reacting to what happened at last year’s deadline, when physical exams affected two trade agreements. The Sixers and Mavericks slightly reworked the terms of their Caleb Martin/Quentin Grimes deal due to concerns about Martin’s physical, while the Lakers and Hornets rescinded their Mark Williams trade as a result of Williams’ physical.
The Philadelphia/Dallas deal was agreed to and finalized on the Tuesday before the deadline, which allowed the two teams to conduct physical and then amend the terms on Thursday. However, because Los Angeles and Charlotte finalized their deal on Thursday, the issues with Williams’ physical didn’t arise until after the deadline, when negotiations couldn’t be reopened. At that point, the Lakers had just two options: approve the deal anyway or nix it altogether.
Several teams making deals at this year’s deadline may have those situations in the backs of their mind, Katz explains, prompting them to get their business done a little earlier in the week.
Here are more trade rumors from around the NBA, with the deadline just over five hours away:
- The Timberwolves and Heat don’t believe they’re out of the running for Giannis Antetokounmpo, but like Golden State, they remain skeptical that the Bucks are ready to get a deal done today, reports Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link). Fischer, who previously identified Milwaukee as a team to watch on the Ja Morant front, also continues to hear that the Bucks remain engaged with the Grizzlies about the star point guard.
- Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado remains on the Knicks‘ radar, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link). While New York reportedly didn’t have much luck selling New Orleans on a deal that included Guerschon Yabusele, the team may have more success with Dalen Terry‘s expiring contract after agreeing to send Yabusele to Chicago. The Knicks have also expressed interest in Yves Missi, but the Pelicans have reportedly insisted on a first-round pick for him to this point. New York’s only tradable first-rounder is Washington’s top-eight protected 2026 pick, which will likely turn into second-rounders.
- It’s been a busy week for the Bulls, who have finalized three trades and agreed to two more, but they may not be done dealing yet. According to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times, the Bulls’ front office was still talking to teams as of Wednesday night, with a “focus” on the Pelicans and Rockets. Chicago has been linked to Zion Williamson and Missi from New Orleans and Tari Eason from Houston, Cowley notes. However, he says the Bulls haven’t made real progress on the Pelicans’ players, and reports have indicated the Rockets are very resistant to moving Eason.
- After agreeing to two minor deals on Wednesday to duck the luxury tax and add Trayce Jackson-Davis, the Raptors are unlikely to make a major move ahead of Thursday’s deadline, Michael Grange of Sportsnet (Twitter video link) and TSN’s Josh Lewenberg (Twitter video link) said during TV appearances. Toronto has been linked to several notable big men, but some (Anthony Davis and Jaren Jackson Jr.) have been traded to other teams, while Domantas Sabonis appears likely to remain in Sacramento.
Bulls Sign Mac McClung To Two-Way Contract
9:19 am: McClung has officially signed his two-way contract with the Bulls, per NBA.com’s transaction log.
8:08 am: One of two NBA teams with an open two-way slot, the Bulls will fill their opening by signing guard Mac McClung to a two-way contract, a source tells Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link).
It will be the fourth contract McClung has signed with the Bulls since he went undrafted out of Texas Tech in 2021. The 6’2″ guard inked a pair of 10-day deals with Chicago as a rookie, then completed an Exhibit 10 deal with the team this past fall, lining him up to play for the Windy City Bulls in the G League this season.
A former G League MVP, McClung is having another standout year at that level — in 24 outings for the Bulls’ affiliate, he has averaged 25.4 points, 7.5 assists, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in 34.5 minutes per game, with a .518/.353/.813 shooting line.
While McClung has made just nine total regular season appearances for five different teams since going pro, the 27-year-old has become a household name among NBA fans with his performances in the league’s slam dunk contest. McClung won the contest in 2023, 2024, and 2025, but reportedly won’t be defending his title again this year.
The Bulls have an open two-way slot after sending Emanuel Miller to Cleveland in Sunday’s three-team trade involving the Cavaliers and Kings. McClung will join Lachlan Olbrich and Yuki Kawamura as Chicago’s two-way players and will be eligible to be active for up to 19 regular season games for the Bulls.
Once McClung’s deal is official, the Bucks will be the only team with a two-way opening.
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Clippers’ Zubac Continues To Draw Interest From Pacers, Others
The Pacers remain on the lookout for a long-term answer at the starting center position and are among the suitors for Clippers big man Ivica Zubac, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link), who reports that L.A. continues to receive calls on the 28-year-old.
There was some trade speculation about Zubac early in the season when the Clippers got off to a 6-21 start. Those rumblings had died down as the team reeled off 17 victories in its next 21 games to get back in the postseason race, but in the wake of the deal sending James Harden to Cleveland for Darius Garland, there may be a sense that L.A. is more open to discussing some of its veteran players.
The Clippers would set a high asking price for Zubac, who is coming off a career year in which he averaged 16.8 points and 12.6 rebounds per game, finished as the Most Improved Player runner-up, made the All-Defensive second team, and placed sixth in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
While he may not receive the same kind of award consideration this season for the sub-.500 Clippers, Zubac has once again been a valuable anchor at the five, averaging 14.4 PPG and 11.0 RPG on 61.3% shooting through 43 games. He also has a team-friendly contract that includes an $18.1MM cap hit this season, with guaranteed salaries of $19.6MM and $21MM to follow.
That contract structure would appeal to the Pacers, who would ideally like to add a starting center whose salary is in that range, like Myles Turner‘s was before he left for Milwaukee in free agency last summer. Indiana already has $177MM on its books for next season, including maximum salaries for Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam, and isn’t in position to bring in a center with a massive cap hit.
Whether the Pacers are willing to make the sort of offer that might entice the Clippers remains to be seen. However, the team does control all of its first-round picks and could offer promising restricted-free-agent-to-be Bennedict Mathurin as part of a package. Forwards Obi Toppin and Jarace Walker are among Indiana’s other potential trade candidates.
The Celtics and Hornets were also linked to Zubac earlier this winter.