Grizzlies Waive Eric Gordon
February 6: Gordon has been placed on waivers, the Grizzlies confirmed today in a press release (Twitter link).
February 5: The Grizzlies are likely to waive veteran guard Eric Gordon, sources tell Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).
An 18-year veteran, Gordon was traded from Philadelphia to Memphis in a salary-dump move which saw the Grizzlies acquire a second-round pick swap from the 76ers. He has only made six appearances this season.
Gordon is making $3.6MM this season on a minimum-salary contract, but only carries a $2.3MM cap hit. Assuming he’s released by Memphis, the 37-year-old would be eligible to sign with any team except for Philadelphia.
The seventh overall pick in the 2008 draft, Gordon has averaged 15.2 points, 2.7 assists and 2.3 rebounds on .430/.373/.809 shooting over the course of 931 regular season games (31.1 minutes per contest). However, it’s been a couple years since he was a rotation regular, and it’s unclear if he’ll attract any interest on the open market at this point in his career.
Luka Doncic To Undergo MRI On Left Hamstring Injury
February 6: Doncic will undergo an MRI on his left hamstring on Friday, head coach JJ Redick confirmed after Thursday’s victory, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
“Yeah, he felt some soreness in his hamstring, so he didn’t feel like it was good enough to go back in,” Redick said. “Neither did (our) medical (staff), so we held him out. And he’ll get some imaging. I mean, too early to say if there’s an injury, but just had a sore hamstring.”
February 5: Lakers star Luka Doncic experience left leg soreness in Thursday’s game vs. Philadelphia and has been ruled out for the remainder of the contest, the team announced (Twitter link via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin).
According to Jovan Buha (Twitter link), the Slovenian guard was grabbing at his hamstring for a couple of possessions prior to leaving the court. He was also holding his hamstring when he went to the locker room with 3:03 remaining in the second quarter, tweets Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times.
Obviously, any type of hamstring injury is very concerning for an athlete. The Lakers will be hoping Doncic’s soreness is simply that and not a strain, which would likely sideline him for multiple weeks.
Doncic, 26, has missed eight games to this point in 2025/26. Through 41 appearances, the NBA’s leading scorer has averaged 33.4 points, 8.7 assists, 7.9 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 36.0 minutes per game. His shooting slash line is .475/.348/.779.
Austin Reaves is currently on a minutes restriction in his second game back from a calf strain, but he’s a candidate for more on-ball responsibilities if Doncic misses additional time. LeBron James and trade addition Luke Kennard are among the other Lakers who could receive more usage depending on the severity of Doncic’s injury.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Rumors: Bucks, Heat, Wolves, Lakers
Although they entertained trade offers for the superstar forward, the Bucks ultimately decided to keep Giannis Antetokounmpo past Thursday’s deadline, pushing a decision on his future into the offseason.
The two-time MVP made an interesting social media post on Thursday afternoon (Twitter link). He wrote, “Legends don’t chase. They attract ” alongside a video clip from “The Wolf of Wall Street” in which Leonardo DiCaprio’s character repeatedly says, “I’m not leaving,” among other obscenities.
Sources close to Antetokounmpo reiterated to Chris Haynes of NBA on Prime (Twitter video link) that the 31-year-old “never requested a trade.”
“Obviously (Antetokounmpo) has been applying pressure over the last couple of years in hopes that the Bucks would turn this roster into a championship (contender),” Haynes said. “He wants to contend for a title for years and years in his prime.
“But right now he’s happy. I was told that he’s committed and focused on getting back healthy from that calf injury. He’s progressing really well, to the point where he might even play in the All-Star game on February 15.”
Here are some more Giannis-related rumors:
- A source tells Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald that the Heat were informed “very late” Wednesday night that Milwaukee would likely be retaining Antetokounmpo beyond the deadline (Twitter links). According to Jackson, Milwaukee considered the Heat’s offer and Miami was willing to “do what it took” to acquire the nine-time All-NBA member, but the Bucks preferred to wait and see what types of packages they could get in the summer. While the Warriors reportedly got the impression earlier this week the Bucks didn’t plan to trade Giannis, that was not was not how the Heat viewed the situation until late Wednesday, Jackson adds.
- One team that was in pursuit of Giannis told Ramona Shelburne of ESPN that Milwaukee never gave a threshold it wanted met in a deal, leaving the unnamed club skeptical that the Bucks ever intended to trade Giannis this week (Twitter video link).
- Antetokounmpo recently made it known he was interested in teaming up with Anthony Edwards on the Timberwolves, team and league sources tell Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. According to Krawczynski, the Wolves canvassed the league to see what they could get for multiple key rotation players, but talks with the Bucks never reached an advanced stage. Krawczysnki hears that while new owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez were intrigued by the possibility of a Giannis trade, they also weren’t convinced that dealing away Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid and Joan Beringer would have been a “prudent” decision, given Antetokounmpo’s age and injury history.
- The Lakers intend to make a “hard push” for Antetokounmpo in the summer, sources tell Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. The Lakers will have three first-round picks to trade in the offseason, as opposed to the one they had access to prior to the deadline. Turner hears New York and Miami are Giannis’ preferred landing spots, but the 13-year veteran hasn’t ruled out the Lakers as a possibility.
Kings Convert Dylan Cardwell To Four-Year Standard Deal
6:24 pm: Ham provides the details of Cardwell’s new contract (Twitter link): $871K for the remainder of 2025/26, $2.15MM (guaranteed) in ’26/27, $2.53MM in ’27/28, and $2.74MM in ’28/29. The final two years are non-guaranteed, Ham confirms, and ’28/29 is a team option.
5:43 pm: The Kings have officially promoted Dylan Cardwell from his two-way contract to a multiyear standard deal, the team announced in a press release (Twitter link via James Ham of The Kings Beat).
Cardwell’s new deal covers four seasons and the first two are fully guaranteed, agent Corey Marcum tells Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
A Georgia native, Cardwell played a fairly limited role in five college seasons at Auburn. The 24-year-old big man went undrafted last June, but quickly agreed to a two-way contract with the Kings.
Despite his modest stats with the Tigers, Cardwell has quickly become a fan favorite in Sacramento, providing a much-needed infusion of energy, enthusiasm, rebounding, and interior defense. He has made 25 appearances as a rookie, averaging 4.7 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 20.0 minutes per game.
The Kings opened up two spots on their standard roster when they sent out three players for one in the De’Andre Hunter trade. Charania suggested at the time that Cardwell might be promoted, which Ham later confirmed.
Sacramento technically was under no obligation to convert Cardwell’s contract right after the trade deadline — he has only been active for 31 games, 19 shy of his 50-game limit. Instead of waiting, the Kings decided to reward him early. Cardwell earned praise from GM Scott Perry at the start of the new year.
The Kings now have one standard roster opening and one two-way vacancy in the wake of Cardwell’s promotion.
Hawks Waive N’Faly Dante
5:57 pm: Dante has been placed on waivers, the Hawks confirmed in a press release.
3:00 pm: The Hawks intend to waive injured center N’Faly Dante, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (via Twitter). The move will open up a roster spot to allow Atlanta to complete its one-for-two trade with Golden State.
Dante suffered a torn ACL in his right knee in December during a G League contest with the College Park Skyhawks. He underwent surgery last month and will miss the rest of the 2025/26 season.
A native of Mali, Dante had a productive college career with Oregon. After going undrafted in 2024, the 24-year-old big man quickly signed a two-way deal with Houston and spent his rookie season with the Rockets.
Dante was the NBA’s only restricted free agent to sign an offer sheet during the 2025 offseason. He received a two-way qualifying offer from Houston, then signed a two-year, minimum-salary deal with Atlanta that the Rockets elected not to match.
Dante appeared in just four games for Atlanta and four for College Park this season. Prior to tearing his ACL, he was sidelined for over two weeks while going through the concussion protocol due to a head injury that he sustained while playing for the Skyhawks.
Assuming Dante goes unclaimed, which is a virtual lock due to his injury, the Hawks will carry a dead-money cap hit of $2.05MM. Dante’s contract for next season was non-guaranteed so that cap charge will come off Atlanta’s books at the end of the league year.
Jazz Cut Lonzo Ball, Chris Boucher
The Jazz have officially placed veterans Lonzo Ball and Chris Boucher on waivers, according to NBA.com’s transactions log. The moves were expected.
Utah received two second-round picks from Cleveland for taking on Ball’s $10MM contract. The 28-year-old guard will be eligible to sign with any team except the Cavaliers once he clears waivers in a couple days.
Boucher was also sent to Utah in a salary-dump deal, which saw the Jazz add another second-round pick from Boston. The Canadian big man is expected to draw interest on the open market, but he won’t be able to re-sign with the Celtics.
The Jazz utilized their room beneath the luxury tax line to trade for both players. Ball was acquired using an existing traded player exception, while Boucher was added via the minimum salary exception.
Warriors Notes: JJJ, Kuminga, Giannis, Butler, Green
The Warriors made two trades prior to Thursday’s deadline, sending Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield to Atlanta for Kristaps Porzingis, then dealing Trayce Jackson-Davis to Toronto for the Lakers’ 2026 second-round pick. Porzingis and Giannis Antetokounmpo weren’t the only noteworthy big men Golden State had been eyeing, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN (Twitter video link).
“A couple weeks ago, the Warriors had some pretty extensive conversations with the Memphis Grizzlies about Jaren Jackson Jr.,” Shelburne said on NBA Today. “ … I think the Warriors were talking about (trading) two first-round picks (for Jackson)…but then Giannis was maybe available and so they tabled those conversations because they needed those picks in the Giannis trade, and then Utah came in with three-first round picks (for Jackson).”
Here’s more on the Warriors:
- Golden State selected Kuminga seventh overall in the 2021 draft. In a statement to ESPN’s Anthony Slater (Twitter link), head coach Steve Kerr discussed the challenges Kuminga faced during his four-and-a-half years with the team. “It was a tough situation for everybody, given how raw he was when he got here and given we were still playing for championships,” Kerr said. “He needed the runway to make more mistakes. He needed the experience of being in the NBA and understanding what it was about. For him, it was very tough not being allowed to make those mistakes. For us as a staff, it was tricky trying to develop him while we were trying to win. I think it’s as simple as that. Everybody liked him. I liked him. He’s a really good guy. Very personable. Well-liked in the locker room. Just a tough fit.”
- The Warriors were relieved to move on from the drama created by Kuminga’s tenure, writes Nick Friedell of The Athletic. They’re also “somewhat optimistic” they’ll be able to revisit Giannis trade talks with the Bucks in the summer, according to Friedell.
- Jimmy Butler will undergo surgery to repair the torn ACL in his right knee on February 9, the team announced today (Twitter link via Friedell). The six-time All-Star forward suffered the injury on Jan. 19.
- Veteran forward/center Draymond Green will remain with the Warriors past the deadline, Slater confirms. The team thinks Porzingis — assuming he’s healthy — will be a good fit alongside Green in the frontcourt, Slater writes. Green was part of Golden State’s offer for Antetokounmpo, but there was never any momentum on a deal, Slater adds.
Sixers Sign Patrick Baldwin Jr. To 10-Day Deal
4:27 pm: The Sixers have officially signed Baldwin to a 10-day deal, per the transaction log at NBA.com.
3:23 pm: The Sixers plan to sign free agent forward Patrick Baldwin Jr. to a 10-day contract, according to Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports (Twitter link).
The 28th overall pick in the 2022 draft, Baldwin has appeared in 95 regular season games for the Warriors, Wizards, and Clippers since making his NBA debut. He finished last season on a two-way contract with L.A. and rejoined the team for training camp before being waived at the end of the preseason.
Baldwin, who signed a 10-day deal with the Clips last month, has spent the majority of the season in the G League with the San Diego Clippers. The 23-year-old has averaged 21.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.4 steals on .530/.343/.667 shooting in 25 NBAGL games (33.6 MPG).
Philadelphia traded Jared McCain and Eric Gordon prior to Thursday’s deadline without acquiring any players in return, enabling the team to dip below the luxury tax line, add draft assets, and open two roster spots. The 76ers will soon have 14 players on their standard roster, as they’re adding Baldwin and re-signed Charles Bassey to a second 10-day deal.
Two-way forward Jabari Walker reached his 50-game limit on Tuesday and will be ineligible to play for the rest of the season unless Philadelphia converts him to a standard deal. Assuming that happens, the 76ers would have a full 15-man standard roster, which would give them the option of keeping Dominick Barlow on a two-way deal for the time being — he can still be active for 10 more games.
The Sixers would have to maintain a full 15-man roster in order to continue using Barlow on his two-way contract, since they’ve hit their “under-15” limit for two-way players — teams can only use their two-way players for a combined total of 90 games while they’re carrying fewer than 15 players on standard contracts. Philadelphia, which has been carrying just 14 players for most of the season, recently reached that 90-game limit.
Bulls’ Yabusele Declines 2026/27 Player Option
Before he was officially traded to the Bulls, veteran big man Guerschon Yabusele worked with the Knicks to adjust his contract, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network (Twitter link).
Yabusele’s deal included a $5.78MM player option for the 2026/27 season that was reducing his trade value, since potential trade partners had no interest in taking on that salary with the Frenchman having a down year in ’25/26. However, he declined that player option as part of his move to Chicago, Johnson reports, and is now on track for unrestricted free agency this summer.
According to Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic (Twitter link), there’s a very real chance that Yabusele, a former EuroLeague star, will head back overseas next season.
It’s worth noting that Yabusele was recently linked to Hapoel Tel Aviv in Israel and several European teams are reportedly monitoring his situation. But he’s expected to remain with Chicago for the rest of the season.
As Ian Begley of SNY.tv writes (via Twitter), Yabusele declining his player option helped grease the wheels not only on the deal that sent him to Chicago but also helped the Knicks acquire Jose Alvarado from New Orleans. Begley hears Yabusele, who has received limited run this season, will be given an opportunity to play for the Bulls.
The Bulls will benefit from Yabusele’s decision financially, as they’ll have extra cap room in 2026. The player they traded away — former first-round pick Dalen Terry — would have been eligible for restricted free agency.
No Trades Involving Morant, Kawhi, Sabonis, Zion, More
The Bucks informed rival teams a few hours ahead of Thursday’s deadline that they wouldn’t be trading superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, and several other noteworthy players will remain with their respective teams after the deadline passed at 2:00 pm CT.
Point guard Ja Morant was available on the trade market for at least four weeks, but even after lowering their asking price, the Grizzlies were unable to find a taker for the two-time All-Star, confirms Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints (via Twitter). According to Siegel, Memphis will revisit trade talks for Morant in the offseason.
According to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link), while a few teams were “intrigued” by the 26-year-old’s talent, none were willing to make a “serious offer.” The Kings, Bucks, Heat and Timberwolves were all linked to Morant in recent days, though there’s no indication that talks ever reached an advanced stage.
As Siegel writes, the Grizzlies were looking for a first-round pick for the two-time All-Star, but no teams were willing to meet that asking price. Miami, for instance, was only willing to give up expiring contracts and second-round picks for Morant, sources tell Siegel.
Morant’s injury history and maximum-salary contract limited his appeal on the trade market, per Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal. The former No. 2 overall pick is on a guaranteed deal that runs through 2027/28.
“You’re committing to several years, and if it doesn’t work, you’re probably carrying that contract until it’s an expiring at least,” one league source told Afseth. “Most teams would want to be compensated just to take that deal on, whether they believe in Morant or not.”
The Clippers made a pair of major trades, swapping James Harden for Darius Garland and sending Ivica Zubac to Indiana for two first-round picks, one second-rounder, Bennedict Mathurin and Isaiah Jackson. All-Star Kawhi Leonard won’t be going anywhere though, tweets NBA insider Chris Haynes.
Two-time All-NBA big man Domantas Sabonis, who was repeatedly linked to Toronto until Sacramento’s talks with the Raptors “flat-lined,” will stay put with the Kings, sources tell Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link). The Kings were also unable to find suitable deals for Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Malik Monk, per Haynes (Twitter link).
Jarrett Allen (Cavaliers), Lauri Markkanen (Jazz), LaMelo Ball (Hornets), and Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III and Herbert Jones of the Pelicans are among the other noteworthy players whose names came up in trade speculation this season who will remain with their respective clubs.
Of course, we saw a flurry of trades that did transpire in the lead-up to the deadline. The full list can be found here.