NBA Announces Competitors For Slam Dunk, Shooting Stars All-Star Events
The Spurs‘ Carter Bryant, the Lakers‘ Jaxson Hayes, the Heat‘s Keshad Johnson and the Magic‘s Jase Richardson have been named the participants in the All-Star Slam Dunk competition, the league announced in a press release. It will be held next Saturday at the Clippers’ new Intuit Dome.
All four players will be making their event debuts. Richardson, a rookie guard, does have a familial connection with the contest. He is the son of two-time Slam Dunk champion Jason Richardson (2002 and 2003).
The league also announced the teams for the Shooting Stars competition on Saturday. Four teams of three – each featuring two NBA players and one NBA legend – will compete in the event.
- Team All-Star: Raptors star Scottie Barnes and Thunder big man Chet Holmgren will be joined by three-time All-Star Richard Hamilton.
- Team Cameron: Three Duke University alums will team up, with Hawks All-Star Jalen Johnson and Hornets star rookie Kon Knueppel being joined by former 14-year NBA veteran Corey Maggette.
- Team Harper: Five-time NBA champion Ron Harper Sr. pairs up with his sons, Spurs guard Dylan Harper and Celtics swingman Ron Harper Jr.
- Team Knicks: Knicks teammates and All-Stars Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns will team up with Allan Houston, who made two NBA All-Star teams and is now a member of New York’s front office.
The Shooting Stars will feature a two-round format, with all four teams competing in the first round and the top two advancing to the final round.
Teams will compete one at a time and have 70 seconds to score points while rotating through seven designated shooting locations around the court, with all three players on a team shooting at each spot in a set order. The team with the higher score in the final round will be crowned the champion.
Timberwolves’ Rudy Gobert Calls Out Teammates For Lack Of Effort
Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert called out his teammates’ lack of effort following a 119-115 home loss to the floundering Pelicans on Friday.
“At some point, if the players don’t have accountability, someone has to have accountability for the players,” Gobert said, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. “I’m on straight effort. I’m just talking straight effort. I’m not even getting to the basketball side of things, like there’s always mistakes are a part of the game, but the effort to me for a team that wants to play for a championship, it’s unacceptable.”
The four-time Defensive Player of the Year didn’t mention any player in particular. However, Krawczynski noted that while the team’s other stars — Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle — scored a combined 59 points, they didn’t appear locked in on the other end of the floor.
Gobert implored the coaches to bench players if they’re not giving their all.
“It should start with ourselves, but it seems like we don’t have that, so I think at some point (it has to come) from the coaches,” Gobert said. “It’s not an easy position for a coach to take guys out of the game. It’s not something that you want to do, but I think if the players don’t show any effort, at some point, no matter how talented we are as a team, if you don’t have that, you just can’t be a winning team.”
Minnesota has lost eight of its last 15 games, ranking 18th in the league defensively during that span. Gobert didn’t give himself a free pass after Pelicans forward Zion Williamson powered for 29 points, mostly near the rim.
“It starts with me. If I’m not showing effort, bench me,” Gobert said. “Take me out of the game. Everybody else will follow. Our best players, leaders, if we don’t show any effort, it doesn’t matter if you score 50, we’re not going to win.”
At 32-21, the Timberwolves sit in sixth place of the Western Conference standings, barely above the play-in line.
“We want to be a championship team. We want to lift that trophy in June,” Gobert said. “This is a lesson that we need to get right now. It starts at the top.”
Bulls, Hornets Amend Coby White Trade
The Bulls and Hornets have amended the terms of the trade that sent Coby White to Charlotte after a physical revealed the seventh-year guard had a left calf injury, which will require him to miss some games, league sources tell Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link).
On the NBA’s official injury report, White is listed as out due to a left calf strain.
White, who turns 26 years old later this month, had played in 11 of Chicago’s last 12 games before being traded to Charlotte, but Hornets president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson suggested White would likely be held out through the All-Star break because of his calf injury.
The Hornets originally agreed to send three second-round picks — the Nuggets’ or Hornets’ 2029 selection (whichever was least favorable), the Nuggets’ 2031 pick, and the Knicks’ 2031 second — to the Bulls in the deal. According to Katz, the Hornets will retain that 2029 pick and will send Chicago the two second-rounders in 2031.
The full deal saw White and Mike Conley head to Charlotte for Collin Sexton, Ousmane Dieng and the pair of 2031 second-round picks. Conley was subsequently waived by the Hornets and intends to rejoin the Timberwolves, while the Bulls rerouted Dieng to the Bucks for Nick Richards.
Although this is the first trade of 2025/26 in which the terms were altered due to a player’s health, it’s certainly not unprecedented. For instance, the Sixers added a second-round pick to last year’s Quentin Grimes–Caleb Martin swap when the Mavericks flagged Martin’s hip injury.
The Lakers also rescinded their deal with the Hornets last February after failing Mark Williams‘ physical, though a voided trade is obviously different than the terms being changed. After the trade deadline has passed, a trade can only be voided or accepted as is — the Hornets and Bulls agreed to amend the terms of the White deal prior to Thursday’s deadline, even though the change wasn’t reported until now.
A North Carolina native who played his college ball at UNC, White has battled calf issues on both legs this season. The impending free agent has averaged 18.6 points, 4.7 assists and 3.7 rebounds on .438/.346/.805 shooting through 29 games in ’25/26 (29.1 minutes per contest).
Mitchell: Cavs’ ‘Ceiling Is Higher’ With Harden
While several players with All-Star appearances on their NBA résumés were traded this week, only one former Most Valuable Player changed teams: James Harden.
Of the highest-impact players who were on the move this week, Harden was also the only one who was dealt to a team with title aspirations this season — Jaren Jackson Jr., Anthony Davis, and Ivica Zubac all ended up on lottery-bound clubs looking ahead to 2026/27, but the Cavaliers believe Harden will give them a better chance to contend right now.
The Cavs had their first conversation about a Harden trade six weeks ago, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter link). That lines up with the timeline provided by Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, who says the Clippers began receiving calls about Harden, Zubac, Kawhi Leonard around the time they fell to 6-21 on December 18.
At the same time, Shelburne writes, Harden’s representatives began to assess the market in the hopes of getting ahead of potential trade discussions and getting a better sense of which teams might be interested in him. According to Shelburne, a reunion with the Rockets – whose starting point guard Fred VanVleet is out with a torn ACL – was an idea that intrigued Harden, but Houston didn’t reciprocate his interest.
Cleveland, on the other hand, did show interest in Harden, viewing him as the sort of player who could get the most out of big men Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen while sharing the ball-handling responsibilities with Donovan Mitchell, per Shelburne. Darius Garland had been that player sharing the backcourt workload with Mitchell in recent years, but he has been plagued by toe issues over the past year.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Cavs president of basketball operations Koby Altman strongly denied rumors that the team was frustrated by Garland’s durability and injury prevention, referring to that reporting as “BS,” per Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link). Still Garland’s inconsistent availability this season has been an issue for a team very much in win-now mode.
According to reports from Tony Jones of The Athletic and Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required), Harden and Mitchell spoke at length on the phone on Tuesday night, a day before the Clippers and Cavaliers reached an agreement on a trade sending Garland and a second-round pick to Los Angeles for Harden. That conversation helped convince the two star guards that they wanted to team up and that they believe in the Cavs’ championship upside.
“We both know that it’s going to be an adjustment,” Mitchell told Jones. “But, we’re excited. I’m excited about what he can do for me as a player, and I’m excited about what he can do for our team as a whole. We want the same thing. We both want a championship. So, at the end of the day, we’re shooting for the same goals, and we have to go about trying to win at a high level.”
Mitchell went on to acknowledge that he’s going to have to “figure out how to play without the ball a little bit,” but he pointed out that he’s done that before and indicated he’s confident he can do it again. According to the six-time All-Star, both he and Harden are willing to do what it takes to maximize Cleveland’s potential for a title.
“Our ceiling is higher,” Mitchell told Fedor. “We all know what he brings. But with that, there is an expectation of what we have to do. We weren’t able to get it done for the past three years and now the goal is to try to get it done. This is the time. Gotta go out and do it.”
Asked about how he intends to utilize the Harden/Mitchell duo in his new-look backcourt, head coach Kenny Atkinson suggested he’s not worried about the fit, according to Fedor.
“Great players fit together,” Atkinson said. “Usually, it’s rare that that doesn’t work. So now it’s up to us as coaches and collaborating with Donovan and James on what that looks like, how that looks, what do the rotations look like, how we stagger them, how we play when each is alone on the court, how we play when they’re together. That’s all things to figure out.
“But usually when you have such talented players and I can’t emphasize this enough, high-IQ players, it makes it a heck of a lot easier for the coaching staff to figure out. I think with the great ones, you step back and let them be themselves.”
Peyton Watson Out At Least Four Weeks With Hamstring Strain
February 6: Watson is expected to be reevaluated in four weeks, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
February 5: Nuggets forward Peyton Watson has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain and is expected to be sidelined for an extended period, league sources tell Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link).
It’s a tough blow for both Watson, who will be a restricted free agent this summer, and the Nuggets, who have dealt with several injuries to key rotation players throughout the 2025/26 season.
Watson suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s loss at New York. Head coach David Adelman indicated Watson would be undergoing an MRI, which reportedly revealed the Grade 2 strain.
“Waiting to see the MRI,” Adelman said after the game. “But just seeing so much of this this year. I just feel bad for the guys in the locker room. It’s deflating when you keep seeing people go down around you when you’re trying to build towards something.”
Watson was in the midst of a breakout fourth season for Denver, averaging 14.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.0 steal on .496/.417/.727 shooting in 49 appearances (30.7 minutes per game). The 23-year-old wing has been particularly effective since the start of January, averaging 21.4 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.6 BPG and 1.1 SPG on .486/.457/.711 shooting in 18 outings (36.1 MPG).
Watson is now the second Nuggets forward recovering from a hamstring stain, as Aaron Gordon is out several weeks after aggravating a hamstring injury on his right leg. Cameron Johnson (right knee bone bruise) remains out as well — he last played on December 23.
Nikola Jokic (knee), Christian Braun (left ankle sprain) and Jonas Valanciunas (calf strain) all missed extended time this season as well, though they’re all active now.
Mike Conley Plans To Rejoin Timberwolves
Veteran point guard Mike Conley intends to re-sign with the Timberwolves after he clears waivers, sources tell ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).
Conley was traded twice this week. Minnesota originally sent him to Chicago in a salary-dump deal on Tuesday, then the Bulls flipped him to Charlotte along with Coby White. The Hornets subsequently cut him.
NBA rules prohibit a player who is traded and then waived to immediately re-sign with the team that traded him away. However, that restriction doesn’t apply to the Timberwolves because Conley was traded twice. Once he clears waivers and becomes a free agent, he’d be ineligible to re-sign with the Bulls, the last team that traded him away, but nothing would be standing in the way of a reunion with Minnesota.
Conley, who is in his 19th NBA season, became the Wolves’ starting point guard when they acquired him at the 2023 trade deadline and maintained that role through last season. However, he ceded his starting role to Donte DiVincenzo this fall and has averaged a career-low 18.5 minutes per night in 44 outings (nine starts) so far this season. His 4.4 points and 2.9 assists per game are also career lows, as is his 32.2% field goal percentage.
Despite Conley’s declining production, there were rumblings ahead of the trade deadline that the team wasn’t eager to move the 38-year-old due to his locker room leadership. With that in mind, getting the opportunity to move off of the guard’s $10.8MM expiring contract and then bring him back on a prorated minimum-salary deal represents the best of both worlds for the Wolves.
Minnesota has two open spots on its 15-man roster following its deadline moves, so no corresponding move will be necessary to create room for Conley.
According to Charania, the two sides are working on the timing of the deal. Conley will clear waivers on Saturday afternoon, but the Wolves may not re-sign him immediately since doing so would increase their projected luxury tax penalty and move them closer to the first tax apron.
Grizzlies Plan To Trade Ja Morant In Offseason
Two-time All-Star Ja Morant was among the most notable trade candidates who wasn’t on the move this week, but the Grizzlies‘ decision to hang onto him after trading away Jaren Jackson Jr. shouldn’t be viewed as a change in the team’s direction, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic.
League sources tell Vardon that the Grizzlies will revisit Morant trade talks during the 2026 offseason and intend to move him at that time.
Vardon’s report comes as no surprise. Memphis acquired a total of seven first-round picks and a first-round swap in trades involving Desmond Bane (last summer) and Jackson (on Tuesday), and has clearly pivoted to rebuilding around its younger core, led by Cedric Coward, Zach Edey, and Jaylen Wells.
Still, it will be interesting to see how Memphis handles Morant in the next couple months. The 26-year-old is currently sidelined due to a sprained elbow, but that injury likely isn’t significant enough to end his season.
The Grizzlies – who have slipped out of the play-in picture at 20-29 – may be inclined to tank down the stretch in the hopes of maximizing their draft lottery position, which could mean holding out Morant for longer than they normally would. But they’ll have to weigh the merit of that approach against the possible benefits of reinserting the point guard into their lineup and giving him the opportunity to rebuild his trade value — at least to some extent.
Chris Mannix of SI.com wrote earlier this week that “availability, attitude and diminished production” are among the concerns potential suitors had about Morant, and it’s safe to assume his maximum-salary contract – which will pay him $87MM for the two seasons after this one – is another red flag. He wouldn’t be able to assuage all of those concerns with a strong finish to the season, but it might help improve offers from potential trade partners this summer.
Those offers were reportedly too underwhelming for the Grizzlies to seriously consider making a deal prior to Thursday’s deadline, despite the fact that they signaled they’d be willing to take on long-term salary if it came attached to stronger draft compensation.
The Heat, Kings, Bucks, and Timberwolves were linked to Morant this week. That list of possible suitors could grow – or at least change – this summer, depending on which direction certain teams take and which clubs become more motivated to shake up their rosters as a result of early postseason exits.
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.
2026 NBA Trade Deadline Recap
Just over a month ago, some NBA executives were predicting a quiet trade deadline. And entering this past weekend, it looked like we might be headed that way, with just one trade – the Wizards acquiring Trae Young – having been completed through the first three-plus months of the 2025/26 season.
But that changed in a major way this week, with 28 separate deals completed between Sunday and Thursday. Twenty-seven of the NBA’s 30 teams took part in at least one trade this week — only the Heat, Rockets, and Spurs stood pat.
In total, 69 players on NBA rosters changed teams at least once in this week’s trades, including 67 players on standard contracts and a pair on two-way deals. Four more players’ draft rights were included in deals, for a total of 73 players on the move.
According to the NBA (Twitter link), the 28 trades made and 73 players dealt during deadline week both represent new records.
Two-time Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo, this winter’s most intriguing trade candidate, wasn’t among the group of players on the move. But another former MVP (James Harden) was, and so was a former Defensive Player of the Year (Jaren Jackson Jr.).
Anthony Davis and Darius Garland were among the other multi-time All-Stars dealt, along with Nikola Vucevic, Khris Middleton, and Chris Paul. And All-Defensive center Ivica Zubac headlined a group of high-level role players involved in this week’s trades.
Thanks for following along with us at Hoops Rumors. Here’s a recap of all of 2026’s deadline deals, with the details reported and announced so far:
Trades completed during deadline week
The Cavaliers and Clippers swap star point guards (story)
- Cavaliers acquire James Harden.
- Clippers acquire Darius Garland and the Cavaliers’ 2026 second-round pick.
The rebuilding Jazz become a buyer and upgrade their frontcourt (story)
- Jazz acquire Jaren Jackson Jr., John Konchar, Vince Williams Jr., and Jock Landale.
- Grizzlies acquire Kyle Anderson, Georges Niang, Taylor Hendricks, Walter Clayton, the Lakers’ 2027 first-round pick (top-four protected); either the Cavaliers’, Timberwolves’, or Jazz’s 2027 first-round pick (whichever is most favorable); and the Suns’ 2031 first-round pick.
The rebuilding Wizards become a buyer and upgrade their frontcourt (story)
- Wizards acquire Anthony Davis, Jaden Hardy, D’Angelo Russell, and Dante Exum.
- Mavericks acquire Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Marvin Bagley III, Tyus Jones, either the Thunder’s, Rockets’ (top-four protected), or Clippers’ 2026 first-round pick (whichever is least favorable); the Warriors’ 2030 first-round pick (top-20 protected); the Suns’ 2026 second-round pick; the Bulls’ 2027 second-round pick; and the Rockets’ 2029 second-round pick.
- Hornets acquire Malaki Branham.
The Pacers land their new starting center (story)
- Pacers acquire Ivica Zubac and Kobe Brown.
- Clippers acquire Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, the Pacers’ 2026 first-round pick (top-four protected; 10-30 protected), the Pacers’ 2029 first-round pick, and the Mavericks’ 2028 second-round pick.
- Note: If the Pacers’ 2026 first-round pick falls in its protected range, the Clippers will instead receive the Pacers’ 2031 first-round pick.
The Warriors bring the Kuminga saga to an end (story)
- Warriors acquire Kristaps Porzingis.
- Hawks acquire Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield.
The red-hot Hornets add a potential long-term cornerstone to their backcourt (story)
- Hornets acquire Coby White and Mike Conley.
- Bulls acquire Collin Sexton, Ousmane Dieng, the Nuggets’ 2031 second-round pick, and the Knicks’ 2031 second-round pick.
- Note: The Hornets also sent a 2029 second-round pick to the Bulls in the original version of this trade, but the two teams agreed to remove it after White’s physical exam revealed a calf issue.
The Timberwolves belatedly bring in a Nickeil Alexander-Walker replacement (story)
- Timberwolves acquire Ayo Dosunmu and Julian Phillips.
- Bulls acquire Rob Dillingham, Leonard Miller, either the Nuggets’ or Warriors’ 2026 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable); the Cavaliers’ 2027 second-round pick; either the Timberwolves’ or Warriors’ 2031 pick (whichever is most favorable); and either the Suns’ or Rockets’ 2032 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable).
The Celtics save some money and fortify their frontcourt (story)
- Celtics acquire Nikola Vucevic and the Nuggets’ 2027 second-round pick.
- Bulls acquire Anfernee Simons and either the Pelicans’, Trail Blazers’, Timberwolves’, or Knicks’ 2026 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable).
The Cavaliers reshape their rotation while the Kings upsize on the wing (story)
- Cavaliers acquire Keon Ellis, Dennis Schröder, and Emanuel Miller (two-way).
- Kings acquire De’Andre Hunter.
- Bulls acquire Dario Saric, the Nuggets’ 2027 second-round pick (from Cavaliers), and either the Pistons’, Bucks’, or Knicks’ 2029 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable; from Kings).
The Lakers add some outside shooting (story)
- Lakers acquire Luke Kennard.
- Hawks acquire Gabe Vincent and the Lakers’ 2032 second-round pick.
Oklahoma City uses its draft-pick surplus to roll the dice on a promising youngster (story)
- Thunder acquire Jared McCain.
- Sixers acquire either the Thunder’s, Rockets’ (top-four protected), or Clippers’ 2026 first-round pick (whichever is second-most favorable); either the Thunder’s, Rockets’, Pacers’, or Heat’s 2027 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable); the Thunder’s 2028 second-round pick; and the Bucks’ 2028 second-round pick.
The Knicks create a little cap flexibility… (story)
- Bulls acquire Guerschon Yabusele and cash ($500K).
- Knicks acquire Dalen Terry.
… and add a New York native to their backcourt rotation (story)
- Knicks acquire Jose Alvarado and the draft rights to Latavious Williams.
- Pelicans acquire Dalen Terry, either the Magic’s, Bucks’, or Pistons’ 2026 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable), either the Pacers’, Heat’s, Rockets’, or Thunder’s 2027 second-round pick (whichever is second-most favorable), and cash.
The Bulls take a shot on a former lottery pick while the Pistons bring in a shooter (story)
- Pistons acquire Kevin Huerter, Dario Saric, and the right to swap their 2026 first-round pick for the Timberwolves’ 2026 first-round pick (top-19 protected).
- Bulls acquire Jaden Ivey and Mike Conley.
- Timberwolves acquire cash ($1.1MM; from Pistons).
The Raptors avoid the tax, the Nets use their cap room, and the Clippers and CP3 finally part ways officially (story)
- Raptors acquire Chris Paul.
- Nets acquire Ochai Agbaji, the Raptors’ 2032 second-round pick, and cash ($3.5MM; from Clippers).
- Clippers acquire the draft rights to Vanja Marinkovic.
The Raptors add some depth up front (story)
- Raptors acquire Trayce Jackson-Davis.
- Warriors acquire the Lakers’ 2026 second-round pick.
The Suns get out of the tax while the Bulls and Bucks add some size (story)
- Bulls acquire Nick Richards.
- Bucks acquire Ousmane Dieng, Nigel Hayes-Davis, and cash ($4.5MM; from Suns).
- Suns acquire Cole Anthony and Amir Coffey.
A journeyman center joins his fifth team in five NBA seasons (story)
- Hawks acquire Jock Landale.
- Jazz acquire cash.
Portland acquires a shooter (story)
- Trail Blazers acquire Vit Krejci.
- Hawks acquire Duop Reath, the Hawks’ 2027 second-round pick, and the Knicks’ 2030 second-round pick.
- Note: The Hawks’ 2027 second-round pick was previously traded to the Trail Blazers.
The Sixers make room under the tax to sign Dominick Barlow (story)
- Grizzlies acquire Eric Gordon and the right to swap their 2032 second-round pick for the Sixers’ 2032 second-round pick.
- Sixers acquire the draft rights to Justinian Jessup.
Cleveland bails on a disappointing offseason acquisition (story)
- Jazz acquire Lonzo Ball, the Cavaliers’ 2028 second-round pick, and the Cavaliers’ 2032 second-round pick.
- Cavaliers acquire cash.
The Celtics sneak below the tax line, part one (story)
- Jazz acquire Chris Boucher, the Nuggets’ 2027 second-round pick, and cash.
- Celtics acquire John Tonje (two-way).
The Celtics sneak below the tax line, part two (story)
- Nets acquire Josh Minott.
- Celtics acquire cash ($110K).
The Celtics sneak below the tax line, part three (story)
- Hornets acquire Xavier Tillman Sr. and cash ($3.5MM).
- Celtics acquire the Hornets’ 2030 second-round pick (top-55 protected).
The Magic avoid being a taxpayer (story)
- Hornets acquire Tyus Jones, either the Magic’s or Celtics’ 2027 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable), and the Magic’s 2028 second-round pick.
- Magic acquire cash.
The Nuggets duck the tax (story)
- Nets acquire Hunter Tyson and the Nuggets’ 2032 second-round pick.
- Nuggets acquire either the Clippers’ or Hawks’ 2026 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable).
The first of three Ousmane Dieng trades helps Oklahoma City avoid the tax (story)
- Hornets acquire Ousmane Dieng and either the Hawks’ or Heat’s 2029 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable).
- Thunder acquire Mason Plumlee.
Two Northwest rivals make a minor move (story)
- Thunder acquire the draft rights to Balsa Koprivica.
- Jazz acquire cash.
Notable trade candidates who stayed put
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks (story)
- Ja Morant, Grizzlies (story)
- Domantas Sabonis, Kings (story)
- Zach LaVine (Kings)
- DeMar DeRozan (Kings)
- Malik Monk (Kings)
- Trey Murphy III (Pelicans)
- Herbert Jones (Pelicans)
- Zion Williamson (Pelicans)
- Yves Missi (Pelicans)
- Michael Porter Jr. (Nets)
- Jarrett Allen (Cavaliers)
- Daniel Gafford (Mavericks)
- Kyle Kuzma (Bucks)
- Bobby Portis (Bucks)
Players waived on deadline day
Officially released:
- Lonzo Ball, Jazz (story)
- Chris Boucher, Jazz (story)
- Mike Conley, Hornets (story)
- Pat Connaughton, Hornets (story)
- N’Faly Dante, Hawks (story)
- Nigel Hayes-Davis, Bucks (story)
- Haywood Highsmith, Nets (story)
- Tyrese Martin, Nets (story)
- Georges Niang, Grizzlies (story)
- Mason Plumlee, Thunder (story)
- Duop Reath, Hawks (story)
- Cam Thomas, Nets (story)
- Hunter Tyson, Nets (story)
Expected to be waived:
- Eric Gordon, Grizzlies (story)
- Chris Paul, Raptors (story)
Nets Waive Cam Thomas
9:50 pm: The Nets have officially waived Thomas in order to complete their acquisition of Josh Minott.
2:10 pm: After not trading him at today’s deadline, the Nets are waiving fifth-year guard Cam Thomas, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
Assuming Thomas goes unclaimed on waivers, he’ll be eligible to sign with any NBA team that has room on its roster and under its hard cap for him.
Thomas wasn’t with the Nets on their flight to Orlando on Wednesday and was listed as out for tonight’s game due to personal reasons, so there were hints that a split was coming.
He held a de facto no-trade clause after signing his qualifying offer as a restricted free agent last summer, which limited Brooklyn’s ability to move him. The Cavaliers and Bucks were mentioned as possibilities, but no trade emerged before the deadline.
Thomas and his representatives were hoping the Nets would release him if he wasn’t traded so he could pick his next team once he clears waivers, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link).
Thomas shared his outlook with Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter link), saying, “Super excited ready to actually help and contribute to another team. My next team is getting elite scoring, good play-making and a good combo guard.”
Thomas has been a reliable scorer for Brooklyn, but injuries have limited his playing time as he appeared in just 25 games last season and 24 this year. The Nets didn’t make a strong effort to work out a long-term contract in free agency, and it became clear that his future was probably with another team.