Latest On Clippers, James Harden
The Clippers were “stunned” to learn that James Harden wanted out of Los Angeles, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, who reports (via Twitter) that Harden and his camp expressed his desire to be traded.
However, Harden must have informed the team some time ago, as Siegel and his ClutchPoints colleague Tomer Azarly hear Harden and the Clippers have been discussing the possibility of parting ways for “weeks” (Twitter link). L.A. has strong interest in Darius Garland, per Siegel and Azarly.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported earlier that the Clippers and Harden were working together to try and find a suitable deal by Thursday’s deadline. The Cavaliers appear to be the frontrunner to land the 11-time All-Star, but other teams appear to be in the mix as well.
According to Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports, rival teams have speculated that Harden’s contract may be at the center of the trade request. The 36-year-old has a player option for 2026/27 worth $42.32MM, but only $13.32MM of that figure is guaranteed.
The Cavs are seeking draft compensation, particularly a first-round pick or swap, to trade Garland for Harden, sources tell Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated (Twitter link). The Clippers have balked at that idea, says Mannix.
Appearing on SportsCenter (Twitter video link), Charania reports that Harden has expressed reservations about his future with the Clippers. The eight-time All-NBA is hoping to land with a championship contender, according to Charania, who confirms the Cavaliers are one of the main suitors for Harden.
Sources tell Azarly and Siegel that Harden was hoping to sign a two-year, $80MM (guaranteed) deal to remain with the Clippers this summer, but the team is unwilling to go beyond one year. There’s still a chance Harden remains with the Clippers past the deadline, Azarly and Siegel add.
The Cavaliers are believed to have asked about the Clippers’ 2030 first-round pick, sources tell ClutchPoints.
The Timberwolves are among the teams with interest in Harden, but they didn’t have traction on a potential trade as of Monday night, per ClutchPoints. The Raptors and Pelicans also inquired about Harden, but the 17-year veteran has “no interest” in being traded to either team, according to Azarly and Siegel.
After Monday’s loss to Philadelphia, Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue was asked about the situation. While he declined to talk specifics, he made it clear how he feels about Harden, saying the star guard “means a lot” to the organization, per Ramona Shelburne of ESPN (Twitter link).
Clippers, Cavs Reportedly Discussing Harden/Garland Trade
The Clippers and Cavaliers have had advanced talks about a blockbuster trade that would send James Harden to Cleveland and Darius Garland to Los Angeles, sources tell Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated.
Harden, a 6’5″ guard, missed his second straight game on Monday due to personal reasons. Head coach Tyronn Lue said the former league MVP was at his home in Phoenix, but he didn’t elaborate further (Twitter link via Joey Linn).
Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports also hears the Cavaliers are trying to acquire Harden, citing league sources who say Cleveland has been interested in the 36-year-old since December, when L.A. was off to a miserable start.
The Clippers, meanwhile, have a “longstanding interest” in two-time All-Star Garland, a 6’1″ guard who has battled injuries in 2025/26. The former No. 5 overall pick, who turned 26 last week, has missed Cleveland’s last eight games with a Grade 1 right great toe sprain.
Garland underwent surgery over the offseason to address a great toe injury on his left foot. He missed the first eight games of ’25/26 while recovering from that surgery, then re-injured his left big toe in November, causing him to miss another five games (eight if you include not playing both ends of back-to-backs).
Shams Charania of ESPN reports (via Twitter) that the Clippers and Harden are working together to find the three-time scoring champion a new team before Thursday’s deadline.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported on SportsCenter earlier on Monday (YouTube link) that the Cavaliers were considering making a major trade, and this would certainly qualify. While they’ve played better recently, the Cavs have fallen short of expectations this season in part due to injuries, currently holding a 30-21 record after going 64-18 last year.
Although the Cavs are the only NBA team over the second tax apron, a straight-up swap of Garland ($39.45MM) for Harden ($39.18MM) would be legal because Garland makes slightly more money. The Clips also have enough space below their hard cap to take on Garland’s extra salary, tweets cap expert Yossi Gozlan.
As ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (via Twitter), Harden has an implicit no-trade clause after signing a one-plus-one deal (one-year contract with a player option in year two) to re-sign with Los Angeles last summer. He also has a 15% trade kicker, though he likely wouldn’t receive the full amount of that bonus if he’s dealt to the Cavs due to the team’s cap situation.
Only $13.32MM of Harden’s $42.32MM salary for next season is guaranteed. But he also could turn that player option down in lieu of a new contract. If Harden agrees to be traded and turns down his option, he would lose his Bird rights, notes Gozlan (Twitter link), but his salary for this season is still large enough that he could get a major payday using Non-Bird rights.
Garland, meanwhile, is in the third season of a five-year, rookie scale max extension. He will earn a guaranteed $42.16MM in ’26/27 and $44.89MM in ’27/28.
As Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal writes, rival teams have gotten the impression Garland prefers to be a team’s primary ball-handler, rather than acting in a both on- and off-ball role alongside Donovan Mitchell. There have long been questions about Garland’s fit next to Mitchell, as both are point guard-sized and neither is a great defender, though Mitchell at least has the strength to guard up a spot or two.
Harden has averaged 25.4 points, 8.1 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals on .419/.347/.901 shooting in 44 games this season (35.3 minutes per contest). Garland has made 26 appearances (30.5 MPG), averaging 18.0 PPG, 6.9 APG and 2.4 RPG on .451/.360/.861 shooting
Latest On Giannis Antetokounmpo
Will the Bucks trade Giannis Antetokounmpo prior to Thursday at 2:00 pm CT? That’s the biggest question in the NBA right now.
Appearing on SportsCenter on Monday evening (Twitter video link), ESPN’s Shams Charania provided some new details on the situation, reporting that the Warriors, Heat, Timberwolves and Knicks have all made offers for the two-time MVP.
Charania reiterated that Milwaukee, which has made counteroffers to some proposals, continues to look for a “young blue-chip talent and/or a surplus of [first-round] draft picks.”
“My understanding is the Warriors have made a pick-heavy offer, Minnesota is more of a player-centric offer, and Miami is somewhere in the middle,” Charania said. “… The Bucks are going to have to choose: do we take one of these offers and continue to negotiate? [Or wait until the offseason]?”
It’s worth noting that neither the Knicks nor the Timberwolves have first-round picks to offer in a trade (New York technically controls Washington’s 2026 first-rounder, but it’s top-eight protected and highly likely to turn into two second-round picks). In a SportsCenter appearance earlier on Monday (YouTube link), Charania’s colleague Brian Windhorst said the Knicks aren’t acting as though they plan to go all-in for Giannis.
“I just don’t think that is something that is really hot right now,” Windhorst said. “… It’s very likely for the Knicks to outbid some of the other teams that are going for Giannis that they would need to involve a third team. But they have not been active in doing that as far as I have been told. If all of a sudden that changes and they start offering players to go pick up assets, that would indicate that they’re going after Giannis.
“They have talked to the Bucks. I think they are in the conversation, but I don’t think it’s something they’re aggressively pursuing. And that kind of makes sense — they’re playing some of their best basketball right now.”
On NBA Today (YouTube link), Windhorst called the Timberwolves a “long shot” to acquire Antetokounmpo, but that doesn’t mean they’re not trying.
“They are in the game for Giannis,” Windhorst said. “And unlike some of these other teams, which may not be as aggressive, when Shams says an aggressive team, he’s talking about the Wolves. Because they are out there recruiting third and fourth teams to try to improve their offer to see if they can get Giannis.
“If they don’t [get Giannis], which I think it’s a long shot, you could see them making a backup deal [for] a guard.”
A league source tells Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald that the Heat’s offer for Antetokounmpo is “widely expected” to feature Kel’el Ware, Tyler Herro, Terry Rozier‘s expiring contract, at least one more young player, both of their tradable first-round picks (2030 and 2032), and potentially pick swaps in 2026, 2029 and 2031.
While they’re unable to include a third first-rounder right now due to the Stepien rule, the Heat might need to acquire one to sweeten their offer, and Jackson suggests a few ways they could pull that off, including amending the protections on the pick they owe the Hornets.
Appearing on SiriusXM NBA Radio with Zach Harper (Twitter video link), NBA insider Marc Stein gave his take on situation, saying “it’s really hard to call” whether Giannis will be traded in the next few days.
“I think [rival] teams themselves are trying to make sense of it, and trying to gauge how serious the Bucks are,” Stein said. “The reality is they are fielding interest and they are talking about the concept of a Giannis trade with more intensity and seriousness than has ever been applied to it.”
Writing at his Substack, Stein says the Bucks continue to hold out hope that they may be able to convince the nine-time All-NBA member to stay in Milwaukee, as unlikely as that seems at the moment.
Siegel’s Latest: Bitadze, Spurs, Celtics, Drummond, Nuggets
Of the three players (Tyus Jones, Goga Bitadze and Jonathan Isaac) the Magic have made available in an effort to dip below the luxury tax line, Bitadze has drawn the most trade interest, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.
Citing league sources, Siegel says the Spurs are one of the teams intrigued by the 26-year-old center, who has been repeatedly linked to Toronto in 2025/26. Bitadze was also mentioned as a possible Knicks target on Saturday.
Robert Williams of the Trail Blazers is another big man the Spurs might be interested in, according to Siegel, who hears injured Blazers wing Matisse Thybulle could be a buyout candidate if he isn’t moved prior to the February 5 deadline.
Here’s more from Siegel:
- Ownership hasn’t put any pressure on president of basketball operations Brad Stevens to reduce the Celtics‘ luxury tax bill ahead of the deadline, sources tell Siegel. Anfernee Simons has long been viewed as a possible trade chip, Siegel notes, and while there’s still a chance he could be moved if Boston can find a frontcourt upgrade, the 26-year-old combo guard has played well in his first season in Boston, which has exceeded outside expectations in ’25/26.
- The Sixers are reportedly open to trading Andre Drummond, who is on an expiring $5MM contract. Moving the 32-year-old center, who has led the league in rebounds per game four times, would put Philadelphia below the tax after the team received a variance credit following Paul George‘s 25-game suspension. Siegel hears the Rockets are a team with some interest in Drummond. Houston recently lost backup center Steven Adams for the remainder of the season due to a Grade 3 left ankle sprain, which required surgery.
- The Nuggets, who are about $400K over the tax threshold, have talked to the Jazz about a trade that would send Hunter Tyson to Utah, according to Siegel, who suggests Denver might put protections on its lone second-round pick (2032) in that sort of cost-cutting deal.
Spurs’ Mitch Johnson To Coach All-Star Game
Mitch Johnson, who is in his first full season as head coach of the Spurs, has clinched the second of three coaching spots for the All-Star game, per Michael C. Wright of ESPN. Johnson earned the honor on Sunday night, when San Antonio (33-16) defeated Orlando and Denver (33-17) lost to Oklahoma City.
“It would be an honor and humbling to be able to be a part of All-Star Weekend with the best players in this league,” Johnson said. “The league always does a great job of putting a great weekend on. It’s an example of and a reflection of the work that these guys have put in.”
David Adelman of the Nuggets, who is also in his first full season as a head coach, just missed out for the Western Conference. J.B. Bickerstaff (Pistons) wrapped up the East’s coaching spot on January 24.
The Thunder have the best record in the NBA for the second straight year, but Mark Daigneault is ineligible after coaching the All-Star game last season. The league previously announced that the coach of the Western team with the second-best record on Feb. 1 would earn the second spot.
The NBA hasn’t announced how the third coach will be decided, Wright notes.
Johnson is the second Spurs coach in franchise history to be named head coach of the All-Star game, joining Hall of Famer Gregg Popovich, according to Wright.
San Antonio went 34-48 last season, a 12-win improvement over 2023/24, when the team was 22-60. The Spurs are currently on pace to win 55 games, which would be their best season since ’16/17.
Stephen Curry Out Tuesday, Considered Day-To-Day
Warriors star Stephen Curry was forced to exit Friday’s loss to Detroit after aggravating a right knee injury he first experienced a week prior. As Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area writes, the 37-year-old guard underwent an MRI on Saturday, which didn’t reveal a serious injury.
Curry was diagnosed with patellofemoral pain syndrome — also known as runner’s knee — and is considered day-to-day. According to ESPN’s Anthony Slater (Twitter link), the 12-time All-Star is receiving regular treatment on his ailing right knee and will miss Tuesday’s game vs. Philadelphia.
“That’s up to [Warriors director of sports medicine and performance] Rick [Celebrini], and Steph. As soon as Rick tells me he can play, obviously he’ll play,” head coach Steve Kerr said Monday (Twitter video link via Joseph Dycus of The Mercury News). “But they’re working together every day. I don’t have an answer for you, though.”
Jonathan Kuminga, who is recovering from a bone bruise in his left knee, will miss his fifth straight game Tuesday, tweets Nick Friedell of The Athletic.
According to Poole, the Warriors issued an update on Seth Curry (sciatic nerve irritation) over the weekend. The younger brother has resumed on-court workouts and will miss at least two more weeks, which is when he’ll be reevaluated.
Mavs Rumors: AD, Russell, Marshall, Christie, Dirk, GM
Within a story about the one-year anniversary of the shocking Luka Doncic trade, Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link) shares several rumors related to the Mavericks.
According to Stein’s sources, the Mavs “continue to welcome” trade inquiries on Anthony Davis in advance of the February 5 deadline. That said, Stein hears Dallas doesn’t feel pressure to deal Davis and is ready to keep him on the roster into the offseason, and Davis seems to prefer that outcome as well.
The 32-year-old big man is currently recovering from ligament damage in his left hand. He has been limited to just 29 games with Dallas since the team acquired him last February, Stein notes.
Here’s more from Stein on the Mavs:
- While the team remains open to trading Davis, Daniel Gafford, Klay Thompson and D’Angelo Russell, Dallas’ front office “does not want” to move Naji Marshall or Max Christie, Stein reports.
- Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported on Saturday that the Bucks showed some interest in Russell. Stein has heard that as well, but the details are a little different. Scotto wrote that the Bucks were likely seeking second-round draft compensation to take on Russell’s contract — he makes $5.7MM this season, with a $6MM player option for 2026/27. Stein clarifies that the Bucks initiated those talks, which occurred before they began listening to offers for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Citing league sources, Stein writes that Milwaukee’s interest in Russell was contingent on the veteran guard declining that player option for next season in favor of re-signing with the Bucks on a minimum-salary deal in the summer. Russell wasn’t interested in that scenario, per Stein.
- Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki has had an “open dialogue” with governor Patrick Dumont since the spring and the team “badly wants” its all-time leading scorer to return to the franchise in “any role he chooses,” according to Stein. However, Nowitzki’s current focus is on his work as a studio analyst for Prime Video and his job as a FIBA board member and global ambassador, Stein writes.
- While Dumont wants to find someone with experience to become the Mavs’ new head of basketball operations, not much else is known about the types of candidates he’s looking for. Echoing previous reporting from The Athletic, Stein hears the search process likely won’t pick up steam until the spring, but the team intends to fill the position prior to June’s draft. Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi are currently operating as the team’s co-interim general managers.
Dillon Brooks, Brandon Miller Earn Player Of Week Honors
Suns forward Dillon Brooks and Hornets forward Brandon Miller have been named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, according to the league (Twitter links).
Brooks led his team to a 3-1 record during the week of January 26 to February 1 while averaging 28.8 points per game on 54.5 percent shooting from three-point range. He also averaged 4.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists during those four contests, which included victories by double-digits over the Pistons and Cavaliers.
Miller averaged 26.3 points in just 29.8 minutes per game as the Hornets enjoyed a 4-0 week capped by a win over San Antonio The third-year wing shot 50 percent from three-point range, grabbed 5.8 rebounds per game, and made all 25 of his free throw attempts en route to his first ever Player of the Week award.
Besides being named Player of the Week for the first time in their respective careers, Brooks and Miller are each became the first player from his team to earn the honor this season.
Brooks beat out a handful of stars for the weekly awards. Luka Doncic (Lakers), Kevin Durant (Rockets), Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder) and Kawhi Leonard (Clippers) were the other Western Conference nominees.
Jarrett Allen (Cavaliers), OG Anunoby and Josh Hart (Knicks), Cade Cunningham (Pistons), Joel Embiid (Sixers) and Aaron Nesmith (Pacers) were also nominated in the East.
Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 2/2/2026
Hoops Rumors hosted a live chat today at 2:00 pm Central time (3:00 pm Eastern).
Northwest Notes: Avdija, Markkanen, Porter, DiVincenzo
For Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija, the excitement of being selected for his first All-Star appearance was mixed with a return of the back pain that has limited his playing time lately, writes Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. Avdija was forced to sit out Sunday’s loss to Cleveland, marking the third time he’s been unavailable in the past five games and his sixth absence since January 13. While Avdija is looking forward to the All-Star game, that wasn’t his priority when reporters asked him about the honor.
“I have a lot of other things I think about,” Avdija said. “We’re struggling a little bit right now as a team, so I’m thinking more about the team right now than actually the All-Star (game).”
Freeman notes that Sunday was an eventful day for the Blazers, marked by a trade with Atlanta for Vit Krejci and the return of Blake Wesley, who had been sidelined with a broken bone in his right foot since October 31. Wesley was able to play 19 minutes, finishing with five points, three rebounds and four assists, and said it felt good to be back on the court.
“I feel like I did what the team wanted me to do,” he said. “Bring the energy. Bring the spark off the bench. That’s what I’m known to do. So I’m going to continue to do that.”
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
- Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen was among this year’s most notable All-Star snubs, observes Kevin Reynolds of The Salt Lake Tribune. Markkanen, who’s averaging 27.4 points and 7.1 rebounds in 36 games, said before the reserves were announced that he thought he deserved consideration. “I think I’ve played at that level,” he said. “The NBA is really talented and there are a lot of high-level players. Obviously, that is an individual goal of mine. I hope I make it and, like I said, I’ve played at that level.”
- Michael Porter Jr. harbors no resentment toward the Nuggets for trading him. In fact, the Nets forward, who could get moved again this week, fully understands why Denver’s front office made the transaction. “I don’t look back at it with any saltiness toward the organization or anything. I think they got a lot out of trading me,” Porter told Bennett Durando of the Denver Post. “They got not only Cam (Johnson), but (Jonas) Valanciunas, Bruce (Brown), Tim Hardaway, who’s playing amazing. … I think it’s cool. And I still keep up with them. They’ve been able to stay afloat when Joker is out, AG (Aaron Gordon) is out, CB (Christian Braun) is out. And I don’t know with our roster last year, if some of those guys went down, if it would have been the same. So it probably is one of those unique trades where it kind of worked out for everybody.”
- Donte DiVincenzo of the Timberwolves credits Khris Middleton as being his favorite and most impactful veteran during his early years in the league, he stated on the RedHead Sports Pod. “He’s not the most athletic guy. He’s not the most flashy guy. Like, he just knew how to get a bucket and he knew how to be a pro,” DiVincenzo said of his former Bucks teammate. DiVincenzo has been on a tear lately, averaging 12.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.8 steals per game last month.
Dana Gauruder contributed to this post.