Jazz Waive Jalen Hood-Schifino
The Jazz have requested waivers on second-year guard Jalen Hood-Schifino, the team announced in a press release.
Utah acquired Hood-Schifino a few days ago in the Luka Doncic blockbuster, but obviously he wasn’t in the team’s plans. The news of him being released was first reported on Thursday. Veteran guard Josh Richardson is also expected to be cut by the Jazz.
Still just 21 years old, Hood-Schifino was selected No. 17 overall in the 2023 draft. He spent his first season-and-a-half with the Lakers, who decided not to pick up their 2025/26 team option on his rookie scale contract last fall after the former Indiana standout was limited to just 21 NBA games during his rookie campaign.
Hood-Schifino only appeared in two games this season with Los Angeles for a total of 14 minutes. He had been listed as out for the last two months due to a left hamstring strain.
While his NBA role was extremely limited, Hood-Schifino did put up some solid numbers in the G League last season, averaging 22.0 points, 5.3 assists and 4.7 rebounds on .473/.432/.800 shooting in 15 games (35.4 minutes).
Assuming he clears waivers, which seems likely, the Jazz will carry a $3.88MM dead-money cap hit for Hood-Schifino and he will become an unrestricted free agent in a couple days.
Since he’s only in his second season, it’s worth noting that Hood-Schifino is eligible to sign a two-way contract in addition to standard 10-day and rest-of-season deals. However, he’s not eligible to return to the Lakers this season.
Trade Deadline Observations: Jazz, Re-Swaps, MLEs, Hard Caps, More
As we detailed late last night, it was a wild week leading up to the NBA trade deadline, with 25 teams completing 21 trades involving 63 players.
As the dust settles and we look forward to several impact players debuting with their new teams in the coming days, we want to dig a little deeper on this week's deals, taking a closer look at certain trends, below-the-radar details, and cap-related minutiae that caught our attention.
Let's dive in...
Suns Rumors: Durant, Booker, Deadline, Buyout Market, More
Several teams reportedly made “last-ditch efforts” to trade for Suns star Kevin Durant after a deal with the Warriors fell through when the former league MVP made it clear he wasn’t interested in returning to Golden State. Phoenix and Miami also reportedly discussed swapping Durant and Jimmy Butler before the Heat wound up trading the disgruntled star to the Warriors.
Where does that leave Durant’s future with the Suns? ESPN’s Brian Windhorst discussed that topic on the latest Hoop Collective podcast, suggesting that Durant could be the one seeking an exit this summer after being caught off guard by seeing his name pop up in rumors.
“The prevailing thing from the trade deadline day was what didn’t happen, which was Kevin Durant stayed put,” Windhorst said (hat tip to RealGM). “He was not happy he was put into trade talks.
“I think it’s unpredictable what will happen for the next few months because it’s the nature of the sport, but I think right now it is reasonable to forecast that Durant will be breaking up with the Suns in the summer. He didn’t break up with them today, but it doesn’t look good for the long-term forecast because he was really frustrated.
“I spent a long time today on the phone with people involved with this situation. People from Miami. People from Golden State. People from Phoenix. Other people. I would just say that the biggest thing Kevin Durant was upset about, I think, not knowing he was involved in trade talks. … Generically, a star player of his level likes to be involved in trade talks. That was an issue. The thing about it was the Suns ended up not getting anything (besides a salary-dump trade).”
For what it’s worth, a Suns source who spoke to Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports pushed back on how available Durant really was on the trade market, even though multiple other sources confirmed to Bourguet that the Warriors deal was very close to being finalized.
Here’s more on the Suns:
- After his ESPN colleagues Tim Bontemps and Tim MacMahon advocated for Phoenix to trade Devin Booker to fully remake the roster in the summer, Windhorst said the four-time All-Star has a strong desire to remain with the Suns. “I have to say, I don’t think they’re going to trade Devin Booker,” Windhorst said. “Devin Booker wants to be there. … Devin Booker wants to be there his whole career.”
- Doug Haller of The Athletic examines Phoenix’s trade deadline and path forward, writing that a Durant trade and roster reconstruction seem all but inevitable after the current group has failed to meet expectations.
- According to Bourguet, the Suns aren’t enthusiastic about any of their current options on the buyout market (Twitter link). Phoenix is unable to sign any buyout candidate who earns more than the non-taxpayer mid-level exception because the team is over the second tax apron.
- On the same Hoop Collective podcast, Windhorst, Bontemps and MacMahon all expressed surprise that Phoenix traded its unprotected 2031 first-round pick to Utah for three lower-value first-rounders without having a specific move lined up afterward. In a full story for ESPN.com (Insider link), a Western Conference scout told Bontemps he was just as confused by that trade. “The Phoenix piece is just fascinating,” the scout said. “They made that trade with the draft pick and didn’t have anything [ready] to do with it?“
- Appearing on NBA Today (Twitter video link), ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne described the Suns’ locker room as “toxic” and said Wednesday’s shootaround in Oklahoma City was “very awkward, very weird” as players were unsure who would still be around past the deadline.
Nets Finalizing Buyout With Ben Simmons
February 7: After being listed as away from the team as he progressed toward a buyout (Twitter link via Brian Lewis of The New York Post), Charania and Windhorst report (via Twitter) that Simmons is finalizing a buyout with the Nets. He will meet with the Cavaliers and Clippers on Friday, per ESPN’s duo.
Sources tell NBA insider Chris Haynes that Simmons will also meet with the Rockets (Twitter link). According to Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link), Simmons will finalize his buyout once he has a new team lined up.
February 6: The Nets are working on a buyout agreement with forward/guard Ben Simmons, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The Cavaliers and the Clippers are among the teams to watch for the former All-Star, Charania reports. The Athletic’s Law Murray confirmed the Clippers’ interest on Thursday (Twitter link).
On Thursday’s trade deadline NBA Today show (YouTube link), Brian Windhorst of ESPN named the Rockets as a potential suitor as well.
Simmons is in the final year of a five-year maximum-salary contract he signed with Philadelphia that began in 2020. He’s owed $40.34MM this year, but it’s unclear at this juncture how much of that he’ll give up in his buyout with the team.
He was originally traded to the Nets at the 2022 deadline in the deal that landed James Harden with Philadelphia. However, after holding out for part of the season and dealing with a back injury, Simmons ultimately didn’t suit up for the Nets until the 2022/23 season.
He didn’t end up playing much for Brooklyn over the following three seasons, appearing in a total of 90 games (69 starts) and averaging 6.5 points, 6.2 rebounds and 6.3 assists while only attempting 5.3 shots per game.
While Simmons isn’t the same level of defender as he was when he finished no lower than fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting in consecutive seasons from 2019-21, he still provides some intrigue on that end. Both the Cavaliers and Clippers have at least one open roster spot, so they wouldn’t need to clear the way to sign him. The Rockets don’t have a roster spot open but could waive Cody Zeller once their series of trade deadline moves is completed.
Due to apron rules, the Celtics, Nuggets, Lakers, Bucks, Timberwolves, Knicks and Suns are the teams ineligible to sign Simmons once he hits free agency, Bobby Marks of ESPN notes (Twitter link). Those seven teams are either in the first or second apron and are thus not allowed to sign players who make more than the mid-level exception, which is $12.8MM.
As for the Nets, parting ways with Simmons allows the team to open a roster spot. They could see if any interesting young players worth taking fliers on hit waivers or they could opt to convert one of their two-way players to a standard deal if they so chose. Two-way players Tosan Evbuomwan and Tyrese Martin have both been contributors in Brooklyn.
Chuma Okeke Joins Sixers On 10-Day Contract
February 7: Okeke’s 10-day contract is now official, the 76ers announced in a press release.
February 6: The Sixers will sign Chuma Okeke to a 10-day contract, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
The 26-year-old forward is currently playing with the G League’s Westchester Knicks, where he’s averaging 17.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 16 regular season games.
He was in training camp with New York on an Exhibit 10 contract, but was waived before the start of the season.
Okeke was taken by Orlando with the 16th pick in the 2019 draft and spent four seasons with the Magic. He appeared in 189 games, made 55 starts and averaged 6.3 points and 3.7 rebounds in 20.3 minutes per night.
If Okeke’s signing is finalized in time for Friday’s contest at Detroit, he will be eligible for four games before next week’s All-Star break. He will be able to sign a second 10-day deal with Philadelphia when this one expires.
The Sixers will have multiple open roster spots after their series of deadline deals are official, so no corresponding move will be necessary to bring Okeke aboard.
Hawks Waive David Roddy
The Hawks have waived forward David Roddy, the team announced in a press release.
Roddy was a victim of a roster crunch in Atlanta, where the Hawks were at the maximum allowable 15 players and needed to open up a roster spot to accommodate their one-for-two Bogdan Bogdanovic deal, which saw them acquire Terance Mann and Bones Hyland from the Clippers. That trade is now official, with Roddy as the odd man out.
The 23rd overall pick in the 2022 draft, Roddy began his NBA career with the Grizzlies before being traded to Phoenix at the 2024 deadline and then to Atlanta during the 2024 offseason. The bulky 6’4″ forward was a regular rotation piece in Memphis, but has seen his playing time decline since then.
In 27 games (three starts) for the Hawks this season, Roddy averaged 4.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 12.8 minutes per night, with a .473/.372/.818 shooting line.
Because Atlanta opted not to pick up its 2025/26 team option on Roddy at the October 31 deadline in the fall, he’s on an expiring contract and won’t count against the team’s cap beyond his $2,847,240 salary for this season.
Roddy would be eligible to sign a standard or two-way deal with any NBA team if he clears waivers this weekend.
Hawks Trade Bogdanovic, Second-Rounders To Clippers For Mann, Hyland
FEBRUARY 7: The trade is official, according to press releases from both teams. In order to make room on their roster to complete the deal, the Hawks have waived forward David Roddy.
Within the Clippers’ announcement of the trade, president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank spoke glowingly about Mann, lauding him for “what’s he’s meant to our organization” and the “imprint” he left on the team. Frank also said the club is grateful to Hyland and hopes he gets the opportunity to play more regularly as a result of the deal.
General manager Landry Fields said in the Hawks’ statement that the club is grateful for the “passion and heart” Bogdanovic played with, adding that Mann is “someone we’ve liked as a player and person for a long time.”
FEBRUARY 6: The Hawks are trading Bogdan Bogdanovic to the Clippers for Terance Mann and Bones Hyland, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).
In addition to receiving Bogdanovic, the Clippers will obtain three second-round picks. According to The Athletic’s Law Murray (Twitter link), those second-round picks are Minnesota’s in 2025, the Clippers own in 2027 and a protected 2026 Grizzlies selection.
The Grizzlies’ 2026 second-round pick will be sent to the Clippers if it lands between 31-42, according to Murray (Twitter link). The 2027 pick sent back to the Clippers is their own that was originally moved in the 2023 five-team trade that ultimately saw Dillon Brooks land with the Rockets.
The trade of Bogdanovic was anticipated by several reporters in the weeks leading up to the deadline. In recent days, his name was brought up in rumors involving Brandon Ingram before the latter was sent to Toronto.
A career 38.0% three-point shooter, Bogdanovic is having a bit of a down year for the Hawks, shooting just 30.1% from deep and averaging 10.0 points per game after recording 16.9 PPG last year. The Clippers are hoping he’ll round into form for a team with playoff aspirations.
In addition to rolling the dice on Bogdanovic, the Clippers wil open up a roster spot by moving two players out in exchange for one. That will help make the team a player in the buyout market while being $2.4MM below the tax.
The Clippers are also able to shed some future salary by moving off Mann’s contract, which is guaranteed through 2027/28. Bogdanovic’s contract is guaranteed for $16.02MM next year, but he has a team option for the same amount in 2026/27.
As noted by ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link), the Clippers increase their available second-round picks from one to four in this move as well.
While Bogdanovic and Hyland both came up in external trade rumors this season, there wasn’t much reported activity regarding Mann heading into the deadline. However, as NBA insider Jake Fischer reports (Twitter link), the Nuggets were another team that had serious interest in acquiring Mann.
The six-year NBA vet spent his entire career with the Clippers to this point after he was the 48th overall pick in the 2019 draft. His minutes have declined this season and he’s averaging just 6.0 PPG in his reduced role.
Hyland, the 26th overall pick in the 2021 draft, was traded to the Clippers originally at the 2023 deadline. However, he didn’t break into the rotation and is out after about two seasons. Still just 24, Hyland is a strong three-point shooter (36.4% career average) and scorer (9.7 points per game), giving the Hawks an upside swing if he sticks around.
As a result of their three reported deals today, which send out De’Andre Hunter, Bogdanovic and Cody Zeller, the Hawks will remain out of luxury tax territory.
2025 NBA Trade Deadline Recap
We heard repeatedly in the months leading up to the 2025 NBA trade deadline that the new Collective Bargaining Agreement would make it more challenging than ever for teams to complete deals. Executives around the league responded by swapping a record 63 current NBA players during the week leading up to the deadline, plus the draft rights to an additional three players.
It was a wild, eventful week, with 21 trades completed by 25 teams since we flipped the calendar to February. Those deals ranged from a stunning blockbuster to the most minor of draft-pick swaps.
[RELATED: Community Shootaround: Trade Deadline Winners, Losers]
Thanks for following along with us at Hoops Rumors. Here’s a recap of all of 2025’s deadline deals, with the details reported and announced so far:
Trades completed during deadline week
The Lakers and Mavericks shock the NBA (story)
- Lakers acquire Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber, Markieff Morris, and cash ($55K; from Jazz)
- Mavericks acquire Anthony Davis, Max Christie, the Lakers’ 2029 first-round pick, and cash ($55K; from Jazz).
- Jazz acquire Jalen Hood-Schifino, the Clippers’ 2025 second-round pick (from Lakers), and the 2025 Mavericks’ second-round pick.
- Note: The 2025 Mavericks second-round pick going to Utah technically includes “least favorable” terms, but there’s essentially no chance it won’t be Dallas’ own pick.
The Heat resolve a standoff and the Warriors finally get their complementary star (story)
- Warriors acquire Jimmy Butler.
- Heat acquire Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson, Davion Mitchell, and the Warriors’ 2025 first-round pick (top-10 protected).
- Pistons acquire Dennis Schröder, Lindy Waters, and either the Warriors’ or Timberwolves’ 2031 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable; from Warriors).
- Jazz acquire KJ Martin, Josh Richardson, a 2028 second-round pick (from Pistons), and either the Heat’s or Pacers’ 2031 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable; from Heat).
- Raptors acquire P.J. Tucker, the Lakers’ 2026 second-round pick (from Heat), and cash (from Heat).
The Spurs land Victor Wembanyama‘s pick-and-roll partner (story)
- Spurs acquire De’Aaron Fox and Jordan McLaughlin.
- Kings acquire Zach LaVine, Sidy Cissoko, the Hornets’ 2025 first-round pick (top-14 protected; from Spurs), the Spurs’ 2027 first-round pick, the Timberwolves’ 2031 first-round pick, the Bulls’ 2025 second-round pick (from Spurs), the Nuggets’ 2028 second-round pick (top-33 protected; from Spurs), and their own 2028 second-round pick (from Bulls).
- Bulls acquire Kevin Huerter, Zach Collins, Tre Jones, and their own 2025 first-round pick (from Spurs).
- Note: The Bulls’ 2025 second-round pick had previously been controlled by the Spurs (if in the top 55) or Kings (if 56 or later). The Kings acquired it unconditionally as part of this trade.
The Raptors take a flier on a former All-Star (story)
- Raptors acquire Brandon Ingram.
- Pelicans acquire Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk, the Pacers’ 2026 first-round pick (top-four protected), and the Raptors’ 2031 second-round pick.
The East’s top team loads up for the stretch run (story)
- Cavaliers acquire De’Andre Hunter.
- Hawks acquire Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, the Cavaliers’ 2027 second-round pick, the Cavaliers’ 2029 second-round pick, the Cavaliers’ 2031 second-round pick, the right to swap first-round picks with the Cavaliers in 2026 and the right to swap their 2028 first-round pick for either the Cavaliers’ or Jazz’s 2028 first-round pick (whichever is least favorable).
- Note: The terms on the 2026 swap will be extremely convoluted because other teams have the right to swap first-round picks with both Atlanta and Cleveland. Essentially, the Hawks will have the ability to swap the least favorable of their own 2026 first-round pick and the Spurs’ pick for whichever pick the Cavaliers end up with (either their own pick, the Jazz’s pick, or the Timberwolves’ pick).
The Bucks sneak below the second apron and move on from a three-time All-Star (story)
- Bucks acquire Kyle Kuzma, Jericho Sims, either the Pistons’, Suns’, or Warriors’ 2025 second-round pick (whichever is second-most favorable; from Wizards), and a protected-second round pick (from Spurs).
- Wizards acquire Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, the draft rights to Mathias Lessort (from Knicks), the right to swap their own 2028 first-round pick for the Bucks’ 2028 first-round pick or the Trail Blazers’ 2028 first-round pick (whichever is least favorable), and cash ($1MM; from Bucks).
- Knicks acquire Delon Wright, the draft rights to Hugo Besson (from Bucks), and cash ($2MM; from Bucks).
- Spurs acquire Patrick Baldwin Jr. and cash ($4.13MM; from Bucks).
- Note: If the Trail Blazers haven’t conveyed their lottery-protected 2025 first-round pick by 2027 and it lands outside the lottery in 2028, it would be ineligible to be swapped; in that scenario, the Wizards would simply have the right to swap their own 2028 first-round pick for the Bucks’ 2028 first-round pick.
The Lakers land their center of the present and future (story)
- Lakers acquire Mark Williams.
- Hornets acquire Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, the Lakers’ 2031 first-round pick, and the right to swap their 2030 first-round pick for the Lakers’ 2030 first-round pick.
The Grizzlies admit defeat on a prior trade for a Defensive Player of the Year (story)
- Grizzlies acquire Marvin Bagley III, Johnny Davis, a 2025 second-round pick (from Wizards), and a 2028 second-round pick (from Kings).
- Wizards acquire Marcus Smart, Colby Jones, Alex Len, and the Grizzlies’ 2025 first-round pick (top-14 protected).
- Kings acquire Jake LaRavia.
The Mavericks and Sixers make a deal — then amend it (two stories)
- Mavericks acquire Caleb Martin and the Sixers’ 2030 second-round pick.
- Sixers acquire Quentin Grimes and either the Sixers’ or Nuggets’ 2025 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable).
The Kings add another Lithuanian center to their frontcourt (story)
- Kings acquire Jonas Valanciunas.
- Wizards acquire Sidy Cissoko, the Nuggets’ 2028 second-round pick (top-33 protected), and the Kings’ 2029 second-round pick.
The Suns find a taker for a big man no longer in their plans (story)
- Hornets acquire Jusuf Nurkic and either the Suns’, Wizards’ (9-30 protected), Magic’s, or Grizzlies’ 2026 first-round pick (whichever is least favorable).
- Suns acquire Cody Martin, Vasilije Micic, and a 2026 second-round pick.
The Wizards consolidate their draft assets (story)
- Wizards acquire Reggie Jackson and either the Thunder’s, Rockets’ (top-four protected), or Clippers’ 2026 first-round pick (whichever is least favorable).
- Sixers acquire Jared Butler (two-way), either the Warriors’ or Suns’ 2027 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable), the Warriors’ 2028 second-round pick, the Wizards’ 2030 second-round pick, and either the Suns’ or Trail Blazers’ 2030 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable).
The Clippers duck the tax… (story)
- Clippers acquire Drew Eubanks and Patty Mills.
- Jazz acquire P.J. Tucker, Mohamed Bamba, either the Clippers’ or Jazz’s 2030 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable), and cash ($852K).
- Note: The Jazz had previously acquired the right to swap their own 2030 second-round pick for the Clippers’ 2030 second-rounder. They now control both picks.
… So do the Sixers … (story)
- Pistons acquire KJ Martin, the Bucks’ 2027 second-round pick, and the Mavericks’ 2031 second-round pick.
- Sixers acquire cash.
… And the Hawks … (story)
- Rockets acquire Cody Zeller and the Rockets’ 2028 second-round pick.
- Hawks acquire the draft rights to Alpha Kaba.
… And the Pelicans, who extend their NBA-high streak of non-taxpaying seasons (story)
- Thunder acquire Daniel Theis and either the Pelicans’ or Magic’s 2031 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable).
- Pelicans acquire cash ($1MM).
The Celtics chip away at their tax bill (story)
- Rockets acquire Jaden Springer, either the Trail Blazers’ or Pelicans’ pick (whichever is least favorable; top-55 protected), and the Celtics’ 2030 second-round pick.
- Celtics acquire the Rockets’ 2031 second-round pick (top-55 protected).
The Pacers create some extra breathing room below the tax line (story)
- Raptors acquire James Wiseman and cash.
- Pacers acquire the Raptors’ 2026 second-round pick (top-55 protected).
The Hornets and Thunder make us ask “why?” (story)
- Hornets acquire the Suns’ 2029 second-round pick.
- Thunder acquire the Nuggets’ 2030 second-round pick.
The following two trades have yet to be officially announced as of this article’s publication, but remain on track to be processed at some point early on Friday morning:
The Clippers and Hawks swap underperforming guards (story)
- Clippers to acquire Bogdan Bogdanovic, the Timberwolves’ 2025 second-round pick, the Grizzlies’ 2026 second-round pick (43-60 protected), and their own 2027 second-round pick.
- Hawks to acquire Terance Mann and Bones Hyland.
The Bucks part ways with their 2022 first-round pick (story)
- Clippers to acquire MarJon Beauchamp.
- Bucks to acquire Kevin Porter Jr.
Notable trade candidates who stayed put
- Kevin Durant, Suns (story)
- Nikola Vucevic, Bulls
- Cameron Johnson, Nets
- John Collins and Jordan Clarkson, Jazz
- Robert Williams, Trail Blazers
- Clint Capela, Hawks
- Mitchell Robinson, Knicks
- Chris Boucher, Raptors
- Malcolm Brogdon, Wizards
Players waived on deadline day
Officially released:
- Sidy Cissoko, Wizards (story)
- Jalen Hood-Schifino, Jazz (story)
- Reggie Jackson, Wizards (story)
- Wendell Moore, Pistons (story)
- Pete Nance, Sixers (story)
- Jaden Springer, Rockets (story)
- Daniel Theis, Thunder (story)
- James Wiseman, Raptors (story)
Expected to be waived:
- Josh Richardson, Jazz (story)
Hawks Trade De’Andre Hunter To Cavaliers
11:52 pm: The Hawks have officially confirmed that their trade with the Cavaliers is official, issuing a press release to announce the deal. The two teams ended up not needing a third team to take salary because Atlanta worked out separate deals to cut costs and stay out of tax territory.
12:45 pm: The Hawks and Cavaliers have reached an agreement on a trade that will send forward De’Andre Hunter to Cleveland, according to Shams Charania of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that Atlanta will acquire Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, three second-round picks, and two pick swaps.
Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com confirms Charania’s report (via Twitter), adding that the Hawks and Cavs are looking to include a third team in the deal as well.
According to Fedor (Twitter link), Cleveland will send Atlanta second-round picks in 2027, 2029 and 2031. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reports (via Twitter) that the pick swaps will be first-rounders in 2026 and 2028.
As cap expert Yossi Gozlan tweets, the Cavs will move out of the luxury tax as a result of the trade and will now be about $1.5MM below the tax line. They will have two open roster spots once the deal is official (they’ve only been carrying 14 players on their standard roster) and will eligible to sign any player on the buyout market.
The Hawks, meanwhile, will be approximately $2.1MM above the tax line if the current details of the trade remain in place, according to Gozlan (Twitter link). They also have 15 players on their standard roster, so they’ll have to release someone, expand the trade, or make a separate deal to dip below the tax.
As ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (via Twitter), LeVert makes $16.6MM in 2024/25 and will be a free agent this summer. Niang makes $8.5MM this season and $8.2MM in ’25/26 before hitting free agency in 2026. Hunter earns $21.7MM in ’24/25, $23.3MM in ’25/26, and $24.7MM in ’26/27 before becoming eligible for free agency in 2027.
The Cavaliers have been linked to Hunter for years, with multiple reports indicating that the team was pursuing the former No. 4 overall pick ahead of today’s deadline. The 6’8″ forward is having the best season of his career, averaging 19.0 points and 3.9 rebounds on .461/.393/.858 shooting in 37 games (28.8 minutes per contest).
Hunter, 27, theoretically fills a need for a Cleveland team that has long been seeking a small forward with plus size and who can provide versatility on both ends of the court. He has come off the bench for most of ’24/25, but seems likely to start for the Cavaliers, considering what they’re trading away to acquire him.
LeVert, 30, and Niang, 31, have been rotation mainstays off the bench for Cleveland and have contributed to the team leading the league in three-point percentage — LeVert is at a career-best 40.5%, while Niang has converted 40.0% of his outside attempts. They were both reportedly positive presences in the locker room as well.
It’s unclear if the Hawks have interest in retaining either player long-term, as the draft assets seem to be the primary motivating factor for making the trade. Atlanta will also clear off a significant long-term salary in the coming years, giving the team more financial flexibility as it builds out the roster around Trae Young, Dyson Daniels, Zaccharie Risacher, Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu.
It’s interesting that the Cavaliers decided to potentially disrupt the chemistry that has led them to the second-best record in the NBA (41-10), but they upgraded at a position of relative weakness while also staying out of the luxury tax, so the deal accomplishes two goals at once. They figure to be a taxpayer for years to come by adding Hunter’s long-term deal, but that was always likely after giving lucrative long-term extensions to Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen last offseason.
Regarding the pick swaps in the deal, the language on those is quite convoluted because the Hawks already traded swap rights on their 2026 first-rounder to the Spurs, while the Cavs gave swap rights on their 2026 pick first to the Timberwolves, then to the Jazz. Utah also has the right to swap 2028 first-rounders with Cleveland.
Essentially, in 2026, the Hawks will have the opportunity to swap whichever first-round pick they end up with for whatever pick the Cavs end up with. In 2028, Atlanta will be able to swap its own first-rounder for the least favorable of the Cavs’ and Jazz’s picks.
Luke Adams contributed to this story.
Lakers Trade Knecht, Draft Assets To Hornets For Mark Williams
FEBRUARY 6: The trade is official, the Lakers and Hornets have announced in a pair of press releases.
FEBRUARY 5: The Lakers have reportedly found their Anthony Davis replacement.
According to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link), Los Angeles is acquiring Hornets center Mark Williams in exchange for rookie wing Dalton Knecht, forward Cam Reddish, the Lakers’ unprotected 2031 first-round pick, and a 2030 first-round pick swap.
The Lakers shook the basketball world when they landed five-time All-NBA superstar guard Luka Doncic from the Mavericks over the weekend along with big men Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris. Adding the reigning Western Conference Finals MVP cost the Lakers All-NBA Second Team center Davis, however.
With Kleber out indefinitely due to a broken foot, Los Angeles found itself badly in need of center depth to complement fill-in starter Jaxson Hayes.
While comments made this week by general manager Rob Pelinka suggested the Lakers may seek out a stop-gap option for the rest of the season and take a bigger swing in the summer, the front office instead took that swing now, surrendering a promising rookie in Knecht and two valuable future draft assets in order to land Williams.
The seven-footer out of Duke had been enjoying a breakout season with Charlotte in 2024/25. Williams is averaging 16.0 points, 9.8 boards, 2.5 dimes, 1.2 blocks and 0.7 steals per game in 22 healthy contests.
Williams has dealt with some health issues early in his career, including a back injury and a small fracture in his left foot, sources tell Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link), but the Lakers are confident about the 23-year-old’s medicals.
As McMenamin and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN outline (Twitter links), in his initial conversations with the Lakers, Doncic impressed upon their decision-makers how much it benefited him in Dallas to play with vertical lob threats like Dereck Lively and Daniel Gafford, prompting the Lakers to more aggressively pursue a young, athletic center rather than some of the older, slower bigs that had been on the club’s radar.
Lakers head coach J.J. Redick also has a connection to Williams, Shelburne notes (via Twitter), having done some mentoring of him at his alma mater of Duke.
Williams will be eligible for a rookie scale extension during the 2025 offseason. If he and the Lakers don’t agree to a deal at that point, he’d be a restricted free agent in 2026.
As Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets, the two-for-one deal will open up a standard roster spot for Los Angeles. The Lakers have several movable contracts still on their roster, though they no longer have any tradable first-round draft picks on hand. The team could end up using that open roster spot to go shopping on the buyout market, McMenamin suggests (via Twitter).
Knecht, meanwhile, has slowed down since a hot start to the season, but the 6’6″ Tennessee alum is having a solid rookie season and looks capable of developing into a regular rotation piece on the wing in Charlotte. He’s averaging 9.4 points per game on .465/.358/.825 shooting splits in 48 outings so far this season.
Reddish, whose inclusion was necessary for salary-matching purposes, is on an expiring minimum-salary contract. The former 10th overall pick is a solid defender, but has a limited offensive game. He’s averaging career lows in points (3.3) and minutes (18.1) per game in 31 appearances (eight starts) for the Lakers this season.
The Hornets will need to trade or waive a player from their 15-man roster in order to open up a spot for the extra incoming player. They’ve now moved both of their top two centers in recent weeks, having also sent Nick Richards to the Suns last month for a package primarily made up of future second-round picks.
Luke Adams contributed to this report.