Southwest Notes: Sochan, Spurs, Mavs, Pelicans
The Spurs were widely expected to make a move this week involving fourth-year forward Jeremy Sochan, who had “hoped to find a new home” at Thursday’s trade deadline, writes Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Instead, Sochan remains in San Antonio, as the Spurs were one of just three teams around the NBA not to make a single deal during the days leading up to the deadline.
According to Weiss, the Spurs talked to the Knicks about Guerschon Yabusele and Pacome Dadiet, the Bulls about Dalen Terry and Julian Phillips, and the Suns about Nick Richards, but they didn’t find a deal they liked and didn’t feel compelled to move Sochan without getting value in return.
Although Sochan may not be part of the Spurs’ plans beyond this season, he has no plans to negotiate a buyout and should finish the season in San Antonio, a source tells Weiss. The Spurs may have another chance this summer to recoup some value for the former No. 9 overall pick in a sign-and-trade scenario.
Here’s more from around the Southwest:
- Count star big man Victor Wembanyama among those who are pleased that the Spurs didn’t make any roster changes at the trade deadline. “What I love is that the front office trusts these guys just like I do,” Wembanyama said, per Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required). “We’re on the same page.” Stephon Castle, De’Aaron Fox, and Harrison Barnes were among the other Spurs who voiced support for the front office’s approach. “When you’re in a situation where you’re winning games, you don’t feel like you have to make a lot of moves,” Barnes said. “We’re happy to live with that and continue to build with that.”
- The Mavericks and Wizards originally had exploratory Anthony Davis trade talks in early November before eventually reaching an agreement this week, reports Christian Clark of The Athletic. As Clark details, the Mavs were happy that word of those talks didn’t leak and that they were able to inform Davis of the deal face-to-face before word broke publicly. Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required), meanwhile, writes that the team accomplished its goals of creating cap flexibility, adding draft assets, and addressing the point guard spot (by looping Tyus Jones into the deal).
- Reacting to the Pelicans‘ relatively quiet trade deadline, Rod Walker of NOLA.com (subscription required) says it wasn’t a surprise that the team moved on from Jose Alvarado, who can become a free agent this summer, but acknowledged that fans may be frustrated to lose a key spark plug while the front office was inactive on other fronts. Besides Zion Williamson, Herbert Jones, and Trey Murphy III, who had seemed off-limits for weeks, rumored trade candidates Jordan Poole, Jordan Hawkins, Yves Missi, Saddiq Bey, and Dejounte Murray also didn’t go anywhere.
- The Pelicans are taking steps toward relocating their G League team – which currently plays in Birmingham, Alabama – to Louisiana, writes Patrick Magee of NOLA.com (subscription required). According to Magee, the Kenner City Council gave its unanimous approval on Thursday to a proposal that would bring the Squadron to the city’s Pontchartrain Center. The tentative plan is for the Pelicans’ G League team to begin playing in Kenner, a suburb of New Orleans, in 2026/27.
Mavericks Send Anthony Davis To Wizards In Three-Team Deal
February 5: The trade has been finalized, the Mavericks and Wizards announced. It was officially completed as a three-team deal, with the Hornets receiving Malaki Branham and the Mavs receiving Tyus Jones. Charlotte confirmed its part of the trade in a press release.
“Anthony Davis is one of the most accomplished players of his generation, and we are thrilled to have him in Washington,” said Wizards general manager Will Dawkins. “Anthony’s championship experience and defensive pedigree bring a new level of opportunity and excitement to this franchise.”
February 4: The Mavericks are trading big man Anthony Davis to the Wizards, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, who reports (via Twitter) that Jaden Hardy, D’Angelo Russell, and Dante Exum will also head to Washington in the deal.
In return, the Mavericks will receive Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley III, two first-round picks, and three second-rounders, sources tell Charania.
Those first-rounders will be a “least favorable” 2026 pick that will almost certainly be the Thunder’s, plus the Warriors’ top-20 protected 2030 pick, per Charania. The second-rounders are Phoenix’s 2026 pick, Chicago’s 2027 pick, and Houston’s 2029 selection.
Davis had been on the trade block in Dallas for much of the season, but there was some doubt about whether a deal would materialize after he suffered a hand injury expected to sideline him for at least most of February, if not beyond that. Rumored suitors like Atlanta and Toronto appeared to back off to some extent, opening the door for a surprise team like the Wizards to make a deal.
While Washington is an unlikely landing spot for a veteran star like Davis, the 13-36 Wizards are clearly pivoting toward being competitive next season, having acquired four-time All-Star Trae Young from Atlanta last month and now pairing him with a 10-time All-Star in Davis.
According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, the Wizards would ideally like to use second-year big man Alex Sarr as a “super-sized” and “switchable” power forward and had been seeking another impact frontcourt player to use alongside him. Washington explored a possible deal for Kings center Domantas Sabonis and had considered making a run at Jazz center Walker Kessler in restricted free agency before pulling the trigger on a trade for Davis, Fischer says.
As they did with Young, the Wizards are buying low on Davis amid an injury-plagued season in which he has dealt with several separate health issues and has been limited to 20 appearances. Although the draft-pick haul they’re giving up for AD looks substantial at first glance, the 2026 first-rounder will likely end up at No. 30, while the 2030 selection will turn into a ’30 second-rounder if it lands in the top 20.
Like Young, who has yet to make his Wizards debut as he rests a knee injury, Davis appears unlikely to play much – if at all – during the second half of this season. Washington will owe its 2026 first-round pick to New York if it lands outside the top eight, so the club will likely do all it can to avoid that scenario. Resting its veteran stars should help that cause.
Despite the modest value of the first-round picks changing hands, the Wizards’ package likely appealed to Dallas due to the financial flexibility it will afford the team going forward. Besides moving off Davis’ maximum-salary contract, which will pay him $58.5MM in 2026/27, with a $62.8MM player option for ’27/28, the Mavs will remove Hardy’s $6MM guaranteed salary and Russell’s $6MM player option for ’26/27 from their books.
Besides giving the Mavericks more cap flexibility going forward, the deal will also generate considerable short-term savings, with the Wizards taking advantage of their significant breathing room below the luxury tax line to take on more than $24MM in 2025/26 salary. Dallas had been operating right up against the second tax apron but will move all the way out of apron and tax territory with this move, resulting in $57MM in savings, tweets cap expert Yossi Gozlan.
Most importantly, the trade lines up the Mavs to begin building around star rookie Cooper Flagg. Dallas will have a pair of first-round picks in a strong 2026 draft, including their own selection which is on track to be a lottery pick. And the team has a much cleaner cap sheet to work with moving forward, even with long-term deals for role players like P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford still on the books.
Still, the return for Davis stands in stark contrast to what they gave up to get him just one year ago. Under former head of basketball operations Nico Harrison, the 32-year-old was the centerpiece of the package the Mavs received for franchise player Luka Doncic. Since making that deal, the franchise has parted ways with Harrison and now done the same with Davis, conceding that it made a major mistake at the 2025 deadline.
Mavericks Notes: Irving, Flagg, Davis Trade, Kidd
The decision to trade Anthony Davis may seem like the start of a youth movement, but that doesn’t mean the Mavericks are looking to part with Kyrie Irving, Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal writes in a subscriber-only story. Sources tell Afseth that the front office sees “long-term potential” in pairing Irving with rookie sensation Cooper Flagg and they’ll be the foundation to build the roster around.
Afseth hears from league sources that Flagg’s ability to handle the ball and make early reads on offense is living up to the team’s expectations heading into the draft. Some members of the organization consider him to be the team’s best passer as well as its top scorer.
Irving has been sidelined since last March with an ACL tear, so the Mavericks haven’t gotten to seen him and Flagg on the court together yet. Coach Jason Kidd said recently that the team’s disappointing record won’t affect its plans to bring back Irving this season, and there appears to be progress on that front.
Sources tell Afseth that Irving has been conducting regular skill work with assistant coach Phil Handy and has taken part in one-on-one games against members of the Mavs’ coaching and player-development staff. Afseth, who has stated in the past that Irving is expected to be physically capable of returning to action sometime after the All-Star break, watched him play recently and reports that he looked “sharp” in the workouts, creating space on his jumper, attacking the basket with his dribble and finishing drives as well as ever.
There’s more from Dallas:
- Parting with Davis’ contract — and his uncertain future due to frequent injuries — was necessary to start building a winning roster around Flagg, Christian Clark of The Athletic and Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required) state in separate stories. Clark notes that the deal drops the Mavericks’ salary from near-second apron territory at $207.8MM to below the tax threshold at $187.9MM while helping to replenish their depleted draft stock. Curtis points out that the three players sent to Washington along with Davis — Jaden Hardy, D’Angelo Russell and Dante Exum — weren’t able to provide effective point guard play with Irving sidelined and were surpassed in the rotation by Brandon Williams and two-way rookie Ryan Nembhard, who may receive a standard contract later this month.
- Kevin Sherrington of The Dallas Morning News offers enthusiastic support for the trade and says whoever is responsible for putting it together should be named the full-time general manager. Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi have been sharing GM duties since Nico Harrison was fired in November.
- The Mavericks had four demands in Davis trade talks — draft assets, clearing long-term salary, roster flexibility and the ability to build for the future around Flagg — and the Wizards were able to meet them all, per Fred Katz of The Athletic. The Mavs weren’t determined to move Davis ahead of the deadline, sources tell Katz, but they recognized that his expected extension demands this summer will be higher than they wanted to pay.
- Kidd responded to the $35K fine he received for a profanity-filled tirade following Saturday’s loss at Houston, relays Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). Kidd was upset at the officials for not calling a foul on a Flagg shot attempt late in the game and at reporters for questioning his use of Flagg at point guard early in the season. “I take full responsibility for that, for my actions, for my fine,” Kidd stated, “but I said what I had to say.”
Latest On Anthony Davis Trade
Rumors began to emerge Tuesday about a “secret Eastern Conference team” that might have interest in trading for Anthony Davis, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line (subscription required). Those whispers turned out to be legitimate as the Wizards swooped in to acquire the 10-time All-Star, furthering a shocking roster overhaul that began with a trade for Trae Young four weeks ago.
Stein states that the Mavericks elected to take the “only palatable” trade offer that was available for Davis, who has been sidelined since January 6 with a hand injury. Stein notes that the Raptors also expressed interest in acquiring Davis, but any deal with Toronto would have required Dallas to take on unwanted long-term contracts.
Even though the Mavs got limited value in the two first-round picks they acquired from Washington and no players who fit into their long-term plans, Stein hears that they decided it was best to act now because Khris Middleton has a $33.3MM expiring contract and wouldn’t be able to be included in the deal if the teams waited until summer.
Stein adds that the primary motivation in unloading Davis is to begin constructing the roster around star rookie Cooper Flagg, with one team source saying, “The building-around-Cooper Era starts now for real.” Parting with Davis’ maximum-salary contract — and his desire for an extension this summer — gives Dallas much more flexibility to add players who are a better fit with Flagg’s timeline.
Stein shares a few more tidbits regarding the trade:
- Sources tell Stein the Wizards wanted to add Davis to prove to Young that they’re serious about becoming a playoff contender. Young holds a $49MM player option for next season, and Washington is hoping to work out a long-term extension with him this summer.
- Stein hears that rival teams have expressed interest to Dallas in acquiring Marvin Bagley III, who was in the midst of a productive season as a backup big man with the Wizards. Bagley has a $2.3MM expiring contract.
- At one time, the Wizards were projected to have about $80MM in cap room for the offseason, but Stein states that they were realistic about their chances of landing impact free agents and opted to pursue Young and Davis in “pre-agency” instead. Stein adds that Washington has been searching for a center who allows Alex Sarr to fit into his more natural position of power forward, but Davis has historically preferred to play at the four spot as well so it’s not clear how their duties will be defined.
Lakers’ Jaxson Hayes Suspended For One Game
Lakers center Jaxson Hayes has been suspended for one game for pushing the Wizards‘ mascot during pregame introductions ahead of the team’s January 30 win in Washington, the NBA announced today (via Twitter).
A video of the incident can be viewed here, via Bleacher Report (Twitter link).
Hayes will serve his suspension on Thursday when the Lakers host the Sixers in Los Angeles. It will cost him $19,824, which is 1/174th of his $3,449,323 salary for this season.
The Wizards’ mascot, G-Wiz, wasn’t injured as a result of the shove, sources tell The Athletic.
Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel Once Again Named Rookies Of Month
Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg and Hornets wing Kon Knueppel have once again been named the Western and Eastern Conference Rookies of the Month, respectively, for games played in January, according to the NBA (Twitter links).
Flagg and Knueppel, who were Duke teammates last season, have monopolized the award this season, gaining those monthly honors three consecutive times. No one else has won it this season, as the months of October and November were combined.
Flagg, the top overall pick, averaged 20.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game last month. He capped off the month with a 49-point eruption against Charlotte and 34 points against Houston.
Knueppel averaged 17.8 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists per night in January. He scored a season-high 34 points in the same game Flagg scored 49.
Ace Bailey (Jazz), Cedric Coward (Grizzlies), Caleb Love (Trail Blazers) and Derik Queen (Pelicans) were the other Western Conference nominees. Egor Demin (Nets), VJ Edgecombe (Sixers), Tre Johnson (Wizards) and Collin Murray-Boyles (Raptors) were also nominated in the East.
Trade Rumors: Ellis, Hunter, Ball, Bucks, Sochan, Deadline
In addition to the Cavaliers, the Lakers, Pacers, Spurs and Celtics are among the many suitors for Kings guard Keon Ellis, sources tell Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). The Timberwolves and Knicks have also been mentioned as teams interested in Ellis.
The 26-year-old is an intriguing trade candidate because his $2.3MM expiring contract makes him an attainable piece for just about any NBA team. If he’s dealt, Ellis’ Bird rights would travel with him and he’d become extension-eligible on February 9, just a few days after the trade deadline.
Cleveland has seemed to be in the best position to acquire Ellis over the past 48 hours, Fischer reports (via Twitter), but other teams are still in the mix as well.
According to Stein and Fischer, while the Kings are reluctant to take on long-term money in trades, they’re believed to be open to that possibility if Malik Monk is included the deal. Sacramento has also brought up including DeMar DeRozan in trades involving Ellis.
Here are several more trade rumors from around the NBA:
- Although the Lakers have been mentioned multiple times as a potential suitor for De’Andre Hunter, Stein and Fischer hear Los Angeles’ interest in the Cavaliers forward has been “repeatedly overstated.” As Stein and Fischer explain, Hunter’s $24.9MM salary for next season would inhibit the Lakers’ offseason flexibility, which they prefer to maintain.
- Before Giannis Antetokounmpo became the focus of the trade deadline, the Bucks made offers for Hunter centered around Kyle Kuzma and/or Bobby Portis, Stein and Fischer confirm. Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com reported on Friday that Milwaukee had pitched Cleveland on the idea of a Portis/Hunter trade, but the Cavaliers declined. The Warriors also held a level of interest in Hunter, per Stein and Fischer, but that was before the Bucks began listening to offers for Antetokounmpo and now their focus is on the two-time MVP.
- The Wizards have checked in with the Cavaliers about Lonzo Ball and have let teams know they’re willing to be a salary dumping ground if they receive draft compensation in return, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Cleveland is the only team in the NBA over the second tax apron, and Ball — who is shooting just 26.9% from three-point range — is on pseudo-expiring $10MM contract ($10MM team option for next season).
- While this sort of move would be contingent on what happens with other trade constructs, the Bucks have expressed interest in packaging some of their minimum-salary contracts to acquire higher-priced players, including Nets guard Cam Thomas and Mavericks guard D’Angelo Russell, sources tell Scotto. As Scotto explains, Milwaukee’s goal would be to either take an upside swing (Thomas) or add second-round picks by taking on unwanted money (Russell). Thomas, an unrestricted free agent this summer, holds an implied no-trade clause after signing his qualifying offer last offseason.
- Several teams — including the Suns — have talked to the Spurs about fourth-year forward Jeremy Sochan, according to Scotto. Those discussions, which Scotto describes as exploratory, also involved Phoenix center Nick Richards, but the Suns weren’t interested in that swap because it would have pushed them deeper into the luxury tax, which they’d prefer to dip below.
- We’ve only seen one in-season trade to this point. One veteran NBA executive who spoke to Stein and Fischer is optimistic about that number rising significantly in the coming days. “I still think the avalanche is coming,” said the team official.
Spurs Notes: Hornets Game, Castle, Champagnie, Tatum, Wembanyama
The Spurs’ Saturday game against the Hornets will be played earlier than scheduled. Tipoff will occur shortly after noon ET today due to an impending snowstorm in the Charlotte area, Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News reports.
The Spurs are hoping that the earlier start time will allow them to fly out of Charlotte without a long delay. They’re scheduled to host the Magic on Sunday.
Here’s more on the Spurs:
- Reigning Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle is averaging 16.6 points and 7.0 assists per game, but he believes his greatest contributions come on the defensive side. “I’m trying to hang my hat on that end,” Castle told Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. “So any challenges the coaches give me on that end, I kind of accepted.” Head coach Mitch Johnson believes Castle can get league-wide recognition on that side of the ball. “He’s an All-NBA defender when he puts his energy and focus into the right areas,” Johnson said.
- Julian Champagnie‘s twin brother Justin Champagnie has carved out a rotation role with the Wizards. The Athletic’s Jared Weiss details how the twins pushed each other to greater success during their youth and still do during their pro careers. Julian Champagnie, a 6’7” forward, is averaging 13.9 points and 7.1 rebounds per game this month.
- Injured Celtics star forward Jayson Tatum marvels at Victor Wembanyama‘s skills, Chris Spiering of ClutchPoints relays. “Watching him on a nightly basis when I can and seeing him in person is just ridiculous,” Tatum said. “I don’t even know how else to express it… He’s still figuring himself out… Things he’s able to do, we’ve never seen that.”
Southeast Notes: Banchero, Mosley, Isaac, Heat, Young, Sarr
On Wednesday’s Hoop Collective podcast, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon said there has been a lot of chatter around the NBA that Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley and forward Paolo Banchero “might not be seeing eye-to-eye,” according to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel.
Beede asked both Mosley and Banchero about MacMahon’s remarks.
“I don’t really have reactions to that,” Mosley said prior to Wednesday’s game. “That’s outside opinion which is the case and everybody’s fair to have their opinion on that. What me and Paolo have is a constant level of competitiveness that wants to find a way to get a win. No one’s happy when you’re on a losing streak. And there shouldn’t be happiness on a losing streak.
“So, I don’t give too much to those versus what’s going on in our locker room as our guys have that edge that wants to find a way to get a win.”
While Mosley didn’t exactly address the rumor, Beede writes that Banchero denied it pretty strongly after Wednesday’s victory, which snapped a four-game losing streak.
“We have a lot of open communication,” Banchero said about his relationship with Mosley. “Whatever those reports are, I wouldn’t say those are true, in my opinion. One thing I know about myself and one thing that I know about him is that we’re both fierce competitors. So, when you’re losing a lot of games and stuff’s not going well, people are upset. Me and him haven’t had any blowups or arguments, going back and forth. Me and him are pretty aligned with when we talk to each other trying to figure stuff out.
“Now that’s not saying when we lose four or five in a row that I’m not pissed off, he’s not pissed off,” Banchero added. “But in terms of our relationship, it’s been good since I’ve gotten here. Obviously as a team we need to keep improving and I’ve been vocal about that. He understands that, we all understand that. I don’t think anything that I’ve said or he’s said isn’t already known in terms of the team and the organization. So, those reports, I don’t know where that’s coming from. … So, it is what it is, but I think winning cures all. The more we win, the more quiet those reports will get.”
Here’s more from around the Southeast:
- Magic big man Jonathan Isaac has been a healthy scratch three times this month and was averaging a career-low 10.1 minutes per game entering Friday (he played 13 minutes in the win over Toronto). He said he’s not frustrated by his lack of playing time, Beede writes for The Orlando Sentinel. “I know that they’re trying to figure things out [and] Coach is trying to figure out what works, what doesn’t work,” Isaac said Wednesday. “So I just try to be myself every time I get in there. My job is to work really hard, try to make it easier on the players around me and be a disruptor on defense. Anytime he puts me in the game, that’s what I’m going to give.”
- If the Heat are unable to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo, they should pivot to selling off assets to avoid the “hamster wheel of mediocrity” they’ve been stuck on the past couple seasons, argues Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.
- In a feature story for ESPN.com, Ramona Shelburne says the Wizards are hoping Trae Young can help unlock the potential of second-year center Alex Sarr. “You see a lot of the potential that he has in his game,” Young said. “He’s very smart, especially on the defensive end. Being smart and athletic and that type of size is very uncommon in the league. He was the No. 2 pick for a reason — he’s got a lot of talent and potential and I want to be part of the process to kind of bring it out.”
Cavs Rumors: Giannis, Hunter, Ball, Lakers, Ellis, More
While there have been no indications to this point that the Cavaliers are considering making an offer for Giannis Antetokounmpo, the possibility can’t be ruled out, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscriber link).
“It’s Giannis,” a rival NBA executive told Fedor. “Nothing more needs to be said.”
As Fedor writes, the Cleveland’s pathway to a potential deal for the Bucks superstar would be very complicated and would require a significant reduction in payroll — as a second-apron team, the Cavaliers can’t currently aggregate salaries for matching purposes and can’t take in more money than they send out. So in that sense, a Giannis trade is a long shot.
On the other hand, sources tell Fedor that the Cavs have been aggressively looking for roster upgrades ahead of the deadline, and they also have one of the top players who could theoretically be dangled in talks for Antetokounmpo — Evan Mobley, last year’s Defensive Player of the Year. On the Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link), ESPN’s Brian Windhorst also pointed to Mobley as a centerpiece to a potential Cavs offer.
The Cavaliers, who have dealt with several injuries in 2025/26, have underachieved this season and are facing pressure to contend for championships. No individual player they could theoretically acquire would be remotely as impactful as Antetokounmpo, who has finished top four in MVP voting each of the past seven years.
Still, Cleveland is on the upswing, Fedor notes, having won five straight games and seven of the past eight. The front office has also yet to show any desire to make that sort of drastic mid-season overhaul, with blockbuster moves viewed as more likely to occur in the offseason, depending on what happens in the playoffs.
Here are a few more highlights from Fedor’s report:
- Fedor continues to hear De’Andre Hunter and Lonzo Ball are the most likely Cavs to be headed out of Cleveland in the coming days. Confirming reporting from Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, Fedor says the Cavaliers have discussed a trade framework with the Lakers that would send Hunter to Los Angeles in exchange for Rui Hachimura and Dalton Knecht. Sources tell Fedor the Lakers have also countered by offering the expiring contracts of Gabe Vincent and Maxi Kleber. Those talks have involved a third team as well — Fedor doesn’t specify which club it is, but Siegel said it was the Nets.
- Before they reportedly started listening to offers for Giannis, the Bucks explored the possibility of acquiring Hunter using a package built around Bobby Portis. The Cavs declined that proposal, sources tell Fedor.
- Fedor confirms the Cavs are one of many suitors for Kings guard Keon Ellis, noting that Malik Monk could be included as well if Hunter is sent to Sacramento.
- Reiterating a point he previously made, Fedor says the Cavs are eyeing Mavericks forward Naji Marshall. The framework would involve Ball and unspecified draft assets being sent to Dallas, though Fedor points out that Marshall has drawn interest from multiple teams. It’s also unclear if the Cavs would be willing to part with their lone tradable first-round pick (either 2031 or 2032) for a role player, even a quality one like Marshall.
- Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu, Pelicans forward Saddiq Bey and Wizards forward Justin Champagnie are among the other players who might interest the Cavs, Fedor writes.