2026 NBA trade deadline tracker: Grades for biggest deals with multiple big names on the move

The 2026 NBA trade deadline is hours away, and we're keeping tabs on all the biggest moves and buzz

The 2026 NBA trade deadline has come and gone. The trade everyone had been waiting for, however, did not happen this afternoon. Giannis Antetokounmpo is set to remain with the Milwaukee Bucks at the trade deadline, per ESPN. The Knicks, Heat, Timberwolves and Warriors were all interested in Antetokounmpo at the deadline, but nobody's offer enticed the Bucks enough to move their franchise superstar midseason.

The biggest name that moved on Thursday? Clippers center Ivica Zubac is heading to the Pacers. Zubac, an All-Defensive player and one of the better centers in the league, is heading to Indy as the Pacers look ahead to next season. The Pacers are heading to the lottery with Tyrese Haliburton out for the season with a torn Achilles. The Clippers, meanwhile, have now traded two of their best players (Zubac and James Harden) shortly after going 15-3 and moving up in the standings.

NBA trade deadline tracker

These are the notable deals that have gone down this week in the NBA.

• Clippers send Ivica Zubac to the Pacers (Grades)
• The Wolves strengthened their backcourt with Ayo Dosunmu (Grades) 
• The Lakers acquired sharpshooter Luke Kennard from the Hawks (Grades)
• Warriors send Jonathan Kuminga to the Hawks for Kristaps Porziņģis (Grades)
• Mavericks trade Anthony Davis to the Wizards (Grades)
• Thunder acquire Jared McCain from 76ers (Analysis)
• Clippers ship Chris Paul to Raptors (Analysis)
• Clippers trade James Harden to the Cavs for Darius Garland (Grades)
• Jazz acquire Jaren Jackson Jr. as Grizzlies stock up on picks (Grades)
• Celtics acquire Nikola Vučević from Bulls for Anfernee Simons (Grades)
• Timberwolves dump Mike Conley's contract in deal that sends Jaden Ivey to Bulls (Analysis)

CBS Sports monitored the latest trade buzz, rumors and deals at the deadline. Catch up on the action below.

[Feb 5, 2026 at 4:41 pm ET · Stephen Pianovich]

Ivica Zubac trade grades: Winner of Pacers, Clippers deal will be decided on lottery night

Sam Quinn

[Feb 5, 2026 at 4:37 pm ET · Jack Maloney]

More than an hour after the trade deadline closed, Shams Charania reported that the Celtics traded Xavier Tillman Sr. to the Charlotte Hornets in a deal that gets the Celtics under the luxury tax this season. 

The Celtics shed significant money over the summer, and were always expected to get under the tax during the season. But when they got off to an incredible start, and made it clear they weren't taking a gap year, the situation became more complicanted. At 33-18, they are tied for the second-best record in the Eastern Conference and may soon get Jayson Tatum back. They couldn't give up on this team at the deadline. 

At the same time, getting under the tax provides significant flexibility, both now and in the future, and it made too much sense -- especially when they were so close. So, Brad Stevens found a creative way to make it happen. 

He traded Anfernee Simons for Nikola Vučević, a deal which saved the Celtics $6 million in salary while also addressing their need for frontcourt depth. Then, he sent out Chris Boucher, Josh Minott and Tillman to sneak the Celtics under the tax. 

In a corresponding move, the team has now converted rookie big man Amari Williams from a two-way contract to a standard deal. The Celtics need to fill two more roster spots, but will have to thread the needle to do so without going back over the tax. 

[Feb 5, 2026 at 3:37 pm ET · Stephen Pianovich]

Giannis Antetokounmpo is staying with Bucks at trade deadline: Here's how sweepstakes will change this summer

Sam Quinn

Giannis took to social media after the NBA trade deadline to let people know "he's not leaving." The Bucks star talked earlier in the week about not wanting to leave Milwaukee, but wanting to play for a winner. He'll be on the Bucks for at least another four months.

Here's more on their future:

[Feb 5, 2026 at 3:28 pm ET · Jasmyn Wimbish]

After spending five years with Brooklyn, the Nets are waiving Cam Thomas, per ESPN. This allows Thomas to become a free agent and sign with any team. While likely no player wants to be waived, Thomas had been wanting to part ways with the Nets for some time, and the feeling has appeared to be mutual. 

Last summer, the Nets made it clear that they had no intention to keep Thomas long term after not offering a contract extension. That led to Thomas signing the qualifying offer to essentially "bet on himself," in hopes that his play would garner more interest from teams to get a bigger payday this upcoming summer. However, while Thomas is averaging 15.6 points, he's been incredibly inefficient in getting there, shooting just below 40% from the floor. Surely there will be a team willing to take a flyer on him, but it might have to wait until the summer when more teams have flexibility to bring him on.

In speaking to ESPN's Marc Spears, Thomas said he's "super excited" to "actually help and contribute to another team." Thomas also added, "My next team is getting elite scoring, good playmaking and a good combo guard."

[Feb 5, 2026 at 2:58 pm ET · Stephen Pianovich]

The Clippers have moved James Harden and Ivica Zubac this week. Is a Kawhi Leonard deadline buzzer-beating blockbuster next? No.

Leonard will reportedly stay in L.A., per Chris Haynes. Leonard and the Clippers remain under investigation over alleged salary-cap circumvention. The results of that investigation remain to be seen. Leonard will be an All-Star when the Clippers host the ASG next weekend at Intuit Dome.

[Feb 5, 2026 at 2:47 pm ET · Jasmyn Wimbish]

The Mavericks are rerouting Malaki Branham, who they got in return for the Anthony Davis trade, to the Charlotte Hornets for guard Tyus Jones, per ESPN.

The Mavericks coveted Jones last offseason, per Jake Fischer, but he ultimately signed with the Magic. That forced Dallas to sign D'Angelo Russell, who never found his footing in Jason Kidd's rotation. Jones has been a bit of a journeyman the last few years of his career after two, three-year stints with the Timberwolves and Grizzlies each. He played for the Wizards, Suns and Magic all in the last three years, making this his fourth team in three years. He was briefly traded to the Hornets on Wednesday, but will now be rerouted to Dallas.

Jones will have plenty of opportunity to prove himself on a Mavericks roster that is signaling they're ready to fully build around rookie phenom Cooper Flagg. We'll see if he can gain more trust in Kidd's rotation than Russell did. With the addition of Jones, that now brings the total number of Duke Blue Devils on the roster to five with Marvin Bagely III also being acquired from the Davis trade.

[Feb 5, 2026 at 2:23 pm ET · James Herbert]

The Indiana Pacers have their new starting center. They're acquiring Ivica Zubac from the Los Angeles Clippers, as first reported by ESPN's Shams Charania. Huge move for a team that wants to return to contention next season.

In return for Zubac, the Clippers will get Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, two first-round picks and one second-round pick from Indiana, per ESPN. Also, the Pacers will pick up Kobe Brown in the deal.

The details on the first-round picks, via ESPN: 

• The Pacers' 2026 first-round pick protected 1-4 and 10-30. This means that the Clippers only get it if it falls between 5-9. If it doesn't convey in 2026, then it becomes the Pacers' 2031 unprotected first-round pick.
• The Pacers' unprotected 2029 first-round pick.

Indiana has been looking for a Myles Turner replacement, and Zubac fits the bill. He isn't a floor spacer, but his rim protection, touch around the basket and screening will fit in extremely nicely. He's going to love playing with Tyrese Haliburton.

This also raises a question: Are the Clippers done? There's less than an hour before the deadline, but Los Angeles is clearly in sell mode. I wonder if anybody tries to go after Kawhi Leonard.

[Feb 5, 2026 at 1:30 pm ET · Stephen Pianovich]

Jose Alvarado trade grades: Knicks add great backup guard in deadline swap

Sam Quinn

[Feb 5, 2026 at 1:09 pm ET · Stephen Pianovich]

The Knicks are acquiring guard Jose Alvarado from the New Orleans Pelicans. The move makes even more sense with this latest injury news. Deuce McBride will undergo core surgery this week, per The Athletic, and could be out until the playoffs.

McBride has averaged 12.9 points per game this season and is shooting 42% from 3-point range.

[Feb 5, 2026 at 1:05 pm ET · Stephen Pianovich]

The Bucks have made the most important decision of trade deadline week: They're keeping Giannis. So what else might they do?

The Athletic reports that Antetokounmpo plans on playing this season after he returns from a calf injury and try to help the team make a "postseason push." The Bucks are currently 20-29, 12th in the East and three games back of the 10th and final postseason spot. 

And they could make some other moves. Jake Fischer says the Bucks are "looking to buy" in the next two hours. They have been linked to Ja Morant this week...

[Feb 5, 2026 at 12:39 pm ET · Jasmyn Wimbish]

The Pelicans traded Jose Alvarado to the Knicks in exchange for Dalen Terry, two second-round picks and cash, per ESPN. Alvarado should immediately bring a boost to the Knicks, as someone who is a knockdown shooter while bringing do-it-all energy on defense which will pair quite nicely with Josh Hart on that end of the floor.

Alvarado's undersized at just six feet, but he makes up for it by giving all-out effort and impacting the game in ways that don't show up on the boxscore. He should slide right into Mike Brown's rotation as a spark plug off the bench, something the Knicks have been lacking this season. Depth has been an issue for the Knicks, as they rank 27th in bench scoring, and while Alvarado isn't known for racking up a ton of points, he can organize the second unit as the lead guard, while also getting his own shot.

[Feb 5, 2026 at 12:36 pm ET · Stephen Pianovich]

Giannis isn't going anywhere. Neither will trade chatter. Here's how the trade market changes for Giannis and the Bucks as Milwaukee moves forward with its franchise star still on the roster.

Giannis Antetokounmpo is staying with Bucks at trade deadline: Here's how sweepstakes will change this summer

Sam Quinn

[Feb 5, 2026 at 12:27 pm ET · Jasmyn Wimbish]

Boston continues to trim its tax bill, and have now traded Chris Boucher to the Utah Jazz, per ESPN. With this move, the Celtics are now $3.6 million above the luxury tax line. Perhaps we'll see them offload a few more players to duck the tax entirely, as that would make the most sense for a Boston team that has been focused on trimming its payroll for the last year.

That Nikola Vučević trade with the Bulls still isn't finalized, so perhaps the Celtics tweak that deal to find even more tax relief. If not, they could still trade a couple of their minimum salaried guys to get there, too.

[Feb 5, 2026 at 12:16 pm ET · Jasmyn Wimbish]

In other non-Giannis news, the Bucks are busy making some moves on the margins by trading Cole Anthony and Amir Coffey to the Phoenix Suns for Nick Richards and Nigel Hayes-Davis, per ESPN.

This is more a deal for the Suns, who now are under the luxury tax for the first time in three years. The Suns have had an incredibly expensive roster the last few years with little to show for it, and now find some tax relief with this deal. The Bucks, who have signaled that they're keeping Giannis Antetokounmpo past the deadline, are now focusing on making smaller deals perhaps to position themselves for an inevitable rebuild that could start as soon as this summer if Antetokounmpo is traded in the offseason.

[Feb 5, 2026 at 12:09 pm ET · Jasmyn Wimbish]

The Bucks have made it known to potential suitors that they intend to keep Giannis Antetokounmpo past the trade deadline, per ESPN. That means we will kick this can down the line to the offseason, where there will surely be far more teams capable of putting together an offer for the future Hall of Famer. The Warriors and Timberwolves were trying to land the two-time MVP, but nothing materialized on either front. The Warriors opted instead to trade for Kristaps Porziņģis, however ESPN's Anthony Slater is reporting that Golden State thinks it could have a shot in the summer to land Antetokounmpo.

The Heat were another team trying to pull off a trade, but their package, which centered on Tyler Herro and Kel'el Ware clearly couldn't get it done. Now, we'll drag this saga out into the summer. 

As far as what the Bucks do from here for the rest of the season, there's already been reports that Milwaukee may consider deactivating Antetokounmpo for the rest of the season in order to prevent further injury to him and to improve their draft positioning.

[Feb 5, 2026 at 11:46 am ET · Stephen Pianovich]

The Lakers did the best they could with limited assets at the deadline, adding a shooter in Luke Kennard from the Hawks.

Lakers trade grades: L.A. gets needed shooting by landing Luke Kennard

Sam Quinn

[Feb 5, 2026 at 11:31 am ET · Jasmyn Wimbish]

Everyone is waiting and watching to see what the Bucks do with Giannis. Already, two possible suitors have bowed out just based on trades they've made elsewhere. The Warriors acquired Kristaps Porziņģis from the Hawks, which takes them out of the Giannis sweepstakes. The Timberwolves just traded for Ayo Dosunmu, as they feel like landing Antetokounmpo is unlikely.

The list of teams is dwindling, though ESPN's Brian Windhorst said the two-time MVP could still end up on the Heat by day's end. However, if Antetokounmpo isn't traded, the Bucks could shut down the NBA champion for the remainder of the season. The reasoning is twofold:

1. Avoid risk of Antetokounmpo getting hurt which could hurt his trade value in the summer

2. Improve their draft positioning in what's supposed to be filled with generational talent

In a vacuum that plan makes sense. But, and as Windhorst mentioned, convincing Antetokounmpo, one of the most competitive players in the league, to sit out the remainder of the season sounds like a tough sell. Sure, he's already sidelined with a calf strain which could be used as the reasoning, but if he is fully healthy some point in March, is he really going to be cool with resting the rest of the season? We'll see, but that may be the reality if no trade materializes by the end of today.

[Feb 5, 2026 at 10:42 am ET · Jasmyn Wimbish]

The Lakers are finally getting in on the trade deadline action. L.A. had been in search of some upgrades, and found it by sending Gabe Vincent and a 2032 second-round pick to the Hawks for Luke Kennard, per ESPN. While Kennard certainly won't help the Lakers' 24th-ranked defense, he'll certainly boost an already top-10 offense.

Kennard's a career 46.2% 3-point shooter, and is currently leading the league in 3-point shooting on a blistering 49.7% from deep. Regression will surely happen, but slotting him next to Luka Dončić will ensure Kennard will get the easiest looks he's ever had in his career. 

Given the fact that the Lakers are working with minimal assets both in the way of draft picks and players, this is a solid get. Especially when you consider Vincent's production has been on the decline, and adding more size is a plus. 

[Feb 5, 2026 at 10:31 am ET · Stephen Pianovich]

The Knicks made their first move of deadline week on Wednesday night, trading away Guerschon Yabusele to the Bulls. The Frenchman was supposed to be a key part of Mike Brown's rotation this season after he played well for the 76ers last year, but it just didn't work out for Yabusele in New York.

Yabusele's deal has a player option for next season, while the Knicks acquired an expiring contract in Dalen Terry.

[Feb 5, 2026 at 10:13 am ET · Jasmyn Wimbish]

The Bulls are not done reshaping their roster. Chicago has sent Ayo Dosunmu and Julian Phillips to the Timberwolves in exchange for Rob Dillingham, Leonard Miller and four second-round picks, per ESPN. Chicago has been one of the busiest teams at the deadline, having already traded Nikola Vučević and Coby White, too.

After several years of making no moves, the Bulls seem to have finally picked a direction. While it's probably a few years too late -- and something they probably should've done in the offseason to better position themselves in the draft -- at least Chicago is doing something. Now they move forward with Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis as their core tandem with a slew of younger players with upside in Dillingham, Jaden Ivey and Anfernee Simons to evaluate. 

[Feb 5, 2026 at 10:08 am ET · Stephen Pianovich]

The Warriors are out on the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes. The Heat and Timberwolves (and maybe the Cavaliers?) remain interested. Though, with five hours until the deadline, it's looking increasingly likely that Giannis stays in Milwaukee for now.

Jake Fischer reports that "few believe Milwaukee is actually serious about parting ways with their franchise face." Fischer adds that the Bucks could make a star-related trade today, however... buying low on Grizzlies guard Ja Morant. The Grizzlies have been shopping Morant harder after trading Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Jazz earlier this week. Memphis is going into a deep rebuild.

Could the Bucks bring Morant in and try (again) to convince Giannis to sign an extension this summer? It certainly seems like an option in Milwaukee.

[Feb 5, 2026 at 9:54 am ET · Stephen Pianovich]

The Clippers already traded away one star player this week, dealing James Harden to the Cavaliers to get Darius Garland in return. Will the Clippers continue to sell? Teams are interested in Ivica Zubac. One of the best centers in the league, Zubac is a strong defender and is averaging 14.4 points and 7.6 rebounds per game this season.

Count the Pacers among those interested, per Jake Fischer. Indy is heading straight to the lottery in this lost Tyrese Haliburton-less season. But the Pacers are looking for a center to pair with their superstar point guard when he returns next season.

[Feb 5, 2026 at 9:39 am ET · Stephen Pianovich]

Plenty of All-Stars have been traded this week. But the deadline's most notable name has remained in Milwaukee. The Bucks have been exploring the trade landscape for Giannis Antetokounmpo but have not yet found anything to their liking. The Bucks should have a high bar. Giannis is the most impactful player who could be traded this week, and there's a good chance they could get better offers for him in the summer when teams have access to more draft capital. 

One team, at least, doesn't think Giannis is going anywhere this week.

The Warriors were in pursuit of Antetokounmpo recently, but their deal for Kristaps Porziņģis on Wednesday night signaled a Giannis-Steph pairing is not happening at the deadline. ESPN reports that the Warriors got the impression that Antetokounmpo won't be traded by Thursday afternoon:

The Warriors made several offers over the past week but came away with the impression over the past 24 hours that the Milwaukee Bucks won't be moving Antetokounmpo at the deadline and pivoted to other plans, sources said.

Teams like the Heat, Timberwolves, Knicks and Cavs remain in pursuit of Giannis. But it feels like the Bucks don't like any offers on the table enough to act right now.

[Feb 5, 2026 at 9:28 am ET · Stephen Pianovich]

Let's start Thursday morning by looking back at the final big move from Wednesday night. Jonathan Kuminga is finally leaving Golden State. The Warriors seemingly are not getting Giannis, but they are getting a foreign-born big man from the East who has won a championship in green in the 2020s. 

The Kristaps Porziņģis-Jonathan Kuminga swap is an upside swing for both the Warriors and Hawks:

Kristaps Porziņģis-Jonathan Kuminga trade grades: Warriors, Hawks take upside swings

Sam Quinn