The 2025 NBA trade deadline has now concluded, leaving fans buzzing with excitement over the flurry of last-minute deals that took place leading up to the 3 p.m. ET cutoff. This year’s deadline stands out as one of the most eventful in recent memory, with several high-profile players changing teams in blockbuster trades.
The action kicked off with a bang as the Dallas Mavericks shocked the basketball world by trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis. Meanwhile, the Sacramento Kings orchestrated a three-team trade that saw De’Aaron Fox head to the San Antonio Spurs, while Zach LaVine was traded from the Chicago Bulls to the Kings to reunite with former teammate DeMar DeRozan.
As the deadline approached, more significant moves were made. Jimmy Butler found a new home with the Golden State Warriors in a complex four-team trade that sent Andrew Wiggins to the Miami Heat. The Milwaukee Bucks parted ways with Khris Middleton, sending him to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Kyle Kuzma. The New Orleans Pelicans traded Brandon Ingram to the Toronto Raptors, and the Lakers acquired Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets.
In the final hours leading up to the deadline, teams scrambled to finalize deals, with many eyeing star players like Kevin Durant. While Durant ultimately remained with the Suns, there were still plenty of exciting trades to dissect.
Notable last-minute trades included Marcus Smart being sent to the Washington Wizards along with a 2025 first-round pick from the Memphis Grizzlies. The Los Angeles Clippers dealt Kevin Porter Jr. to the Milwaukee Bucks for MarJon Beauchamp, and also traded Terance Mann and Bones Hyland to the Atlanta Hawks for Bogdan Bogdanovic and three second-round picks. The Atlanta Hawks traded De’Andre Hunter to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, three second-round picks, and two swap picks. Additionally, the Phoenix Suns traded Jusuf Nurkic and a 2026 first-round pick to the Charlotte Hornets for Cody Martin, Vasilije Micic, and a 2026 second-round pick.
With a whirlwind of trades and roster shake-ups, NBA teams were busy reshaping their lineups and making strategic moves ahead of the playoff push. Stay tuned for more updates and analysis on the trade deadline action.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, multiple teams are now interested in Kevin Durant following the Phoenix Suns’ recent attempt to trade for Jimmy Butler. Durant has not requested a trade yet and is surprised to find his name in trade talks at the deadline. ESPN’s Bobby Marks suggested the Houston Rockets as a potential destination for Durant, but colleague Brian Windhorst mentioned that the Rockets plan to stick with their young players. Behind-the-scenes movements before Butler’s trade to the Warriors have started to come to light. Talks involving Butler and Durant became linked after it was evident that Suns’ guard Bradley Beal wouldn’t waive his no-trade clause. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst revealed that it was close to Butler going to Phoenix and Durant reuniting with Golden State, but Durant expressed he did not want that reunion, leading to a pivot by the Warriors. The Warriors eventually acquired Butler in a complex trade involving multiple teams, including the Detroit Pistons and Utah Jazz. Butler signed a contract extension with the Warriors as part of the deal. The addition of Butler to the Warriors prompted discussions about further roster moves, including talks between the Warriors and the Chicago Bulls regarding Nikola Vucevic. Reports suggest ongoing trade discussions between the Bulls and Warriors involving Vucevic. Additionally, the Memphis Grizzlies have been in talks with various teams about a potential trade involving guard Marcus Smart. Smart recently returned from injury and is averaging 8.7 points and 3.7 assists per game for Memphis.
Since becoming a member of the Grizzlies through a trade in June 2023, Josh Smart has been out of several games due to various injuries. With one year remaining on his contract post this season, Smart’s salary cap impact exceeds $21.5 million. The Atlanta Hawks are contemplating trading De’Andre Hunter, a player of interest as per Chris Mannix from Sports Illustrated, with the Cleveland Cavaliers emerging as the likely frontrunner in acquiring him. Hunter has shown his prowess as a Sixth Man of the Year contender for the Hawks, achieving a career-high average of 19.0 points and a 39.3% success rate from beyond the arc. Standing at 6 feet 8 inches, this forward has two more years under contract after the current season, with salary cap hits of $23.3 million and $24.9 million, respectively. For further updates on potential NBA trades, including insights on Kevin Durant and Nikola Vucevic, refer to the original version of this article on USA TODAY.
