NBA trade deadline chaos: Giannis rumors, early blockbusters, what’s next

If you didn’t have access to a calendar, you might’ve accidentally mistaken the madness that occurred on Tuesday in the NBA as the trade deadline. It all started when the Memphis Grizzlies made a stunning trade that saw star big man Jaren Jackson Jr. go to the Utah Jazz in a package centered around three first-round picks. 

Later in the day, the Los Angeles Clippers traded James Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Darius Garland, swapping star guards in one of the more surprising trades in NBA deadline history. 

In between all that, Boston added a big man, the Timberwolves dumped Mike Conley’s contract and the Pistons sold on former top-five pick Jaden Ivey. 

And so began the madness, two days before Thursday’s official trade deadline (3 p.m. ET). Last year saw one of the most chaotic trade deadlines in league history. Among the players dealt last season before the deadline were Luka Dončić, Anthony Davis and Jimmy Butler. This year won’t have a Luke stunner, but the name power is creeping up there — headlined, of course, by Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, who appears to have decided he is ready for a change of scenery. 

If the Bucks indeed deal the two-time NBA MVP, will it be to the Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, or perhaps even a surprise suitor? In short, this year’s deadline will revolve around Antetokounmpo.

More moves are certain to roll in before fans and teams need to set their (trade machines) pencils down until the summer. Here are five storylines to keep an eye on heading into Thursday.

Does Giannis get traded?

Antetokounmpo is the player dictating the deadline and what happens because how often is a multi-time league MVP available for trade? The Bucks and Antetokounmpo have been dancing around a potential breakup for what seems like years now. If it doesn’t happen this week, it appears inevitable that this partnership is heading toward a divorce.

So, if the Bucks trade him, where is he going? According to multiple reports, the most likely suitors are the Heat, Timberwolves and Warriors, although the New York Knicks have been mentioned multiple times since last summer. If you want to read about what a potential trade might look like with any of those teams, my colleague Sam Quinn has you covered with mock trades.

Giannis Antetokounmpo mock trades: How Knicks, Warriors, more could entice Bucks with wild multi-team deals

Sam Quinn

If the Warriors do trade for Antetokounmpo, it would likely mean parting ways with either Draymond Green or Jimmy Butler. ESPN reported on Tuesday that Greenhas been involved in “active trade conversation” ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline. Green has been with the Warriors for 14 seasons and is the second-longest-tenured player behind Stephen Curry. A Curry/Antetokounmpo pairing would be enticing for basketball fans. If it’s Minnesota, it’s likely a duo of Anthony Edwards/Antetokounmpo. If it’s Miami, that means the Heat would have their frontcourt solidified with Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo.

We’ll find out soon if the Bucks are actually ready to break up with Antetokounmpo. 

What’s next for the Warriors?

If the Warriors don’t win the Antetokounmpo sweepstakes, what’s next? Golden State is flirting with being in the play-in this spring. The Warriors sit at 27-23 — good enough for No. 8 in the Western Conference — ahead of the trade deadline. The Warriors are 3.0 games behind the Lakers for the No. 6 spot in the West.

Golden State’s season was altered earlier this month when Butler suffered a torn ACL. Without him, the Warriors don’t have a bona fide star next to Curry. The reality of the situation is Curry continues to play at an elite level nightly, but without true help it will go down as a lost season. 

Once-in-a-lifetime pairing: Stephen Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo would be a match made in basketball heaven

Brad Botkin

The name talked about on this roster as much as anyone (outside of Curry) has been Jonathan Kuminga. The 23-year-old forward signed a two-year deal last summer to return to the franchise after an intense negotiation that came with him being a restricted free agent. As Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. said last month, “there needs to be demand on the market” for a trade to happen.

One of the only teams that has maintained strong interest in Kuminga is the Sacramento Kings. If Kuminga is on the roster after Thursday, get ready for more rumors and talk in the coming months. Kuminga has a club option for the 2026-27 season for $24.3 million.

Grizzlies firesale?

The Grizzlies roster that lost in the first round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs to the Lakers as the No. 2 seed in the West looks drastically different than it does now. Dillon Brooks is now a member of the Phoenix Suns and has been a key piece in turning things around this season. Desmond Bane was traded to the Orlando Magic last offseason and went for an incredible haul of draft picks. Jackson was traded to Utah just over 48 hours before the deadline for a package centered around first-round picks.

The name to know ahead of the deadline is Ja Morant. The Grizzlies’ star point guard could be the next player from that core to depart as Memphis takes the next step toward a full-on rebuild. One suitor for Morant’s service could be the Kings. Sacramento has been mentioned as one of the few teams that could get in the “Morant business” before the deadline, The Athletic reported on Tuesday.

Grizzlies trade Jaren Jackson Jr. and others to Jazz for four players, three first-round picks, per reports

Jasmyn Wimbish

Morant, 26, is averaging 19.5 points, 8.1 assists and 3.3 rebounds in 20 games for Memphis this season. Morant hasn’t played since Jan. 21 after suffering a sprained UCL in his left elbow in a loss to the Atlanta Hawks. At the time, Memphis announced that Morant would be re-evaluated in three weeks, which ruled him out until after the NBA trade deadline.

If Morant is traded, all eyes will be on the lottery in May. If the season ended today, Memphis would have the ninth-best odds to land No. 1.

Who else could be a seller at the deadline?

Though we just mentioned them as possible destinations for Morant or Kuminga, the Kings also profile as potential sellers. They have the worst record in the NBA and that’s with a veteran-heavy roster headlined by Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, Malik Monk and LaVine. Might any of those players get dealt between now and Thursday? W

The problem working against Sacramento is the size of all those contracts. Sabonis has two more years on his contract after this season. DeRozan is set to make $25.7 million during the 2026-27 campaign, although only $10 million of that is guaranteed. LaVine has a player option worth nearly $50 million that seems likely to get picked up this summer.

Five NBA trade deadline bold predictions: Knicks make a blockbuster, Cavs shake things up, big names stay put

Brad Botkin

The most notable reported suitor for Sabonis has been the Raptors. The name that has been widely reported as one who could head back Sacramento’s way in a potential deal is RJ Barrett, who has history with current Sacramento general manager Scott Perry. When Perry was the general manager of the Knicks, he drafted Barrett with the No. 3 overall pick in the NBA Draft. The obstacle in a potential deal is that the Raptors would likely need to ship out either Jakob Poeltl or Immanuel Quickley, who have long-term deals well past this season.

Buckle up. The fun’s just getting started.