Given the numerous roster changes before the NBA trade deadline, discerning team movements and their rationale can be challenging. Therefore, we will analyze the initial deals using a straightforward assessment: “Have they improved?”
One might assume the goal of any trade is enhancement, yet an anonymous league source commented that “much of it involves salary cap adjustments and acquiring draft assets to secure one’s position.”
[NBA Power Rankings: Trade deadline edition]
Thus, we shall distinguish the essential from the superfluous. (Curious about “chaff”? It refers to the indigestible outer layer encasing the grain’s useful core. Look: We’ve already gained knowledge.)
Incidentally, this segment is exclusively for championship hopefuls, focusing solely on squads with legitimate title aspirations for the current season. (Other organizations? Merely inconsequential. Observe: Our fresh terminology is already applicable.) My apologies to supporters of the Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards, who obtained Jaren Jackson Jr. and Anthony Davis, respectively, and whose teams remain outside our championship discussion… for the present.
Their Recent Moves: The Cavaliers exchanged 26-year-old two-time All-Star guard Darius Garland and their 2026 second-round selection with the Los Angeles Clippers for 36-year-old prospective Hall of Famer James Harden. In an unrelated transaction without draft compensation, they dispatched De’Andre Hunter to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for Keon Ellis and Dennis Schröder. Furthermore, Cleveland divested a pair of second-round picks and Lonzo Ball to Utah, who plans to release him.
Have they improved? This outcome is open for discussion. Overall, it’s likely they did. Marginally.
Broadly speaking: The Cavaliers exchanged a youthful standout (Garland) for an experienced one (Harden), utilizing a minor asset (their upcoming June second-round pick) in the process, a strategy generally not recommended.
Nevertheless, in this specific instance, the younger talent faces difficulties with consistent availability. Garland has been absent for half the season, including the most recent nine contests, due to recurring toe issues, a significant concern for a guard whose dynamic drives and agile movements are crucial to his play. These toe ailments have persisted since the conclusion of the previous season, during which he experienced a resurgence.
Garland will not reach 27 years of age until January 2027. He earned All-Star selections as a 22-year-old orchestrator for a team that won 44 games, posting averages of 21.7 points and 8.6 assists per contest, and again as a 25-year-old complement to Donovan Mitchell on a 64-win squad. During the intervening period, he experienced additional absences.
Conversely, the veteran star has demonstrated remarkable durability, particularly since earlier physical conditioning issues and several quadriceps injuries seemed to jeopardize his prime in his early thirties. We are, naturally, referring to Harden, who has been sidelined for merely a few contests in each of his last three campaigns, including the previous one, when he secured an All-Star nod for the eleventh occasion.
Harden, who was formerly a perennial top-three MVP contender for four consecutive seasons, recorded averages of 25.4 points and 8.1 assists over 44 games for the struggling Clippers this year. He and Kawhi Leonard were pivotal to an L.A. team that commenced the season with a 6-21 standing, only to achieve a turnaround with a 16-3 run, showcasing elite performances defensively and offensively.
This impressive period must have convinced the Cavaliers about Harden. The precise rationale, beyond his presence, remains somewhat unclear. Neither Garland nor Harden offers significant defensive prowess. Indeed, both represent defensive vulnerabilities during the postseason, and each will consistently be targeted until one demonstrates that approach is no longer effective. For Harden, we possess 17 seasons of observational data.
His 17 years also signify extensive ball-handling responsibilities. Harden habitually controls the offense, probing defenses through isolation plays or attacking the pick-and-roll, a role Mitchell is also accustomed to. Integrating their styles might require more time than the remaining 31 games this season, and if so, this transaction could prove catastrophic, given Harden’s ability to terminate his contract in late June and his desire for increased compensation.
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Providing additional funds, or anything beyond a substantial salary reduction, to Harden would be erroneous. Furthermore, he was not seeking a significant pay decrease when he pursued his departure from the Clippers.
It’s evident that even during his prime, Harden’s approach to the game—characterized by extensive ball control and weak defense—consistently failed to advance his team past the Western Conference finals.
Did it justify the second-round selection? Should Harden maintain better availability than Garland this season, and if he propels the Cavaliers to the Eastern Conference finals or further, then, arguably, yes, the effort was worthwhile. However, these are substantial contingencies. It could equally be contended, perhaps even more so, that Harden will restrict them to an identical second-round playoff limit.
Perhaps the Cavaliers simply wished to avoid the injury-related financial burden of Garland’s $40 million contract extending until the conclusion of the 2027-28 season. This leads us to the Hunter transaction, which additionally resulted in significant luxury tax savings and enhanced their salary cap maneuverability.
This move also introduced two valuable athletes, Ellis and Schröder, rendering Lonzo Ball’s $10 million compensation unnecessary. Reports indicate that relinquishing Ball’s contract to the Utah Jazz required two additional second-round draft choices. Through these actions, Cleveland established the kind of roster adaptability essential for pursuing Giannis Antetokounmpo, widely considered the most impactful player available at the deadline.
Their Recent Moves: The Celtics are reported to have sent 26-year-old backup guard Anfernee Simons and their 2026 second-round draft selection to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Nikola Vučević.
Have they improved? They became… altered?
Simons provided valuable contributions as a substitute for Boston, consistently showcasing excellent shooting and enhanced defensive play, standing out as one of several individuals who elevated the Celtics’ performance beyond initial expectations. His departure will be felt, although its impact will diminish considerably, or entirely, upon Jayson Tatum’s eventual return to active play.
Vučević integrates into an already extensive (though not exceptional) frontcourt rotation featuring Neemias Queta, Luka Garza, Amari Williams, and Chris Boucher. The 35-year-old two-time All-Star surpasses all of them except Queta, their primary center, who has proven to be an effective scorer near the basket for the league’s second-ranked offense and a defensive anchor for its eleventh-ranked defense.
Vučević, conversely, served as Chicago’s central figure for the NBA’s 24th-ranked defensive unit. Offensively, he does provide spacing, achieving a 39.1% success rate on 4.5 three-point attempts per game over the last two campaigns, and he consistently produces double-doubles, with career averages of 17.2 points and 10.4 rebounds over 15 years. He is among only 28 players in history to accumulate 15,000 points and 10,000 rebounds.
Vučević is unlikely to be their long-term central player, unlike what Jaren Jackson Jr. could have been if Utah Jazz executive Danny Ainge hadn’t intervened to acquire the 26-year-old two-time All-Star and 2023 Defensive Player of the Year. That acquisition, certainly, would have represented an improvement for them.
Instead, the Celtics conserved almost $30 million in payroll and luxury levies while simultaneously enhancing their backup center role. Should Tatum rejoin the roster, Boston stands as a championship contender. Otherwise, they do not. It’s straightforward. Vučević’s impact on this dynamic is presently a matter of contention.
He likely offers greater utility than Garza in an initial playoff round, particularly given his offensive range. He commands consideration. He has not participated in a conference semifinals. Wishing him well as he endeavors to guard more skilled frontcourt players in Detroit, New York, and Cleveland.
Their Recent Moves: As part of a tripartite transaction involving the Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves, the Pistons exchanged Jaden Ivey for Kevin Huerter and Dario Šarić.
Have they improved? They acquired somewhat more depth. Possibly.
Ivey, selected fifth overall in the 2022 NBA Draft, has yet to fulfill those high expectations. While he has posted averages as high as 17.6 points, 5.2 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per contest, he has struggled with consistent health over the last two seasons. Furthermore, he is due for a new contract at the season’s conclusion, undoubtedly motivating Detroit’s decision to part ways. They chose not to commit to his long-term prospects.
Ivey, who reaches 24 years of age on February 13, represents a sound investment for a Bulls squad that has been seeking young talent and avenues to utilize its salary cap flexibility in the upcoming offseason.
In return, the Pistons will acquire the expiring agreements of Huerter and Šarić. The latter is improbable to garner significant playing time within a frontcourt group featuring All-Star center Jalen Duren and Sixth Man of the Year hopeful Isaiah Stewart. Huerter will complement Duncan Robinson on the perimeter, enabling the Pistons to maintain court-spacing for the entire 48 minutes of a game.
Not that either Huerter or Robinson—or Tobias Harris, incidentally—embodies the type of wing player one anticipates on a projected championship contender. However, with only Robinson as their primary long-range shooter, the Pistons have established a 5.5-game lead in the Eastern Conference standings.
Their Recent Moves: The Thunder are reported to have conveyed the Houston Rockets’ 2026 first-round selection and three second-round picks to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Jared McCain.
Have they improved? Indeed, perhaps.
The Thunder currently boast the NBA’s top record (40-11), so incorporating another 21-year-old guard who demonstrated potential as a rookie, averaging 15.3 points per game last season prior to a left lateral meniscus tear necessitating knee surgery, seems logical. That particular injury—along with the evolution of the Sixers’ lineup—curtailed McCain’s playing time (and effectiveness) in Philadelphia this season.
McCain provides backup guard coverage for the sidelined Ajay Mitchell, another promising youthful talent, who has missed the past six contests due to a right hip contusion. Further concerning news for Oklahoma City on Wednesday: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sustained an abdominal strain and will not undergo further assessment until following the All-Star recess. McCain can only contribute positively, though Cason Wallace, Lu Dort, and Alex Caruso already comprise the foundation of the NBA’s most skilled guard ensemble.
Their Recent Moves: The Wolves utilized their 2026 first-round draft choice to offload Mike Conley’s $10.8 million expiring agreement, thereby gaining the latitude to combine Rob Dillingham, Leonard Miller, and four second-round picks for 26-year-old Ayo Dosunmu.
Have they improved? Unequivocally, yes.
Dosunmu is effective. He converted 45.1% of his 4.3 three-point attempts per game for the Bulls this season, and he expends considerable effort on defense. He understands how to fulfill a specific function, having established one even while Chicago aimed to distribute offensive responsibilities to other athletes. In their efforts to cultivate Josh Giddey and Coby White, the Bulls might have overlooked a valuable complementary player.
Minnesota showed shrewd judgment in recognizing Dosunmu, as they do not require a player to diminish Anthony Edwards’s offensive opportunities. They seek someone to enhance his game, and Dosunmu fulfills this by sinking catch-and-shoot three-pointers, attacking closing defenders, and moving effectively without the ball.
Does Dosunmu significantly impact the postseason competition? Lacking a more substantial enhancement at the point guard position, where Ja Morant was once considered a potential acquisition, he represents as proficient a role player as Minnesota could secure. And the Wolves were already poised to challenge OKC in a series.
Their Recent Moves: The Lakers exchanged seasoned two-way guard Gabe Vincent and a 2032 second-round draft selection with the Hawks for sharpshooting 29-year-old guard Luke Kennard.
Have they improved? Not significantly.
The Lakers were already a borderline championship hopeful, even with Luka Dončić, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves on their squad, due to possessing the NBA’s 24th-ranked defense (permitting 116.9 points per 100 possessions), which has consequently resulted in a negative net rating (-0.1) that contradicts their current standing (30-19, narrowly above a play-in tournament spot).
Kennard, who leads the league by converting 49.7% of his 3.2 three-point attempts per game, offers no defensive enhancement to the Lakers, although he might further boost their offensive capabilities. Vincent, alongside Marcus Smart, stood out as one of the scarce two-way contributors on Los Angeles’ team.
Their Recent Moves: The Knicks are reported to have sent forward Guerschon Yabusele to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Jalen Terry, subsequently redirecting Terry, along with two second-round draft selections, to the New Orleans Pelicans for 27-year-old backup guard Jose Alvarado.
Have they improved? Undoubtedly, to a small extent.
Alvarado serves as a reliable reserve point guard, posting averages of 13 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists per 36 minutes as a substitute for the struggling Pelicans. He is poised to become an energetic presence at Madison Square Garden, galvanizing spectators with his intensity as, genuinely, (and I express this with the utmost respect) a disruptive force on both offense and defense.
Alvarado enhances a guard corps that already consists of Jalen Brunson, Miles McBride (who is reported to undergo core muscle surgery and might be sidelined for the remainder of the regular season), and Jordan Clarkson, among other ball-handlers. Combining them with the wing players Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, and OG Anunoby, and big men Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson, positions the Knicks as offensively gifted as any team in the Eastern Conference.
Whether such talent translates to the defensive half of the court continues to be a significant inquiry. Alvarado’s disruptive nature will only be beneficial in restricted playing time, yet the overarching issue endures.
