Overview
- Twenty-seven trades were completed league-wide, moving nearly one-sixth of rostered players as the deadline closed.
- The Bulls executed a sweeping teardown, sending Ayo Dosunmu and Julian Phillips to the Timberwolves for Rob Dillingham, Leonard Miller and four second-round picks, drawing sharp criticism of Artūras Karnišovas’ stewardship.
- Cleveland swapped Darius Garland and a second-rounder to the Clippers for James Harden, reshaping its backcourt next to Donovan Mitchell while also retooling depth around its core.
- Golden State dealt Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield to Atlanta for Kristaps Porziņģis, whose debut hinges on medical clearance as the team expresses skepticism about immediate readiness given recent Achilles and illness issues.
- Giannis Antetokounmpo remained with the Bucks and Ja Morant stayed in Memphis, with focus now turning to a buyout market that has begun moving but is expected to yield modest on-court impact.