The NBA trade deadline is Feb. 5 at 3 p.m. ET, and we have you covered on all the buzz around the league as the 2025-26 season heats up.
From a 12-time All-Star leaving his team to franchise stars weighing their options, this season is already delivering the drama ... and we haven't even hit Christmas Day. What could happen in the days and weeks before the deadline? While there hasn't been a trade just yet -- the unofficial kick off to trade season happened on Dec. 15, with nearly 90% of players becoming eligible to be moved -- it'll get only hotter from here.
Check back here for all the latest trade buzz, news and reactions from our ESPN NBA insiders, with the latest info at the top:
Quick links:
30 questions | Who can be traded? | Transactions
Depth charts | More trade deadline coverage
Dec. 19
Hoop Collective: The first MVP straw poll of the season
Brian is joined by ESPN's Tim Bontemps and Tim MacMahon to discuss Bontemps' first MVP straw poll of the season, including Victor Wembanyama's potential in the MVP race, the newcomers on the list and the historic race between Shai Gilegous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic at the top of the poll.
Dec. 18
Giannis says agent talk with Bucks out of his hands
Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo told reporters that he's "locked in" on the Bucks and that any trade conversation is between his agent and the franchise.
"If my agent is talking to the Bucks about it, he's his own person. He can have any conversation he wants," Antetokounmpo told reporters prior to Thursday's game against the Toronto Raptors.
"At the end of the day, I personally have not had the conversation with the Bucks. I'm still locked in, locked in on my teammates, most importantly locked in on me getting back healthy."
The Bucks are 1-3 since Antetokounmpo's right calf strain on Dec. 3.
Mitchell and Mobley the only 'untouchables' on the Cavaliers' roster
ESPN's Shams Charania reports that the Cleveland Cavaliers have been getting "a ton of incoming calls from on their players" as the team's struggles have continued.
"When I talk to rival teams, Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley are really the two untouchable players on this roster," Charania said on NBA Today.
The next month will influence how aggressive Cleveland is ahead of the trade deadline, per Charania.
Howdy Partners: Similarities between the Spurs and Rockets and Flagg's historic performance
ESPN's Tim MacMahon and Michael C. Wright cover the recent NBA news across the state of Texas, including the San Antonio Spurs' recent win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Cup semifinals and the comparability of the Spurs and Houston Rockets. The hosts also discuss the consistently historic performances of Cooper Flagg and his case for the best season from an 18-year-old in NBA history.
Dec. 17
Hoop Collective: The Knicks win a trophy
Brian is joined by ESPN's Tim Bontemps and Tim MacMahon to discuss the New York Knicks winning the NBA Cup over the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night. They also break down what the Spurs showed the rest of the league during their run to the Cup final before moving on to big updates from NBA commissioner Adam Silver on NBA expansion, the potential future of the NBA Cup and the Terry Rozier investigation. They close on the recent impressive play of Cooper Flagg.
Important deadline rule goes by without a deal
The Dec. 16 deadline for teams to trade for a player and then aggregate his contract prior to the Feb. 5 deadline came without any transactions.
Unlike last December, when Brooklyn traded Dennis Schroder to Golden State, there were no trades. Because the Warriors acquired Schroder prior to the deadline, they were allowed to trade him again without any restrictions. Schroder was sent to Detroit as part of the Jimmy Butler blockbuster. Going forward, players are not allowed to be combined with additional salary in a second trade. -- Bobby Marks
Dec. 16
What moves lie ahead for Cup finalists?
The two remaining teams in the NBA Cup, the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs, are a contrast in roster building. The Knicks have added starters Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns in four separate trades. San Antonio has built through the draft, with starters Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell and reserves Dylan Harper, Jeremy Sochan, Keldon Johnson and Carter Bryant. And while the Spurs traded four first-round picks in February for guard De'Aaron Fox, they remain well-equipped with draft assets.
San Antonio has the right to swap first-round picks with the Atlanta Hawks in June's draft and has an unprotected first-rounder from the Hawks in 2027. The Spurs can also swap with the Boston Celtics' first-rounder in 2028 (if 2-30), swap with the more favorable first-rounder between the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves in 2030 (if 2-30) and swap with the Sacramento Kings' first-rounder in 2031.
The Knicks' only tradeable first-rounder is from the Washington Wizards in 2026, but only if the pick falls outside the top 8. (The pick will become second-rounders in 2026 and 2027 if not conveyed.) -- Bobby Marks
Inside the ugly Chris Paul-LA Clippers divorce
From Ramona Shelburne: The Clippers and Chris Paul went into their reunion with good intentions: an opinionated future Hall of Fame player at the end of his career hoping for one final ride with his former team; that team, which is near the end of its largely disappointing, hugely pressurized Kawhi Leonard experiment -- which has resulted in exactly one conference finals appearance in six seasons -- hoping their former front man could address a leadership vacuum it has struggled to fill.
But endings are rarely clean or painless in the NBA. And this one -- for both player and team -- was born out of the most flammable combination in sports: misconceptions and dysfunction.
The reunion was more than simply doomed from almost the beginning; it might also serve as foreshadowing of a future for the Clippers even more challenging than their present.
Dec. 15
Biggest trade deadline questions facing every team
Will the Dallas Mavericks look to trade Anthony Davis? What will it take to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo if the Milwaukee Bucks open trade talks for the two-time MVP? Those are two of the many questions NBA front offices will need to discuss leading up to the Feb. 5 trade deadline.
And with Monday marking the unofficial start of trade season -- nearly 90% of the players are eligible to be moved -- those questions will begin to be answered.
Along with identifying the trade season focus for all 30 teams, Bobby Marks breaks down the important information -- the apron status, trade exceptions to watch, most valuable first-round picks and big expiring contracts -- that could help define which direction each franchise takes in the coming months.
Hoop Collective: Are the Spurs a legit contender?
Brian is joined by ESPN's Tim Bontemps and Tim MacMahon to discuss the NBA Cup semifinals following the New York Knicks' win over the Orlando Magic and the San Antonio Spurs' victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. The trio talk about the Spurs' impressive performance against the Thunder and debate whether it is proof they'll end up in the top four in the Western Conference.
The three then discuss the Knicks as elite contenders in the East as well as the struggling Cleveland Cavaliers before Brian details his travels last week.
Dec. 12
Hoop Collective: Trade season expands on Dec. 15
The trade season expanding on Dec. 15 was a primary topic on Brian Windhorst's The Hoop Collective podcast on Friday. Will there be any action in December?
"I don't think there's going to be trades happening next week," Windhorst said. "But it coincides with the point in the season where teams start to make some decisions about the ineptitude or ... some of the weaknesses of their rosters. And that's when things start to get going."
ESPN's Bobby Marks shared Windhorst's sentiment.
"Eighty-two players starting on Monday are eligible. December is relatively somewhat of a quiet month, tradewise," Marks said. "Certainly we start hearing more rumors, but we had a trade last year on the first day players were eligible and Dennis Schroder was traded from Brooklyn to Golden State.
"And I think going into Monday we'll have eyes on Chris Paul as far as to figure out ... if it eventually gets resolved here. But I think the total number is 90% of the NBA is trade-eligible as of Monday."
Dec. 10
Mavs' Lively to have season-ending foot surgery
Dereck Lively II, Dallas' starting center, will undergo season-ending surgery to address lingering discomfort in his right foot, ESPN's Shams Charania reported Wednesday. The news comes after Lively had surgery in July to clean out bone spurs in the same foot.
He played in only seven games this season.
Potential landing spots for Anthony Davis
Several teams are expected to be interested in trading for Anthony Davis, including the Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks and Toronto Raptors, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania.
Dallas is open to exploring trades for Davis as well as veteran guards Klay Thompson and D'Angelo Russell, per sources.
The Mavericks are currently 10-16 and holding on to the last play-in spot in the Western Conference.
Kuminga's future in Golden State
The Warriors will be open to discussing trades for Jonathan Kuminga when he is eligible to be moved on Jan. 15, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania. Golden State hopes to improve the roster and Kuminga's $22.5 million salary could lead to a larger trade haul.
Pacers in the market for a center
Sources told ESPN's Shams Charania that the Pacers are in the market for a center after losing Myles Turner to the Milwaukee Bucks during the offseason.
Kings open to trade talks
The Kings and first-year general manager Scott Perry are open to trade talks throughout the roster, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania. Teams around the league are keeping their eyes on veterans Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, as well as 25-year-old guard Keon Ellis.
Dec. 5
The challenging trade market for Giannis
On the Hoop Collective podcast, host Brian Windhorst described the difficult trade landscape for Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks.
"What I'm telling you is that when I talk to executives and these executives are not in trade talks with the Bucks or another for a star player right now, the mood in the NBA right now is not to give up four first-round picks for anybody," Windhorst said. "This is how teams are thinking right now. They're a little freaked about the aprons. There ain't going to be no five first-round pick trades. I know that we saw those for a while. That's just not going to happen."
The trade market has dried up compared to former seasons, according to Windhorst.
"I can hear somebody out there listening to this podcast saying, 'What are you talking about? This is Giannis. Giannis will go for two star players and six firsts," Windhorst added. Maybe that will happen. I am just telling you, I talk to the guys who make these trades every day, all day long, and the appetite is just different.
"Everybody is feeling a certain way. I'm just telling you I could end up being wrong. I'm just reporting back."
Dec. 3
Bucks, Giannis reenter discussions about his future in Milwaukee
Sources told ESPN's Shams Charania that Giannis Antetokounmpo and his agent Alex Saratsis are discussing whether Antetokounmpo's best fit is still with the Bucks or elsewhere.
"I know that he asked for a trade and then said I'm going to be a Buck this year," ESPN's Brian Windhorst said on ESPN Cleveland on Wednesday. "I know a lot of people in the league think he won't be a Buck next year."
A resolution is expected in the coming weeks in how Antetokounmpo and Milwaukee approach the Feb. 5 trade deadline. The Bucks are 10-13.
Antetokounmpo is averaging 28.9 points, 10.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game on 64% shooting.
Chris Paul, Clippers part ways
Paul, a 12-time All-Star, announced Wednesday that he was sent home ahead of the Clippers' game in Atlanta against the Hawks. The 40-year-old veteran signed a one-year deal with the franchise during the offseason, but ESPN's Shams Charania reported that he and coach Ty Lue had not been on speaking terms for several weeks.
The point guard started all 82 games last season for the San Antonio Spurs but was averaging 14.3 minutes and 2.9 points per game this season in L.A. The Clippers can't officially trade Paul until Dec. 15.
What league sources said about these three All-Star guards
Trae Young, LaMelo Ball and Ja Morant have all had turbulent starts to the 2025-26 season and one league source told ESPN's Tim MacMahon that the trio "might all have negative value" ahead of this season's trade deadline.
Young's defensive limitations have hurt his ceiling as a franchise's centerpiece, with one East scout saying: "He's just small and doesn't play any defense."
As for Ball, it's his in-game decision-making that has left some scouts and front offices wanting more. "Can I trust LaMelo in the playoffs and games that matter late in the season?" an East executive said. "We just don't know."
The off-court issues for Morant remain the biggest concern about his future with Memphis or potentially beyond. "The combination of pain in the ass, injury-prone, not that good anymore, and big contract is a bad one," said an East executive.
Dec. 1
The Bulls front office has discussed the possibility of adding Anthony Davis
The Chicago Bulls have started the season 9-11 and currently sit in 10th in the Eastern Conference. The early season struggles have led to the front office to explore the idea of adding a difference-maker, including the Dallas Mavericks' Anthony Davis, per ESPN's Jamal Collier.
The franchise does remain committed to keeping its young core -- Josh Giddey, Coby White and Matas Buzelis -- and wouldn't trade any of those players to get a deal done, per Collier.