NBA trade deadline 2026: Clippers reportedly trading James Harden to Cavs for Darius Garland; Celtics get Nikola Vucevic; latest on Giannis Antetokounmpo

The Miami Heat are reportedly now attempting to trade for Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant and thus are no longer viewed as being at the forefront of the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes.

Miami is among other teams like Sacramento and Minnesota, believed to be in the mix for the seventh-year guard. Morant has been sidelined for much of the season, having appeared in just 20 games. In those games, Morant is averaging 19.5 points, 8.1 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1 assist per game.

Nikola Vučević is now a Boston Celtic, as the organization took on Vučević and a second-round selection for Anfernee Simons and a second-round selection.

Let’s get into some trade grades.

Boston Celtics: B+

Look, this team needed a center, especially one who can stretch the floor. Vučević can do that. He’s hit 39.1% of those shots over his last 121 games and is getting them up at a decent volume (4.5 per), which fits well with how Boston plays.

Vučević also provides the team with strong rebounding (10.4 for his career) and can string together nice passing patterns.

He’ll give the Celtics an interior offensive boost they’ve lacked for a while, all while the organization saves money on its tax bill.

Yes, the Celtics did give up a high second in what could be an absolutely loaded draft, but if that means solving an issue and getting a more streamlined cap sheet, so be it. That should be worth it at the end of the day.

Find out what grade the Bulls earned in Tuesday’s swap.

The 38-year-old Conley was dealt from the Timberwolves to the Bulls on Tuesday, but according to Chris Haynes, the veteran guard will likely be dealt again before the NBA trade deadline on Thursday.

Conley, who is averaging a career low 4.4 points in 18:27 minute per night over 44 games this season, is on an expiring contract.

As it pertains to the Greek Freak, sources said Milwaukee is not feeling pressured to find a suitable deal before Thursday. The Bucks are comfortable collecting aggressive offers from the likes of Miami, Minnesota, Golden State and others, and reassessing things after the season.

The Bucks’ due diligence on the market — and their long-term partnership with Giannis — likely won’t affect his decision to move on from the franchise, but it shows a proactive approach to finding a solution that works for both parties.

There is still a possibility of Antetokounmpo being moved at the deadline, with teams like Minnesota making strategic moves to free up finances, and Golden State reportedly willing to include franchise bedrock Draymond Green in trade talks, but Milwaukee will make the best deal possible at the most opportune time for the franchise.

Read more on what we’re hearing around the league approaching Thursday’s deadline.

Nothing’s certain. But there’s a chance that Draymond Green played his last game for the Golden State Warriors Tuesday night.

Green’s name has been bandied about in trade rumors as the Warriors are believed to be seeking a high-level player (Giannis Antetokounmpo, perhaps?) to pair with Stephen Curry for a run at another championship at the end of Curry’s prime.

If Green’s 13 1/2-season run with the Warriors is over, he’s at peace with it. He spoke about the possibility of this being the end following Golden State’s 113-94 loss to the 76ers Tuesday night.

Be warned, the language is not safe for work. This is Draymond, after all.

Read more here.

Not long after Tuesday’s blockbuster trade, James Harden spoke about it with ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. He denied requesting a trade, per Shelburne. But he’s “excited” to make the move to Cleveland.

Harden, who’s one of two top-10 all-time NBA scorers without a championship alongside Karl Malone, believes he’ll have a better chance to secure that elusive NBA title with the Cavaliers than with the Clippers.

For more on Harden’s reaction, read here.

Per Mark Medina of Spectrum Sportsnet LA, “there’s optimism” within the Los Angeles Clippers that Darius Garland will be available to return from injury to make his team debut after the All-Star break.

Garland, who joins the Clippers from the Cavaliers via the James Harden trade, has missed 25 games this season with injuries to both feet. He’s been sidelined for the last nine games with a sprained right big toe.

The Clippers will host the Denver Nuggets on Feb. 19 in their first game out of the All-Star break. They’ll be hoping to contend for the playoffs after recovering from a 6-21 start to post a 23-26 record as of Tuesday.

Every NBA team is looking for big men who can space the floor and protect the rim, and the Boston Celtics found someone who can at least do one of those things: Nikola Vučević.

The Celtics scored Vučević for Anfernee Simons and a second-round draft pick, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

The now-former Chicago Bulls center has shot 39.1% on 4.5 3-point attempts per game over the past two seasons. He is also, ugh, the anchor of the NBA’s 24th-rated defense.

How that helps the Celtics remains to be seen. They will add him to a big-man rotation that includes Neemias Queta, Luka Garza and Amari Williams — hardly a powerhouse rotation. It was seen at season’s start as worse than it is has been. Vučević is, at the very least, an upgrade over Garza as a reserve center on the Eastern Conference’s third-place roster.

Read more here.

Trading Giannis Antetokounmpo before Thursday’s NBA trade deadline is not an urgency for the Milwaukee Bucks, Yahoo Sports’ Kelly Iko reports.

Several teams, including the Minnesota Timberwolves (who are creating payroll room), Golden State Warriors and Miami Heat are making aggressive offers for the two-time MVP. However, the Bucks may take those offers into the offseason if that’s when the best deal presents itself.

Read more of Iko’s NBA trade deadline buzz here, including the T-Wolves eyeing the Chicago Bulls’ surplus of guards, the team showing the most interest in Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis and what the Houston Rockets are looking for at the deadline.

After trading Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz on Tuesday, the Memphis Grizzlies are next expected to move Ja Morant, reports Yahoo Sports’ Kelly Iko.

With the Grizzlies now appearing to embrace a full rebuild, rival NBA teams expect general manager Zach Kleiman to lower his asking price for the star guard. Morant’s injury history, which currently includes a sprained UCL in his left elbow, also likely affects Kleiman’s bargaining position.

Morant prefers to stay with Memphis, but has accepted that the team is now moving in a different direction that likely won’t involve him in its future. The Miami Heat and Minnesota Timberwolves are reportedly two of the teams that have shown interest in Morant.

Read more here.

Harden joins forces with Donovan Mitchell in the Eastern Conference, hoping to make one last quest for a championship and a big payday. Harden probably cares about the bag more than a trophy, but that’s a debate for another day.

Harden’s role as a primary facilitator won’t change with the Cavs. However, we could see him relinquish some ball-handling responsibilities to Mitchell, as the latter is more than capable of initiating offense. Still, with a healthy Evan Mobley (potentially), Jarrett Allen and a far deeper roster, I don’t think Harden’s assist rate will dip much from what we’ve seen this year. Harden should remain a top-15 asset in fantasy across formats, even though the usage may not be in abundance as it was in L.A. The scoring, however, is likely to drop off from 25 per game because he won’t have to take as many shots when the roster is at full strength. Short term, though, he’s getting buckets. Fantasy managers should hold.

Read more here.

Despite the Los Angeles Lakers’ recent slide, going 9-7 in January and dropping to the No. 6 spot in the Western Conference, the team has no intention of trading LeBron James, reports ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.

James, 41, has a no-trade clause in his contract and thus would have to approve of any deal the Lakers could potentially make. However, he could move to another team next season if he chooses to play. The Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks and Golden State Warriors have been rumored as possible destinations.

In addition to the Lakers’ slump, a Jan. 21 ESPN report detailing a rift between James and Lakers governor (and minority owner) Jeanie Buss fueled speculation that the two sides could move on.

Following the report’s release, James was asked about his rapport with Buss.

“I thought it was good,” he said. “But, you know, somebody could see it another way. There’s always two sides to a coin.”

James was then asked f he hoped to stay with the Lakers for the season, to which he said, “I’m good. I’m good… I’m good.”

The Los Angeles Clippers are trading James Harden Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Darius Garland and a second-round pick, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports.

Conjecture of potential trade for Harden gained steam just ahead of the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 5, as Yahoo Sports’ Kelly Iko reported late Monday evening that the Clippers and Cavs were engaged in discussions surrounding the veteran All-Star.

The 36-year-old Harden is in the second year of a two-year, $81.5 million deal he signed last June when he declined to activate the opt-out clause in his contract. Because of the structure of his contract, he could have declined any trade.

Harden does have a $42.3 million player option for 2026-27, but only $13 million of it is guaranteed.

Read more on the deal here.

With less than 48 hours to go before the NBA trade deadline, teams are going WILD today, as the Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons and Minnesota Timberwolves have connected on a three-way deal.

The details:

Chicago receives: Jaden Ivey and Mike Conley Jr.

Detroit receives: Kevin Huerter, Dario Šarić and a 2026 protected first-round pick swap courtesy of the Wolves.

Minnesota receives: Well, essentially nothing. And that’s the point.

Let’s get into some grades here.

The Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics are officially in the mix ahead of Thursday’s NBA trade deadline.

Chicago will reportedly trade center Nikola Vučević and a second-round pick to Boston in exchange for Anfernee Simons and a second-round pick, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Tuesday.

Vučević, 35, has been with the Bulls since the 2020-2021 NBA season after being acquired from the Orlando Magic. He’s made 375 starts for the franchise over six seasons and is in the final year of a three-year, $60-million contract extension signed back in 2023.

Simons is in his first season with the Celtics, having been traded from the Portland Trail Blazers in the swap for Jrue Holiday back in July. He’s averaged 14.2 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game coming off the bench in Boston.

By creating tax savings and roster space, Minnesota positions itself well for a possible trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo before Thursday’s deadline.

The Chicago Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves and Detroit Pistons have come to terms on a three-way deal, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Tuesday afternoon.

In the deal:

Read more.