Changing It Up

2026 NBA Trade Deadline Recap

Photo from Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

On Thursday, Feb. 5, at 3 p.m. the NBA trade deadline had finally finished. After 3 p.m., NBA social media had calmed down almost immediately, but what happened during and before deadline day is what made this year's trade deadline very eventful. 

Many consider the week of the deadline to be one of the most important weeks in the NBA during the season. It gives contending teams a chance to boost their rosters to win now, and it also allows struggling teams to trade assets for picks to better prepare for the future. This was the exact scenario for the first big trade of deadline week, when the Utah Jazz traded away Walter Clayton Jr, Taylor Hendricks, Georges Niang, Kyle Anderson and three first-round picks to the Memphis Grizzlies for Jaren Jackson Jr, John Konchar, Jock Landale and Vince Williams Jr. Though the Jazz are not the best team in the Western Conference, gaining a superstar player like Jackson Jr. gives the Jazz an opportunity to contend in the near future. This trade also benefits the Grizzlies because they received three young players and now have the opportunity to draft three new players who can help the team in three to four years down the road.

During this year’s deadline, many big name players saw their team change. One of whom was James Harden. Harden was involved in a deal which sent him to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Darius Garland and a second-round pick. The trade done for Harden was done for a number of reasons, one of these reasons being to help bolster the Cavaliers’ roster as the team looks to make a deep playoff run this season. Another reason this trade was done is because Garland was due for a potential big deal, and the Cavaliers would be unable to afford both Garland and All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell. By trading Garland, the team was able to clear enough cap space for Harden this year and potentially next year if Harden’s option is accepted. Two other superstars were traded during the deadline,Trae Young and Anothony Davis, who were both traded to the Washington Wizards. Young was traded for veteran players CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert, this move was done because Young’s contract was up and the Atlanta Hawks were not going to re-sign him. Young also requested to be traded to the Wizards, so the deal was done in an extremely short period of time. Davis’ trade, on the other hand, came as a surprise. Davis was a part of an eight player trade which also sent five first round pick to the Dallas Mavericks. Davis was traded a year prior in the Luka Doncic trade and many Mavericks fans are still angry about the trade. However, Wizards fans are happy for the future. With Young and Davis being out for the rest of the season, the team is likely to get a top five draft pick in the upcoming draft. Pairing the new draftee with Davis and Young the Wizards have a chance to make a deep playoff run next season.

Many fan favorites also get traded during the deadline, this year was no different. On Wednesday, Feb. 4 at night, breaking news shocked Philadelphia. A report came out from Shams Charania, ESPN’s main NBA analyst, that Jared McCain had been traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for one first round pick and three second-round picks. This came as a heartbreaker and shocker to many fans, this includes McCain who says he was on a team bus when he was told the news and said that he was in tears. McCain was a fan favorite for the Philadelphia 76ers and was off to a strong career, but had many injuries which kept him off of the court. McCain had over 5 million followers across social media platforms, many fans connected to him which is why the trade was such a shock.

These trades are not only important for the players, but also the front office of each team who officiated each trade, that is what makes each trade so important. Though the deadline has now passed, we will not know who really won these trades until the end of the season or even in a few years from now.