By Anietie anii-bassey
The NBA’s trade deadline arrived Thursday with a rush of activity across the league, but the most closely watched name of all — Giannis Antetokounmpo — remained in Milwaukee, ending days of speculation that the Bucks might part with their franchise cornerstone.
Antetokounmpo had dominated conversations around the league after reports surfaced that Milwaukee was willing to listen to offers for the two-time Most Valuable Player and nine-time All-NBA selection.
When the clock struck 3 p.m. Eastern, however, the Bucks had made no such move, keeping the superstar who has spent his entire 13-year career with the organization and delivered the city its first championship in half a century in 2021.
The 30-year-old forward has not played since Jan. 23 because of a strained right calf, but his long-term future has been an increasingly hot topic as Milwaukee struggles to recapture its former dominance. The Bucks have been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in each of the past three seasons and entered deadline day sitting 12th in the Eastern Conference standings.
Antetokounmpo has repeatedly said he loves playing in Milwaukee, while also making clear that his priority is competing for championships, a message that has fueled ongoing debate about whether the franchise is equipped to remain in the title chase.
Another star who stayed in place was Memphis guard Ja Morant, whose name has also circulated heavily in recent weeks. Morant has played his entire career with the Grizzlies, but Memphis is 11th in the Western Conference and has begun reshaping its roster after dealing two-time All-Star Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz earlier in the week. Though Morant is himself a two-time All-Star, his value around the league has been clouded by injuries, off-court issues and a recent dip in production.
While neither Antetokounmpo nor Morant was moved, several teams made significant adjustments before the deadline passed, reshuffling rotations and future plans even if no deal matched the magnitude that many executives and fans were bracing for.
Indiana was among the busiest, landing 7-foot center Ivica Zubac from the Los Angeles Clippers in a move designed to bolster its frontcourt for the future. The Pacers sent Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson and up to three draft picks to Los Angeles, according to a person familiar with the agreement who spoke on condition of anonymity because the trade had not yet been formally announced.
Zubac, who turns 29 next month, has averaged 14.4 points and 11 rebounds this season and gives Indiana a dependable interior presence. The move could position the defending Eastern Conference champions to contend again once star guard Tyrese Haliburton returns from his Achilles injury next season. Mathurin, 23, had been averaging 17.8 points per game for the Pacers before being included in the deal.
Minnesota addressed its need for bench scoring by acquiring Ayo Dosunmu from Chicago in exchange for guard Rob Dillingham, forward Leonard Miller and four second-round draft picks, along with forward Julian Phillips coming back to the Timberwolves. Dosunmu, 26, is in the final season of a contract worth roughly $7.5 million and is enjoying career-best numbers, averaging 15 points per game while shooting 45.1 percent from three-point range.
Toronto executed a financial maneuver by adding veteran point guard Chris Paul in a transaction designed primarily to move below the luxury-tax line. On paper, the Raptors acquired Paul from the Clippers, while also sending forward Ochai Agbaji, a future second-round pick and cash considerations to Brooklyn. Paul, widely expected to retire after the season, was sent home by the Clippers in November but continued to draw his salary.
Cleveland also made a smaller move, shipping Lonzo Ball to Utah for two second-round selections. Ball averaged 4.6 points, 3.9 assists and 1.3 steals in just over 20 minutes per game across 35 appearances with the Cavaliers. Utah becomes the fifth team of his seven-year career.
New York added depth in the backcourt by landing Jose Alvarado from New Orleans in exchange for two second-round picks and Dalen Terry, who had arrived earlier in the day in a separate deal with Chicago. The trade was described by a person familiar with the negotiations who was not authorized to speak publicly before final approval.
Many of the league’s most recognizable names had already been moved earlier in the week. The Clippers sent James Harden to Cleveland for two-time All-Star Darius Garland and a second-round pick, swapping the 34-year-old former MVP for a guard a decade younger.
Anthony Davis was dealt from Dallas to Washington as part of a sweeping eight-player transaction that brought the Wizards Davis, Jaden Hardy, D’Angelo Russell and Dante Exum while sending Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley III and a haul of draft picks — two first-rounders and three seconds — in the opposite direction.
Washington hopes eventually to pair Davis with four-time All-Star Trae Young, who arrived in a separate trade last month, though both players are currently sidelined by injuries.
Dallas continued its roster reshuffling by sending Branham to Charlotte for point guard Tyus Jones, according to a person with knowledge of the deal. Charlotte had acquired Jones from Orlando earlier in the week. Atlanta made multiple moves of its own, picking up Gabe Vincent and a 2032 second-round pick from the Los Angeles Lakers for Luke Kennard, and later securing Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield from Golden State in exchange for Kristaps Porzingis.
Even the league’s conference leaders joined the activity. Defending champion Oklahoma City acquired Jared McCain from Philadelphia for a 2026 first-round pick and three second-round selections, while Eastern Conference-leading Detroit added Kevin Huerter from Chicago in a four-team trade.
When the deadline dust settled, executives around the league were left with a familiar conclusion: plenty of players changed uniforms, contenders and rebuilding teams alike reshaped their outlooks, and yet the biggest domino of all — Giannis Antetokounmpo — stayed firmly in place, at least for now, in Milwaukee.
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