It’s almost Valentine’s Day, which means the NBA trade deadline has come and gone. Some of the league’s biggest names were dealt this year, reshaping the league and giving us some interesting headlines as All-Star Weekend approaches and the playoffs get closer and closer.
At The Argus, Sports Editor Max Forstein and Contributing Writer Matthew Mish are here to break down some of the biggest trades and what it may indicate for the rest of the season and beyond.
James Harden to the Cavaliers
The most significant trade was the Los Angeles Clippers trading future Hall-of-Famer James Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers for two-time All-Star Darius Garland and a 2026 second-round draft pick.
Harden, a generational shooter and 11-time All-Star, was on pace for one of his best seasons in Los Angeles, averaging 25.4 points and 8.1 assists, but the Clippers chose to move towards youth and potential rather than maintaining the same roster formation.
The Cavaliers are one of the more interesting teams in the league. Currently fourth in the Eastern Conference, they saw a perfect opportunity to seize a bona fide star that can bring synergistic playmaking to an impressive roster. In theory, adding a presence like Harden alongside Donovan Mitchell gives Cleveland a strong player who can take some of the offensive burden off their stars.
However, there is a risk here: If Harden doesn’t fit alongside Mitchell or his age begins to creep up on him when matchups tighten, the Cavaliers could end up right back where they started.
For Los Angeles, the trade is a clear long-term move. Garland brings youth and potential, with the draft picks adding a layer of flexibility as the Clippers reshape around Kawhi Leonard. On paper, the short-term edge goes to Cleveland’s title pursuit. As with all of the major deals from this year’s deadline, only time will tell who truly won this trade.
Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Jazz
In what was the largest player deal of the deadline, the Memphis Grizzlies continued to dismantle their playoff core by trading franchise cornerstone Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz for Walter Clayton Jr., Taylor Hendricks, Georges Niang, and three future first-round picks. Along with Jackson, the Jazz also received John Konchar, Vince Williams Jr., and Jock Landale, though Landale was moved to the Atlanta Hawks before even landing in Utah.
For the Jazz, this is finally a sign that they are willing to cash their chips in and compete. With a core of Lauri Markkanen, Keyonte George, and Walker Kessler, they have young pieces they’ve harvested over time to build around to go on a run, but they’ve highlighted the bottom of the Western Conference for multiple years now. With the addition of the former Defensive Player of the Year, the Jazz finally have the anchor that bolsters their lineup and solidifies them as a threat for years to come.
Will it happen this year?
No. The Jazz sit at 16–37, far behind the playoff picture. But for next year, rolling out a starting five of George, Ace Bailey, Markkanen, Jackson, and likely Kessler, gives them a formidable chance to make the playoffs in a conference that seems to reward homegrown teams with regular-season success.
For the Grizzlies, this unfortunately marks the end of the “Next Gen” era. Jackson, their fourth overall pick in the 2018 draft, was the base of Memphis’ core, pairing him with defensive wing Dillon Brooks and eventually Ja Morant and Desmond Bane. They earned the no. 2 seed in 2021–22 and made it to the Western Conference Semifinals before falling to the eventual champion Golden State Warriors. Since 2022, the Grizz haven’t been able to replicate that success, and dishing off Brooks and Bane in recent offseasons certainly indicated change. With all the trade buzz around Morant and his antics, it’s a bit of a surprise to see them move on from Jackson, but the picks they receive from the deal will hopefully yield valuable return as they begin their new era.
Anthony Davis to the Wizards
Yet another blockbuster on deadline day saw the Dallas Mavericks trade Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards in a massive trade that involved eight players and several different picks. Davis, a 10-time All-Star and one of the greatest two-way big men in the NBA, will head to D.C., along with Jaden Hardy, D’Angelo Russell, and Danté Exum, while the Mavericks will receive Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley III, two first-round draft picks, and three second rounders.
The Wizards have been particularly aggressive this season, as they also take on Trae Young, another multi-time All-Star who stalled out in his previous location. This deal brings major change in terms of trying to compete right now in the Eastern Conference. The duo of Davis and Young gives the Wizards a super-talented one-two punch. The hump, of course, is that they need to actually stay healthy, and likely for Davis to recover for the rest of the 2025–26 season.
Every potentially good move comes with its risks. Davis has struggled with injuries throughout the season (i.e., groin, hand, calf, adductor, etc.), knocking him out of a majority of his games in Dallas, so there’s no guarantee he’ll even play long enough to make this pay off. If he misses extended time again, or if the synergy next to Young doesn’t click, Washington will experience a serious loss for future draft assets.
As for the Mavericks, this deal feels like a reset move. Dallas essentially moves on from the big-name experiment and uses Davis’ value to restock assets and get younger, with clear aspirations to build around players like Cooper Flagg going forward. Basically, the short-term play goes to Washington’s bold push, but as discussed, we could easily look back at this deadline and see just how wisely Dallas played their hand.
Ivica Zubac to the Pacers
In one of the most underrated deals of the deadline, the Los Angeles Clippers dealt their all-defensive center Ivica Zubac and Kobe Brown to the Indiana Pacers for Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, two first-round picks, and a second-round pick.
The Pacers are one of the most fascinating teams in the league, and this deal represents a major risk-reward for the defending Eastern Conference champs. Indiana sits dead last in the East at 13–40, but this is much more a retooling year considering Tyrese Haliburton is still recovering from his Achilles tear in Game Seven last year. They lost then 10-year center Myles Turner in free agency last season, so Zubac fills a need. In theory, this puts them in an ideal spot, giving Haliburton a top center when he returns from injury, and the 2026 first round pick they sent to Los Angeles is top-four protected, which the Pacers are currently in. However, one run late in the season, a couple of unlucky bounces during the lottery, or Zubac not playing up to the potential James Harden got him to in Los Angeles, and the Pacers are back at square one. I see this as a necessary gamble to capitalize on the core they have now with Haliburton coming back next season, but it could also backfire quickly.
For Los Angeles, this is a net positive considering their firesale this deadline. Paired with the Harden trade, all that is left of their core is Kawhi Leonard, who continues to play well for a now depleted Clippers roster. Jackson will be a serviceable rotation piece, and a change of scenery for Mathurin should allow him to develop his all-world slashing ability. On paper, the short-term favors the Pacers heading into next season, but we could look back on this in a couple years and see just how masterfully the Clippers played this deadline because of a Mathurin breakout.
As we move past the deadline and All-Star Weekend, the NBA certainty looks different, and only time will tell as far as who won these trades and what it means for the future of the league.
Max Forstein can be reached at mforstein@wesleyan.edu.
Matthew Mish can be reached at mmish@wesleyan.edu.
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