Giannis Antetokounmpo has been hogging the NBA rumor mill as of late, but James Harden unceremoniously pushed him out of the way Monday night.
As Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated and NBC Sports first reported, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Clippers "have had advanced discussions" about a deal involving Harden and All-Star point guard Darius Garland. That news not only shocked the NBA community at large, but it even came as a surprise to his head coach and teammates as well.
Although Harden temporarily stole the spotlight from him, the Greek Freak still remains front and center at this year's trade deadline as well. But Antetokounmpo and Harden aren't the only two stars who could get moved between now and Thursday, as Jaren Jackson Jr. just proved Tuesday.
Let's dive into the latest reports from the rumor mill.
Giannis reportedly fears KD treatment
The Golden State Warriors are reportedly among the teams angling to land Antetokounmpo. However, longtime NBA insider Jake Fischer wrote Monday that there have been "recent rumblings that Antetokounmpo can't be assumed to be as eager as he was once perceived to be to relocate to Stephen Curry's town and team."
"Some in the know suspect Antetokounmpo could be turned off by the idea of joining an older team and/or facing the sort of criticism that Kevin Durant continues to absorb to this day about teaming up with Curry," Fischer added.
Public perception is the main reason why the Antetokounmpo saga has dragged on as long as it has. The Greek Freak doesn't want to be seen as the bad guy by officially requesting a trade, while the Bucks spent months posturing that they wouldn't trade him until he did exactly that. It was a game of trade-request chicken that ended with zero winners.
Had Antetokounmpo asked out of Milwaukee this past offseason, most NBA fans would have understood. The Bucks went all-in on maximizing their championship window with him by swinging two big blockbuster trades for Jrue Holiday in 2020 and Damian Lillard in 2023. The former paid off in a title; the latter… not so much.
Antetokounmpo is risking more backlash the longer he drags this out, no matter where he ends up.
If he retired tomorrow, he'd already go down as one of the greatest players in NBA history. The "bus rider" critique need not apply to Giannis, who was already the top player on a championship team. However, he needs more help than he currently has in Milwaukee. It's unrealistic to expect him to drag this Bucks roster on a deep playoff run.
Because the world is mostly awful these days, some idiots on X, The Everything App will inevitably roast Giannis if/when he gets traded. He should be secure in his legacy enough to know that it will all be water under the bridge years from now.
Kawhi's response to Harden trade talks
According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, finances may be fueling Harden's potentially imminent departure from L.A. Sources close to Harden told him that "the Clippers' long-term plan of clearing their salary-cap books for the summer of 2027 was a factor in this decision."
Kawhi Leonard, who's also under contract through 2026-27, admitted he was surprised by the news of Harden's availability, but he didn't throw his teammate under the bus.
Kawhi Leonard on the James Harden trade reports:
— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) February 3, 2026
“It’s a surprise… Respect his decision. Or whoever’s decision it is. That’s still gonna be my boy. Trust the front office.” pic.twitter.com/472C09wTEn
This would hardly be the first time Harden forced his way off a team due to financial reasons. Who could forget his infamous "Daryl Morey is a liar" tour of China back in 2023?
If there's one thing Harden does not abide by, it's someone messing with his money.
Cavs moving away from 'Core Four'?
The Cleveland Cavaliers recently shipped De'Andre Hunter to Sacramento for Dennis Schröder and Keon Ellis. They might not be done there, though.
During an appearance on ESPN Cleveland on Tuesday, ESPN's Brian Windhorst explained the Cavaliers' rationale behind a Garland-Harden swap.
"The key here is that the Cavs are moving away from believing in the Core 4 and I think the genesis of this is because they're worried that Donovan is not going to re-sign this summer," - @WindhorstESPN on the Cavs trade talks 😯😯😯 pic.twitter.com/cyeWPPIANd
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) February 3, 2026
According to Amick, the Cavaliers have also "explored ways" of trading Jarrett Allen "as a way of unlocking much bigger possibilities." Windhorst said the Cavs have talked to the Bucks about Giannis and the Dallas Mavericks about Anthony Davis.
The second apron is the Cavs' biggest obstacle at the moment. They're currently $13.9 million above it. They can't aggregate two smaller contracts for a bigger one—which they'd have to do for both Antetokounmpo and Davis—unless they finish below the second apron after that trade.
"There are trades that make these work," Windhorst added. "I do not think that it's likely that they're gonna be able to execute those other deals."
A Garland-Harden swap would effectively take them out of the running for Antetokounmpo or Davis unless they were willing to include Mitchell or Mobley in those talks. Either way, the Cavs seemingly have their eyes on a seismic shakeup in the next 48 hours.