The NBA Trade Deadline officially less than one month away. The big day arrives on Feb. 6 and, while there is no law against transactions coming together well before the deadline, the old saying of "deadlines spur action" tends to be true in NBA circles.
Still, there is plenty to discuss on the rumor mill with four weeks to go, headlined by a couple of proven star players who are very clearly available from their current teams -- Anthony Davis and Trae Young. Plus, there is the looming domino of a former MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo, that everyone is closely monitoring.
Here's the latest buzz.
Raptors and Hawks in pursuit of Anthony Davis?
There has been widespread reporting that Anthony Davis is available in trade scenarios, with multiple sources indicating that Davis and his agent, Rich Paul, are attempting to set him up in the best possible situation to net a long-term contract extension. While Tim MacMahon of ESPN reports that Davis's ultimate preference would be to stay in Dallas with a new deal, the Toronto Raptors and Atlanta Hawks are among teams reported to have expressed interest.
As part of a Bleacher Report stream, NBA insider Jake Fischer indicated that "Toronto and Atlanta are still the only teams that we can talk about as confirmed teams that are interested in pursuing Anthony Davis." Of course, that does not mean that the Raptors and Hawks are actually the only suitors, but both have clear reason to at least consider adding Davis.
For Toronto, the Raptors are 22-15 and starting center Jakob Poeltl is currently sidelined after playing in only 21 of the first 37 games. Davis would be a substantial upgrade for the Raptors at the position, with Toronto having the ability to easily match salary and push chips in for the future Hall of Fame big man.
On Atlanta's side, things are less clear from a financial standpoint, particularly as the Trae Young saga unfolds. Still, the Hawks could use a dynamic defensive force in the middle, and Atlanta's future-facing salary commitments are minimal at this very moment.
What's next for Giannis?
On the whole, the Giannis Antetokounmpo rumor mill seems to have slowed, but Sam Amick of The Athletic recently shed some new light on the situation. Speaking on FanDuel TV, Amick framed things as if it was unlikely that Antetokounmpo moves soon.
"I think eventually he's going to be out of town. That’s my opinion. I don't think it happens mid-season," he said. "And to talk to their group the other day, I thought that even more so in terms of like it not happening anytime soon."
The Bucks are on the upswing right now, winning four of the last five games, and they have been a completely different team with Giannis on the floor. Milwaukee has a 13-9 record when Antetokounmpo plays and, beyond that, the Bucks have a massive swing in net rating when he is on the court (+10.4) to when he is not (-9.1) this season.
Trae Young out, Anthony Davis in for Atlanta?
It is no secret that Trae Young rumblings have begun to heat up around the Hawks, with the widespread projection that Young will be moved in the relatively near future. While that is never a lock given the obstacles to pulling off any trade, Fischer reports (via Bleacher Report) that Young "seems more likely to be moved than Anthony Davis," in part because the asking price is considerably lower for Young.
From there, Fischer also shares that "Atlanta, right now, seems to be the team that is in most aggressive pursuit" of Davis, drawing a through-line from one player to the other. To be clear, that would not be a situation in which Young is dealt for Davis directly, but Atlanta's salary cap books would be much more palatable in adding Davis if Young's $49 million player option was not on the books for the 2026-27 season.
On the other hand, Davis's offensive game could certainly use a player like Young to set him up as a pick-and-roll partner, but Atlanta's ownership group has never paid the luxury tax, much less approached the second apron in the way they would need to if they added Davis while keeping Young.
The Warriors are done with Jonathan Kuminga
The Warriors are continuing to explore trades for Jonathan Kuminga, and according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints he probably won't play again until he's traded. He hasn't played since Dec. 18, missing the last nine games, mostly as a DNP-CD. He's not even eligible to be traded until Jan. 15 because of the contract he signed this summer, so at the very least this should drag on for another week. However, given how much trouble they've had finding a trade over the past two seasons, it seems likely this could drag on all the way to the trade deadline.