All the Giannis and Ja Morant trade rumors may have you numb by now. But are you ready for LeBron James to potentially hit the market? It's an unlikely scenario but news this week has it feeling like a possibility.
The NBA Trade Deadline looms on Thursday, Feb. 5, with the entire league eyeing that particular line in the sand. The old saying goes that "deadlines spur action" and, with the exception of the Atlanta Hawks sending Trae Young to the Washington Wizards earlier this month, the league has been very quiet in terms of actual moves since the 2025-26 season began.
However, the rumor mill continues to churn and, with two weeks until the big day, some of the NBA's most prominent names are at least associated with recent buzz. Here is a look at the latest.
Ja Morant market cooling down?
Less than two weeks ago, the rumblings reached a fever pitch around Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant and the notion that the team could be ready to move on from the mercurial star. Then, it became at least relatively clear that Memphis did not have a "Godfather offer" in hand for Morant and, in recent days, he has been indicating a preference to stay with the Grizzlies and playing better on the floor.
On top of that, NBA insider Chris Haynes recently reported plainly on SiriusXM NBA Radio that "the Memphis Grizzlies have made it clear to other teams that they're very comfortable keeping Ja Morant." Of course, this is the correct posture for the Grizzlies to take in public, as the team would not benefit from any perception of desperation when it comes to negotiation. At the same time, this sentiment does make sense if the offers are not robust for Morant, particularly if he is ready to buy in and perform at his top level. Durability and long-term viability remain concerns, but Morant is a galvanizing force in Memphis, and the Grizzlies wouldn't be crazy to just stick it out at this stage.
What's up with LeBron?
Baxter Holmes of ESPN put together a deep dive into the sale of the Los Angeles Lakers and, within the piece, fanned some flames around LeBron James and his relationship with Jeanie Buss. In fact, Buss came out with a statement to The Athletic downplaying the rumblings, but that did not stop speculation about LeBron's future in Los Angeles.
The aforementioned Chris Haynes turned some heads on SiriusXM NBA Radio on Wednesday.
"I just question, 'Why now?'" Haynes said. "And if it’s 'why now,' usually when things like this start to trickle out, something’s about to go down. I don’t know what that is, but that’s usually how this works."
Obviously, this does not mean that a LeBron trade is definitely coming, or anything of the sort. However, it could mean that something is afoot in Los Angeles, either in the coming days or when it comes to the summer and more major changes for a franchise that has a clear pathway to very significant salary cap space in July.
The Giannis chatter never stops
The Milwaukee Bucks are 18-25 this season and, while some of that is attributable to injury-related absences for Giannis Antetokounmpo, the team is not showing the kind of high-end upside that would quiet whispers about Giannis's future. The Bucks are trying hard to message to the league that they would rather "buy" than "sell" in advance of the deadline, but Brian Windhorst of ESPN shared a sentiment that is making its way around the league at the same time.
Windhorst's sentiment that "teams do believe this is gonna be a divorce" between the Bucks and Antetokounmpo is widespread, and even with Giannis pushing back and saying he would never request a trade, that does not fully stop the potential breakup. When it comes to a deal before the deadline, the chances still seem fairly slim, but Antetokounmpo can agree to a contract extension during the 2026 offseason. If he doesn't, it could be a (very clear) signal that he does not intend to remain in Milwaukee, potentially opening the door for a trade without the actual need to "demand" one.