Jimmy Butler was expected to be the biggest name traded for. He had requested to leave Miami in December, and even before that, people wondered whether he could be moved. Late at night on February 1st, however, Jimmy Butler would no longer be the biggest name involved in a trade.
The Dallas Mavericks did the unthinkable and traded away Luka Doncic for a package built around Anthony Davis. Just 24 hours later, the Kings would move De’Aaron Fox in a deal that landed them Zach Lavine and more. Between the Luka trade, the Fox trade, and many others, the 2025 NBA trade deadline will go down in history.
Mavericks Receive: Anthony Davis, Max Christie, 2029 Lakers Unprotected 1st Round Pick.
Lakers Receive: Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber, Markieff Morris
Jazz Receive: Jalen Hood-Schifino, 2025 2nd round pick via Clippers, 2025 2nd round pick via Dallas
People put outlandish deals together in trade machines, and then there is trading Luka Doncic. When news broke that the Mavericks were trading their 25-year-old franchise star, everyone thought the deal was fake, but it was as real as possible.
There is no good excuse to trade Luka Doncic; he is a top-three player in the NBA who just led his team to the finals and isn’t even in his prime yet. As great as Anthony Davis is, he is not the same player as Doncic and is six years older. He is a great defender and will make Dallas an elite defense, but he can’t offer what Luka does as an offensive engine. Max Christie is a nice role player starting to emerge, but he is just a young 3-and-D wing. This is just an inexcusable move by Dallas.
The Lakers get an A+ with this deal; they got Luka Doncic. This deal makes them better now and sets them up for success for the next decade. They have work to do with the rest of the roster, but Luka makes the players around him better, and they will want to play with him.
The term generational is used loosely in sports, but Luka Doncic is one of the generational talents across all sports. At 25 years old, he is arguably the best offensive player in the NBA. It is almost impossible to come across a player like Luka, and to trade him away before he even reaches his prime is unthinkable. This is arguably the craziest deal in sports history and may never be topped.
Kings Receive: Zach Lavine, Siddy Cissoko, 2025 lottery-protected first-round pick Via Charlotte, 2027 first-round pick Via San Antonio, 2031 first-round pick via Minnesota, 2025 second-round pick Via Chicago, 2028 second-round pick Via Denver, 2028 second-round pick Via Chicago.
Spurs Receive: De’Aaron Fox, Jordan McLaughlin
Bulls Receive: Kevin Huerter, Zach Collins, Tre Jones, Their own 2025 first-round pick.
This deal is an absolute home run for the Spurs. They moved arguably three of their least valuable first-rounders and two bench pieces, but most importantly, they kept all their young guys. The Spurs have been patient while building around Victor Wembenyama, not wanting to mortgage the entire future, but this was too good of a deal to pass up.
De’Aaron Fox is a three-level scorer who is just now entering his prime. He fits the timeline perfectly and provides a much-needed offensive punch. San Antonio will need to add more to become a contender, but considering how good Fox is, this is an excellent addition at a very low cost.
With this deal, the Kings prioritized winning now instead of building for the future. Zach Lavine is having a great year. He is again healthy and slides right in as a much-needed 3-level scorer in Sacramento.
The three first-round picks are cherries on top, but the Hornets pick is unlikely to convey, meaning it will be two second-round picks. It would have been nice to see the Kings receive more for their star player, but considering his contract situation, is it understandable why they didn’t receive a large haul with better assets?
As for the Bulls, this deal is another example of waiting too long to capitalize. They receive full control of their first-round pick this year, and that’s great, but that’s all they got in this deal. Tre Jones is a nice backup point guard, but the Bulls already have too many guards. Kevin Huerter will likely be flipped in the summer. He is a good shooter, and teams covet that, but he doesn’t offer much for the Bulls. Zach Collins is just involved for salary-matching purposes. This was poor asset management by the Bulls.
Warriors Receive: Jimmy Butler
Heat Receive: Andrew Wiggins, Davion Mitchell, Kyle Anderson, 2025 Top-10 Protected 1st Round Pick Via Golden State.
Pistons Receive: Lindy Waters III, Dennis Schroeder, 2031 2nd Round Pick Via Golden State.
Jazz Receive: K.J. Martin, Josh Richardson, 2028 2nd Round Pick Via Philadelphia, 2031 2nd Round Pick Via Miami.
Raptors Receive: P.J. Tucker, 2026 2nd Round Pick Via Miami, Cash.
The Jimmy Butler saga ended with him in a Warriors uniform. Golden State needed to make a significant move to give Steph Curry help, and Butler was the best player they could get. They need another go-to scorer this year, and Jimmy will provide that. He offers the Warriors elements they have lacked, such as his ability to put pressure on the rim and his playmaking.
Losing Andrew Wiggins hurts. He was loved in Golden State, but Butler is undoubtedly an upgrade. The Warriors likely aren’t title contenders with this deal, but with Jimmy’s playoff history and Stephs, they could be a tough matchup.
As for the Heat, this is a good return, considering their situation. Butler did them no favors throughout the entire trade process, so walking away with Wiggins, Davion Mitchell, Kyle Anderson, and a first-rounder is a win.
All three players fit the Heat’s culture. They are all good defenders, especially Mitchell and Wiggins, and they don’t demand the ball offensively. Miami lacks draft capital, so acquiring a possible late lottery pick or early teens pick is also a significant win. Considering Butler has been absent from the lineup for a while, Miami should receive a significant boost from this trade.
Raptors Receive: Brandon Ingram
Pelicans Receive: Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk, 2026 1st Round Pick Via Indiana, 2031 2nd Round Pick Via Toronto.
Finding elite three-level scorers in the NBA is tough, but the Raptors got one for a discount in Brandon Ingram. Toronto has a nice young core led by Scottie Barnes, but they have lacked a true go-to scorer since entering their rebuild.
It had been clear that the Pelicans and Ingram were not going to be able to agree on a deal to keep him in New Orleans for the future, so a trade seemed likely. Due to his impending free agency, his trade value did not match his on-court value, and the Raptors took advantage of that. Bruce Brown was set to leave as a free agent this summer, and Kelly Olynyk was no more than a nice bench piece.
The most valuable piece the Raptors sent out was the 2026 first-rounder that they acquired in the Pascal Siakam deal last year. Assuming Ingram re-signs with the Raptors, this should be a steal for them, as Ingram is a very talented player who fits Toronto’s timeline.
There isn’t much to say about the Pelicans, as they were never expected to receive much value for Ingram due to his impending free agency. To acquire a first-round for a player who was likely to walk is a win in itself. It is easy to say they could have handled the situation better and gotten out in front of it, but given the circumstances, the return is fine.
Bucks Receive: Kyle Kuzma, Patrick Baldwin Jr., Jerico Sims, 2025 2nd Round Pick.
Wizards Receive: Khris Middleton, A.J. Johnson, 2028 1st Round Pick Swap Via Milwaukee.
Knicks Receive: Delon Wright, Cash
Khris Middleton’s extraordinary career with the Bucks has ended. Injuries took a major toll on him, and he became too unreliable for a team looking to make a title run.
Kyle Kuzma doesn’t have the same play style as Middleton, but he offers things that Khris simply couldn’t anymore. He is a better defender, is more physical and athletic, and can put more pressure on the rim. Kuz isn’t the same level of shooter as Middleton, but he’s been a good three-point shooter at times during his career. If Kuz can consistently knock down his shots, he will fit right in and upgrade the Bucks; if he is a liability from deep, it will be a clunky fit.
The Wizards had a chance to get multiple first-rounders for Kuzma last year, but they strangely allowed him to veto it. A year later, they get a much different haul. However, they also get a swap that could be valuable depending on where the Bucks are at and an intriguing prospect in A.J. Johnson, the Bucks’s first-round pick over the summer. Washington needs to continue gathering assets and clearing minutes for their young guys, and this does both.
The Knicks’ getting Delon Wright in this deal is a nice little addition. He is a terrific perimeter defender, and depending on the matchup, he could provide some minutes in the playoffs.
Cavaliers Receive: De’Andre Hunter
Hawks Receive: Caris Levert, Georges Niang, Three 2nd Round Picks, Two 1st Round Pick Swaps.
The Cavalier’s success has been one of the headlines this season, as they have been at the top of the Eastern Conference for the entire season. Despite that, they still needed to upgrade the roster, and De’Andre Hunter is a perfect fit. He will provide shooting and much-needed size on the wing on defense. He could start or come off the bench, but regardless, his skill set perfectly fills the needs that the Cavs had.
The Hawks decided to capitalize on Hunter’s career year and move off of his long-term deal for Caris Levert, who is set to be a free agent, Georges Niang, who is on a very affordable deal, and multiple picks. The Hawks should have pushed for a protected pick instead of swaps, but draft capital is always a positive. This deal was ultimately about moving long-term money for the Hawks.
Clippers Receive: Bogdan Bogdanovic, Three 2nd Round Picks
Hawks Receive: Terrance Mann, Bones Hyland
The Hawks continued to dump money by moving Bogdan Bogdanovic for two smaller salaries. Having to attach three second-round picks seems pricey, considering Bogdanovic is a good player on a short-term deal. Terrance Mann is a solid player who will provide much-needed perimeter defense for the Hawks. The Clippers have an abundance of defenders, making Mann expendable. This deal added much-needed shooting and draft capital, which is great for the Clippers.
Suns Receive: Cody Martin, Vasilije Micic, 2026 2nd Round Pick
Hornets Receive; Jusuf Nurkic, 2026 1st Round Pick
The biggest losers of the deadline may be the Suns. They didn’t acquire Jimmy Butler, traded an extremely valuable future pick for three late first-round picks, and used one to dump Jusuf Nurkic. Cody Martin and Vasilije Micic will help the Suns bench, especially Martin, with his defense, but they are not worth a first-rounder for a team with limited draft capital.
The Hornets,, on the other hand,, did well in this deal. Both Martin and Micic were not part of their future, and adding a first-round pick to take on essentially a year and a half of Nurkic is a great deal.
Grizzlies Receive: Marvin Bagley III, Johnny Davis, Two 2nd Round Picks
Wizards Receive: Marcus Smart, Alex Len, Colby Jones, 2025 1st Round Pick Via Memphis
Kings Receive: Jake LaRavia
The Grizzlies had a log jam in their rotation as they had multiple rotation players returning from injury and didn’t have enough minutes for everyone. The Marcus Smart acquisition never worked out, as he has been hurt for most of his time over the last two years. His contract also prevented Memphis from making moves this summer, so it became clear he would be moved. The issue is attaching a first-round pick to get off of him. He is still a valuable bench piece who could have helped many contenders, and having to salary dump him feels like a bad move.
The Wizards taking on his contract to add another first-round pick is a great move, as adding assets is the priority for Washington at the moment. Smart will provide a veteran presence for an extremely young Wizards team.
Kings Receive: Jonas Valanciunas
Wizards Receive: Siddy Cissoko, Two 2nd Round Picks
The Kings have needed a backup big for quite some time and that need is no longer an issue. Jonas Valanciunas is a proven veteran who can provide solid minutes as a rebounder, screener, and post scorer. After acquiring three second-rounders in the Fox deal, Sacramento had the capital to make a move like this to solidify their bench.
The Wizards add even more assets for a player who was not a part of their long-term future and was signed this off-season to be traded at some point.
The 2025 trade deadline may be over but will never be forgotten. It sent shockwaves through the NBA world, and it had fans worried they might miss something if they put their phone down. From Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis to De’Aaron Fox to Jimmy Butler and more, the trade deadline did not lack big names changing teams. It will alter the state of the NBA in the present and the future. It was the most memorable deadline in NBA history and will likely be forever.
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