On Thursday, February 6, 2025, the NBA Trade Deadline for the 2025-2026 season officially ended. Trade talks were silenced, deals were made, and Shams could finally nap after averaging a twenty-one-hour screen time to keep everyone updated. For the first time, the NBA trade deadline saw a record-breaking 63 active NBA players traded in a total of 21 trades across the league. However, in this article, I’ll be talking about the trades that meant a little more than all the others, including Luka Doncic to the Lakers, De’Aaron Fox to the Spurs, and Jimmy Butler to the Warriors, and how those trades look for each team after three months and shortly into the playoffs.
Luka Doncic to the Lakers
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Luka Doncic on Lakers Full trade details:
Lakers received: Luka Doncic (PG), Maxi Kleber (PF), Markieff Morris (PF), and $55000 from the Utah Jazz
Dallas Mavericks received: Anthony Davis (C/PF), Max Christie (SG), 2029 Lakers 1st round pick, and $55000 from the Utah Jazz
Utah Jazz received: Jalen Hood-Schifino, 2025 Clippers 2nd round pick (via Lakers), and 2025 Mavericks 2nd round pick
- Initial thoughts regarding trade:
As a Mavericks fan, this trade hurt badly. Trading arguably the 2nd best player in the league at 26 years old, who just brought the Mavericks to the NBA finals the previous season, sounds ridiculous, no? Well, that’s what happened. According to General Manager Nico Harrison, the trade is
“something we believe in as an organization that’s going to make us better. We believed it sets us up to win not only now but in the future. And when we win, I believe the frustration will go away”
Although the ownership had its thoughts about why Luka should be traded, such as his excessive weight and lack of energy on defense, trading an icon of Dallas still doesn’t sit right after these two long months.
- Player Stats on Previous Team:
Luka Doncic on Mavericks: 28.1 Pts, 7.8 Ast, 8.3 Reb with a 46.4 FG% and 35.4 3PT%
Maxi Kleber on Mavericks: 3.0 Pts, 1.3 Ast, 2.8 Reb with a 38.5 FG% and 26.5 3PT%
Markieff Morris on Mavericks: 1.7 Pts, 0.6 Ast, 1.1 Reb with a 22.7 FG% and 15.4 3PT%
Anthony Davis on Lakers: 25.7 Pts, 3.4 Ast, 11.9 Reb with a 52.8 FG% and 29.8 3PT%
Max Christie on Lakers: 8.5 Pts, 1.4 Ast, 2.7 Reb with a 44.4 FG% and 36.8 3PT%
- Concluding Thoughts:
Since acquiring Luka Doncic, the Lakers have jumped in performance and standings. Before the trade, the Lakers sat in the 5th seed in the Western Conference with a record of 25 wins and 18 losses. However, after the Doncic trade, the Lakers are now 44 and 29, placing them tied for 4th in the conference with the Memphis Grizzlies. Luka has seen a slight decrease in his points from 28.1 to 27.5, but has remained virtually the same in every other category. Realistically, the drop in points per game is either due to a small shooting slump or adjusting to a new system. Both Markieff Morris and Maxi Kleber have played insignificant minutes for the Lakers and have, therefore, not affected the team much.
Performance-wise, the Lakers have seen an increase in offensive efficiency from 109.2 points per 100 possessions to 113.5. Also, the team has increased their defensive efficiency from 114.1 points allowed per 100 possessions (21st in the league) to 107.6 (2nd in the league). Overall, the trade has heavily benefited the Los Angeles Lakers, granting them their next generational player, increased defensive and offensive efficiency, and a likely chance to make a deep run in the playoffs this year. Currently, they sit in a playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves down 2- 1.
However, for the Mavericks, it is a whole other story. In his first game as a Maverick, Anthony Davis put up 26 Pts, 16 Reb, and 3 Blks. Unfortunately, Davis would end up sustaining a left abductor strain and having to miss multiple weeks sitting on the bench. Furthermore, the team has had a stroke of bad luck with Kyrie Irving, Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively, O-Max Prosper, Dante Exum, and Caleb Martin all becoming injured shortly after.
At this time, it is hard to judge whether or not the Mavericks have improved or gotten worse because of all the injuries to starters and key bench players. That being said, Max Chrisite has seen a jump in his performance and has gotten a lot of praise from butt hurt Mavericks fans. In the future, I look forward to seeing this team completely healthy and how the trade affected them. As of right now, the Dallas Mavericks have been eliminated by the Memphis Grizzlies for a spot in the playoffs.
De’Aaron Fox to the Spurs
- Full Trade Details:
De’Aaron Fox on Spurs
Spurs received: De’Aaron Fox (PG) and Jordan McLaughlin (PG)
Kings received: Zach Lavine (SG), Sidy Cissoko (G), three 1st round picks, and three second-round picks
Bulls received: Zach Collins (PF), Tre Jones (PG), Kevin Huerter (SG), 2025 Spurs 1st round pick
- Initial thoughts regarding trade:
After hearing about this trade for the first time, I loved it. De’Aaron Fox, after being the centerpiece to a rebuild in Sacramento for the last eight years, has finally been traded from the Kings. For Fox, he was ready to go, as, according to him,
“I was so used to something for almost eight years. I’ve been parking in the same place for almost eight years, and now I’m doing something else.” – De’Aaron Fox via the TD3 Basketball Podcast
This marked the end of the “championship” window for the Kings after losing to the Golden State Warriors in a seven-game series in 2023. The Kings have acquired players such as Devin Carter, Jamal Shead, and Jordan Walsh in the 2023 and 2024 NBA drafts to start another rebuild. Picking up Zach Lavine and three first-round picks is just fuel to get them back to playoff contention over the next couple of years. So, it is a good trade for the Kings, but is it a good trade for the Spurs and Bulls as well? The short answer is yes.
Putting an all-star caliber player like De’Aaron Fox, with his impressive passing and driving abilities, with Victor Wembanyama, has to feel like a dream come true for the Spurs. The future is also looking bright, considering all the first-round picks they have gotten over the years. For the Bulls, I think they are going into a rebuild similar to the Kings and have a bright future ahead.
- Player Stats on previous teams:
De’Aaron Fox on Kings: 25.0 Pts, 6.1 Ast, 5.0 Reb with a 46.9 FG% and 32.2 3PT%
Jordan McLaughlin on Kings: 1.9 Pts,0.9 Ast, 0.8 Reb with a 36.4 FG% and 38.5 3PT%
Zach Lavine on Bulls: 24.0 Pts, 4.5 Ast, 4.8 Reb with a 51.1 FG% and 44.6 3PT%
Sidy Cissoko on Spurs: 1.3 Pts, 0.4 Ast, 0.6 Reb with a 50 FG% and 42.9 3PT%
Zach Collins on Spurs: 4.6 Pts, 1.4 Ast, 2.8 Reb with a 46.2 FG% and 30.4 3PT%
Tre Jones on Spurs: 4.4 Pts, 3.7 Ast, 2.1 Reb with a 48.4 FG% and 30.8 3PT%
Kevin Huerter on Kings: 7.9 Pts, 1.7 Ast, 2.8 Reb with a 41.3 FG% and 30.2 3PT%
- Concluding Thoughts:
Following the NBA trade deadline, the Chicago Bulls have seen minor improvement. Their offensive rating has increased from 111.8 points per 100 possessions, but their defensive rating has decreased from 115.3 to 116.1 points allowed per 100 possessions. That being said, the emerging star of Josh Giddey has propelled this team to be one of playoff contention, currently sitting in the 9 seed in the Eastern Conference. However, the Bulls did not advance to the playoffs after losing their play-in game to the Miami Heat. Zach Collins, Tre Jones, and Kevin Huerter have all provided valuable minutes that have helped this team enter a promising rebuilding phase. Altogether, the changes the team made during the deadline were beneficial in shaping the next years of the franchise to have great potential for success.
For the Spurs, it is hard to tell. De’Aaron Fox played a handful of games before suffering a season-ending injury to his pinkie, but he proved to be a good trade for the Spurs after providing immediate help for Victor Wembanyama. Unfortunately, Victor has gotten hurt with a blood clot in his shoulder and was also sidelined for the remained of the season. This team finished as the thirteenth seed and did not qualify for the play-in or playoffs. Similar to the Mavericks, I will be looking forward to seeing how the trade impacts the team next year.
Lastly, for the Kings, the trade deadline moves they made have had some lackluster effects. Coming in around 0.500 for the games played after the deadline, this team has struggled with consistent offense and defense. While the Kings are navigating a tricky rebuilding phase in their franchise, I was hoping to see more immediate impact from the trades they made this season. They lost their first-round play-in game to the Dallas Mavericks, eliminating them from postseason hopes.
Jimmy Butler to the Warriors
- Full Trade Details: Warriors received: Jimmy Butler (SF), Miami Heat received: Andrew Wiggins (SF), Kyle Anderson (SF), Davion Mitchell (PG), and a 2025 first-round pick via the Warriors Detroit Pistons received: Dennis Schroder (PG) and Lindy Walters (F)Toronto Raptors received: P.J. Tucker (PF)Utah Jazz received: Josh Richardson (SG) and KJ Martin (F)
- Initial thoughts regarding trade:
This trade was much needed for Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat organization. In the short weeks leading up to the trade, multiple disagreements regarding conduct, contracts, and the future of the team arose between the head staff of the Heat and Jimmy Butler. Jimmy did not hold back his public criticism either, revealing,
“I want to see me get my joy back from playing basketball. Right now I’m not doing that.”
with his response to whether he can find that joy again in Miami, being
“Probably Not”
As for the Warriors, they needed to get Steph Curry help immediately. After winning the championship in the 2021-2022 season, things just haven’t been smooth. From losing in the first and second rounds to not even making the playoffs, the team has looked different after the departure of a couple of key pieces, such as Klay Thompson to the Dallas Mavericks, for example. By getting a player like Jimmy Butler, they seemed to find another scoring option instead of Steph. Between the three other teams, no immediate thoughts came to mind as it was more role players and minor reshapings to their current teams.
- Player stats on previous teams:
Jimmy Butler on Heat: 17.0 Pts, 4.8 Ast, 5.2 Reb with a 54 FG% and 36.1 3PT%
Andrew Wiggins on Warriors: 17.6 Pts, 2.4 Ast, 4.6 Reb with a 44.4 FG% and 37.9 3PT%
Kyle Anderson on Warriors: 5.3 Pts, 2.3 Ast, 3.1 Reb with a 45 FG% and 36.5 3PT%
Davion Mitchell on Toronto: 6.3 Pts, 4.6 Ast, 1.9 Reb with a 43.4 FG% and 35.9 3PT%
Dennis Schroder on Warriors: 10.6 Pts, 4.4 Ast, 2.3 Reb with a 37.5 FG% and 32.2 3PT%
Lindy Walters on Warriors: 5.5 Pts, 1.1 Ast, 2.5 Reb with a 37.1 FG% and 33.1 3PT%
P.J. Tucker: N/A
Josh Richardson on Heat: 9.9 Pts, 2.4 Ast, 2.8 Reb with a 44.4 FG% and 34.7 3PT%
KJ Martin on Sixers: 6.4 Pts, 0.8 Ast, 3 Reb with a 61.6 FG% and 38.1 3PT%
- Concluding thoughts:
In short, the Warriors won this trade. Since the Jimmy Butler trade, the team has seen enormous improvement, going 11-2 since Butler’s arrival in Golden State. Offensively, the team improved from an offensive rating of 113.4 points per 100 possessions to leading the NBA with a 73.9% assist percentage. On the defensive side of the ball, they now rank second in the league with 103.6 points allowed per 100 possessions. Currently, they are leading the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs 2-1. However, during the second game, Jimmy Butler took a hard fall after being undercut by Amen Thompson and has not played since. Overall, the second scoring option and defensive prowess of Jimmy Butler has proved valuable in balancing out the roster of the Warriors, allowing them to find better offense and more pace defensively.
For the Heat, struggle has been present. Andrew Wiggins has failed to fill the role of Jimmy Butler, which has led to inconsistent offense and slumps all around. However, Davion Mitchell has shown promise along with a consistent defensive rating even after Jimmy’s departure. After not making the playoffs, this team is most likely entering a rebuild and will pick up important future pieces in the upcoming NBA draft. Lastly, for the other teams involved, not much has changed as most traded players were bench pieces or locker room presences.
Recap
For it being one of the most active NBA trade deadlines ever, the consequences and effects did not disappoint. Most teams saw improvement while others struggled to maintain their level of play, likely heading into a near-rebuild. Key players such as Luka, Jimmy Butler, and De’Aaron Fox are now on different teams and have reshaped the league as we know it. To put it mildly, next season is going to be interesting, and you won’t want to miss it.
