The NBA trade deadline has officially passed as team’s are now locked into the rosters they put together after a trading frenzy this season.
The 2025 NBA trade deadline will go down as one of the most memorable in NBA history. Not only did we see arguably the biggest trade in NBA history take place, we saw eight former All-Stars switch squads over this window.
The mid-season trading window began with Dennis Schroder going to the Golden State Warriors from the Brooklyn Nets in December. Minor trades such as Dorian Finney-Smith to the Los Angeles Lakers and Nick Richards to the Phoenix Suns followed. This was until the entire market was thrown into turmoil with the Dallas Mavericks trading Luka Doncic.
Doncic going to the Lakers for Anthony Davis shifted the market. This led to major stars such as De’Aaron Fox, Jimmy Butler, Brandon Ingram, Zach LaVine, and more getting moved. We also saw major trades not involving star names such as De’Andre Hunter, Marcus Smart, and Kyle Kuzma amongst a host of other players.
As is the case with every trade deadline, some people have emerged as massive winners while others are regarded as having gotten the short end of the stick. Let’s take a look at both ends of the spectrum.
Los Angeles Lakers: The Los Angeles Lakers will look back at the winter of 2025 as the moment their franchise secured their competitive future for the remaining decade.
The acquisition of Luka Doncic is seismic in every respect. The 25-year-old guard is the third in all-time scoring (per game) and second in the same stat for the Playoffs. He’s fresh off leading the Mavericks to an NBA Finals and now gets to learn under LeBron James while leading the most famous franchise in the NBA.
In addition, acquiring Mark Williams might have given Doncic a center partner for the next decade, guaranteeing a high level of success. This was a ludicrously good window for the Lakers, who will be perennial contenders from now.
Cleveland Cavaliers: The Cleveland Cavaliers made a bold move to acquire De’Andre Hunter from the Atlanta Hawks. Hunter is having a career year and fits the franchise’s need for a starting wing. He’s more productive than the outgoing Caris LeVert and Georges Niang, making the Cavs look like a genuine title contender with the complementary depth of their roster. While high-achieving teams like the Houston Rockets stood pat, the Cavaliers showed why aggression is needed to compete in the NBA.
Jimmy Butler: Jimmy Butler has successfully forced his way out of a franchise for the third straight time. Butler wanted out of the Bulls who sent him to the Timberwolves in 2018. He promptly forced his way out to get to the 76ers later that year. He didn’t force his way out of Philly but fell out with them before joining Miami as a free agent.
After two months of public agitation for a trade from Miami, Butler got what he wanted by joining Stephen Curry on the Warriors. Crucially, he got an instant two-year max contract extension worth $112 million. He won because he secured his future, which is what he always wanted.
De’Aaron Fox: Similar to Butler, De’Aaron Fox got exactly what he wanted. He might be an even bigger winner because he didn’t have to deal with the reputational hazards Butler did. Fox’s team started fielding offers for him, with reports suggesting Fox was aiming to join the Spurs in 2026. He got his wish a season-and-a-half early. Now, he gets to be the star point guard for the perfect co-star – generational center Victor Wembanyama.
Kyle Kuzma: After spending years on the tanking Wizards, Kuzma will get another chance to showcase his talent on a contender. He joined the Milwaukee Bucks via trade for Khris Middleton. While Bucks fans are torn about losing Middleton, Kuzma should be happy. Whether he delivers as a championship-caliber role-player again remains to be seen. But, he will be ecstatic to get the chance to compete for a title again.
Dallas Mavericks: There is no question that the Mavericks have walked out of the trade deadline as losers. They traded a 25-year-old franchise cornerstone coming off an NBA Finals appearance. They also traded high-producing wing Quentin Grimes for Caleb Martin, just for Martin to be injured without a timetable. He’ll be unable to contribute to this ‘win-now’ project, making this another bad trade. GM Nico Harrison might only be remembered as the man who traded Luka Doncic, especially if they can’t win a title with Anthony Davis.
Khris Middleton and Marcus Smart: Khris Middleton and Marcus Smart are both veterans with over 10 years in the NBA. They’ve played for winning franchises their entire careers. Smart went to the NBA Finals with the Celtics in 2022.
Middleton won a title with the Bucks in 2021 as Giannis’ co-star. However, they both saw their contracts get dumped to the league-worst Wizards. Neither player got traded to a contender or bought out either. These veterans should be competing for wins. Unfortunately, they are now mentors for the youngsters on a tanking franchise. It’s sad to see them in this position for the remainder of this season.
Dennis Schroder: Dennis Schroder has been traded three times this season. It started in December when the Warriors acquired him from the Nets. However, they traded him to the Utah Jazz day before to acquire Jimmy Butler.
The Jazz promptly traded him to the Detroit Pistons, where he’s expected to be a rotational guard that helps them keep their Playoff push alive. While the final destination isn’t bad, Schroder has to be upset. He’s been traded four times since signing this contract in 2023 with the Toronto Raptors. This doesn’t bode well for his 2025 free agency either.
Atlanta Hawks: The Hawks don’t own their 2025 first-round pick, as it’s going to the San Antonio Spurs. This led many to believe the Hawks would try to be competitive this year. They were competing for a Playoff spot until Jalen Johnson got hurt, leading to the Hawks’ record plummeting. You’d expect them to try and win now to minimize the damage of their lost pick. Instead, they traded winning players like De’Andre Hunter and Bogdan Bogdanovic for future assets. This guarantees they’ll be a low lottery team and will hand the Spurs a top-10 pick for next year.
