FEATURES OF THE DAY

Inside the ugly split between Jonathan Kuminga and the Warriors
Anthony Slater, ESPN

washington traded for hope and told it to rehab in dallas
bang!

Some of NBA’s best players are ineligible for major awards because of rule that needs to change
Melissa Rohlin, NY Post

TEAM-SPECIFIC

CHI: Does Billy Donovan want to coach a rebuild? With the Chicago Bulls, he won’t have any other choice.
Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune

CLE: Jarrett Allen is quickly realizing the best part about playing with James Harden
Eamon Cassels, Fansided

CLE: Thoughts on James Harden’s latest trade.
Kylie Cheung, Basketball Feelings

CLE: Inside the Cavs’ talent pipeline that turned undrafted players into contributors
Chris Fedor/Jimmy Watkins, cleveland.com

GSW: Inside the ugly split between Jonathan Kuminga and the Warriors
Anthony Slater, ESPN

GSW: NBA’s tanking topic isn’t easy for Steve Kerr: ‘It’s not good for the fans’
Nick Friedell, The Athletic

GSW: Gui Santos and the art of conformance
Punk Basketball, Dub Nation HQ

GSW: Warriors are heading closer to All-Star break with some good mojo after beating Grizzlies
Daniel Hardee, Dub Nation HQ

Let’s be clear about what the Warriors acquired: a seven-foot-three floor-spacing big who, when healthy, gives them the exact archetype they’ve chased for years. Ya know, rim protection without sacrificing spacing, size without clogging Steph’s gravity. Porzingis hasn’t suited up yet and the fit is theoretical for now. And that’s the gamble.

The Warriors are betting that his talent, even with availability questions, is worth more than Kuminga’s long-term upside in a system that never quite found a stable role for him. They’re betting that Steph’s window is measured in months, not seasons. They’re betting that fit matters more than projection.

There’s a version of this story where Jonathan Kuminga becomes an All-Star in Atlanta, and every time the Warriors visit, someone pulls up the highlight reel and asks why they gave up too soon. There’s also a version where the flashes remain flashes, where potential never quite hardens into consistency.

We won’t know for years which version is true. What we know right now is that the fit wasn’t clean. Steve Kerr wanted connective tissue while Kuminga wanted expansion. Neither vision was unreasonable. They just didn’t align cleanly with Steph Curry’s timeline.

IND: How It Happened: inside Indiana’s acquisition of Ivica Zubac
Jake Fischer, The Stein Line

IND: Pacers beat Knicks in game with 39 lead changes
Dustin Dopirak, Indy Star

IND: Are the Pacers better off with Ivica Zubac than Myles Turner?
Dustin Dopirak, Indy Star

LAL: Observations: Game 53 vs Spurs
Iztok Franko, digginbasketball

LAL: Wembanyama scores season-high 40 as Spurs bury depleted Lakers
Benjamin Royerm OC Register

LAL: Luka Doncic as a Laker: What we’ve seen a year in and what’s next
Kevin Pelton, ESPN

LAL: Q & A: Austin Reaves
Franlyn Calle, SLAM

MIN: Consistency of effort is biggest ‘x’ factor for how far team will go
Britt Robson, MINNPOST

MIN: The Timberwolves Have A Lot Of Horsepower But No Rudder
Tom Schreier, Zone Coverage

MIN: Nickeil Alexander-Walker appreciates the love from Minnesota
Chris Hine, Star Tribune

NYK: The Knicks’ most annoying loss in quite some time
Jonathan Macri, Knicks Film School

NYK: Takeaways from loss to Pacers
Tommy Beer, Knicks Centric

PHX: Suns snap 2-game skid
Duane Rankin, Arizona Republic

PHX: Suns avoid meltdown, hold on for win over Mavericks
Kellan Olson, Arizona Sports

SAS: 3 takeaways as Victor Wembanyama goes nuclear in Hollywood
Jeff McDonald, Express News

TOR: Raptors GM says ‘there’s no preferred route’ to building next Toronto contender
Eric Koreen, The Athletic

WAS: washington traded for hope and told it to rehab in dallas
bang!

the washington wizards traded for two all-stars in six weeks and got worse. this was the plan.

trae young arrived from atlanta in january. he has not played a minute in a wizards uniform. anthony davis arrived from dallas on february 5. within days he was sent back to texas to rehab a hand injury, with a groin strain nobody mentioned until after the trade cleared. the wizards are 14-38. they rested alex sarr, kyshawn george and bilal coulibaly against brooklyn last saturday, played will riley and jamir watkins a combined 90 minutes, and lost by 34. riley scored 27 points. nobody in the building seemed to notice.

these are the actions of a franchise in full retreat. these are also the actions of a franchise that just committed roughly $107 million in salary for next season to two players who have never shared a practice court.

WAS: Alex Sarr film study: ‘You’ve got to be a little bit different to be great’
Josh Robbins, The Athletic

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LEAGUEWIDE

The NBA’s Tank Off Is Here: Who Is the Most Shameless Loser?
The Ringer

The NBA’s 10-team tanking spectacular will produce disgusting basketball
Ricky O’Donnell, SBNation

The Thunder and Pacers killed the trade deadline. And thoughts on the Grizzlies, Jazz, Wolves, and Bulls
David Thorpe, True Hoop

After NBA trade deadline moves, who is the team to beat in the East?
Steve Jones, Yahoo Sports

Where were contenders at the NBA trade deadline?
John Hollinger, The Athletic

Five post-deadline questions without answers
Mike Shearer, Basketball Poetry

Giannis, Kalshi, and the Death of Trust in Sports
Eric Mintzer

TEAM-SPECIFIC

BKN: Traore powers shorthanded Nets to win over Bulls
Brian Lewis, NY Post

BOS: Celtics’ loss to Knicks isn’t a big deal. How they respond going forward will be.
Gary Washburn, Boston Globe

CHA: Moussa Diabate, Miles Bridges reflect on Pistons’ fight. ‘It set the tone’
Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer

CHA: Q & A: Bradnon Miller
Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer

CHA: Hornets Feeling Immediate Impact From Grant Williams’ Return
Sam Perley, Hornets.com

CHI: 3 questions raised by a 123-115 loss to the Brooklyn Nets
Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune

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TEAM-SPECIFIC

BOS: The Celtics lost their matinee game against the Knicks
Adam Taylor, The Celtics Chronicle

CHA: Yes, Kon Knueppel is having fun. But make no mistake: ‘He’s a f—ing killer’
Mirin Fader, The Athletic

CHA: Can Hornets swarm to the playoffs?
Jasmyn Wimbish, CBS Sports

CLE: The James Harden Cavs are SNEAKY title contenders
Tom Haberstroh, The Finder

DAL: Stephon Castle’s 40-Point game vs Dallas
Paul Garcia, The Spot Up Shot

GSW: Pat Spencer’s rise to the NBA fueled by competitive fire
Nick Friedell, The Athletic

LAC: Leonard sets tone in big Clippers road win
Justin Russo

LAL: Stats With Context: 50-Game Check
Iztok Franko, digginbasketball

LAL: JJ Redick’s blunt reaction to NBA buyout market, Kobe Bufkin signing
David Yapkowitz, Clutch Points

MIL: Why Giannis and the Bucks are worth a close watch for the rest of this season
Eric Nehm, The Athletic

NOP: Trey Murphy, Jeremiah Fears lead Pelicans to easy victory against Sacramento
Les East, NOLA.com

NYK: Will the Knicks be able to re-sign Mo Diawara when he hits free agency this summer?
Tommy Beer, Knicks Centric

NYK: How do we feel about the Knicks going into final stretch of season?
Fred Katz/James Edwards, The Athletic

NYK: Super Sunday: The Knicks rebounded from Friday’s loss in a big way thanks to some big performances from the back of the rotation
Jonathan Macri, Knicks Film School

ORL: Magic fighting for discipline in their process
Philip Rossman-Reich, World R Squared

SAC: DeRozan’s frustration spills over as Kings set Sacramento record for futility
Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee

LEAGUEWIDE

Predicting the Next Wave of NBA Trade Block Names
Grant Hughes, Bleacher Report

The NBA’s Tanking Trouble
Marc Stein, The Stein Line

The NBA’s tanking crisis — and why Adam Silver can’t ignore it
Lorenzo Reyes, USA Today

How the trade deadline shook up the playoff (and tanking) picture
Zach Harper, The Athletic

The Secondary Star Cap Squeeze
Jonas Plaut, The Cap Crunch

2026 NBA Trade Deadline: The Art Of Self-Preservation
Matt Moore, Hardwood Paroxysm

Fear and loathing in NBA front offices

Bold NBA Predictions After the 2026 Trade Deadline
Greg Swartz, Bleacher Report

NBA Power Rankings
Law Murray, The Athletic

NBA power rankings
Lorenzo Reyes, USA Today

NBA power rankings
Kurt Helin, NBC Sports

Power Rankings, Week 17
John Schuhmann, NBA.com

NBA power rankings
Stephen Noh, Sporting News

THE DRAFT

How Tennessee’s Nate Ament has rebuilt his status as a likely NBA lottery pick
John Hollinger

Respect Jaden Bradley
Maxwell Baumbach, No Ceilings

Once Again, Caleb Wilson Was The Best Player On The Court In An Elite Prospect Matchup
Game Theory, Sam Vecenie

Cam Boozer showcases versatile offensive skillset, but also some flaws in North Carolina rivalry matchup
Sam Vecenie, Game Theory

Thomas Haugh Scouting Report
Ian Kanady, Draft Stack

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LEAGUEWIDE

The Bulls Are A Cautionary Tale To NBA Teams That Push Off Rebuilding
Bryan Toporek, Forbes

The NBA trade deadline featured a fascinating dichotomy. Some teams were willing to take their medicine and cut their losses, while others still weren’t ready to admit their mistakes.

…the Sacramento Kings (for example) fit the former mold. They traded Dennis Schröder and Keon Ellis to Cleveland for De’Andre Hunter at this year’s deadline, but Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Domantas Sabonis and Malik Monk are still all in Sacramento.

The Kings might find it easier to offload some of their veterans this offseason, especially before teams start hard-capping themselves. Multiple reports linked the Toronto Raptors as a potential Sabonis landing spot, although they first needed to figure out to do with starter center Jakob Poeltl.

Still, the Kings figure to find themselves in a similar boat to the Bulls whenever they are finally able to sell. They’d be lucky to get a first-round pick for either LaVine or DeRozan, and Sabonis might only fetch some mediocre first-rounders like what the Washington Wizards gave up in the Anthony Davis trade.

Ranking every NBA player moved at the 2026 trade deadline
Christopher Kline, Fansided

NBA trade deadline: The best and most jarring decisions from across the league
John Hollinger, The Athletic

Trade Deadline Fallout and Takeaways
Nick Thoreson, The Waive And Stretch

Trade Grades for a Crazy Deadline (Part 2)
Jacob Sutton, JSutt Hoops

TEAM-SPECIFIC

ATL: Hawks come up short against Hornets, losing potential tiebreaker
Lauren Williams, AJC

BKN: Nets Among Many Tankers Beginning Long Slog To Finish Line
Steve Lichtenstein

Sorry I have to do this every so often, but this is a reminder to the pro-tanking segment of Nets fans that Saturday’s outcome was not the end of the world. The Nets (14-37) have the same record as Washington for fourth place in the NBA’s reverse standings. Sacramento, the league’s worst team, has just two fewer wins.

And remember that the finishing position only matters for the slot’s floor, as the order goes by the standings after No. 4 overall. The draw for the top four picks is pure luck. Each of the bottom three finishers, who all have the same odds for picks 1-through-4, has a 1-in-7 chance at the top pick, which is worse odds than betting on a single dice roll.

Yet some folks continue to conflate these two parameters. It’s not required that you bottom out this season to select Kansas stud Darryn Peterson. (I feel the bold is necessary to get through to for some.) In fact, the last place team has never won a lottery under the new format. Dallas got Cooper Flagg with a 1.8% chance from 11^th place in the reverse standings and San Antonio, the eighth-worst team, drew No. 2. Reportedly, had the fourth and final ball drawn been a three instead of a seven, the Nets would have moved up to No. 1 overall. That Brooklyn won any particular game that season had nothing to do with it.

CHA: Hornets’ run is for real, and they’re putting the NBA on notice
Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer

CHA: Hornets’ Win Streak Extends to Nine with Gutsy Victory in Atlanta
Will Eudy

CHA: Hornets win ninth straight, close gap on Hawks
John Hollinger, The Athletic

CHA: Hornets Stretch Winning Streak To Nine
Sam Perley, Hornets.com

CHI: Why Josh Giddey should be Australia’s next NBA All-Star

BI Note: Tough competition: SGA, Jamal Murray & Luka are the guards on this year’s World Team ASG lineup

CHI: The Bulls are finally rebuilding, even if they won’t say the word
Joel Lorenzi, The Athletic

CHI: Bulls rebuilding again after wild trade deadline, but don’t expect turnaround anytime soon
Jon Greenberg, The Athletic

CLE: Takeaways from Cavs win over Kings
Jackson Flickinger, Fear The Sword

CLE: Inside James Harden’s Cavs debut that showcased the team’s championship vision
Chris Fedor, cleveland.com

CLE: Game Night Observations: First Impressions and Future Questions
Danny Cunningham, The Inside Shot

the best decision that Atkinson made on Saturday was closing with a different group. Instead of having the starters be the closers, Atkinson inserted Ellis into the game for the entire fourth quarter and it worked out masterfully. In a game in which the Cavs struggled to get stops at times, he was exactly what they needed. Ellis had three steals in the fourth quarter alone.

The Kings had an offensive rating of 123.5 in totality for this game. That number was just 100 in the 17 minutes and 22 seconds that Ellis was on the floor. Those numbers are not coincidental.

The Cavs are going to have growing pains on both ends of the floor while the new pieces — particularly Harden due to his high usage — are incorporated. Having Ellis out there as a havoc-inducing defender can thwart some of that.

Finishing a close game with two players that were playing for different teams just over a week ago isn’t an easy decision to make, but it was unquestionably the right lever for Atkinson to pull on Saturday night, and the Cavs will be better for it.

BI Note: Likely that no Kings fans were surprised at how instrumental Keon Ellis was in this win over his former team (+20 in 17 minutes), very similar to the impact he had for the Kings when he was given the (rare) opportunity to do so. It is also likely that those fans could easily identify the one person in the arena who may have been surprised.

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AROUND THE LEAGUE

NBA Trade Deadline Recap
Above the Break

The Dust Settles: Trade Grades for a Crazy Deadline (Part 1)
Jacob Sutton, JSutt Hoops

The Clippers go young while the Rockets go quiet: NBA trade deadline roundtable
William Guillory/Joel Lorenzi/Josh Robbins, The Athletic

7 NBA teams that got better at trade deadline, and 3 that got worse
Ricky O’Donell, SB Nation

TEAM NEWS

BOS: Nikola Vucevic settles in nicely in his first game as a Celtic, showing a lot of what he can contribute
Gary Washburn, The Boston Globe

BOS: Celtics’ big comeback win over Heat was powered by the NBA’s best iso scorer
Noa Dalzell, Celtics Blog

BOS: How the Celtics Rediscovered Their Secret Weapon
Keith Watkins, heavy.

After starting each of his first 48 games, Pritchard returned to his sixth-man role in the 110-100 win over the Mavericks. The adjustment did not slow him down. He dropped 26 points on 12-of-20 shooting in 35 minutes, checking in

The production looked familiar. This was the Pritchard who won Sixth Man of the Year last season. This was the player who thrived in a role designed around instant offense and relentless energy.

CHI: Bulls’ roster purge before trade deadline is mystifying, incredibly disappointing
Scoop Jackson, Chicago Sun-Times

CLE: The Cavs’ two-year window is about now — but they’re trusting 2 players with the future that comes after
Ethan Sands, Cleveland.com

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TRADE NEWS AND ANALYSIS

11 Takes on a Strange NBA Trade Deadline
Royce Webb, 5×5

What every NBA team’s trade-deadline decisions tell us about their future
Fred Katz, The Athletic

2026 NBA Trade Deadline Winners and Losers
Michael Pina, The Ringer

Trade Deadline Winners And Losers
Jeremias Engelmann, 5×5

Why the too-late NBA trade deadline was a weird one, and the best and worst of it all
John Hollinger, The Athletic

NBA trade deadline’s 4 winners and 3 big losers after 2026 deals
Ricky O’Donnell, SBNation

LEAGUEWIDE

NBA buyout market tiers: Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul and more names to watch
John Hollinger, The Athletic

let’s take a look at the market. I came up with 52 players on expiring deals (or deals that are non-guaranteed after this season) who either have already been waived, or have at least some reasonable likelihood of either being cut outright or wrangling a buyout in the next 23 days.

Here’s how I’ve ranked them from 1 to 54:

Tier 1: Rotation-caliber additions

1. Russell Westbrook, SG, Sacramento Kings — The Russ Show isn’t for everyone, and his fit on a contender can be clunky if it doesn’t need whatever-you-can-get-us shot creation at a modest efficiency clip. Still, Westbrook has had a decent year for an indecent team, and at 37 there’s no reason for him to be in the rebuilding Kings’ plans.

2026 Two-Way Conversion and Buyout Candidates
Yossi Gozlan, Third Apron

NBA Power Rankings
Ky Carlin, USA Today

THE DRAFT

2026 NBA Mock Draft
Christopher Kline, Fansided

NBA mock draft 4.0
Bryan Kalbrosky, USA Today

Countering Common Misconceptions About Cameron Boozer
Latif Love, Love My Takes

Karim Lopez looks like a legitimate first round pick
Sam Vecenie, Game Theory

Labaron Philon: The Sophomore Surge
Rowan Kent, No Ceilings

Henri Veesaar has the Type of Skill that NBA Teams Should Covet
Bryce Simon, Game Theory

TEAM-SPECIFIC

BKN: Why the Nets waived Cam Thomas months after signing him to a new deal
Mike Vorkunov, The Athletic

BOS: The Celtics Tax Dodge: A necessary, and potentially brilliant, piece of business
Paul Flannery, Hoopology

CHA: Jeff Peterson Talks Hornets’ Trade Deadline
Will Eudy, The Eudy Report

BI Note: This is an important read for everyone; most especially anyone who owns, follows, roots for or is othwerise affilliated with a team with a weak front office. Jeff Peterson succinctly spells out some of the most important insights into how to team build a right way. So add to the list of must-readers: weak front office denizens who can start applying Jeff’s perspectives instead of the random nonsense they have been using to destroy their teams’ futures.

CHA: Summarizing what the Hornets are getting from the incoming players
Richie Randall, Buzz Beat

CLE: Cavs, Donovan Mitchell, James Harden were biggest winners at trade deadline
Jason Lloyd, The Athletic

CLE: Evaluating the Cavaliers Actions at the Trade Deadline
Danny Cunningham, The Inside Shot

CHI: The Bulls are finally rebuilding, even if they won’t say the word
Joel Lorenzi, The Athletic

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TEAM-SPECIFIC

BOS: Ron Harper Jr. started his first-ever NBA game on Wednesday night — and had a standout game in an improbable Celtics win over the Rockets
Noa Dalzell, Celtics Blog

BOS: Payton Pritchard embraces bench role as Celtics adapt after Anfernee Simons trade
Jay King, The Athletic

CLE: Cavs clobber Clippers
Chris Fedor, cleveland.com

CLE: Game Night Observations: Starting the New Era with a Bang and the Lonzo Ball Trade
Danny Cunningham, The Inside Shot

CLE: Donovan Mitchell opens up about James Harden-Darius Garland trade
Chris Fedor, cleveland.com

CLE: Seven ways James Harden will help the Cavs this season
Jackson Flickinger, SBNation

DAL: Trading Anthony Davis paves the way for Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg-led future
Mike Curtis, Morning News

DAL: Luka Dončić trade will never make sense, but dealing Anthony Davis turns a page
Fred Katz, The Athletic

DEN: Takeaways from Denver’s double-overtime loss at Madison Square Garden
Vinny Benedetto, Denver Gazette

DEN: Nuggets blow past Nikola Jokic minutes restriction, but Jalen Brunson makes them pay in 2OT thriller
Bennett Durando, Denver Post

DET: Selling low on Jaden Ivey is actually a great sign for the Pistons
Brennan Sim, Fansided

HOU: Observations from blowout loss to Jaylen Brown-less Celtics
Varun Shankar, Houston Chronicle

HOU: ‘Edge is missing’ for Rockets
Varun Shankar, Houston Chronicle

HOU: The Rockets have been quiet as the NBA trade deadline nears. That may be for the best
William Guillory, The Athletic

IND: With the season derailed by injuries, Indiana’s focus has shifted to cap management, a long-term answer at center, and deciding on Bennedict Mathurin’s future
Scott Agness, Fieldhouse Files

LAC: Darius Garland introduced; Clippers throttled by Cavs
Justin Russo

LAC: Sloppy Clippers buried by Cavaliers to begin post-Harden era
Janis Carr, OC Register

MIN: Anthony Edwards’ heroics lift Timberwolves out of trade rumor-induced fog
Jon Krawczynski, The Athletic

MIN: Timberwolves use big fourth quarter to rally past Toronto
Chris Hine, Star Tribune

NYK: The Knicks get their best – and wildest – win of the season.
Jonathan Macri, Knicks Film School

NYK: Knicks extend winning streak to 8
Kristian Winfield, Daily News

OKC: As Jared McCain joins Thunder, the rich get even richer
James Herberts, CBS Sports

OKC: Thunder, down to just eight players, falls short against San Antonio Spurs
Justin Martinez, The Oklahoman

PHI: McCain’s time in Philly was marked by immediate promise and zapped by knee and thumb injuries that required surgery and sidelined him for 11 months
Gina Mizell, The Inquirer

PHX: Devin Booker’s stability an anomaly in NBA’s player-movement era
Shaun Powell, NBA.com

SAC: Grizzlies spoil De’Andre Hunter’s debut as Kings lean into youth movement
Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee

SAS: 3 takeaways as Spurs survive shorthanded Thunder squad missing eight players
Jeff McDonald, Express-News

SAS: Playing more relaxed, Spurs rookie Carter Bryant turns in solid outing
Tom Orsborn, Express-News

TOR: Raptors’ sloppy fourth quarter leads to collapse
Michael Grange, Sportsnet

WAS: What the Anthony Davis trade means for the Wizards’ future
Josh Robbins, The Athletic

LEAGUEWIDE

What do terms like ‘apron’ actually mean?
Danny Leroux, The Athletic

PODCAST: NBA Media Landscape Discussion
Ray LeBov/Brendon Kleen, No Weak Stuff

Trade news and grades follow for paid subscribers

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FEATURES OF THE DAY

The Anfernee Simons trade means more than most fans realize
Noa Dalzell, Celtics Blog

The Pelican Fallacy
Matt Moore, Hardwood Paroxysm

Cade or Paolo?: Two Roads Diverged in an NBA Woods
Chris Gunther, Charting Hoops

PODCAST: NBA Media Landscape Discussion
Ray LeBov/Brendon Kleen, No Weak Stuff

TRADE NEWS AND GRADES

Mavericks trading Anthony Davis, others to Washington Wizards in massive deal
Mike Curtis, Dallas Morning News

Trade Deadline Intel
Chris Mannix, Sports Illustrated

Assessing the flurry of moves on Tuesday, including the James Harden–Darius Garland swap, and how the market for Ja Morant is shaping up and whether the Kings can make another trade.

Trade Deadline Running Commentary
Jared Dubin, Last Night In Basketball

Thoughts on deals big and small

HARDEN/ GARLAND TRADE GRADES
Mike Shearer, Basketball Poetry

Why the Cavaliers traded former All-Star Darius Garland for James Harden
Joe Vardon/Jason Lloyd, The Athletic

Looking ahead at the Grizzlies upcoming rebuild and why the Jazz needed to end theirs
Yossi Gozlan, Third Apron

Unpacking the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade
Parker Fleming, Subtsakalidis

With Jaren Jackson Jr. deal, Jazz scramble NBA trade deadline, show they want to win again
John Hollinger, The Athletic

Trade grades: Nikola Vučević solves Celtics’ big man issue; Bulls land Anfernee Simons
Zach Harper, The Athletic

TEAM-SPECIFIC

BOS: The Anfernee Simons trade means more than most fans realize
Noa Dalzell, Celtics Blog

BOS: Initial thoughts on the Celtics adding Nikola Vucevic
Adam Taylor, Celtics Chronicle

BOS: Brad Stevens Threads the Needle
Paul Flannery, Hoopology

CHA: How a Growth Mindset is Fueling the Hornets’ Win Streak
Will Eudy, The Eudy Report

The rest of the team-specific stories as well as leaguewide & draft-related stories follow for paid subscribers

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LEAGUEWIDE

Trade grades for Jazz-Grizzlies mega deal
Ricky O’Donnell, SBNation

Why NBA trade deadline could be no big deal
John Hollinger, The Athletic

Updates on James Harden, Giannis and more as NBA trade deadline nears
Sam Amick, The Athletic

Belated trade grades
Mike Shearer, Basketball Poetry

Grading Every Deal at the 2026 NBA Trade Deadline
Dan Favale, Bleacher Report

It turns out having a trillion guards and minimal wings isn’t a smart way to build an NBA team. Who knew?!

Hunter is having a down year but fills a positional need. He is more expensive than Schröder next season, but lopping off the latter’s partial guarantee in 2027-28 maximizes the Kings’ cap-space potential. Though they’re now a tax team next year, there’s no way that stands.

Forking over assets when you’re arguably giving up the two best players is uninspiring. Then again, the second-round pick doesn’t have much upside.

Losing Ellis is most painful. Sacramento could have probably fetched more if it moved him over the summer or at last year’s deadline. By now, though, he wasn’t going to net more second-round equity, and the Kings certainly weren’t going to re-sign him. Choosing to get off Schröder and decongesting the guard glut over bagging, say, two seconds is a reasonable call to make.

And yet, we can’t let the Kings off the hook. This is the culmination of a series of recently terrible decisions: not declining Ellis’ team option to make him a restricted free agent; flipping Jonas Valančiūnas for Šarić to jimmy up more flexibility; and then using that flexibility on a deal for Schröder that’s aged about as well as last year’s midseason play‑in hopes.

Recapping Monday’s Four-Game Slate
Dustin Brewer, HOOPS

NBA Power Rankings
Law Murray, The Athletic

Power Rankings, Week 16
John Schuhmann, NBA.com

TEAM-SPECIFIC

CHA: How the Hornets became the NBA’s hottest team
James Dator, SBNation

CHA: Hornets storm back to avenge one of the inexcusable losses of the season vs. New Orleans
’Nata Edwards, Dispatches From Spectrum
Doug Branson, Every Hornets Boxscore

CHA: The Hornets and LaMelo overcome scars in the 1st half, forge 22 point comeback to extend their winning streak to 7 games

CLE: the talks are the diagnosis
bang!

cleveland traded for guards. two days later, harden-garland talks emerged. the toe injury is either worse than reported or irrelevant. both answers end the same.

CLE: What Cavs think of Keon Ellis, Dennis Schroder after De’Andre Hunter trade with Kings
Spencer Davies, Clutch Points

Ellis is somebody that the Cavs covet, too. Cleveland assistant Jawad Williams spent the last two seasons with the Kings as a player development coach, working with him previously. Atkinson and Cleveland’s front office saw it as a “big advantage” and consulted on that knowledge while discussing the possibilities.

“It always starts with the person,” Atkinson said. “A+ grade right off the bat. Jawad was a big fan. That’s part of the background you do when you make a trade like this.”

“Obviously, a really good steals guy; steals and defensive activity. But probably an underrated offensive player because of the shooting. We’ll just see if we can unlock him because I think there’s more there than just a spot-up shooter from what I see with his athleticism. He reads the game well. Can we use him a little bit more as a cutter and throw the ball ahead to him in transition? But man, what a get. The upside is tremendous. Excited about adding him to the group.”

BI Note: Interesting that former Kings development coach had such high praise for Keon. Just deepens the mystery of why the HCs treated Ellis so badly.

GSW: Steph Curry’s Final Act: “There Are No Perfect Endings”
Howard Beck, The Ringer

NBA stars rarely get fairy-tale endings. But Steph still has his joy, and the hope for one more meaningful run. “There’s still enough of a chance,” he says.

The rest of the team-specific stories as well as draft-related items follow for paid subscribers

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Ray and Nick break down the Keon Ellis/De’Andre Hunter trade in detail; then, they preview the upcoming slate of games for the Sacramento Kings prior to the All Star break. They cover the potential upsides for the trade, including re-balancing the roster and buying low on Hunter, and then discuss some of their concerns regarding the roster management issues surrounding the move. Then, they speculate on some potential moves that the Kings might make before the trade deadline on Thursday, before wrapping up by previewing the five games the Kings have between now and the All Star break.