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NBA trade deadline tracker

Giannis Antetokounmpo and James Harden jockeying for position.
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 10: LA Clippers guard James Harden (1) battles for position against Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) during an NBA basketball game on March 10, 2024 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The 2026 NBA trade deadline is upon us. The moves have started to roll in, and they’ll continue to roll in until the noon pacific time on Thursday, February 5. The big question for Golden State Warriors fans, is whether or not the team will be able to swing a trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo. But whether or not they do, there’s a lot to watch for. Will they trade Jonathan Kuminga? Will they make some smaller moves? And what will the rest of the league do?

To help you keep track of all the action, here’s every move leading up to the deadline, in reverse chronological order.

2026 NBA trade deadline tracker

  • In a shocking move that came together very quickly with little smoke, 11-time All-Star James Harden has been traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers, with two-time All-Star Darius Garland and a second-round pick heading to the LA Clippers. This will be Harden’s sixth NBA team, and sets up Cleveland for a fascinating team next season should LeBron James return home for a final season.
  • The Boston Celtics, who have surprisingly been one of the NBA’s best teams despite the absence of Jayson Tatum, strengthened their interior by trading for two-time All-Star center Nikola Vučević. In return, the Celtics are sending guard Anfernee Simons to the Chicago Bulls. The teams are also swapping second-round picks.
  • A minor three-team deal went down that could have major implications. Jaden Ivey and Mike Conley Jr. are headed to the Chicago Bulls, while Kevin Huerter and Dario Šarić will add reinforcements to the Detroit Pistons, who are on top of the East. The Pistons are also getting a pick swap from the Minnesota Timberwolves who, crucially, cleared some cap space as they pursue Giannis Antetokounmpo.
  • The Memphis Grizzlies are officially hitting the rebuild button by trading former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz. John Konchar, Jock Landale, and Vince Williams Jr. are also Salt Lake City bound, while Kyle Anderson, Walter Clayton Jr., Taylor Hendricks, Georges Niang are headed to the Grizz. Most importantly, Utah is sending three first-round picks to Memphis; the Grizzlies now have 11 first-round picks in the next seven drafts, and can potentially get more if and when they trade Ja Morant. Such a trade becomes easier because the Grizzlies also got an NBA-record $28.8 million trade exception.
  • In a swap of role players, the Atlanta Hawks sent Vit Krejčí to the Portland Trail Blazers for Duop Reath and two second-round picks.
  • The Cleveland Cavaliers sent wing De’Andre Hunter to the Sacramento Kings for former Warrior Dennis Schröder and Keon Ellis. Dario Šarić and two second-round picks went to the Chicago Bulls in the deal.
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Arenas scores a career-high 29 points to lead USC past Indiana 81-75

LOS ANGELES (AP) — In just his fifth collegiate game, freshman Alijah Arenas scored a career-high 29 points and Kam Woods scored 18 points and USC held off Indiana 81-75 on Tuesday night in a frenzied finish.

Arenas, who entered with 30 points scored this season, shot 9 of 23 — including 3 of 9 from 3-point range — and made 8 of 9 foul shots. Ezra Ausar added 12 points for the Trojans USC (17-6, 6-6 Big Ten).

Chad Baker-Mazara, who entered averaging just under 19 points per game, scored just seven in the first half before leaving due to injury.

Lamar Wilkerson was the only Indiana (15-8, 6-6) player in double-digit scoring and finished with 33 points on 55% shooting (11 of 20).

Tayton Conerway made 1 of 2 foul shots with 58 seconds left to get Indiana within 75-69. Off the miss, IU got the offensive rebound, Tucker Devries drew a foul on his layup attempt and promptly made both foul shots. Woods turned it over on USC's following possession, Conerway again converted a layup but missed the and-1 and USC maintained a 75-73 lead with 31 seconds left.

Jordan Marsh made two foul shots to give USC a four-point lead with 24 seconds left. Again, Conerway was on his way to the rim but Ryan Cornish came up with the block from behind.

Arenas made two foul shots with 14 seconds left to seal it.

USC seemed poised to run away with it when Woods buried a 3 with 11:42 left to give the Trojans a 55-41 advantage. The Hoosiers responded with a 14-5 run to get back in it.

Up Next

Indiana: Hosts Wisconsin on Saturday.

USC: Travels to Penn State on Sunday.

___

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Sixers Bell Ringer: Edgecombe bounces back vs. Warriors

Feb 3, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Vj Edgecombe (77) shoots a three point basket over Golden State Warriors center Al Horford (20) during the first period at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Justine Willard-Imagn Images | Justine Willard-Imagn Images

2025-26 Sixers Bell Ringer standings:
Tyrese Maxey – 19
Joel Embiid – 7
VJ Edgecombe – 6
Paul George – 6
Dominick Barlow – 2
Andre Drummond – 2
Jared McCain – 2
Adem Bona – 1
Justin Edwards – 1
Quentin Grimes – 1
Kelly Oubre Jr. – 1
Trendon Watford – 1
15th roster spot – 1

The Sixers extended their win streak to five games after their 113- 94 victory in Golden State.

They were without Joel Embiid (injury management) and Paul George (suspended). The Warriors were without the services of Stephen Curry (knee), Jonathan Kuminga (knee) and Jimmy Butler (ACL).

The Sixers dominated for most of the game, with the Warriors getting it close in the middle quarters following a 17-2 run.

The Sixers’ bench unit was crucial in picking up the slack for a poor Tyrese Maxey shooting night (prior to the fourth quarter).

A lot of guys contributed, including a magnificent stretch of minutes from Adem Bona and better shooting from Quentin Grimes, but two guys stood out above the rest for Bell Ringer consideration.

VJ Edgecombe: 25 points, 11-of-20 FG, 2-of-7, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals

Edgecombe bounced back from a tough night against the Clippers with an elevated offensive performance. He felt comfortable from inside the paint Tuesday, operating in the midrange to his pull-up and converting through contact in the paint.

In the first he kicked off his scoring with a step-back up jumper going left and cut through the defense with a slithering layup in traffic.

In the second, the rookie blew past Al Horford for a layup and hit a pull-up three over Draymond Green.

In the third frame, after drawing a foul on Horford and making 1-of-2, he crossed up De’Anthony Melton and finished a difficult layup through Green in the paint. On the next possession, he hit a catch-and-shoot three.

He continued his attack in the fourth with more tough buckets against a lackluster defensive effort from Golden State.

He had a possession against Bahamian national team teammate Buddy Hield, whom he took all the way to the cup for a left handed finish … with some trash talk to top it off.

Another veteran-like performance for the Sixers’ first-round pick.

Trendon Watford: 16 points, 7-of-13, 1-of-2, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks

Watford was extremely valuable for the Sixers’ offense against the Warriors. His point-forward ability gave the Sixers an extended period in the first half to rest Maxey. In that time, the Sixers went on a 20-4 run to extend a double-digit lead.

It does not always look pretty, but his effectiveness as a driver helped the Sixers reserves keep pace with the bench unit of Golden State.

He would add a couple buckets throughout the second half through aggressive drives and conversions in the paint, including a deep three in the fourth to extend the lead to over 20 points with just a few minutes remaining.

His playmaking ability was a constant presence on a night where Maxey did not have his full offensive arsenal working.

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Winners, Losers from James Harden trade to Cleveland Cavaliers

In the countless NBA games I have covered over the years, I have never been to one where seemingly no media members were actually watching the game on the court, which is exactly what I saw in the second half of the 76ers’ blowout of the Clippers at the Intuit Dome Monday night.

That's because Chris Mannix had broken the story that the Clippers were in advanced talks to trade James Harden to the Cavaliers. Everyone scrambled to chase that story, the game itself became secondary. By Tuesday night, that trade was completed.

Who are the winners and losers from this deal? Let's break it down, starting with reminding ourselves of the trade itself.

Cleveland receives: James Harden
LA Clippers receive: Darius Garland, 2026 second-round pick

Winner: James Harden

There is no way this trade happened without Harden's agents talking to the Cavaliers about future paydays. Because that is what this is really about. In the next 48-72 hours, there will be a lot of spin about Harden going to a team where he could help a team compete for a title, but don't be fooled: this is about the money. It's always about the money.

Harden has a player option for $42.3 million next season, with only $13.3 million of that guaranteed. Harden talked to the Clippers about where they were headed as an organization, and whether they would guarantee his full salary for next season, plus talk extension after the season. That's not where the Clippers are — they are an older team that isn't a contender, and they weren't going to commit to paying Harden. The Clippers are looking to pivot away from the Harden/Kawhi Leonard era over the next couple of years and did not want to discuss an extension.

That led both sides to talk trade. This was mutual, not animosity-filled; both sides wanted to get the other something that worked for them. They found it.

This summer, expect Harden to get some kind of extension.

Winner: Cavaliers offense

Last season, the Cavaliers had the best offense in the NBA and it wasn't close. This season, the Cavaliers' offense is down 4.1 points per 100 possessions from a year ago and ninth in the league. Most of that drop-off can be attributed to Garland battling toe injuries dating back to last season, which required surgery. A season ago, it was Garland taking on more of the offense, which allowed Donovan Mitchell to pick his spots and be more efficient. This season, it's back to being the Mitchell show.

Harden is instant offense, even at age 36. He is averaging 25.4 points per game, can still get to the rim or hit a step-back 3-pointer, and he is instantly the best passer on the Cavaliers roster. He can take some of the scoring load off Mitchell and give Cleveland another shot creator that defenses have to worry about.

How Harden likes to play — he holds the ball for an average of 6 seconds every time he touches it, the longest in the league — differs from the ball movement and tempo coach Kenny Atkinson wants in the Cleveland offense. That said, great players figure out how to make it work, and Harden and Mitchell are great players. The Cavaliers' offense just got better.

Loser: Cavaliers in playoffs

Harden has had some spectacular playoff games, but also some spectacularly bad nights at the worst time. The most recent example: Last season, in Game 7 against Denver in a hard-fought series, Harden had seven points on 2-of-8 shooting and was a non-factor. There have been too many of those nights in the playoffs.

Cleveland made this trade because they realize their window is now — the East is wide open this year, they have been better with Garland off the floor. Harden is a more durable player who should bolster their offense. All of that is there to set up a deep playoff run, and I just can't trust Harden in a seven-game series anymore. Cavaliers fans should hope I am wrong, but I fear I am not.

Probably Winner: LA Clippers

Usually, when a team trades for an All-Star 10 years younger than the guy they sent out the door, that is an automatic win. There are two reasons I made this only a probable win for the Clippers.

1) Darius Garland's health. Hopefully, the Clippers can get him the rest or treatment or medical specialists he needs to heal the toe issues that have plagued him since last season. Garland should get healthy and be better at some point, but this has dragged on long enough to give us pause. The Clippers need him to get right.

2) What is the Clippers' long-term plan? Trading for the 26-year-old Garland is a step toward reshuffling the deck, getting younger, and pivoting to whatever comes next. Except we don't know what that will be. Nobody does. I like this trade for the Clippers, but it's one piece in a much larger puzzle, and I need to see more of it put together before I fully trust this as the right move.

Winner: Family trees

Winston Garland, Darius Garland's father, used to play for the Clippers.

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Knicks' Guerschon Yabusele talks trade rumors, is open to playing overseas: 'I ain’t closing no door on nothing'

With the NBA trade deadline on Thursday, the fate of Guerschon Yabusele in a Knicks uniform continues to be a talking point.

SNY's Ian Begley reports that the Knicks are open to dealing Yabusele, but there are even reports that he's getting calls to play in Israel.

Yabusele talked about the rumors, including the New York Post's Stefan Bondy, after Tuesday's win against the Wizards. He left the possibility open for anything to happen in the next few days, including leaving the NBA to play overseas.

"I ain’t closing no door on nothing," Yabusele said. "I don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t know what tomorrow’s going to be. So right now, I can tell you nothing has been discussed or signed or anything like that. I’m a Knicks player at the end of the day. There’s nothing with that. But there’s been teams calling, so yeah, I feel like the report was just them saying they want me and then everybody thought that I signed something already. No, nothing like that. But there’s some teams out there that we heard are getting ready to sign me if I go back that way. We’ll see what happens."

After signing a two-year, $12 million contract with New York this offseason, the forward was pegged to play a big bench role for head coach Mike Brown. However, that hasn't happened.

Yabusele is averaging just 2.7 points and 2.1 rebounds in 41 games this season. He's also averaging just nine minutes per game and his role continues to diminish. In the team's rout of the Wizards on Tuesday, Yabusele was the only player not to play.

Yabusele is guaranteed $5.5 million, according to Spotrac, and has a player option for next season. 

The trade deadline is Thursday.

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Edgecombe leads the way as Sixers win season-high 5th straight vs. Warriors

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - FEBRUARY 3: VJ Edgecombe #77 of the Philadelphia 76ers drives to the basket during the game against the Golden State Warriors on February 3, 2026 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

It’s been a while since this one could be used, but that is 1-2-3-4-5 wins in a row for the Sixers.

Philadelphia swept their back-to-back with a 113-94 win over the shorthanded Golden State Warriors Tuesday night, their first five-game winning streak since the end of the 2023-24 season.

VJ Edgecombe bounced back with his first 20-point game in two weeks, leading all scorers with 25 with seven rebounds shooting 11-of-20 from the floor.

Tyrese Maxey dealt with a swarming defense all night, finishing with as good a 14-point and seven-assist game as possible. Kelly Oubre Jr. carried the Sixers from deep, putting up 15 points shooting 4-of-12 from the field and 4-of-10 from three-point range. Gui Santos and Pat Spencer led Golden State with 13 apiece.

On the second night of a back-to-back the Sixers were without Joel Embiid, out with right ankle injury management on top of Paul George’s suspension. The Warriors were without Steph Curry, Jonathan Kuminga, and Jimmy Butler who’s out for the season.

Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.

First Quarter

  • A much slower start than the previous night with the Warriors chasing Maxey off the ball. Two of their first three field goals of the night were Andre Drummond putbacks, though Dominick Barlow carried something over hitting the Sixers’ first three of the night.
  • Playing against an old team of his, Oubre found his shooting stroke early with a pair of threes. He was also one of the four Sixers to pick up a steal in the first as they forced seven turnovers. When they were able to take care of the ball the Warriors shot 57% from three.
  • After sputtering for a couple of minutes, the Sixers’ offense got a quick flurry to end the quarter. Edgecombe got to the basket off the dribble, Adem Bona was actually able to do the same off a hand off. Trendon Watford got some earlier run and hit a couple push shots, the second cutting the Warriors’ lead to one.

Second Quarter

  • Carrying over from the first, the Sixers capped off a 14-0 run with an impressive alley-oop to Bona thrown by Quentin Grimes. Both Edgecombe and Grimes had good moments off the dribble in this stretch, each of them drilling threes in response to the Warriors’ baskets that had ended the run.
  • Speaking of former teams, it was De’Anthony Melton and Buddy Hield trying to get the Warriors back on track. Their three-point shooting had cooled down, missing six of their first seven of the second. Grimes and Edgecombe had not cooled down though, growing the Sixers’ lead to as big as 15.
  • That was erased in quick fashion thanks to a 10-0 Golden State run. Drummond had a rougher second go with two ugly turnovers. Oubre also coughed up an easy fast break opportunity getting tunnel vision on a drive. The Sixers didn’t score a field goal for the last 6:13 of the half after a Grimes three. A reckless closeout by Moses Moody on a Maxey three helped them scrape by to the break with a three-point lead.

Third Quarter

  • The field goal drought continued as it took the Sixers three minutes to make their first of the half with a tough Edgecombe floater. The good thing was not only was Barlow rebounding just about every miss, but the Warriors also couldn’t score for the first four minutes of the half.
  • A three from Hield opened up the lid back up again, but Edgecombe had baskets to answer. He tried to run fast off of misses, getting fouled on one aggressive drive attempt and making a layup on another. A few possessions later he hit their second three in a row that was the result of good ball movement.
  • That didn’t last for long as the Warriors shot just 28% from the field in the quarter. The Sixers had a chance to really stretch their lead but mistakes and bad bounces got in the way. They had several bunnies spin out late in the quarter. Still, after a three from Melton with time winding down the Sixers were still on top by 13.

Fourth Quarter

  • Edgecombe remained in control, kicking off the quarter with a fadeaway jumper from the baseline. Watford had missed some of those bunnies in the third but got on target again with his driving push shots. Drummond was able to redeem himself as well with a wild drive.
  • The only bummer was that Jared McCain had another short leash on the night, not seeing any minutes in the second half until the benches had emptied. He missed both of his shots in the first half, one of them getting thoroughly swatted. Ironically, the Sixers finally started to hit some threes as a team to put the game away. Drummond got involved in that as well, hitting his first three since early January.
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Houston Rockets vs. Boston Celtics game preview

BOSTON, MA - NOVEMBER 1: Derrick White #9 of the Boston Celtics drives to the basket during the game against the Houston Rockets on November 1, 2025 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

The Houston Rockets have won three straight games. Tonight, they welcome the Boston Celtics to Toyota Center, who are on a two-game winning streak of their own (and are crushing the Mavericks in Dallas as I type this).

When these teams met early in the season, Boston was also on a winning streak but were still trying to find themselves in a Jayson Tatum-less, post-Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis world. They were incorporating Joe Mazzulla’s style with new personnel like Anfernee Simons and guys like Sam Hauser and Neemias Queta getting more run than in years past. Simons has been traded to Chicago and Nikola Vucevic, his “replacement” on the roster, is expected to be out tonight while physicals are procured and travel is undergone.

Tonight marks the start of a TOUGH seven-game stretch for Houston that extends on either side of the All-Star break. After tonight, Houston stays home for a game against the SCORCHING Charlotte Hornets, who will be going for their eighth straight win while Houston will be on a back-to-back. Then, it’s off to Oklahoma City for a matinee on Saturday. After a couple of days off, the Rockets will host the Clippers for two straight games in two straight nights. The Clippers just traded James Harden but have been the best team in the NBA since Christmas (by a wide margin). Finally, after the All-Star break, the Rockets will be on the road against those same Hornets, who might be going for their 12th straight win. Finally, Houston heads to Madison Square Garden to take on the surging New York Knicks.

There are definitely still some rough stretches remaining on the schedule after this one, but nothing as sustained as this. If Houston comes out of this 4-3 or even 3-4, I think I’d take it. Now you can call me a “fake fan” or whatever for not predicting 7-0.

Tip-off

7pm CT

How To Watch

Space City Home Network

Injury Report

Rockets

Steven Adams: OUT

Fred VanVleet: OUT

Celtics

Nikola Vucevic: OUT

Jayson Tatum: OUT

Chris Boucher: OUT

The Line (as of this post)

N/A

Check here for updates

Looking ahead because we can

Thursday (tomorrow) night at home against the Charlotte Hornets

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Booker scores career-high 24 points, leads hot-shooting UCLA over Rutgers 98-66

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Xavier Booker scored a career-high 24 points, Donovan Dent had a double-double, and UCLA routed Rutgers 98-66 on Tuesday night.

UCLA (16-7, 8-4 Big Ten) bounced back from a 98-97 double-overtime loss to Indiana that ended a three-game win streak.

Booker made 10 of 11 field goals and all four of his 3-point attempts. Dent finished with 13 points and 11 assists. Tyler Bilodeau hit three 3s and finished with 19 points for the Bruins. Eric Dailey Jr. scored 13 points and Trent Perry had 10.

UCLA shot 56% (35 of 63) from the floor and 57% (12 of 21) from long range. The Bruins also made 16 of 18 from the foul line.

Kaden Powers made three 3-pointers and scored all 18 of his points in the first half for Rutgers (9-14, 2-10), which has lost six straight games. Tariq Francis added 12 points and Lino Mark scored 10 for the Scarlet Knights.

UCLA took the lead for good, 21-19, on Booker's hook shot. The Bruins closed the first half on an 8-2 surge to stretch their lead to 52-40 at the break. Bilodeau scored 17 first-half points and Dailey added 10 for the Bruins.

Daily's dunk gave UCLA a 64-43 lead early in the second half. The Bruins later began a 15-0 run to stretch their lead to 91-58 with 4:31 remaining. Powers was 0 of 3 from the floor in the second half.

Up next

Rutgers: hosts No. 9 Nebraska on Saturday.

UCLA: at home against Washington on Saturday.

___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

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Copeland sets the table with 16 assists to send NC State past SMU 84-83

DALLAS (AP) — Darrion Williams scored 25 points and Quadir Copeland posted a double-double and NC State stayed perfect on the road in ACC play by beating SMU 84-83 on Tuesday night.

Copeland distributed a career-high 16 assists without a turnover and grabbed 10 rebounds. Reserve Matt Able scored 13 points and Tre Holloman and Ven-Allen Lubin each scored 11.

NC State (17-6, 8-2) is 6-0 in the ACC away from home.

Jaron Pierre Jr. scored 23 points, Boopie Miller scored 14, and B.J. Edwards and Corey Washington each scored 11 for SMU (15-7, 4-5).

Up 84-83, Copeland missed two foul shots with 15 seconds left. Out of timeouts, Miller took the ball for a last shot. Holloman smothered him repeatedly, denying attempted drives to the basket before blocking Miller's up-and-under shot attempt to end it.

NC State used an 11-2 run to turn a 58-50 deficit into a 61-60 lead when Able sank a 3-pointer with 10:57 remaining. It was NC State's first lead since being up 12-11 with 13:29 before halftime.

NC State reached its first double-digit lead when Terrance Arceneaux converted a three-point play with 6:50 left for a 75-64 advantage.

NC State reduced its deficit to 32-29 on a layup by Holloman with 4:09 left before halftime. SMU responded with a 10-0 run with a 3-pointer by Edwards, Pierre's step-back jumper, Miller added a 3 and Pierre threw down a dunk to give the Mustangs their first double-digit lead at 42-29.

Up Next

NC State: Hosts Virginia Tech on Saturday.

SMU: Travels to face Pittsburgh on Saturday.

___

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Knicks’ Jalen Brunson earns first defensive player of the game honors of season

Knicks guard Jalen Brunson is best known for his scoring and leadership, but for one night he was the team's best defender.

Yes, really.

Head coach Mike Brown announced after the Knicks' 132-101 rout of the Wizards on Tuesday night that Brunson was the team's Defensive Player of the Game, an honor Brown and his coaching staff introduced when he was hired before the season began. 

It's the first time this season Brunson has earned the honor, doing so after his two-steal performance. But it was Brunson's two drawn charges that clinched it for Brown.

"You talk about one of our standards is sacrificing," Brown said. "And you know, you got your MVP candidate, your All-Star, sacrificing his body to try to get charges and get the possession going the other way. So, a great overall team effort tonight, good win."

When asked how the rest of the Knicks reacted to him being named defensive player of the game, the three-time All-Star guard played coy. 

"Very surprised, and so was I," Brunson said. When asked for specifics, Brunson repeated "no comment" a few times with a smirk.

"I'm not gonna repeat any of the jokes [from the team], but it's legitimate," Brown said. "He had two charges, second in NBA in charges taken, you know, only one away. So he might, he should be in first place now."

After Brunson's two drawn charges, he is now at the top of the NBA in that category, and Brunson knows how important those plays are to a game.

"Obviously, we get the turnover and we look at it as a momentum-changer and as a possibility to, kind of make the other team feel defeated in the moment," Brunson said. "We use it to our advantage and have the momentum swing and keep it going."

Brunson's increased defensive pressure has come at a great time. New York has now won seven in a row and the first-year coach said it has helped with the team's turnaround.

"I said it before, he’s more than a facilitator," Brown explained. "He's more than a scorer. He's more than team captain, great guy and all that other stuff. Whatever he puts his mind to, sky's the limit, you know. So, for him to go out there and not only talk about what we need to do defensively, but also leave it out there, too, is a lot of fun to see -- especially when you're talking about a guy that's stepping up and putting his body on the line to get ran over time after time after time." 

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Maccelli scores 2 as Maple Leafs beat Oilers 5-2, head into Olympic break with 3 straight wins

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Matias Maccelli scored twice and the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Edmonton Oilers 5-2 on Tuesday night.

Matthew Knies added a goal and an assist for Toronto (27-21-9). John Tavares scored his 20th of the season and Bobby McMann added an empty-netter.

Anthony Stolarz stopped 34 of the 36 shots he faced for the Maple Leafs, including a diving stop on Leon Draisaitl that prevent the Edmonton from getting back into the game in the final minutes of the third period.

Jake Walman and Kasperi Kapanen scored for the Oilers (28-20-9), who have lost two straight. Connor Ingram made 22 saves.

Toronto was coming off a 4-2 victory over the Flames in Calgary on Monday, and heads into the Olympic break with a three-game winning streak.

Kapanen tied the score at 2 early in the third period, but a pair of penalties proved to be Edmonton’s undoing. Rookie winger Matthew Savoie was sent off for interference, and Mattias Janmark joined him seconds later on a high-sticking infraction. Maccelli scored just under a minute into Toronto’s 5-on-3 advantage and Tavares swiped a shot in from the side of the net on the power play to give Toronto a 3-2 lead at the 7:42 mark of the third period.

Toronto went 2 for 2 on the power play, while Edmonton failed to score on its only man-advantage chance of the game.

Up next

Maple Leafs: Off for the Olympic break and at Tampa Bay on Feb. 25.

Oilers: At Calgary on Wednesday.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

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Player Grades: Lakers vs. Nets

BROOKLYN, NY - FEBRUARY 3: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives to the basket during the game against the Brooklyn Nets on February 3, 2026 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David L. Nemec/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

The Nets are an unserious basketball team and the Lakers took care of them quickly on Tuesday night. LA immediately got out in front and had twice as many points as Brooklyn had in the opening quarter.

By halftime, the Lakers had 69 points, and this contest was over.

So, let’s dive into the win. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.

LeBron James

30 minutes, 25 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals, 1 turnover, 1 foul, 10-16 FG, 0-3 3PT, 5-7 FT, +24

If this was LeBron’s last dance in Brooklyn, it was a wonderful waltz. He had some monster jams and dominated, especially in the first half.

Thanks to James’ dominance, the crowd was cheering for the Lakers as if it were a home game.

Grade: A+

Luka Dončić

29 minutes, 24 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 5 turnovers, 1 foul, 8-18 FG, 4-11 3PT, 4-6FT, +19

Luka, who was named the Western Conference Player of the Month earlier on Tuesday, continues his elite 2026 with another solid performance on the road.

He came out aggressive with 14 points in the opening quarter and had some mesmerizing passes, including a no-look dime to Deandre Ayton.

Grade: A+

Deandre Ayton

28 minutes, 7 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, 3-5 FG, 1-2 FT, +16

Ayton wasn’t as aggressive in this game, but it also wasn’t really needed. He took only a handful of shots and converted most of them.

Grade: B

Marcus Smart

18 minutes, 6 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 3-5 FG, 0-2 3PT, +30

Smart got a little trigger-happy in this game. With the result secured, the shot-chucking was less concerning than it typically can be.

Grade: C

Jake LaRavia

22 minutes, 18 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 1 foul, 7-9 FG, 1-2 3PT, 3-6 FT, +10

LaRavia started this game but was relegated to the bench to start the third quarter, with Austin Reaves back. Against the Nets, he was good, but a reserve role should be his position moving forward.

Grade: B+

Jaxson Hayes

15 minutes, 9 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 1 steal, 3-3 FG, 3-4 FT, +8

Hayes was a bulldozer during his early shifts, just stuffing the ball in the hoop repeatedly. These kinds of plays are why he will be a participant in the Dunk Contest.

Grade: A-

Austin Reaves

21 minutes, 15 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 2 turnovers, 3 fouls, 3-9 FG, 1-5 3PT, 8-10 FT, +10

Reaves was noticeably rusty in his return, but that is expected. He’s going to be just fine, and the fact that he is back is the most important aspect of this game.

Grade: B-

Rui Hachimura

26 minutes, 5 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 2-3 FG, 1-2 3PT, -1

Hachimura got virtually no looks in this game. In other matchups, he has to be more involved in the offense. This was an unserious game, so less of an immediate concern and more something the team has to get right moving forward.

Grade: C-

Jarred Vanderbilt

19 minutes, 6 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2-3 FG, 0-1 3PT, 2-4 FT, +4

Okay defense and shooting from Vando in this one. It’ll be interesting to see if Lakers head coach JJ Redick keeps him in the rotation once Reaves is fully back and not on a minutes restriction.

Grade: C-

Gabe Vincent

16 minutes, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 2 steals, 0-3 FG, 0-2 3PT, -9

When Vincent doesn’t score, it’s really hard to justify playing him. It might be time for him to take a seat.

Grade: F

Drew Timme, Dalton Knecht, Maxi Kleber, Bronny James

None of these players were in the game for 10-plus minutes, so they will not be getting a grade.

JJ Redick

Redick had the Lakers ready to dominate, and they took care of business early. It’s still annoying to see the Lakers have another third quarter where they got outscored, but you can kind of give them a pass in this instance.

Grade: B+

Tuesday’s inactives: Adou Thiero, Chris Mañon, Nick Smith Jr.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

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Sam Lewis, Thijs De Ridder lead No. 18 Virginia to 67-47 win over Pitt

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Sam Lewis scored 15 points, Thijs De Ridder had 10 points and 12 rebounds and No. 18 Virginia beat Pittsburgh 67-47 on Tuesday night while scoring its fewest points this season.

De Ridder, the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Week, had his third double-double of the season. Chance Mallory scored 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting for the Cavaliers (19-3, 8-2 ACC), and Malik Thomas had 10 points.

Virginia has won three straight and eight of nine, with its only loss in that stretch coming to now-No. 14 North Carolina.

The Cavaliers' previous scoring low was 70 points in a win over Stanford on Jan. 10. A low-scoring, defense-first squad under Tony Bennett, Virginia came in averaging 84 points per game this season under first-year coach Ryan Odom.

Cameron Corhen and Nojus Indrusaitis scored 11 points apiece for the Panthers (9-14, 2-8), who have lost eight of 10.

Pitt took an early 7-3 lead in the opening minutes before the Cavaliers went on a 12-0 run to take a lead they would not relinquish. Both teams struggled with turnovers, with the Panthers committing 17 to the Cavaliers’ 10. But Virginia capitalized with 23 points off turnovers to just nine by Pitt.

The Panthers' most recent victory over a ranked opponent came at Virginia, a 74-63 win on Feb. 13, 2024.

Up next

Pitt: Hosts SMU on Saturday.

Virginia: Hosts Syracuse on Saturday.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

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Winners, Losers from Jaren Jackson Jr. trade to Utah

The Memphis Grizzlies realized that the Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. era had run its course — well short of the hopes and dreams they had for it just a few years ago — and it was time to start over. The Utah Jazz had reached the point in their rebuild that it was time to stop being patient and do something bold.

The result was the most unexpected deal of the NBA trade deadline: Former Defensive Player of the Year Jackson going to the Jazz in an eight-player trade.

So who are the winners here? Let's break it down, but first let's look at the details of the trade:

Memphis receives: Kyle Anderson, Taylor Hendricks, Walter Clayton Jr., Georges Niang three first-round picks (best of Jazz 2027 picks, Lakers 2027 pick, Suns 2031 pick).
Utah receives: Jaren Jackson Jr., John Konchar, Jock Landale, Vince Williams Jr.

Winner: Utah Jazz

NBC Sports' own Grant Liffman summed it up perfectly: He liked this "aggressive trade" and wished more teams would take chances like this.

The reality is, Utah was not going to get a player as good as Jackson in free agency, so they used their cap space and picks to go get one. Utah, at the urging of owner Ryan Smith, also knew this season needed to be the end of their bottoming out as they rebuilt. The fans were getting restless. The owner was getting restless. Yet the fans and the organization still carry a scar from how the NBA Draft Lottery treated them last year (when they had the worst record and still picked fifth). Danny and Austin Ainge decided not to trust their rebuild to luck anymore, they took a big swing.

I say they connected.

Utah now has an interesting — not finished, not polished, but loaded with potential — core going forward. They can pair Jaren Jackson Jr. and Lauri Markkanen along the front line, a long, athletic duo who can score inside and out. They plan to re-sign Walker Kessler this summer and slot him in at the five to cover the rebounding and toughness deficiencies of Jackson and Markkanen, according to Tony Jones of the Athletic.

Utah also has Keyshawn George playing at an All-Star level at a guard spot and last year's No. 5 pick Ace Bailey on the wing, who has started to find his footing in the NBA of late.

However, there are caveats to loving this trade for the Jazz.

First, they have to continue tanking this season — they need another shot at the lottery in a deep draft to supplement what they already have.

The other is that Jaren Jackson Jr. gets healthy and consistently plays back at his peak, closer to his Defensive Player of the Year level. Utah is locked in to JJJ for at least three more seasons at an average of more than $50 million a season — in today's NBA, you can't miss on max contracts and contend.

Winner: Memphis Grizzlies

I get it, not every Grizzlies fan likes this trade — this is a total teardown when fans can look at the roster and think all they needed were tweaks. It's fair to be frustrated that the promise of this roster from 2021 and 2022 — which is not that long ago — has disappeared in a puff of smoke.

The reality is that Ja Morant did not continue on his upward trajectory and — as much as he is beloved in the city and by the fan base — he is not the guy who got his feet in the paint every time he drove, which was the engine of this offense. It would be a shock if Morant is still a member of the Grizzlies next season.

This rebuild really started when Memphis got four Orlando first-round picks for Desmond Bane. Combine that with the haul from this trade and their own picks, and the Grizzlies have a dozen first-round picks in the next seven years. It's a solid foundation for a rebuild.

Memphis needs to nail those picks. They need to better develop young players. They need to get a little lucky. But it was time for a reset, and this is the right long-term move for the franchise.

Losers: Adam Silver, anyone who hates tanking

The story of the end of this NBA season will be tanking.

This trade and these two teams embody it.

Memphis entered today as the No. 11 seed in the West, 3.5 games out of the play-in, ground it could make up if it got healthy and pushed for it. Instead, the Grizzlies surveyed the situation, looked at a deep draft, and went the other direction — they traded not just their best player on both ends right now, but also other role players who were playing hard.

Utah has been in tank mode for a while, even if the Ainges tell you how much they hate to tank and won't lose just to lose. The Jazz owe their first-round pick to the Thunder, but it is top-eight protected, and Utah wants to keep that pick, so we're not seeing a lot of Lauri Markkanen right now. We're not going to see a lot of Jackson either is my bet. The Jazz entered today with the sixth-worst record in the league and a 96% chance of retaining their pick. Jackson can help them win games now, so the real question is how much we will see of him through the end of the season.

Don't blame these teams, the NBA set up the rules, the Jazz and Grizzlies are just playing the game when the name of the game is "acquire the most talent you can."

Winners: Ja Morant trade suitors

This is really simple: Memphis is going to trade him, maybe before the deadline or maybe this summer, but they are going to trade him — and the price just went down.

Teams interested in Morant were doing so with some caution, this was more taking a chance you can get him healthy and back closer to his All-Star form than trading for a star, but at a lower price this becomes a better deal for someone.

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Just don’t duck the tax, Sixers

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 5: Bob Myers and Josh Harris of the Philadelphia 76ers look on against the Denver Nuggets at Xfinity Mobile Arena on January 5, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Nuggets defeated the 76ers 125-124 in overtime. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The headline here speaks for itself. Heading into Thursday’s trade deadline, I simply implore the Philadelphia 76ers not to make ducking the luxury tax their priority. Now, you might say that this post is true Negadelphian: complaining about something that hasn’t even happened yet. But when something happens every year to the point where Joel Embiid feels compelled to issue a soft warning to ownership, you know there’s a decent possibility of recurrence. (Given how strongly Joel feels about the issue, I feel like there’s a non-zero chance he reads this — in which case, ‘Hi, Joel’.)

The Paul George suspension has certainly complicated the anti-ducking agenda. His 25-game suspension resulted in a luxury tax credit for the Sixers, and the team is now just currently $1.3 million above the tax line. That’s so close that Josh Harris can smell that revenue redistribution money like a cartoon character drifting towards a pie cooling on a windowsill. Those $28 million, 12-bedroom, 22-bathroom homes in Washington D.C. don’t pay for themselves after all. From his perspective, just trade Andre Drummond and some draft capital to a team with cap space and let’s go fuel up the helicopter. He has a new favorite child down I-95 in the Commanders anyway.

But enough is enough. The East is so wide open that the Cleveland Cavaliers think James Harden is the missing piece to get them over the top. The Celtics are improving their roster despite their best player rehabbing a torn Achilles. Philadelphia has a healthy-ish version of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey playing All-NBA-level ball, and a solid supporting cast, and would potentially downgrade the roster in order to save money, because why, you’re worried about the Pistons? The Detroit “starting Tobias Harris” Pistons? Let’s just see what can happen in late April and May.

I’ll even throw management an olive branch here. Feel free to make ducking the tax a consideration. Daryl Morey is a smart guy. If he can do something like move Drummond to New Orleans with some reasonable draft capital for 21-year-old center Yves Missi, thereby getting a player that upgrades the team today, provides potential future upside, and gets the team under the luxury tax in the process, I’m on board. I understand there are team-building restrictions for being in the tax, yada yada yada, and if it can be avoided, all the better. Morey probably has thought through a dozen or two different scenarios like the common example I just threw out, so let’s see one of them. The Quentin Grimes-Caleb Martin trade last year came out of nowhere. I’m ready to be wowed, Daryl.

I also don’t expect anything major. The Sixers’ inability to work out a deal with Grimes over the summer has severely limited the team in the ‘tradeable contracts’ department. Kelly Oubre Jr. is the only guy in the range where his salary could be a good connecting piece, but he has played terrific this season. Anybody you bring in would have to either be a clear upgrade over Kelly or provide similar production on a longer-term deal where you saw value in that future roster stability/flexibility, and those sorts of players aren’t readily being given away.

But so help me. If Thursday’s deadline comes and goes and all we see is a player shipped out to duck the tax, and the team tries to spin it as needing a roster spot to sign Dominick Barlow to a standard deal, when Eric Gordon and Kyle Lowry are taking up roster emeritus positions, I’m ready to pass out pitchforks across the river in Camden. Hopefully, it doesn’t come to that. I honestly remain optimistic that it won’t. But this had to be said.