The 2024-25 NBA season is almost at the halfway point, and wow—this has been possibly the wildest trade deadline ever. For those who are unfamiliar, the NBA has a trade deadline of Feb. 6, 2025 at 3:00 p.m. EST. NBA executives are allowed to make deals and trades of any kind or magnitude up until this deadline, where the rosters will then be locked for the rest of the season. I will be grading each NBA team’s trades.
Lakers trade Anthony Davis for Luka Dončić in three-team deal
Starting off with possibly the most surprising trade in NBA history:
- Los Angeles Lakers receive: A
- G Luka Dončić (Mavericks)
- F Maxi Kleber (Mavericks)
- F Markieff Morris (Mavericks)
- Dallas Mavericks receive: D-
- F Anthony Davis (Lakers)
- G Max Christie (Lakers)
- 2029 first round pick (Lakers)
- Utah Jazz receive: A+
- G Jalen Hood-Schifino (Lakers)
- 2025 second round pick (via L.A. Clippers)
- 2025 second round pick (Mavericks)
The Los Angeles Lakers acquired arguably the best scorer in the NBA in 25-year-old Luka Dončić, and they barely had to give up any draft compensation. The loss of all defensive center Anthony Davis will definitely hurt, but adding Dončić makes the Lakers’ future extremely bright. He is coming off a season where he led his team to the NBA finals averaging 33.9 points per game, 9.2 rebounds per game, and 9.8 assists per game, and was third in MVP voting.
I believe the Mavericks made a huge mistake in giving up Dončić so easily. You do not just trade away the centerpiece of your franchise due to supposed injury and conditioning concerns. Adding Davis definitely keeps the Mavericks as finals contenders, but with him being 31 years old and other Mavericks star Kyrie Irving being 32 years old, the Mavericks window is closing fast.
Kings trade De’Aaron Fox to Spurs, land Zach Lavine in another wild three-team deal
- San Antonio Spurs receive: A
- G De’Aaron Fox (Kings)
- G Jordan McLaughlin (Kings)
- Sacramento Kings receive: A-
- G Zach Lavine (Bulls)
- G Sidy Cissoko
- 2025 first round pick (via Charlotte Hornets)
- 2027 first round pick (via San Antonio Spurs)
- 2031 first round pick (via Minnesota Timberwolves)
- 2025 second round pick (via Chicago Bulls)
- 2028 second round pick (via Denver Nuggets)
- 2028 second round pick (own)
- Chicago Bulls receive: B-
- F Zach Collins (Spurs)
- G Tre Jones (Spurs)
- G Kevin Huerter (Kings)
- 2025 first round pick (own)
The San Antonio Spurs landed All-Star guard De’Aaron Fox to pair with generational superstar Victor Wembanyama. I think this is gonna be an amazing fit, as Fox is not only a great scorer but also a great playmaker. The Spurs had to give up a LOT of picks, but they were able to keep all their young players.
The Chicago Bulls fell into the Dallas Mavericks trap, trading their best player for a total of one draft pick, which was originally their own in the first place. The Bulls should be focusing on rebuilding, and while trading Zach Lavine was a good decision, they could have pursued a greater return.
The Sacramento Kings should be an example of how to compensate for trading your best player (Mavericks and Bulls, take notes). They received six total draft picks, as well as two time all star Zach Lavine. Even though the Kings lost their best player in Fox, they are set up pretty well for the future.
Pelicans trade Brandon Ingram to Raptors
- Toronto Raptors receive: C
- F Brandon Ingram
- New Orleans Pelicans receive: B+
- F Bruce Brown
- F Kelly Olynyk
- 2025 first round pick
- 2025 second round pick
The Toronto Raptors are currently 16-35 and 13th in the Eastern Conference. Brandon Ingram could definitely boost the Raptors, but I do not think it will be enough to bring them to the playoffs this year. I think the Raptors should have accepted this season as a loss and looked to rebuild in this year’s draft. Instead, they traded away both of their selections from this year’s draft for a borderline All-Star.
The New Orleans Pelicans are currently 12-39 and last in the Western Conference, so giving up Brandon Ingram makes a lot of sense to help the Pelicans gain draft capital to prepare for next season. The Pelicans have accepted that they will not be making the playoffs this season, and they still have a lot of issues in their team core regarding former first overall pick Zion Williamson. Getting rid of Brandon Ingram is actually a pretty good move for them.
Heat trade Jimmy Butler to Warriors in four-team blockbuster
- Golden State Warriors receive: B
- F Jimmy Butler (Miami Heat)
- Miami Heat receive: A-
- F PJ Tucker
- F Andrew Wiggins (Warriors)
- F Kyle Anderson (Warriors)
- Protected first round pick (Warriors)
- Detroit Pistons receive: C
- G Lindy Waters III (Warriors)
- G Josh Richardson (Heat)
- Utah Jazz receive: B+
- G Dennis Schroeder (Warriors)
The Golden State Warriors need to do everything in their power to maximize the last few years of Steph Curry’s Hall of Fame career. I believe that acquiring Jimmy Butler is a risky move with a very high upside. Jimmy Butler is 35 years old, and this season has been nothing but drama and suspensions for Butler as his relationship with the Miami Heat crumbled. However, over the past few seasons we have seen how Butler can flip a switch come postseason, and enter his “Playoff Jimmy” archetype. He has led the eighth seed Heat to the NBA Finals twice, so a combo of Curry and Butler could be very dangerous come playoff time.
Winner: Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers had one of the best trade deadlines in NBA history. They are firmly set to win now, but are also set up nicely for the future. The new dynamic duo of Lebron James and Dončić will be one of the best in the NBA, and the Lakers should be serious finals contenders for the next many years.
Loser: Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks are still finals contenders, so people may be mad that I am listing them as a loser. But the Mavericks might have made one of the biggest mistakes in NBA history. They traded their 25-year-old franchise centerpiece coming off of a career season where he led them to the NBA finals, and was top three in MVP voting. You just do not do that. The Mavericks General Manager allegedly did not tell Luka that he was going to be traded until it was already done, and because of the trade, Luka is now ineligible for the five-year $345 million supermax. I still think that the Mavericks will be very good with their new duo of Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis, but if I were them I would be scared for the first Mavs-Lakers game, because Luka Dončić should want revenge.