2025/26 In-Season NBA Trades
As we did with 2025’s offseason trades and the in-season swaps from 2024/25, we’ll be keeping track of all the NBA trades completed this season, updating this article with each transaction. This post can be found anytime throughout the season on our desktop sidebar under “Hoops Rumors Features,” or in our mobile menu under “Features.”
Trades are listed here in reverse chronological order, with the latest on top. So, if a player has been dealt multiple times, the first team listed as having acquired him is the one that ended up with him. Trades listed in italics have been agreed upon but are not yet official. For our full story on each trade, click the date above it.
For more information on the specific conditions dictating if and when draft picks involved in these deals will actually change hands, be sure to check out RealGM.com’s breakdown of the details on traded picks.
Here’s the full list of the trades completed during the 2025/26 NBA season:
- Nets acquire Hunter Tyson and the Nuggets’ 2032 second-round pick.
- Nuggets acquire either the Clippers’ or Hawks’ 2026 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable).
- Note: The 2026 second-rounder being sent to Denver technically has more complicated most/least favorable terms, which can be found here.
- Hornets acquire Xavier Tillman Sr. and cash ($3.5MM).
- Celtics acquire the Hornets’ 2030 second-round pick (top-55 protected).
- Nets acquire Josh Minott.
- Celtics acquire cash ($110K).
- Bulls acquire Nick Richards.
- Bucks acquire Ousmane Dieng, Nigel Hayes-Davis, and cash ($4.5MM; from Suns).
- Suns acquire Cole Anthony and Amir Coffey.
- Knicks acquire Jose Alvarado and the draft rights to Latavious Williams.
- Pelicans acquire Dalen Terry, either the Magic’s, Bucks’, or Pistons’ 2026 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable), either the Pacers’, Heat’s, Rockets’, or Thunder’s 2027 second-round pick (whichever is second-most favorable), and cash ($389K).
- Raptors acquire Trayce Jackson-Davis.
- Warriors acquire the Lakers’ 2026 second-round pick.
- Timberwolves acquire Ayo Dosunmu and Julian Phillips.
- Bulls acquire Rob Dillingham, Leonard Miller, either the Nuggets’ or Warriors’ 2026 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable); the Cavaliers’ 2027 second-round pick; either the Timberwolves’ or Warriors’ 2031 pick (whichever is most favorable); and either the Suns’ or Rockets’ 2032 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable).
- Lakers acquire Luke Kennard.
- Hawks acquire Gabe Vincent and the Lakers’ 2032 second-round pick.
- Pacers acquire Ivica Zubac and Kobe Brown.
- Clippers acquire Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, the Pacers’ 2026 first-round pick (top-four protected; 10-30 protected), the Pacers’ 2029 first-round pick, and the Mavericks’ 2028 second-round pick.
- Note: If the Pacers’ 2026 first-round pick falls in its protected range, the Clippers will instead receive the Pacers’ 2031 first-round pick.
- Wizards acquire Anthony Davis, Jaden Hardy, D’Angelo Russell, and Dante Exum.
- Mavericks acquire Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Marvin Bagley III, Tyus Jones, either the Thunder’s, Rockets’ (top-four protected), or Clippers’ 2026 first-round pick (whichever is least favorable); the Warriors’ 2030 first-round pick (top-20 protected); the Suns’ 2026 second-round pick; the Bulls’ 2027 second-round pick; and the Rockets’ 2029 second-round pick.
- Hornets acquire Malaki Branham.
- Warriors acquire Kristaps Porzingis.
- Hawks acquire Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield.
- Grizzlies acquire Eric Gordon and the right to swap their 2032 second-round pick for the Sixers’ 2032 second-round pick.
- Sixers acquire the draft rights to Justinian Jessup.
- Jazz acquire Chris Boucher, the Nuggets’ 2027 second-round pick, and cash ($871K).
- Celtics acquire John Tonje (two-way).
- Bulls acquire Guerschon Yabusele and cash ($500K).
- Knicks acquire Dalen Terry.
- Celtics acquire Nikola Vucevic and the Nuggets’ 2027 second-round pick.
- Bulls acquire Anfernee Simons and either the Pelicans’, Trail Blazers’, Timberwolves’, or Knicks’ 2026 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable).
- Jazz acquire Lonzo Ball, the Cavaliers’ 2028 second-round pick, and the Cavaliers’ 2032 second-round pick.
- Cavaliers acquire cash ($110K).
- Raptors acquire Chris Paul.
- Nets acquire Ochai Agbaji, the Raptors’ 2032 second-round pick, and cash ($3.5MM; from Clippers).
- Clippers acquire the draft rights to Vanja Marinkovic.
- Hawks acquire Jock Landale.
- Jazz acquire cash ($3MM).
- Hornets acquire Tyus Jones, either the Magic’s or Celtics’ 2027 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable), and the Magic’s 2028 second-round pick.
- Magic acquire cash ($110K).
- Hornets acquire Coby White and Mike Conley.
- Bulls acquire Collin Sexton, Ousmane Dieng, the Nuggets’ 2031 second-round pick, and the Knicks’ 2031 second-round pick.
- Note: The Hornets also sent the Bulls either a “least favorable” Nuggets/Hornets 2029 second-round pick in the original version of this trade, but the two teams agreed to remove that second-rounder after White’s physical exam revealed a calf issue.
- Thunder acquire Jared McCain.
- Sixers acquire either the Thunder’s, Rockets’ (top-four protected), or Clippers’ 2026 first-round pick (whichever is second-most favorable); either the Thunder’s, Rockets’, Pacers’, or Heat’s 2027 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable); the Thunder’s 2028 second-round pick; and the Bucks’ 2028 second-round pick.
- Thunder acquire the draft rights to Balsa Koprivica.
- Jazz acquire cash ($750K).
- Cavaliers acquire James Harden.
- Clippers acquire Darius Garland and the Cavaliers’ 2026 second-round pick.
- Hornets acquire Ousmane Dieng and either the Hawks’ or Heat’s 2029 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable).
- Thunder acquire Mason Plumlee.
- Pistons acquire Kevin Huerter, Dario Saric, and the right to swap their 2026 first-round pick for the Timberwolves’ 2026 first-round pick (top-19 protected).
- Bulls acquire Jaden Ivey and Mike Conley.
- Timberwolves acquire cash ($1.1MM; from Pistons).
- Jazz acquire Jaren Jackson Jr., John Konchar, Vince Williams Jr., and Jock Landale.
- Grizzlies acquire Kyle Anderson, Georges Niang, Taylor Hendricks, Walter Clayton, the Lakers’ 2027 first-round pick (top-four protected); either the Cavaliers’, Timberwolves’, or Jazz’s 2027 first-round pick (whichever is most favorable); and the Suns’ 2031 first-round pick.
- Trail Blazers acquire Vit Krejci.
- Hawks acquire Duop Reath, the Hawks’ 2027 second-round pick, and the Knicks’ 2030 second-round pick.
- Note: The Hawks’ 2027 second-round pick was previously traded to the Trail Blazers.
- Cavaliers acquire Keon Ellis, Dennis Schröder, and Emanuel Miller (two-way).
- Kings acquire De’Andre Hunter.
- Bulls acquire Dario Saric, the Nuggets’ 2027 second-round pick (from Cavaliers), and either the Pistons’, Bucks’, or Knicks’ 2029 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable; from Kings).
- Wizards acquire Trae Young.
- Hawks acquire CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert.
Recap Of 2025/26 Salary Guarantee Decisions
Entering this week, there were 32 players who were signed to standard, full-season contracts but whose salaries for the 2025/26 campaign weren’t fully guaranteed.
The deadline for teams to waive those players and avoid having their full ’25/26 salaries become guaranteed was on Wednesday, January 7 at 4:00 p.m. CT.
Although their salaries won’t technically become guaranteed until January 10, those players would still receive their full-season guarantees if they’re cut today or tomorrow, since they wouldn’t clear waivers before Saturday’s guarantee deadline.
Here’s a roundup of the decisions teams made with those 32 players:
Players on standard contracts who will have their salaries guaranteed:
Each player’s salary is noted here. His cap hit is identical to his salary unless otherwise indicated.
- Terry Rozier (Heat): $26,643,031
Dean Wade (Cavaliers): $6,623,456- Bismack Biyombo (Spurs): $3,634,153 *
- Russell Westbrook (Kings): $3,634,153 *
- Thomas Bryant (Cavaliers): $3,287,409 *
- Landry Shamet (Knicks): $3,080,921 *
- Amir Coffey (Bucks): $2,874,436 *
- Javonte Green (Pistons): $2,874,436 *
- Bones Hyland (Timberwolves): $2,461,463 *
- Lindy Waters III (Spurs): $2,461,463 *
- Precious Achiuwa (Kings): $2,453,285 ^
- Justin Champagnie (Wizards): $2,349,578
- Jordan Goodwin (Suns): $2,349,578
- Vit Krejci (Hawks): $2,349,578
- Keon Ellis (Kings): $2,301,587
- Keaton Wallace (Hawks): $2,296,274
- Moussa Diabate (Hornets): $2,270,735
- Brandon Williams (Mavericks): $2,270,735
- Mouhamed Gueye (Hawks): $2,221,677
- Trayce Jackson-Davis (Warriors): $2,221,677
- Craig Porter Jr. (Cavaliers): $2,221,677
- Gui Santos (Warriors): $2,221,677
- Jordan Walsh (Celtics): $2,221,677
- Jalen Wilson (Nets): $2,221,677
- Tyrese Martin (Nets): $2,191,897
- N’Faly Dante (Hawks): $2,048,494
- Ariel Hukporti (Knicks): $1,955,377
- Isaac Jones (Pistons): $1,955,377
- Micah Potter (Pacers): $1,527,805
- Mohamed Diawara (Knicks): $1,272,870
(*) cap hit of $2,296,274
(^) cap hit of $2,111,516
Besides Rozier and Wade, whose deals already featured significant partial guarantees, each player on a non-guaranteed contract who was retained through January 7 is earning his minimum salary for the season, so the financial impact of keeping those players is relatively minor for their respective teams.
Still, open roster spots are valuable at this time of year. At least one or two of these players on this list were probably fortunate not to be let go by a club prioritizing flexibility ahead of the trade deadline. Many others have played regular rotation minutes during the first half or hold long-term value and were never candidates to be cut.
Players on standard contracts who were waived before their salaries became guaranteed:
Each player’s salary is noted here. His cap hit is identical to his salary unless otherwise indicated.
- Tony Bradley (Pacers): $1,335,225
- Mo Bamba (Raptors): $194,770
Both Bradley and Bamba were on minimum-salary contracts, but Bradley had been with Indiana since before the start of the season, while Bamba was signed by Toronto last Monday, which is why his cap hit is so much smaller than Bradley’s.
After Bradley cleared waivers on Wednesday, Bamba will do so today. The Raptors’ dead-money cap hit for Bamba would disappear if he’s claimed off waivers by a new team, but that club would have to commit to guaranteeing his salary for the rest of the season, so it’s unlikely.
There were several other players with partially or non-guaranteed salaries who were cut earlier in the regular season. That group consists of the following players, listed in the order they were waived (with their accompanying cap hits):
Jaden Springer (Pelicans): $70,732- James Wiseman (Pacers): $1,000,000
- Note: Wiseman was later re-signed to a 10-day contract that increased his overall Pacers cap hit to $1,131,970.
- Mac McClung (Pacers): $177,731
- Monte Morris (Pacers): $321,183
- Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (Pacers): $325,365
- Note: Robinson-Earl previously signed a pair of 10-day contracts that increase his overall Pacers cap hit to $589,305.
- Garrison Mathews (Pacers): $297,356
- Note: Mathews previously signed a pair of 10-day contracts that increase his overall Pacers cap hit to $561,296.
These moves didn’t go down to the wire like the others listed above, having occurred well in advance of the salary guarantee deadline.
Players on two-way contracts who were waived before their salaries became guaranteed:
Under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, the league-wide salary guarantee date of January 10 also applies this season to players on two-way contracts. Prior to 2024, the guarantee date had been Jan. 20 for two-way salaries.
Two-way salaries are only worth half of the rookie minimum and don’t count against the salary cap, so many teams likely weren’t feeling a ton of pressure to make rest-of-season decisions on their two-way players by Wednesday. Two-way contracts can be signed until March 4, so there will be many clubs that make changes between now and then.
Still, there were seven players on two-way contracts who were waived between the start of January and Wednesday’s waiver deadline. Those players, who subsequently won’t receive their full two-way salaries this season, are as follows:
- Tosan Evbuomwan (Knicks)
- Trentyn Flowers (Bulls)
- Mark Sears (Bucks)
- Tyler Smith (Rockets)
- Malik Williams (Hawks)
There are currently three open two-way slots around the NBA, belonging to the Hawks, Bucks, and Knicks.
The full list of players who are still on two-way contracts and earned full guarantees can be found right here.
Wednesday Is Decision Day For Non-Guaranteed Contracts
The NBA’s league-wide salary guarantee date technically falls on January 10 each season, but January 7 always represents decision day for teams carrying players on non-guaranteed contracts.
A player with a non-guaranteed contract who is still on waivers as of Jan. 10 is assured of receiving his full salary, so in order to avoid that scenario, a team must cut that player on or before Jan. 7. As long as the player is placed on waivers by 4:00 pm Central time on Wednesday, he’ll clear waivers on Friday (Jan. 9), a day before his salary would become guaranteed.
A couple teams have already made moves with players on non-guaranteed contracts so far this week. The Pacers waived center Tony Bradley on Monday, while the Raptors cut big man Mo Bamba on Tuesday. More transactions may be on the way ahead of Wednesday’s deadline, but most of the players with non-guaranteed salaries around the NBA look pretty safe.
For instance, the Hornets aren’t about to waive Moussa Diabate, who has been their starting center as of late; the Mavericks aren’t going to cut Brandon Williams, who made a game-winning three-pointer on Tuesday vs. Sacramento. Those are just two of many players on non-guaranteed deals who have earned not just spots on their team’s roster but a regular place in the rotation.
Wednesday is also a big day for players on two-way contracts, who are subject to the same salary guarantee deadline and will receive their full salaries if they’re not cut today. That works out to $636,435 for players who have been under contract since the start of the season, and a prorated portion of that figure for players who have signed during the season.
A handful of two-way players have been waived within the past couple weeks – including Bulls guard Trentyn Flowers on Tuesday – and more could follow today. However, there’s less urgency for clubs to make moves involving two-way players, since those deals don’t count against the salary cap and won’t meaningfully impact a team’s roster and cap flexibility as the trade deadline nears.
The full list of players on non-guaranteed contracts is below, while the full list of players on two-way contracts can be found right here. The players listed below are earning minimum salaries unless otherwise noted.
Atlanta Hawks
- Vit Krejci
- Partially guaranteed for $1,500,000.
- N’Faly Dante
- Note: Dante would receive his full salary even if he’s waived due to his season-ending ACL tear.
- Mouhamed Gueye
- Keaton Wallace
Boston Celtics
- Jordan Walsh
- Partially guaranteed for $1,110,839.
Brooklyn Nets
Charlotte Hornets
Cleveland Cavaliers
- Dean Wade ($6,623,456)
- Partially guaranteed for $4,623,458.
- Thomas Bryant
- Craig Porter Jr.
Dallas Mavericks
Detroit Pistons
Golden State Warriors
Indiana Pacers
Miami Heat
- Terry Rozier ($26,643,031)
- Partially guaranteed for $24,924,126.
Milwaukee Bucks
Minnesota Timberwolves
New York Knicks
Phoenix Suns
Sacramento Kings
San Antonio Spurs
Washington Wizards
10-Day Contract Window Opens Monday; Salary Guarantee Deadline Looms
As our tracker shows, the injury-plagued Pacers and Grizzlies have both been granted several hardship exceptions this season, allowing each team to sign multiple players to 10-day contracts. But tomorrow — Monday, January 5 — will be the first day that NBA teams can sign players to standard 10-day contracts.
A 10-day contract, as we outline in our glossary entry, allows a team to add a player to its roster for either 10 days or three games (whichever occurs later) without any commitment beyond that. A player can sign up to two 10-day deals with the same team in a single season — after those two contracts, the team must decide whether to sign him to a rest-of-season contract or part ways with him.
For some teams, the 10-day contract provides an opportunity to take a flier on a young player to see if he deserves a longer-term look. Other clubs may utilize 10-day deals for short-term injury fill-ins or simply to meet minimum roster requirements.
The NBA’s 10-day signing window always opens just ahead of the league-wide salary guarantee deadline. If a team wants to let go of a player on a non-guaranteed contract to avoid being on the hook for his full-season salary, it must release that player on or before Wednesday, Jan. 7 to ensure he clears waivers prior to the guarantee date of Jan. 10.
The start of the 10-day contract period and the salary guarantee deadline go hand in hand, since teams cutting players before their salaries become fully guaranteed often sign players to 10-day contracts to fill those newly opened roster spots. In some cases, the same player who was waived at the salary guarantee deadline returns to his team on a 10-day contract, as clubs looks to maximize their roster flexibility.
Thirteen teams currently have a 15-man roster opening, though most of those clubs won’t rush to fill their open roster spots with 10-day signees due to their financial situations. Teams may also want to maximize their roster flexibility in advance of the trade deadline — the majority of 10-day signings during a typical season occur after the deadline has passed.
Salaries For 10-Day Contracts In 2025/26
While 10-day deals using the hardship exception can be signed at any time, this coming Monday represents the first day this season that an NBA team will be able to sign a player to a standard 10-day contract. As we explain in a glossary entry, a 10-day deal allows a club to temporarily add a player to its 15-man roster without any commitments beyond those 10 days.
Under the league’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement, all 10-day contracts are worth a player’s minimum salary. The minimum salary in a given season differs from player to player, based on his years of NBA service entering the season. For instance, in 2025/26, a rookie on a full-season minimum deal will earn $1,272,870, whereas a 10-year veteran who is earning the minimum will make $3,634,153.
[RELATED: NBA Minimum Salaries For 2025/26]
The same is true for 10-day deals. A rookie will earn significantly less over the course of his 10 days with a team than a tenured NBA veteran will.
Because the 2025/26 regular season is 174 days long, a player’s full-season minimum salary can be divided by 174 to calculate his daily salary. From there, it’s just a matter of multiplying by 10 to determine his salary on a 10-day contract.
Using that formula, here’s the full breakdown of what salaries for 10-day deals look like in ’25/26:
| Years in NBA | Salary |
|---|---|
| 0 | $73,153 |
| 1 | $117,730 |
| 2 | $131,970 |
| 3 | $136,717 |
| 4 | $141,463 |
| 5 | $153,330 |
| 6 | $165,197 |
| 7 | $177,064 |
| 8 | $188,932 |
| 9 | $189,872 |
| 10+ | $208,859 |
Because the NBA doesn’t want teams to avoid signing veteran players in favor of cheaper, younger options, the league reimburses clubs who sign veterans with three or more years of service to 10-day, minimum-salary contracts.
In those instances, teams are on the hook for $131,970, the minimum salary for a player with two years of experience, while the NBA covers the difference. So a team would pay the same amount and carry the same cap hit ($131,970) whether they sign a player with three years under his belt or a player with 12 years of NBA experience.
NBA Dates, Deadlines To Watch In January
At the start of the 2025/26 campaign, we looked ahead and identified several dates and deadlines to watch on the NBA calendar this season. While that list covered the general highlights, it’s worth taking a closer look at some of those key dates to keep an eye out for in January, which should be a busy month.
Non-guaranteed contracts become guaranteed
January 10 is the date that all non-guaranteed NBA contracts for 2025/26 will officially become guaranteed, but January 7 is really the day to watch.
If a team wants to avoid having a salary become guaranteed, the player must clear waivers before January 10, which means he needs to be cut by January 7 — at the latest.
There are currently 32 players around the NBA who are on non-guaranteed deals. Many of those players without fully guaranteed salaries aren’t in danger of being waived by next Wednesday, but some teams will take the opportunity to save a little money and open up a roster spot.
Players on two-way deals (which are non-guaranteed) are subject to that January 7 waiver deadline as well, and will have their salaries become fully guaranteed if they’re still under contract as of January 8.
Prior to the 2023/24 season, the annual salary guarantee date for players on two-way contracts was January 20, but that changed in the NBA’s latest Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Teams can begin signing players to 10-day contracts
As of January 5, clubs will be able to sign players to standard 10-day contracts, which count against team salary for cap and tax purposes and require an opening on the 15-man roster to complete.
Prior to Jan. 5, teams were able to sign players to 10-day contracts only if they qualified for a hardship exception. Two banged-up teams – Indiana and Memphis – have taken advantage of hardship exceptions so far this season, with the Pacers signing five players to a total of seven hardship 10-day deals, while the Grizzlies signed three players to one apiece.
Rebuilding teams generally use 10-day contracts to audition G League standouts or other prospects to see if they might be worth investing in beyond this season. Contending clubs are more inclined to use 10-day contracts to bring in veterans who can step in right away to address a need or provide depth at a position hit hard by injuries.
Currently, 13 teams have an open spot on their 15-man rosters, making them candidates to sign a player to a 10-day deal. That number will likely increase after next week’s salary guarantee deadline.
More players become trade-eligible
A significant portion of the NBA’s offseason signees became eligible to be traded on December 15, but there are still many players who can’t be dealt. By the end of January, that list of players ineligible to be traded will shrink further, since there are 20 players currently on track to have those restrictions lift between now and January 31.
January 15 is the key date, with 11 players becoming trade-eligible as of that Thursday. That 11-player group includes some standouts who almost certainly aren’t going anywhere, such as Bulls guard Josh Giddey.
However, a handful of players on the list figure to be involved in trade rumors in 2026. Some – including, most notably, Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga – have already been the subjects of speculation.
Nine other offseason signees have unique trade-eligible dates in January, since they either signed as a free agent in October or inked a veteran extension in July.
That list features names both big (like Devin Booker) and small (such as Keaton Wallace). Of the nine players in that group, Pelicans forward Herbert Jones is perhaps the most intriguing in-season trade candidate, though New Orleans has reportedly set a very high asking price for the defensive ace.
Last day to apply for a disabled player exception
January 15 is the last day that teams can apply for a disabled player exception to replace an injured player who is deemed unlikely to return this season. If a player suffers a season-ending injury on January 16, his team would be ineligible to apply for a DPE.
A disabled player exception gives a club some extra cap flexibility, but not an extra roster spot, so they often go unused. So far this season, the Bulls, Rockets, Pacers, Clippers, and Thunder have reportedly been granted a DPE, while the Bucks and Mavericks have applied for them.
Several teams can fit free agents under their hard caps
As we outlined last month, there are a number teams around the NBA who are currently operating so close to first- or second-apron hard caps that they can’t presently sign a free agent to a minimum-salary contract. That will change for many of those teams at some point in the coming weeks, when the cap hit for a prorated veteran’s minimum deal will get low enough to fit below those clubs’ respective hard caps.
Here are the dates on which the teams right up against hard caps can legally sign a free agent:
- January 6: Dallas Mavericks
- January 7: Los Angeles Clippers
- January 8: Houston Rockets
- January 9: Orlando Magic
- January 18: Los Angeles Lakers
Those clubs are unlikely to sign a free agent to a rest-of-season contract as soon as they’re eligible to do so, since taking that route would leave them would essentially no cap flexibility for the rest of the season unless they make a separate cost-cutting move.
Two more teams right up against hard caps, the Warriors and Knicks, will have to wait until much later in the season to squeeze a free agent addition onto their rosters. That will happen on March 24 for Golden State and on April 2 for New York, though those dates would be subject to change if either team reduces its salary in a trade.
It’s also worth noting that January 26 is the first day that the Thunder can sign a free agent to a prorated minimum-salary deal without surpassing the luxury tax line.
Community Shootaround: NBA’s Christmas Day Schedule
Merry Christmas from the Hoops Rumors staff!
As usual, December 25 features a full slate of five NBA games that tipped off at noon Eastern time and will run well past midnight. The Cavaliers visited the Knicks at Madison Square Garden in the day’s early game, which will be followed by four Western Conference matchups:
2:30 pm ET: San Antonio Spurs (22-7) at Oklahoma City Thunder (26-4)- 5:00 pm ET: Dallas Mavericks (12-19) at Golden State Warriors (15-15)
- 8:00 pm ET: Houston Rockets (17-10) at Los Angeles Lakers (19-9)
- 10:30 pm ET: Minnesota Timberwolves (20-10) at Denver Nuggets (21-8)
Having the Spurs visit the defending champion Thunder on Christmas Day, with Victor Wembanyama coming off a major health issue and San Antonio having won just 34 games last season, was a risk. But it has paid off in a major way for the NBA — the Spurs have already upset the Thunder twice this month, and this will be just the second time in the past 40 years that the Western Conference’s top two teams have faced one another on December 25, per the league (Twitter link).
The rest of the teams currently holding playoff spots in the West – the Rockets, Lakers, Timberwolves, and Nuggets – will be in action in the final two games of the day, while the Warriors/Mavericks contest is the only contest to feature two teams outside the top six. However, Dallas has looked much improved as of late, having gone 7-4 after a 5-15 start. With Anthony Davis healthy and Cooper Flagg beginning to show his star-level upside more consistently, that bout with Stephen Curry and Golden State is hardly a bust.
With so much uncertainty surrounding the top Eastern Conference teams entering the season, the NBA was probably right to lean heavily on Western matchups, and it looks like the league picked the right teams. The Suns are the only top-eight club in the conference not in action today, and the Mavs – thanks to the presence of Davis and Flagg – are a compelling alternative despite ranking 11th.
While it’s disappointing not to see the 24-6 Pistons in action today, the league probably couldn’t have predicted that Detroit would be this good in the first half. Sticking with the Cavaliers and Knicks was a safe choice — Cleveland and New York were two of the last four Eastern Conference teams left standing in 2024/25, and the other two (Boston and Indiana) are both missing a star player due to an Achilles tear.
What do you think? Are you happy with the NBA’s Christmas Day slate? Would you have shuffled around any of the matchups, or avoided scheduling any of these 10 teams in favor of another? Which of the rest of today’s games are you most looking forward to?
Head to the comment section to share your thoughts, and enjoy the holiday basketball!
Community Shootaround: No. 1 Prospect In 2026 Draft
Ahead of the 2026 NBA draft, there is widely considered to be a three-player race for the top overall prospect and No. 1 overall pick. Kansas guard Darryn Peterson is ranked No. 1 on Jeremy Woo of ESPN’s latest big board, followed by BYU wing AJ Dybantsa and Duke forward/center Cameron Boozer.
Woo and Jeff Borzello of ESPN recently spoke to several NBA scouts and college coaches to get their impressions of the three freshmen, who are all viewed as “legitimate No. 1 prospects” who simply happen to be in the same class.
Peterson has been highly productive when healthy, but missed seven games with a hamstring injury and was forced to leave his most recent contest due to quad cramps. In four games, he has averaged 19.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.3 steals, with a shooting slash line of .528/.423/.769.
One Eastern Conference scout said the 6’5″ combo guard, who is touted as an explosive — and consistent — offensive player, was the top prospect on his board and it was hard to envision that changing no matter how well Dybantsa and Boozer play for the remainder of the season. While one coach had questions about Peterson’s ability to run the point, a different Eastern scout said that shouldn’t be an issue at the next level.
“What a point guard is now in the NBA, he’s that,” the scout told ESPN. “Are you able to create advantages, are you able to [be a] play-maker, are you a scorer when you see a defense break down? Darryn can do all those things.”
Dybantsa, a 6’9″ forward, is generally considered to have the most upside of anyone in the class, with outside shooting and consistency viewed as his biggest question marks. In 11 games, he’s averaging 21.1 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 3.3 APG and 1.3 SPG on .556/.321/.743 shooting.
“I would have AJ No. 1 still,” one Western Conference scout told ESPN. “The positional versatility, the size, is so unique. His ability to be able to create off the dribble, be dynamic from the mid-post. The fadeaway jumpers, that style of play. I think he can make really crisp passes off one hand, really good adjusting midair. … He takes long strides on defense, someone that you can insert in very different lineups playing different positions.”
As Woo and Borzello detail, Boozer had an extremely impressive résumé prior to entering college, winning four high school state championships in Florida and two gold medals — and two MVPs — with Team USA (at the FIBA U16 AmeriCup in 2023 and the FIBA U17 World Cup in 2024).
The son of former NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer has been the most productive college player in the country in the early portion of the season (he’s averaging 23.3 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 3.7 APG and 1.6 SPG on .563/.348/.789 shooting through 11 games) and is the favorite to win Player of the Year for the 11-0 Blue Devils. However, questions persist about the younger Boozer’s athleticism and upside at the NBA level, at least relative to Peterson and Dybantsa.
“Can you put the ball in his hands and you know he’s going to be able to get a bucket or create something at the end of a game, when the game’s on the line? Is he good enough at that at the NBA level?” an Eastern Conference scout said, per ESPN. “It’s not a knock on Cam, it’s just that those other two guys have the potential to be the best player on NBA championship teams.”
We want to know what you think. In what seems to be an eye-of-the-beholder draft, which prospect would you currently rank No. 1 overall? Do you agree that any of the three would ordinarily be considered top overall prospects in their own right? Head to the comments section to weigh in with your thoughts!.
NBA Players Who Can’t Be Traded This Season
As we explained when we identified the players who will become trade-eligible on unique dates this season, there’s a small group of players whose trade restrictions won’t lift until sometime after the February 5 trade deadline. These players meet one of the following criteria:
- They signed a free agent contract or were promoted from a two-way contract after November 5.
- A player who signs a free agent contract or is promoted from a two-way contract is ineligible to be traded for at least three months.
- They signed a veteran contract extension (meeting certain criteria) after August 5.
- A player who signs a veteran extension that keeps him under contract for more than four total years (including his current contract), includes a first-year raise greater than 20%, includes a subsequent raise exceeding 5%, or includes a renegotiation is ineligible to be traded for six months.
- They signed a super-max contract.
- A player who signs a super-max contract (also known as a designated veteran contract) is ineligible to be traded for one year.
We identified all the players who fell into these three categories in our previous story on unique trade dates, but they may have slipped through the cracks amid the larger list of players we discussed in that article.
With that in mind, we want to specifically single them out today to make sure it’s clear which players won’t become trade-eligible at all until sometime after the 2025/26 regular season.
Here are the players who fall into the three aforementioned groups and who can’t be traded this season:
Players who have signed standard contracts since November 5:
- Seth Curry (Warriors)
- Micah Potter (Pacers)
There hasn’t been a ton of action on the free agent market since the regular season began, with most players who have signed with NBA teams receiving two-way contracts rather than standard deals.
Still, there are a couple players who fit this bill. Curry didn’t sign with Golden State until December 1, meaning his trade restrictions won’t lift until March 1, well after this year’s deadline. The Pacers, meanwhile, have rotated several players in and out of their 15th roster spot, signing Monte Morris, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, and Garrison Mathews to standard contracts before waiving them and making Potter their 15th man.
Both Curry and Potter are ineligible to be moved this season, and this list will continue to grow if more free agents sign standard contracts between now and February 5.
Players who have signed veteran contract extensions meeting certain criteria since August 5:
- Toumani Camara (Trail Blazers)
- A.J. Green (Bucks)
- Aaron Nesmith (Pacers)
- P.J. Washington (Mavericks)
Camara likely wouldn’t have been a trade candidate regardless of whether or not he signed an extension in recent months, since the Trail Blazers could have made him a restricted free agent in 2026. But given the way the Bucks, Pacers, and Mavericks have struggled so far this season, it’s entirely possible Green, Nesmith, and/or Washington would have become the subject of in-season trade speculation. Due to their recently signed contracts, all of them are ineligible to be dealt until the 2026 offseason.
It’s not uncommon for some players who are eligible for in-season veteran extensions to sign new deals well into the season, so it’s certainly possible more names will be added to this group before February’s trade deadline.
Players who have signed super-max contracts:
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder)
Gilgeous-Alexander signed his designated veteran extension on July 7, 2025, which means he won’t become trade-eligible until July 7, 2026.
No other players will join the reigning MVP on this list prior to February’s trade deadline, since super-max deals can’t be signed during the season.
Note: This article refers to players on standard contracts. Players on two-way contracts can’t be traded for 30 days after signing, meaning any player who signs a two-way deal after January 6 this season will be ineligible to be dealt by the deadline.
Community Shootaround: Knicks’ Title Drought
The Knicks finally stood atop the NBA world this week, even if it was just the in-season tournament. Winning the NBA Cup was a nice way to head into the holidays but the franchise and its fans are looking for something much bigger – a trip to the Finals and the Larry O’Brien trophy.
They reached the Eastern Conference Finals last season for the first time in a quarter century, only to get knocked out by the underdog Pacers. They haven’t sniffed the Finals since the 1998/99 season, when the Spurs’ Twin Towers of David Robinson and Tim Duncan bounced them in a five-game series.
As their long-time fans know, the Knicks haven’t hoisted the trophy since 1973, when the iconic starting five of Willis Reed, Walt Frazier, Dave DeBusschere, Bill Bradley and Earl “The Pearl” Monroe carried them past the Lakers.
The Eastern Conference certainly seems ripe for the taking. The Pistons have been nothing short of marvelous during the first two months of the season but they haven’t won a playoff series since 2008.
The Cavaliers, who rolled to the top seed in the conference last season, are hovering around .500. Perhaps a young team like the Magic can get hot at the right time, but currently the Knicks are a solid favorite to come out of the East.
Via trades and free agency, the Knicks have assembled a formidable starting five (or six, if you count Mitchell Robinson) in Most Valuable Player candidate Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart.
Offensively, they rank in the top five in points and three-point shooting while keeping their turnovers down. Defensively, they rank in the top five in opponents’ field goal percentage.
Their bench may be somewhat underwhelming, though they have some veteran pieces. Their ability to make moves is severely hamstrung by the fact that they’re hard-capped and operating narrowly below the second tax apron.
That brings us to today’s topic: Is this the season the Knicks finally reach the Finals again and perhaps even win the championship for the first time in 53 years? If not, what do you think will hold them back?
Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.