NBA trade deadline rumors: Latest on Kevin Durant's future, Nikola Vucevic and more
The 2025 NBA trade deadline came and went Thursday afternoon, and this will go down as perhaps the most memorable trade deadline since this arbitrary date became a popular mid-season event on the calendar.
Teams had until 3 p.m. ET to complete trades, and some of the biggest names in basketball were dealt in recent days. The action began over the weekend, of course, when the Dallas Mavericks stunned the sports world by trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis. Then the Sacramento Kings traded De'Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs in a three-team trade that also sent Zack LaVine from the Chicago Bulls to Sacramento to reunite with former Bulls teammate DeMar DeRozan.
Another wave of significant trades occurred Wednesday. Jimmy Butler finally found a new home after the Miami Heat executed a complicated four-team trade that sent Butler to the Golden State Warriors and Andrew Wiggins to the Heat. The Milwaukee Bucks traded guard Khris Middleton to the Washington Wizards in exchange for a package revolving around forward Kyle Kuzma. The New Orleans Pelicans dealt Brandon Ingram to the Toronto Raptors and the Lakers traded for Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams.
Then came Thursday, when a final flurry of deals were made in the nick of time and Kevin Durant remained top of mind for many NBA teams trying to land a star. Some contenders were able to add to their rotations for the stretch run and other bottom dwellers shifted around contracts for draft assets.
There was a lot to unpack and USA TODAY Sports kept track of it all here:
KYRIE IRVING ON LUKA DONCIC TRADE: 'It's still a grieving process right now'
Kevin Durant will remain with the Suns
As the deadline passed, Shams Charania announced on ESPN that Kevin Durant was not expected to be moved. For the moment, the other momentous trades the NBA supplied this week will have to do.
Former Golden State General Manager and current ESPN NBA analyst Bob Myers said on air that the Memphis Grizzlies attempted to complete a trade with the Phoenix Suns involving Durant but that Durant turned the Grizzlies down.
Last minute deals: Marcus Smart on the move
A final salvo took place before the deadline passed.
The Memphis Grizzlies are trading Marcus Smart and a 2025 first-round pick to the Washington Wizards in a multi-team trade that sends two second-round picks to Memphis, sources tell ESPN. Memphis creates roster flexibility with the move. pic.twitter.com/HoyqkvNLke
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 6, 2025
The Los Angeles Clippers are trading Kevin Porter Jr. to the Milwaukee Bucks for MarJon Beauchamp, sources tell ESPN.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 6, 2025
The Los Angeles Clippers are trading Terance Mann and Bones Hyland to the Atlanta Hawks for Bogdan Bogdanovic and three second-round picks, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/jffPjDYiVm
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 6, 2025
The Atlanta Hawks are trading forward De'Andre Hunter to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, three second-round picks and two swaps, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/5fpE4LJzpK
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 6, 2025
The Phoenix Suns are trading Jusuf Nurkic and a 2026 first-round pick to the Charlotte Hornets for Cody Martin, Vasilije Micic and a 2026 second-round pick, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/epRJty7lid
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 6, 2025
NBA teams 'making aggressive calls on Kevin Durant'
ESPN's Shams Charania reports Thursday that multiple teams are now in pursuit of Kevin Durant after the Phoenix Suns made him available in their recent attempt to trade for Jimmy Butler. Durant, according to Charania, has not requested a trade at this point and has found his name surfacing in talks at the trade deadline to be "somewhat blindsiding."
ESPN front office expert Bobby Marks suggested the Houston Rockets as a potential destination for Durant, but colleague Brian Windhorst noted the Rockets have sent signals they plan to stand pat with their young nucleus.
Kevin Durant turned down Golden State Warriors reunion
Th behind-the-scenes maneuvering that preceded and eventually facilitated the trade of Butler from the Heat to the Warriors on Wednesday is beginning to trickle out. As had been hinted in recent days, conversations surrounding Butler and Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant became interconnected once it became clear Suns guard Bradley Beal was not going to waive his no-trade clause. And Steph Curry even got involved.
ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported on "Get Up" Thursday morning that "this was close to being Jimmy Butler in Phoenix, Kevin Durant in Golden State." But Durant, according to Windhorst, "stepped up and made it known he did not want a reunion and once that deal fell apart, Golden State pivoted."
"This was close to being Jimmy Butler in Phoenix and Kevin Durant in Golden State." 😯
—@WindhorstESPN on Jimmy Butler being traded to Golden State pic.twitter.com/wOXJcSuJBA— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) February 6, 2025
The Warriors then got Butler from Miami in a four-team trade that also included the Detroit Pistons and Utah Jazz. Butler also signed a 2-year, $121-million contract extension with the Warriors as part of the deal. But this was never straightforward, not once Butler made his trade request with the Heat and Pat Riley and not towards the end when the Warriors tried to get Durant.
The Athletic's Anthony Slater led his analysis piece about Butler's addition to Golden State with this fascinating nugget:"At some point in the last several days, Stephen Curry had a conversation with Kevin Durant that convinced him a reunion was extremely unlikely, no matter how much the Golden State Warriors ownership group and front office collectively 'underestimated' Durant’s coldness toward a return, as one team source put it."
Golden State Warriors, Chicago Bulls discussing Nikola Vucevic
The Warriors might not be done adding to their roster after the Butler trade.
Though Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic told reporters after Wednesday's 127-108 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves that he didn't expect much to happen ahead of the trade deadline, reports Thursday suggest otherwise. Longtime Bulls insider K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network reports trade discussions surrounding Vucevic between the Bulls and Warriors are ongoing.
Memphis Grizzlies are talking to teams about Marcus Smart
NBA insider Ian Begley at SNY reports several teams have spoken with the Memphis Grizzlies about a trade involving guard Marcus Smart. Memphis was also mentioned as a potential suitor for guard Lonzo Ball before he signed a two-year contract extension with the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday.
Smart returned Wednesday from a finger injury that had sidelined him for more than a month. He's averaging 8.7 points and 3.7 assists per game while shooting 35.8% from the field in a bench role for Memphis. The 30-year-old has played in just 39 of 133 games since joining the Grizzlies via trade in June 2023 due to a variety of ailments. Smart has one year left on his contract after this season with a salary cap hit of more than $21.5 million.
Atlanta Hawks could trade De'Andre Hunter
A name to watch the next few hours is Hawks wing De'Andre Hunter, according to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated, with the Cleveland Cavaliers emerging as a potential front-runner to get him.
Hunter has emerged as a Sixth Man of the Year candidate coming off the bench for the Hawks. He's averaging a career-best 19.0 points and shooting 39.3% from 3-point range. The 6-8 forward has two years left on his contract after this season with salary cap hits of $23.3 million and $24.9 million.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA trade deadline rumors: Latest news on Kevin Durant, Nikola Vucevic