Every team had an objective they were trying to accomplish heading into the 2026 NBA trade deadline. Some wanted to bolster the rotation for the playoff run, others wanted to cut their luxury tax bill, and then there were teams like the Washington Wizards, Utah Jazz, and Indiana Pacers who made bold moves in an attempt to take a leap up the standings next year.
While we didn’t get a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, there were some big names and highly impactful players on the move: Anthony Davis, Trae Young, James Harden, Darius Garland, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Ivica Zubac were the headliners, and that’s only a fraction of the players who actually changed teams.
We’ve already graded every notable trade and handed out our winners and losers from the deadline. Now, let’s zoom out and take a simple look at who got better and who got worse. Given the nature of some of these deals, I’ve also included teams who improved for next year in the ‘got better’ section.
Teams that got better at the trade deadline
James Harden for Darius Garland is a true trade deadline stunner that no one would have suggested a week ago. Harden is 10 years older than the point guard he’s replacing, but he’s also more durable historically and healthier currently. The Cavs just didn’t think they could count on Garland for the playoffs with his lingering big toe injury, and apparently it was so discouraging that they thought JAMES HARDEN would be more reliable in the postseason. Harden wasn’t the Cavs’ only pickup: Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder also came over from the Kings — and not to be a hater, but losing De’Andre Hunter in that deal might be addition by subtraction. I’m fascinated to see the new-look Cavs.
The Thunder needed a shooter, and they found a young one on a cost-controlled contract in Jared McCain. McCain looked like arguably the best player in the rookie class a year ago, but multiple injuries and the arrival of V.J. Edgecombe made him expendable in Philadelphia this season. That, or Sixers owner Josh Harris just wanted to cut his tax bill. McCain has had a pretty rough season, but he’s only on the brink of his 22nd birthday, and he had a special run for a rookie last season when he was healthy. The Thunder only gave up a late first round pick to get him when they already owned two better picks in this draft. OKC has the defense to insulate him and coach him up on that end as long as his shooting is sweet enough. I like buying low on McCain with 2.5 years left on his rookie deal.
Rob Dillingham and Leonard Miller were never getting in the rotation for Minnesota. Ayo Dosunmu has been one of the best sixth men in the NBA this season during his time with the Bulls. The Wolves made a smart move to pick up Dosunmu for his playoff run as Chicago decided it didn’t want to give him a new contract in free agency. Dosunmu has a lot that Dillingham never did: more size, greater rim pressure as a driver, and a significantly better defensive reputation at the point of attack. He fits into any Wolves lineup, and gives them a decent proxy for what Nickeil Alexander-Walker was providing last year.
The Hornets took advantage of the Bulls’ fire sale by upgrading from Collin Sexton to Coby White. Sexton had a nice year for the surging Hornets after getting salary dumped by Utah over the summer, but White is a better version of the same player if he can come back healthy from the calf strain that’s been bugging him all year. The Hornets could stand to up their three-point rate, and that’s where White’s best. He’ll be a perfect sixth man behind LaMelo Ball and Kon Knueppel.
Utah’s stunning trade for Jaren Jackson Jr. caught everyone off guard. The Jazz have been tanking for years, and need to continue tanking through the end of this year with their first-round pick behind top-8 protected to OKC. Something tells me Utah will lose enough games the rest of the way to get one more shot in the lottery before they push to make the playoffs next season. Jackson Jr. is a really unique big man with sharp strengths (shooting, rim protection, face-up driving) and weaknesses (rebounding, fouling). I assume the Jazz will play a supersized front line with him next to Walker Kessler and Lauri Markkanen in the front court next year, and that’s going to be super fun to watch.
The Pacers made an incredibly bold move to fill their void at center for next year when Tyrese Haliburton returns from his torn Achilles. Ivica Zubac was my pick for Defensive Player of the Year last season, and while he hasn’t been quite as good for the Clippers this year, he’s still a monster rebounder, pick-and-roll finisher, and paint protector for a team that made Game 7 of the NBA Finals last time Haliburton was healthy. I thought the Pacers’ trade was way too risky — they’re giving up an unprotected 2029 first-rounder, plus this year’s first-round pick (protected 1-4) or a 2031 unprotected first — but it’s admirable that they’re trying to win the East again as soon as they get Hali back.
Like the Jazz and Pacers, the Wizards are included on this list because they’re now ready to make a leap next season. Raise your hand if you thought the Wizards would acquire Anthony Davis and Trae Young this season. I don’t see any hands up. Washington will immediately enter the Eastern Conference playoff picture if Davis and Young can look even remotely like their typical selves. Bake in improvement from the young core — Alex Sarr is one of the NBA’s most improved players already this season — and add another top draft pick, and the Wiz are done tanking and ready to compete.
Teams that got worse at the trade deadline
The Grizzlies traded Jaren Jackson Jr. after trading Desmond Bane over the summer, getting a huge haul of future draft picks in both deals. The only reason Ja Morant is still on the roster is apparently because no one will take him. Memphis’ plan is clear: tank for the loaded 2026 draft, rebuild around Zach Edey, Cedric Coward, and their new rookie, and get ready to remake the supporting cast before going for another playoff push in the West.
The Clippers were the hottest team in the West recently until the James Harden trade triggered a major reset. Without Harden and Zubac, the Clippers should sink the West. That’s great news for the Oklahoma City Thunder who have swap rights on their draft pick. It’s also good news for the Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, and Golden State Warriors, as there is now one less team to compete with for a West playoff spot.
It felt like Chicago was making a tank move by trading Nikola Vucevic, Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, and Kevin Huerter, but I suppose it’s possible they can remain exactly has mediocre as they’ve been with some solid vets joining the roster in Anfernee Simons, Collin Sexton, and Guerschon Yabusele, plus young guns Rob Dillingham, Leonard Miller, and Jaden Ivey. I still think Vooch did a lot for this team in terms of spacing the floor and crushing the glass, and they’re going to be worse off without him. The best case scenario for the Bulls is that they fall down the standings and increase their lottery odds. It will be impossible for Chicago to get good odds at a top pick with 24 wins already, but hey, the Hawks jumped from No. 1o to No. 1 in 2024, and the Mavs jumped from No. 11 to No. 1 in 2025. Stranger things have happened.
