The 2025 National Basketball Association (NBA) trade deadline was one to remember for sure because a lot of surprising trades happened this year.
According to ESPN Fan Support, the trade deadline setting determines if the League uses a stopping point for trading players between teams. This option is offered to prevent teams from sandbagging their team at the end of the season by trading blue-chip players for average players. Trades such as Kyle Kuzma to the Bucks, Khris Middelton to the Wizards, and Jimmy Butler to the Warriors were some trades that were pretty shocking to me and the basketball world.
A big 3 team trade which happened before the trade involved De’Aaron Fox, Zach Lavine, and a few more key pieces. The trade sent Fox and Jordan Mclaughlin to the San Antonio Spurs, the Sacramento Kings get Zach Lavine, Sidy Cissoko, a 2025 first round pick (via Hornets), a 2027 first round pick (via Spurs), a 2031 first round pick (via Timberwolves), a 2025 second round pick (via Bulls), a 2028 second round pick (via Nuggets), and a 2028 second round pick (via Bulls). So, for the Spurs, Fox’s addition is huge in my opinion. The reigning Kia Rookie of the Year, Wembanyama is just continuing to climb toward superstardom. He made his first All-Star Game this month, is in the running for Kia Defensive Player of the Year and is likely to receive Kia MVP votes as well in which I have no problem with.
The Spurs also get to keep Chris Paul, a veteran presence on the court, while the Kings and Bulls get solid players and picks for the foreseeable future. But there was one trade that has been said to be the biggest trade in NBA history that changes everything for both teams. This is a very rare occasion where two future Hall of Famers that were looked at as franchise players of their respected teams were traded. That blockbuster trade was between Luka Doncic and Anthony Davis which I still can’t believe.
According to NBA.com, the Los Angeles Lakers canceled their deal to get Mark Williams from Charlotte because the center didn’t pass his physical, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the Lakers did not intend to publicly announce their reason for scrapping the deal. The Lakers had agreed to acquire the 23-year-old Williams, a third-year pro and former first-round draft pick, from Utah, trading rookie Dalton Knecht and Cam Reddish, with draft considerations. I wholeheartedly believe that Los Angeles needs an upgrade at center after Anthony Davis was dealt along with Max Christie to Dallas for superstar Luka Doncic. Charlotte was also slated to receive the Lakers’ first-round pick in 2031, and a first-round pick swap in 2030. Instead, the Lakers made the extreme decision to stop the trade after finding out more about Williams, who has a long injury past. He has appeared in only 84 of a possible 212 NBA games over three seasons, with back problems and other ailments limiting his participation.
