Impact of Cavs-Kings trade, how tax teams are navigating deals

Everyone had been waiting for the next trade to happen ever since Trae Young was dealt from the Atlanta Hawks to the Washington Wizards on Jan. 7, and we finally got some action late Saturday night for those on the East Coast. De’Andre Hunter, whom the Cleveland Cavaliers acquired at the trade deadline last season from the Hawks, was traded to the Sacramento Kings for Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder.

The Chicago Bulls were also included in this trade, receiving Dario Saric and two second-round picks: Denver’s 2027 second-round pick from the Cavs and New York’s 2030 second-round pick from the Kings. Jevon Carter was waived by the Bulls to make room for Saric, and they also traded two-way player Emanuel Miller to the Cavs as part of the deal.

Before this trade was even made, the Cavaliers were discussing different scenarios to move Hunter with the Kings and a couple of other teams. Both the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers held trade dialogue with the Cavs in the week leading up to Saturday’s trade involving Hunter and the Kings, sources said.

The Lakers had been going back and forth on a package that would’ve involved Rui Hachimura and Dalton Knecht being traded for Hunter. The idea of including at least one other team had come up in discussions between the Cavs and Lakers, with the Brooklyn Nets being mentioned by league sources as a team willing to take on salary for draft picks.

Although the Lakers did hold a level of interest in Hunter’s skills as a 3-and-D wing, the idea of flipping Hachimura and Knecht for him without receiving any additional assets or draft compensation for the final year of Hunter’s contract was viewed as a negative. This resulted in Los Angeles taking a step back in discussions with Cleveland.

The Bucks were another team to express direct interest in trading for Hunter before the trade deadline, making both Kyle Kuzma and Bobby Portis available for Cleveland. These trade discussions were also confirmed by Cavs reporter Chris Fedor on Friday, as Cleveland turned down the Bucks’ offer involving Portis.

As the Bucks continue to look for ways to improve their roster before the trade deadline, Portis has continued to be brought up in trade dialogue, sources said. The Charlotte Hornets are one of a few teams with interest in Portis, and the Bucks hold interest in Miles Bridges.

Such a trade involving Bridges is unlikely to happen now that the Hornets are playing their best basketball of the season, but the Bucks can offer their 2031 first-round pick as an incentive in a deal to acquire him. Perhaps this is something Milwaukee will revisit now that Hunter is off the board.

Impact of Cavs-Kings trade

By trading Hunter to the Kings, the Cavaliers saved themselves nearly $7 million in salary and about $40 million in luxury taxes alone. Cleveland also added much-needed guard depth next to Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland in the form of Schroder, plus a young 3-and-D swingman in Ellis, whom they were targeting for weeks.

Ellis was at the top of the Cavs’ trade list this season, like so many other playoff contenders, and with the Kings signaling that they would take up other avenues to trade him, Cleveland decided to execute this trade with Hunter on Saturday night. As of Feb. 9, Ellis will be eligible for a three-year, $52 million extension with the Cavs.

After trading Hunter, the Cavaliers are not done making moves.

Executive Koby Altman and this front office remain aggressive in trade talks around the league, with Lonzo Ball being a focal point of discussions, sources said. Ball has not produced at the level the Cavs had hoped when they traded Isaac Okoro for him in the offseason, and now the former second overall pick is viewed as a salary dump before the trade deadline.

Along with attempting to trade Ball, the latest intel surrounding the Cavs relates to 3-point specialist Max Strus, who has yet to play this season after undergoing surgery in August to repair a Jones fracture in his left foot. Strus has become a focal point in talks surrounding the Cavs in the aftermath of Saturday’s trade, as the team has been discussing the idea of trading him with a few teams before Thursday, sources said.

It is clear that Cleveland wants to move out of the second apron and have flexibility to make significant roster changes in the summer. Maybe Altman and the Cavs are gearing up to make a run at Giannis should he remain on the Bucks’ roster past the deadline.

Strus’ days with the Cavs appear to be numbered after the team acquired Ellis and Schroder, and if he isn’t dealt before Thursday’s deadline, he will be a prime trade candidate in the offseason, entering the final year of his contract.

On the flip side of the Hunter trade, the Kings pinpointed him as a key player to add next to Keegan Murray moving forward. League sources say Hunter’s length on the wing and ability to impact both sides of the court is something that was appealing to the Kings’ front office.

While it’s technically a possibility for him to be traded again before the deadline, Sacramento has firmly signaled that he will be utilized right away and be a key asset on the roster. Instead, the Kings will continue to talk with teams about Malik Monk, DeMar DeRozan, and Domantas Sabonis, attempting to create any type of market for these three players.

A trade involving Sabonis, as well as DeRozan, appears unlikely to happen before the trade deadline. However, never say never, especially with the Toronto Raptors still sniffing around Sabonis (more on this later). Opportunity could still present itself for the Kings to help facilitate other trades around the league that are made over the next three days, especially with Monk’s middle-tier contract. As reported last week, the Minnesota Timberwolves have expressed exploratory interest in Monk.

Following their recent trade to acquire Hunter at the cost of three players, the Kings currently have 13 players under contract and are $1.9 million away from the luxury tax threshold. More moves are coming in Sacramento, including Dylan Caldwell eventually having his two-way contract converted to a standard deal.

Besides the Kings, the trade market as a whole will feature a lot of teams being very cautious with their finances, as close to a fifth of the organizations in the NBA are attempting to dodge tax penalties this year.

Tax teams actively pursuing trades

Giannis Antetokounmpo is the ultimate domino at this year’s trade deadline. Once a clear decision is made by the Bucks, several other trade talks will be finalized, and many revolve around teams currently above the luxury tax or hovering around the threshold.

Key decisions on other star players, including the likes of Ja Morant, Anthony Davis, and Domantas Sabonis, are also held up by the Giannis situation. Whether or not one of these stars is traded is certainly dependent on Antetokounmpo’s status.

One prime example of this is the Heat holding onto their assets for Giannis and not willing to offer much for Morant at this juncture. It is feasible to believe that this mindset would change if Antetokounmpo were traded to a different team in the coming days, as the Heat hold interest in Morant’s talents.

Are Hawks still pursuing Anthony Davis? 

Davis and his situation with the Dallas Mavericks are a little different since he is currently sidelined with a hand injury and won’t be ready to return until the end of February at the very earliest. His market has dried out immensely, sources said. Although the Atlanta Hawks still hold a level of interest in Davis, it is from the perspective of a buy-low situation.

The framework of a deal revolving around the expiring salaries of Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kennard, as well as a draft pick many around the league believe to be their middle 2026 first, seems to be the highest Atlanta would go for Davis. Of course, that is unless the Hawks’ position on Zaccharie Risacher changes, which is unlikely.

Atlanta’s trade of Vit Krejci to the Portland Trail Blazers for Duop Reath and second-round picks on Sunday morning raised eyebrows around the league, especially since Krejci had been playing well and was on a minimum-like salary. Either Reath or N’Faly Dante will be waived by the Hawks, but this small trade could very well lead into a bigger move to come for this franchise before Thursday.

Porzingis is a name that keeps coming up as the likeliest player to be moved out of Atlanta this season, with his $30.7 million expiring salary. Unfortunately for the Hawks, Porzingis’ health has resulted in him being a non-factor this year, which is why GM Onsi Saleh and his front office have been searching the market for frontcourt upgrades next to Onyeka Okongwu.

While Davis was the flashy name in Dallas, perhaps the Hawks could pivot to Daniel Gafford, who has drawn significant interest from teams in both conferences before the deadline. The Mavs have been receptive to trade calls for Gafford, and they are also looking to move off Klay Thompson’s $17.4 million salary for the 2026-27 season. Hypothetically speaking, Atlanta could acquire Gafford and Thompson while remaining below the tax.

Going away from Davis and possibly pursuing Sabonis is another option the Hawks could consider, especially since the Kings are looking to make more moves and find any sort of value for the three-time All-Star big man.

Will Raptors swing big? 

This leads us to our next team, the Toronto Raptors, who have also been linked to both Davis and Sabonis.

The Raptors no longer have interest in emptying their roster for Davis, sources said. However, Sabonis’ name keeps coming up in conjunction with Toronto around the league. Throughout this year’s trade cycle, the Raptors keep coming up as a team in the mix to make a big splash, much like they did last season when they traded for Brandon Ingram.

Jakob Poeltl’s ongoing back problems have led Toronto to consider the possibility of adding a star big man, which is why they’ve discussed the scenarios of pursuing Davis and Sabonis. Going out and trading for Sabonis would be a lot easier, especially since the Kings do hold interest in RJ Barrett, whom Scott Perry drafted when he was the GM of the New York Knicks.

League sources have indicated that these two teams have discussed the framework of a trade that would involve at least Barrett, Poeltl, and first-round draft compensation, but the Raptors will not include rookie Collin Murray-Boyles, whom the Kings have inquired about.

It is unknown at this time whether the Kings would even want Poeltl or if there are more teams being discussed behind the scenes.

At this very moment, it’s more likely that Sabonis remains with the Kings than is traded before Thursday, but anything can change, especially based on what transpires in Milwaukee. Saturday’s trade involving Keon Ellis also impacts these discussions between Toronto and Sacramento, as the Raptors were one of the teams interested in him.

Other than pursuing a star big man, the Raptors have also been exploring the possibility of dipping below the tax by trading Ochai Agbaji for a low-salary frontcourt talent. Yves Missi and Goga Bitadze are two names league sources have linked Toronto to leading up to the deadline. A package of Agbaji and an unprotected first would likely be accepted by the New Orleans Pelicans for Missi. Many teams have been offering multiple second-round picks for the Pelicans’ big man.

The problem with Bitadze is that the Raptors would need to trade another salary to acquire him and move below the tax, as they are about $950K above that mark.

Other NBA trade deadline intel around league

Speaking of Bitadze, he is one of three players, along with Jonathan Isaac and Tyus Jones, that the Orlando Magic have made available before the deadline as they too explore ways to dodge the tax, sources said. It is possible that the Magic, who are $5.5 million above the luxury tax line, could operate as big buyers, combining Isaac’s contract ($15 million) with one of the other to add a rental-like player on an expiring contract to make a real push in the East.

Bitadze has drawn the most interest around the league with teams wanting to add frontcourt depth before the trade deadline. One of those teams, sitting at $5.6 million under the tax line, is the San Antonio Spurs, league sources said. As previously reported on ClutchPoints, the Spurs held trade dialogue with the Knicks regarding French forward Guerschon Yabusele and Jeremy Sochan, though league sources say San Antonio doesn’t want to take on Yabu’s contract for next season.

Sochan is certainly available before the trade deadline, and there has been talk of the Spurs potentially combining his salary with that of Kelly Olynyk’s to have a $20 million salary buffer to work with in trade talks. In addition to continuing to make calls about Nick Richards, the Phoenix Suns are a team that has shown interest in Sochan, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

At the same time, the Suns are currently $255K above the tax line, and acquiring Sochan would push them further into the tax. Phoenix will need to be creative to move out of the tax and possibly add an impactful secondary player before the deadline.

Along with Bitadze, Robert Williams III from the Portland Trail Blazers has also come up as a name in conversations about the Spurs.

After acquiring Krejci from the Hawks, the Blazers have a desire to open up roster spots for Sidy Cissoko and Caleb Love, both of whom are on two-way contracts. Portland, $1.3 million below the tax line, is another team that will be active before the trade deadline. Keep an eye on Matisse Thybulle being a buyout candidate should he remain on their roster past Thursday.

Elsewhere in the Western Conference, the Lakers are now pressed for time to find a key wing upgrade before the trade deadline, now that Keon Ellis and De’Andre Hunter are off the table. Where do the Lakers go from here with all of their expiring salaries?

Despite continued interest in Andrew Wiggins, the Heat don’t appear to have interest in anything the Lakers have offered. Naji Marshall is another player being linked to Los Angeles, among other playoff contenders, but Dallas has held a high asking price of a first-round pick for the 28-year-old wing. The Mavs don’t appear eager to trade Marshall over the likes of Gafford, Thompson, and others.

Other teams that have inquired about Marshall include the Knicks, Detroit Pistons, and Boston Celtics. Speaking of the Celtics, league sources say Brad Stevens and his front office are under no pressure to lessen their tax bill before the trade deadline. Initially, the thought going into the season was that the Celtics would save extra money by flipping Anfernee Simons.

Well, Simons has played exceptionally well in his sixth-man role, and the Celtics’ overall success has resulted in a change of thinking regarding how well they can perform come playoff time this season. With this said, Boston is still seeing what is out there regarding Simons’ contract as it pertains to finding a key frontcourt upgrade.

Gafford, Missi, Day’Ron Sharpe, and Nic Claxton are all players the Celtics have been linked to, yet Simons would not necessarily need to be included for either Missi or Sharpe. As reported with Tomer Azarly on Jan. 21, one team offered a first-round pick and a swap for LA Clippers starting center Ivica Zubac. Michael Scotto of HoopsHype confirmed this report, stating that it was the Celtics offering said picks with Simons.

That goes to show that the Celtics would still entertain the idea of flipping Simons for an impactful big man who can improve their championship odds now and for years to come.

The last two teams we will discuss facing some small tax implications are the Philadelphia 76ers and Denver Nuggets.

Paul George’s 25-game suspension for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy certainly hurts the Sixers since he is a key weapon alongside Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid, but it does present a clearer path for Philadelphia to possibly move out of the tax. As a result of George’s suspension, the 76ers receive a $5.8 million tax credit and are about $1.2 million above the tax now.

A trade involving Andre Drummond before the deadline appears likely, as the veteran center has fallen behind Adem Bona and small-ball center Dominick Barlow in the Sixers’ rotation. Drummond is making $5 million on an expiring salary and presents the clearest path to moving below the tax.

Amid Steven Adams’ season-ending injury, the Houston Rockets are a team league sources indicated have a level of interest in Drummond.

As for the Nuggets, they will be making no substantial trade deadline moves despite Peyton Watson set to become a highly coveted restricted free agent in the summer. Instead, Denver will look to move below the tax, which they are roughly $400K above right now, by making a salary dump move involving one of their recent draftees.

With Zeke Nnaji continuing to hold no market and the Nuggets not having the second-round draft assets to trade him for anything, Hunter Tyson is a name that keeps coming up when asking about Denver. In their efforts to save tax money, the Nuggets, sources said, held conversations about Tyson with the Utah Jazz.

The Nuggets have one second-round pick in 2032 at their disposal, which could be dealt with slight protections to move Tyson or another small contract and dip below the tax line this season.