The NBA trade deadline didn’t just bring surprises - it delivered shockwaves. Two of the league’s struggling franchises, the Washington Wizards and Utah Jazz, made bold moves that signaled a shift in strategy, acquiring veteran stars Anthony Davis and Jaren Jackson Jr., respectively.
For teams sitting near the bottom of the standings, these weren’t the kinds of deals anyone expected. But dig a little deeper, and there’s a method to the madness.
Both Washington and Utah are clearly looking ahead - not to the distant future, but to next season. Their willingness to sacrifice 2026 cap flexibility in order to add proven talent now says a lot about the current landscape.
For one, this summer’s free-agent class isn’t exactly stacked with franchise-altering stars. But just as important is what’s happening on the draft front.
League insiders are already buzzing about the 2026 NBA Draft class, which is widely viewed as one of the strongest in years. The 2027 and 2028 classes?
Not so much. That creates a unique window - one where it actually makes sense for rebuilding teams to pivot early and start building toward competitiveness sooner than expected.
Still, that pivot likely won’t come until after the 2026 draft. For now, the race to the bottom is still very much on.
Even with their recent trades, the Wizards and Jazz remain highly motivated to retain their top-eight protected 2026 first-round picks. That means losing - or at least not winning too much - is still the short-term priority.
And they’re not alone. Teams like the Kings, Pacers, Nets, Mavericks, Grizzlies, Bucks, and Bulls all have their own reasons to keep an eye on the lottery standings.
Whether it’s pick protections, future trade leverage, or just the chance to land a potential star in a loaded draft class, there’s real incentive to stay in the bottom tier - at least for a few more months.
And while the league has tried to curb blatant tanking - with rules that penalize teams for resting healthy players or misreporting injuries - front offices are still looking for ways to push the envelope. The stakes are just too high.
“The value of confirming a top-five pick or improving your chances at a top-two pick in this draft class is very large,” one executive told The Athletic. “Is it worth $5 million if you keep getting fined by the PPP (Player Participation Policy) and the price tag rises?
Is it worth $10 million if you’re successful? We haven’t done modeling on that, but it wouldn’t surprise me if a team has and comes to the conclusion that getting access to one of the top players in this draft is worth a certain amount in fines.”
That’s the kind of calculus teams are doing behind closed doors. And it’s not just about this season. The ripple effects of this year’s deadline are already setting the table for what could be a wild summer.
Around the league, scouts and executives are still processing what just happened - or, more accurately, what didn’t happen. According to ESPN, several lottery-bound teams were aggressive buyers, while many of the top contenders stood pat or made only minor tweaks.
One Western Conference scout summed it up: “These aprons are tough to build around.” The new salary cap constraints are forcing front offices to get more creative - and more patient.
Take the Indiana Pacers, for example. They’re walking a tightrope between two very different paths.
Their 2026 first-round pick is top-four protected, but if it falls between picks 5 and 9, it conveys to the Clippers. If it lands at 10 or later, they keep it.
So what’s the move? Tank and aim for a top-four pick?
Or push for the playoffs and hope the pick lands in the 10-30 range?
“If it was me, I would tank and get the best possible odds at the high pick,” an Eastern Conference executive said. “But if they choose to get to 10, I think they could.” According to reporting, the Clippers specifically negotiated for that 10-30 protection - they’d rather take their chances on an unprotected 2031 first-rounder than settle for a mid-lottery selection.
Meanwhile, the trades that didn’t happen may end up being just as important as the ones that did. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst hinted that several teams - including the Heat, Timberwolves, Knicks, and Cavaliers - could revisit major roster shakeups this offseason, especially if their playoff runs fall short.
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s situation could resurface as a storyline, and the Clippers are already in the early stages of what’s being described as a “controlled tear-down.” That raises questions about Kawhi Leonard’s future.
And then there’s Domantas Sabonis - reportedly floated in trade talks, but ultimately staying put. Ja Morant’s name also looms in the background.
The deadline was also marked by what John Hollinger of The Athletic called “too-late” trades. Players like Anthony Davis, Trae Young, Jonathan Kuminga, and several Bulls veterans might’ve fetched stronger returns had they been moved earlier. Instead, teams waited - and in many cases, settled for less than they might’ve gotten weeks or even months ago.
So where does that leave us? With a league in flux, and a lot of teams stuck in the middle - not quite tanking, not quite contending.
But one thing’s clear: the 2026 draft has become a gravitational force, shaping decisions across the NBA. And as teams jockey for position, both on the court and on the trade block, the next few months could get messy - and fascinating.