Breaking News: Looks like the MVP race won’t be as tough as we thought, huh? As of February 26, 2026, Nikola Jokić can only spare to miss one (yes, you read that correctly, ONE) more game to still be eligible for the award. The next frontrunner, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, can only miss eight more games and still be eligible for the award, all the while being injured indefinitely as of February. So, who will get the MVP now? Giannis? Jalen Brown? Cunningham? My king VICTOR WEMBENYAMA?

Clippers: 

IT’S ABOUT TIME! The Los Angeles Clippers, a franchise notorious for its mediocracy, has finally accepted the failure of its attempt at a “Big Three” and has traded away James Harden and Ivica Zubac to the Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers, respectively. In return, the Clips have received Darius Garland plus a second round pick from the Cavs and Benedict Mathurin plus two firsts and a second from Indiana. Personally, I love this trade for the Clippers, as it gives them two first round picks to help aid their rebuild while also freeing up cap-space, allowing for more efficient trades in the future. On the other hand, the Clippers entering their #wesucknow era almost guarantees the Thunder a TOP PICK in the 2026 draft, which is something that the NBA DOES NOT need at this moment.

Celtics: 

The unexpected second seed made a surprisingly beneficial trade on the day of the deadline, sending out Anfronee Simons and a second for Nikola Vučević. This trade is expected to fill in the Celtic’s lacking center position, mainly due to them trading out both Kristaps Portzingis and Al Horford when chances for championship contention flew down the drain. Now, with a Tatum return imminent and the second seed more or less secured, the Celtics have made the right decision trading for this versatile shooting big.

Wizards:

In what marks to be one of the largest trades of this trade deadline, the Washington Wizards traded for Anthony Davis by sending out AJ Johnson, Khris Middleton, other role-players, two firsts, and three seconds to the Dallas Mavericks. Additionally, DC acquired D’Angello Russell in the trade. Prior to this trade, the Wizards had also traded for Trae Young for Corey Kispert and CJ McCullum. In general, this deadline has set up the Wizards with two knowledgeable veterans who can help integrate their young core, which, if executed well, could set up the Wizards for a high seed in the upcoming seasons.

OKC:

While this trade went under the radar for most NBA fans, I was completely shocked to see how hard the Sixers got FLEECED when they sent out Jared McCain for one first and three seconds. For what is essentially a half-eaten McChicken and a bag of chips, the Thunder got a reliable second-year player who will bring much-needed support for their scoring now that both SGA and J-Dub are injured. I don’t know if I can “trust the Process” this time, Philly.

Warriors:

Man, this front office really can’t get ANY help for Steph Curry, huh? I mean, are we serious? An injury-prone Kristaps Porziņģis was acquired by the Warriors from the Hawks in exchange for Buddy Hield and Jonathan Kuminga. For reference, Porziņģis only played 17 out of 59 games in the Hawks uniform before getting traded. In contrast, both Hield and Kuminga are reliable role-players, with Kuminga just dropping 27 points in his Hawks debut. COME ON, Golden State, are we really wasting the end of PRIME CURRY?

Jazz: 

The Jazz have been tanking for too long if trading a former DPOY goes RIGHT UNDER the noses of half of NBA fans. In exchange for Jaren Jackson Jr, Utah sent out Walton Clayton Jr, role-players, and three first to the 11th seeded Grizzlies. You know the Ja Morant situation in Memphis is bad when NO TEAMS want him, forcing Memphis to send out its only productive player to regain even a semblance of a future. As for the Jazz, this trade doesn’t really matter, not if they continue sitting out their stars in the fourth quarter.

Conclusion: 

Looking back on it, this was one of the most packed trade deadlines in recent memory. I remember walking from class to class and getting notifications, texts, or even real-life conversations about who got traded. Believe it or not, what I have written is only the MAJOR trades and does not include the free-agent signings that followed. Hopefully, each of these players will find their new teams as welcoming as possible to prepare them for the offseason, especially with the playoffs right around the corner.