The NBA commerce deadline delivered chaos, star energy and various “wait… what?” moments.
Main offers involving James Harden, Anthony Davis and Jaren Jackson Jr. grabbed headlines, however not each transfer impressed confidence. Actually, some left followers, executives and others scratching their heads.
Listed below are the 5 most head-scratching strikes from the 2026 NBA commerce deadline:
Lakers’ continued employment of Rob Pelinka
Pelinka wasted one other 12 months of Luka Doncic’s prime and LeBron James’ profession. The Lakers aren’t removed from rivalry — one athletic wing may make a large distinction. As a substitute, Pelinka settled for a cope with Atlanta for sharpshooter Luke Kennard, a pleasant offensive piece who will get performed off the court docket within the postseason due to his poor protection.
Doncic, James and Austin Reaves kind a core that might win a title. It’s best to by no means punt on a season with these three and will at all times be all-in. The Lakers had property, particularly Rui Hachimura, whose contract expires after the season, and a future first-round pick. Why not trade them for a player like Minnesota’s Ayo Dosunmu or New Orleans’ Herb Jones?
This “wait until summer” nonsense worked with Lakers governor Jeanie Buss, but new owner and chairman Mark Walter should see through it and fire Pelinka.
Two-faced approach by Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo
At season’s end last year, Giannis had one of the highest approval ratings in sports. Now he’s the most annoying superstar in basketball. Instead of demanding a trade from Milwaukee, he has spent the season talking out of both sides of his mouth.
His camp has voiced displeasure to ESPN’s Shams Charania concerning the Bucks’ roster. However when Giannis will get a microphone, he is afraid to request a commerce outright and as a substitute talks in circles about his legacy.
Simply demand the commerce! By not demanding a commerce, he is losing one other 12 months of his prime on the sofa come playoff time.
Incapacity of Bulls to amass a first-round choose
The Bulls are allergic to first-round picks.
This is the insane half: In recent times, the Bulls have traded Lonzo Ball, DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Alex Caruso, Coby White, Nikola Vucevic and Ayo Dosunmu — all good gamers and all former first-round picks besides Caruso — with out receiving a single first-round choose in return.
Promote the group! Hearth everybody!
Continued incompetence of Kings
In the event you had a greenback for each time somebody uttered “what are the Kings doing?” throughout Sacramento majority proprietor and chairman Vivek Ranadive’s tenure, you would be rich sufficient to purchase the group. Not that way back, this franchise had two elite level guards — Tyrese Haliburton and De’Aaron Fox. At present, they’ve a washed-up Russell Westbrook, the league’s worst report (12-40 by means of Thursday) and nil fascinating younger gamers.
This week, the Kings didn’t commerce Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Malik Monk, though at the least a kind of guys may’ve fetched one thing of worth in return.
The Kings made one commerce, dealing Keon Ellis and Dennis Schröder to Cleveland for De’Andre Hunter. Ellis had extra worth than Hunter, whose costly contract makes the Kings a taxpayer group. Why not get draft capital for Ellis?
NBA commissioner Adam Silver could must step in quickly — we will not have one of many 2026 draft class celebrity prospects go to this group.
Pelicans’ choice that everybody is untouchable
Final summer time, the Pelicans traded an unprotected 2026 first-round choose to Atlanta to maneuver from No. 22 to No. 13 within the 2025 NBA Draft, touchdown Derik Queen. However failing so as to add any protections to that choose once they seemingly would not make the playoffs this season was poor asset administration.
At this deadline, the Pelicans did a 180 and determined everybody was untouchable. Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones, Zion Williamson, Yves Missi and Saddiq Bey are good gamers, however the Pelicans have the second-worst report (13-40) and are not near the playoffs.
As soon as once more, that is horrendous asset administration. In a wing-hungry league, any of those gamers may fetch severe draft capital and assist offset the top-five choose heading to Atlanta. Murphy would’ve yielded a number of first-rounders; Jones, Missi — and probably Williamson — would’ve landed at the least one first-rounder and/or younger prospect; and each playoff group would take Bey as a bench contributor for one thing of worth.
What are the Pelicans considering?
