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NBA trade rumors: Lakers-Cavs discuss swap, Raptors after All-Star center

NBA trade rumors: Lakers-Cavs discuss swap, Raptors after All-Star center

The NBA trade deadline is approaching on Thursday. Feb. 5, and teams around the league are lining up for moves with a wide open championship picture. The Oklahoma City Thunder are only 14-10 after their 24-1 start, and have hardly looked like an unbeatable favorite over the last two months. With Aaron Gordon’s constant leg injuries plaguing fellow favorite Denver, the other contenders in the West are starting to think they have a real chance. The East has been wide open from the start, and that’s especially the case now with rumors that Jayson Tatum won’t return this season for the Boston Celtics as he recovers from a torn Achilles.

NBA parity is fully here, and that should mean an active trade deadline. The list of players who could be on the move is headlined by Giannis Antetokounmpo, and four favorites have emerged to land the Bucks superstar.

SB Nation will be covering the NBA trade deadline from every angle through its completion. Here’s the latest rumors to know.

Lakers, Cavs discussing De’Andre Hunter for Rui Hachimura trade

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers are discussing a deal that would send De’Andre Hunter to LA for Rui Hachimura and Dalton Knecht to Cleveland, according to Cavs reported Chris Fedor. The Lakers want to try different wings around Luka Doncic, and Hachimura is in line for a new deal next season which will possibly necessitate a raise from the $18 million salary he’s making this year.

Hachimura has shot the lights out for the Lakers by making 43.3 percent of his three-pointers on 4.2 attempts per game. Hunter has been far less effective as a shooter at 31 percent from three, and his on/off numbers are even more damning. The Cavs play opponents even with Hunter on the floor this year, but the team has a +10 net-rating when he’s on the bench. There’s some noise to that number, but it’s still concerning.

Hunter makes $24.9 million next year in the final season of his deal. I don’t get this one for LA.

The Raptors looking at Domantas Sabonis trade

The Toronto Raptors are a factor in the Eastern Conference at 29-20 entering the weekend. Toronto has an obvious hole in the middle with Jakob Poeltl’s lingering back injuries, and they’re potentially targeting the most accomplished center on the market.

Domantas Sabonis intrigues the Raptors, according to Doug Smith of the Toronto Star. The report notes that Raptors do not want to lose their depth in the deal, but it’s hard to imagine any team taking Poeltl back without significant draft compensation.

Sabonis doesn’t provide much rim protection on defense or spacing on offense, but he’s an elite rebounder, a wonderful passer, and a bruising interior scorer. The Raptors can talk themselves into an Eastern Conference title run with an upgrade at center, and the Kings have no use for Sabonis as they stare down another full rebuild. This one feels like it could happen.

Everyone wants Keon Ellis

The Kings haven’t played Keon Ellis much this season, but the rest of the NBA is reportedly intrigued by his connective skill set and tough defense on the wing. The Cleveland Cavaliers have joined a long list of teams interested in Ellis, according to Jake Fischer and Marc Stein.

Stein reported earlier this week that 14 teams have called the Kings on Ellis, including the Lakers. Ellis’ small expiring contract makes him a low-risk addition. Can the Kings land a first-round pick for him? I’d be surprised, but it’s not impossible with this many interested teams.

Could the Nets make a huge Giannis offer?

The Brooklyn Nets are one of the worst teams in the NBA, but they have tons of cap space this summer to go along with a bundle of draft picks, largely from the Mikal Bridges trade. If Giannis wants to be in New York, the Nets could make a big offer.

I’ll believe this one when I see it. I don’t think Brooklyn in anywhere close in their rebuild to having an East contender even with Giannis.

The Thunder are looking for center help

The Thunder have a $28.5 million team option on Isaiah Hartenstein next season. Hartenstein is really good as a defender, rebounder, and passer, but he’s battled injuries this year and the Thunder’s cap sheet is starting to get expensive with Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren’s extensions kicking in next season.

The Thunder are reportedly after center help, according to ESPN insider Brian Windhorst. Does that mean they might turn down Hartenstein’s option? If so, he immediately becomes one of the top 2026 free agents.

OKC has three first-round picks in the 2026 draft — check out our latest NBA mock draft here. The Thunder used a first-round pick on Georgetown center Thomas Sorber last year, but he suffered a season-ending injury before playing a game. OKC could potentially package Hartenstein and a first to the Clippers for Ivica Zubac, but that’s just speculation.

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When I arrived to cover the Minnesota Vikings for the St. Paul Pioneer Press in 2000, it was clear I was dealing with a star-studded roster.

The team boasted future Pro Football Hall of Famers; wide receivers Cris Carter and Randy Moss and defensive tackle John Randle. Plus, there were a ton of other stars including quarterback Daunte Culpepper, center Matt Birk and running back Robert Smith. The Vikings were loaded with star power.

The talent around the team wasn’t relegated simply to the roster, however.

That summer I first laid my eyes on a 16-year-old high school junior named Larry Fitzgerald Jr. The son of a local media member and close friend of Vikings’ head coach Dennis Green, Little Fitzy was a ball boy during training camp and on game days. It turns out, Larry Fitzgerald Jr. is very likely the most famous former NFL ball boy in history.

On reporting date, fellow reporter Kevin Seifert pointed out Fitzgerald to me and said “that’s a bad man.” Seifert didn’t say that about any of the actual Vikings that day.

Fitzgerald was already known as the best Minnesota high school prospect in years and he was considered one of the best high school players in the country. Seifert told me the buzz was that the kid was, no doubt, headed to the NFL in a half decade or so. Seifert was on the money. I’m not sure the Hall of Fame was mentioned or not.

But this weekend of course, that’s exactly where Little Fitzy is headed. He will be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, on Saturday as a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Fitzgerald will be remembered as one of the best and most productive wide receivers in league history after an incredible 17-season career with the Arizona Cardinals.

I have a ton of memories of being around Fitzgerald, but there’s one that stands out among them all.

One day after training camp, a nameless Vikings’ wide receiver camp body was getting extra work on a JUGS machine, catching balls. He was being tutored by Fitzgerald, who was showing this player how to properly approach the incoming ball. This was a child instructing a grown man an NFL team deemed good enough to attend training camp.

Larry Fitzgerald Jr. was special even back then.

In addition to his incredible natural football ability, Larry Fitzgerald Jr. stood out for his politeness and good nature. You could tell he was a good kid from the first time you met him.

There was no I’m-going-to-be-a-star attitude. He was genuine and he worked his tail off with the rest of the ball boys. There was no entitlement. It was as if he was using his time around an NFL camp as an internship for his future. He passed with flying colors.

I’ve always cherished following his career from his days at Pittsburgh in college to his days of dominating the NFL and I’ve enjoyed running into him over the years now and again.

Enjoy Canton, Little Fitzy, you’ve earned it.

#Larry #Fitzgeralds #Hall #Fame #induction #years #making">Larry Fitzgerald’s Hall of Fame induction is 25 years in the making  When I arrived to cover the Minnesota Vikings for the St. Paul Pioneer Press in 2000, it was clear I was dealing with a star-studded roster.The team boasted future Pro Football Hall of Famers; wide receivers Cris Carter and Randy Moss and defensive tackle John Randle. Plus, there were a ton of other stars including quarterback Daunte Culpepper, center Matt Birk and running back Robert Smith. The Vikings were loaded with star power.The talent around the team wasn’t relegated simply to the roster, however.That summer I first laid my eyes on a 16-year-old high school junior named Larry Fitzgerald Jr. The son of a local media member and close friend of Vikings’ head coach Dennis Green, Little Fitzy was a ball boy during training camp and on game days. It turns out, Larry Fitzgerald Jr. is very likely the most famous former NFL ball boy in history.On reporting date, fellow reporter Kevin Seifert pointed out Fitzgerald to me and said “that’s a bad man.” Seifert didn’t say that about any of the actual Vikings that day.Fitzgerald was already known as the best Minnesota high school prospect in years and he was considered one of the best high school players in the country. Seifert told me the buzz was that the kid was, no doubt, headed to the NFL in a half decade or so. Seifert was on the money. I’m not sure the Hall of Fame was mentioned or not.But this weekend of course, that’s exactly where Little Fitzy is headed. He will be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, on Saturday as a first-ballot Hall of Famer.Fitzgerald will be remembered as one of the best and most productive wide receivers in league history after an incredible 17-season career with the Arizona Cardinals.I have a ton of memories of being around Fitzgerald, but there’s one that stands out among them all.One day after training camp, a nameless Vikings’ wide receiver camp body was getting extra work on a JUGS machine, catching balls. He was being tutored by Fitzgerald, who was showing this player how to properly approach the incoming ball. This was a child instructing a grown man an NFL team deemed good enough to attend training camp.Larry Fitzgerald Jr. was special even back then.In addition to his incredible natural football ability, Larry Fitzgerald Jr. stood out for his politeness and good nature. You could tell he was a good kid from the first time you met him.There was no I’m-going-to-be-a-star attitude. He was genuine and he worked his tail off with the rest of the ball boys. There was no entitlement. It was as if he was using his time around an NFL camp as an internship for his future. He passed with flying colors.I’ve always cherished following his career from his days at Pittsburgh in college to his days of dominating the NFL and I’ve enjoyed running into him over the years now and again.Enjoy Canton, Little Fitzy, you’ve earned it.  #Larry #Fitzgeralds #Hall #Fame #induction #years #making

Follow Sportstar for extensive coverage of the tenth edition of the TNPL, from live scores and match reports to exclusive analysis and features.

TOSS

Tiruppur Tamizhans won the toss and chose to bowl first.

PLAYING XIs

Nellai Royal Kings: Athish SR(w), D Santhosh Kumar, Ajitesh Guruswamy, U Mukilesh, Rithik Easwaran, Sonu Yadav(c), Muhammed Adnan Khan, Ramalingam Rohit, Emmanuel Cherian, NS Harish, Rocky Bhasker

Tiruppur Tamizhans: Tushar Raheja(w), Amit Sathvik, Pradosh Ranjan Paul, Mohamed Ali, Uthirasamy Sasidev, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore(c), M Mathivannan, S Mohan Prasath, R Silambarasan, Esakkimuthu A, T Natarajan

Published on Aug 09, 2026

#TNPL #Live #Allround #batting #display #propels #Nellai #Royal #Kings">TNPL 2026 Live: All-round batting display propels Nellai Royal Kings to 206/8  Follow Sportstar for extensive coverage of the tenth edition of the TNPL, from live scores and match reports to exclusive analysis and features.TOSSTiruppur Tamizhans won the toss and chose to bowl first.PLAYING XIsNellai Royal Kings: Athish SR(w), D Santhosh Kumar, Ajitesh Guruswamy, U Mukilesh, Rithik Easwaran, Sonu Yadav(c), Muhammed Adnan Khan, Ramalingam Rohit, Emmanuel Cherian, NS Harish, Rocky BhaskerTiruppur Tamizhans: Tushar Raheja(w), Amit Sathvik, Pradosh Ranjan Paul, Mohamed Ali, Uthirasamy Sasidev, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore(c), M Mathivannan, S Mohan Prasath, R Silambarasan, Esakkimuthu A, T NatarajanPublished on Aug 09, 2026  #TNPL #Live #Allround #batting #display #propels #Nellai #Royal #Kings

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