Three Trades the NBA Needs to Make Before the Deadline

Jan 23, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) walks from the court following the game against the Denver Nuggets at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

The trade deadline is rapidly approaching and one of the biggest names in the NBA — in stature, not just number of letters — is a near-certainty to be swapped.

Last season, nobody knew Luka Dončić was available when the Los Angeles Lakers pulled off one of the biggest heists in NBA history from the Dallas Mavericks. But this time around, everybody knows that Giannis Antetokounmpo is unlikely to suit up again for the Milwaukee Bucks.

Antetokounmpo is sidelined with a calf injury and won’t be healthy until after the deadline. The Bucks are going nowhere fast and Giannis’ frustration level is reaching the boiling point now that he has passed his 31st birthday.

Giannis isn’t the only player that should be moved. There is no reason for DeMar DeRozan to be finishing out the season with the dismal Sacramento Kings. And if the New York Knicks think they can better last season’s run, they need to call the Portland Trail Blazers and land Jrue Holiday.

Giannis fit for Timberwolves

It was just earlier this month that two-time NBA MVP Antetokounmpo said it wasn’t his nature to ask the Bucks to trade him. Formal request or not, that was a pretty gigantic hint that he was ready to be moved. Where is the trickiest part.

Speculation about the Golden State Warriors being a possibility with injured Jimmy Butler III as part of the trade doesn’t seem realistic. He complained his way out of the winning Miami Heat culture, so why would he want anything to do with a Milwaukee team that will be among the worst teams in the NBA? The Bucks will want Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski while coach Steve Kerr will beg them to take Jonathan Kuminga.

Minnesota could build a package with Julius Randle and either Jaden McDaniels or Naz Reid (if you want Rudy Gobert instead, he’s all yours) and include some young assets and draft picks. You package Giannis with all-everything guard Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves are finally getting over the hump and reaching the NBA Finals.

DeRozan’s short drive down freeway

The Sacramento Kings are one of the worst franchises in the NBA and the 36-year-old DeRozan has to be moved before the deadline. The Kings have all kinds of guards and wings like Zach LaVine, Keegan Murray, Russell Westbrook, Dennis Schröder, Malik Monk in addition to DeRozan, so some roster adjustments are deeply in order. Why are Westbrook, Schröder and Monk all on the same team?

One team that could use DeRozan is the Warriors. Now that Butler is lost for the season, Stephen Curry is in the same need of help he was a year ago before Golden State landed Butler from Miami. DeRozan, an unselfish player who can score 25 or 30 on any given night, would provide the Warriors with much-needed scoring punch.

The Kings would need to receive Trayce Jackson-Davis because Domantas Sabonis doesn’t have much help in the frontcourt. Golden State might try to dump Kuminga on the Kings or can get creative with some draft picks.

Backcourt defense needed at MSG

Nov 14, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Aaron Holiday (0) defends against Portland Trail Blazers guard Jrue Holiday (5) during the third quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The New York Knicks are not a bad defensive team, but they can improve with one move at the deadline. If they want to reach the NBA Finals in a season where it’s wide open on the Eastern Conference side, they should obtain veteran guard Jrue Holiday.

The Trail Blazers are a better team than in recent years, but they are playing to land a play-in spot. Holiday can help get Portland there, of course, but the rebuilding project gets better for the Trail Blazers if they trade Holiday for some younger assets. Plus, Scoot Henderson’s season-long hamstring injury just may heal someday this season. (We think.)

Tyler Kolek and some draft assets might do the trick. If the Trail Blazers insist on Miles “Deuce” McBride, that gets Portland a little extra scoring pop. But the Knicks get a two-time NBA champion that will be worth more than whatever they give up.

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Two-time CY Young winner, Tarik Skubal, is on the fast track to returning to baseball, as he recovers from elbow surgery way ahead of schedule. Skubal is already back to some light throwing after receiving arthroscopic surgery that normally sidelines pitchers for three months.

You never want to rush a pitcher back, especially one as good as Skubal, but if you’re the Tigers, you are doing everything in your power to get him back out on the diamond. Currently, the Tigers are tied with the Royals at 19-25 for last place in the AL Central.

Only being 4.5 games back in a weak AL Central isn’t cause for concern, but this window of Detroit baseball hangs in the balance of this season. It seems unlikely that Skubal will be staying in Detroit in 2027, and missing the playoffs in his final season would be an incredibly tough pill to swallow.

The Tigers are dealing with injuries all over the field at the moment, so having an ace like Skubal in the lineup who can steal starts is so important. Keider Montero transforming into a frontline starter has been one of the few bright spots in the Tigers’ starting rotation, as Framber Valdez has been a bit inconsistent when he isn’t suspended.

Outside of a beaten-up pitching staff, a Tigers lineup that was one of the toughest outs in baseball last year has quickly regressed to the mean. Detroit sent four position players to the All-Star Game last year, and I don’t think that will be the case this year.

Riley Greene is having a career year, largely in part due to his massively improved eye at the plate. His walk rate has more than doubled, going from 7% to 14.2% this year, and I think that has improved every other part of his game.

Also, rookie Kevin McGonigle has had a tremendous start to his pro career, but has cooled off in the month of May, slashing just .195/.327/.220 over his last 41 ABs. Outside of these two, it has been an ice-cold start to the year for the Tigers’ offense.

You’d love to make one last playoff run with this group before Skubal likely takes his talents to Los Angeles; however, if the offense doesn’t get going, he could easily be a trade deadline candidate as well. If Skubal is back pitching in only a month, his trade value would go right back to being sky high, and contenders might be willing to overpay for a potential playoff run. It’ll be intriguing to see how the beginning of Summer kicks off for the Tigers, and if they can stay afloat without their ace.