Giannis Antetokounmpo stays with Bucks as record NBA trade deadline reshapes league

A record-tying flurry of NBA trades culminated at Thursday’s deadline with 18 deals completed in the final hours, but the league’s most discussed name did not move. Giannis Antetokounmpo remained with the Milwaukee Bucks despite weeks of speculation, as front offices across the league reshaped rosters at an uncommon pace.

The hours before the 3 p.m. cutoff were crowded with paperwork, medical reviews and draft-pick swaps, capping one of the busiest trade windows in recent memory. In the seven days leading to the deadline, 28 trades were agreed — a volume the NBA has not seen over a comparable span in two decades. Twenty-seven teams participated in at least one deal, matching a league mark for breadth of involvement.

Yet the storyline that dominated pre-deadline discussion ended quietly. Antetokounmpo, a two-time MVP who has spent his entire 13-year career in Milwaukee, stayed put.

Milwaukee had been reported to be listening to offers for its franchise cornerstone. The deadline passed with no agreement, leaving the Bucks to move forward with the player who delivered their 2021 championship and remains central to the team’s identity.

Antetokounmpo has not played since straining his right calf on Jan. 23. He has repeatedly said he values playing in Milwaukee while also stressing his desire to compete for titles. The Bucks have exited in the first round of the playoffs in each of the past three seasons and currently sit outside the top tier of the Eastern Conference standings.

Ja Morant, another name linked to speculation in recent weeks, also remained with his original team. The Memphis Grizzlies guard has faced questions about his future as the club reshaped its roster, including a deal that sent two-time All-Star Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz earlier this week. Memphis sits outside the playoff positions in the West, and Morant’s season has been affected by injuries and off-court issues.

Pacers land Zubac in high-cost center swap

Indiana made one of the most consequential moves of deadline day by acquiring 7-footer Ivica Zubac and Kobe Brown from the Los Angeles Clippers. In return, the Pacers sent Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, a conditional 2026 first-round pick, a 2028 second-rounder and a 2029 first-rounder.

Zubac, who turns 29 next month, is averaging 14.4 points and 11 rebounds. Indiana gains a proven interior presence as it looks ahead to next season, when Tyrese Haliburton is expected back from an Achilles injury. Mathurin, 23, had been averaging 17.8 points.

Timberwolves add scoring punch with Dosunmu

Minnesota addressed bench scoring by acquiring Ayo Dosunmu and forward Julian Phillips from Chicago. The Bulls received guard Rob Dillingham, forward Leonard Miller and four second-round draft picks.

Dosunmu, 26, is in the final year of his contract and averaging a career-high 15 points while shooting 45.1% from three-point range. The move gives Minnesota additional perimeter offense without a long-term salary commitment.

Chicago was also part of a three-team trade with Milwaukee and Phoenix. The Bulls acquired center Nick Richards from the Suns. The Bucks received Ousmane Dieng from Chicago and Nigel Hayes-Davis from Phoenix, later waiving Hayes-Davis. Phoenix landed Cole Anthony and Amir Coffey from Milwaukee.

Raptors take on Chris Paul’s contract

Toronto added Chris Paul in a deal primarily designed to move below the luxury tax threshold. The Raptors completed a trade framework with the Clippers involving Paul, who had been away from the team since November but remained on its payroll.

Toronto also sent forward Ochai Agbaji, cash and a future second-round pick to Brooklyn as part of the multi-team arrangement. Paul is expected to retire after the season and is not anticipated to play for the Raptors.

Cavaliers, Jazz and Knicks make depth moves

Cleveland traded guard Lonzo Ball to Utah for two second-round picks. Ball appeared in 35 games this season, averaging 4.6 points and 3.9 assists in a limited role.

In the final hour before the deadline, the New York Knicks agreed to acquire Jose Alvarado from New Orleans for two second-round picks and Dalen Terry, according to a person familiar with the deal who spoke on condition of anonymity because it had not been formally announced.

Earlier blockbuster moves shaped the week

Several of the biggest names had already changed teams earlier in the week.

The Clippers sent James Harden to Cleveland in exchange for Darius Garland and a second-round pick, swapping an established veteran for a younger All-Star guard. Anthony Davis moved from Dallas to Washington as part of a multi-player, multi-pick deal that brought Khris Middleton and draft assets to the Mavericks.

Washington, which had acquired Trae Young last month, now holds two injured All-Star level players in Davis and Young as it looks toward a longer-term roster build. Dallas later sent Malaki Branham to Charlotte for Tyus Jones.

Atlanta acquired Gabe Vincent and a future pick from the Los Angeles Lakers for Luke Kennard, then received Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield from Golden State in exchange for Kristaps Porzingis. The Warriors also sent Trayce Jackson-Davis to Toronto for a second-round pick.

Conference leaders were not idle. The defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder acquired Jared McCain from Philadelphia for a future first-round pick and three seconds. The Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons added Kevin Huerter from Chicago as part of a four-team deal. Boston later announced it had acquired guard John Tonje from Utah for Chris Boucher, a future second-rounder and cash.

A deadline defined by volume, not a single superstar move

For all the movement, the deadline will be remembered as much for who stayed as for who left. Antetokounmpo’s status framed the conversation across the league, but the outcome underscored how often speculation outpaces action.

Front offices across the NBA used the week to recalibrate depth charts, shift salary obligations and accumulate draft capital. The result is a league landscape subtly but broadly altered — even without a franchise player changing uniforms at the final hour.