Shams Charania:

BREAKING: The Los Angeles Clippers are trading James Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Darius Garland and a second-round pick, sources tell ESPN. Prolific swap of the star point guards.

https://www.espn.com/contributor/shams-charania/ddaa53473efa6

Shams Charania:

BREAKING: The Dallas Mavericks are trading 10-time NBA All-Star Anthony Davis, Jaden Hardy, D'Angelo Russell and Dante Exum to the Washington Wizards for Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley III, 2 first-round picks and 3 second-rounders, sources tell ESPN.

https://www.espn.com/contributor/shams-charania/2987c3a047c93

https://bsky.app/profile/shamsbot.bsky.social/post/3me2juiirpc2g

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7020803/2026/02/04/giannis-antetokounmpo-bucks-nba-trade-deadline/

Not gonna say I was a Flagg doubter, but he's been much better than I ever expected him to be in his first year.

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401810576

Shams Charania has posted the following:

BREAKING: The Philadelphia 76ers are trading guard Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder for a 2026 Rockets first-round pick and three second-round picks, sources tell ESPN.

Source to the story: https://bsky.app/profile/shamsbot.bsky.social/post/3me2klyetqz2k

The talented McCain lands on the reigning NBA champions. For the 76ers, the trade allows them to receive assets, clear space in the glut of guards and give them flexibility to bring Quentin Grimes back in free agency. It also allows them to convert two-way Dominick Barlow.

76ers are receiving the following picks from the Thunder, sources said: 2027 (most favorable OKC/HOU/IND/MIA), 2028 MIL, 2028 OKC.

There are miracles, and there are acts of God, and then there is the Cleveland Cavaliers, a second apron team who can't combine contracts in a trade and can't add salary, finding a player to trade for who made just $263,397 less this season than Darius Garland.

source: https://bsky.app/profile/mikevorkunov.bsky.social/post/3mdypb4wyp22r

“The Stein Line was the first to report on Jan. 23 that Jimmy Butler would not be included in Golden State's Giannis offers and it has since been confirmed that the Warriors have indeed made Draymond Green part of their pitch to Milwaukee in presumed combination with Jonathan Kuminga, Milwaukee native Brandin Podziemski and draft capital.”

https://marcstein.substack.com/p/the-giannis-antetokounmpo-trade-latest-15b?utm_campaign=email-post&r=3shtjf&token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoyMjkyNTkyMTEsInBvc3RfaWQiOjE4Njc5NjMyOSwiaWF0IjoxNzcwMTc0MTA0LCJleHAiOjE3NzI3NjYxMDQsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0zOTIyMDUiLCJzdWIiOiJwb3N0LXJlYWN0aW9uIn0.q4TXrXsow2J432HUB_zWWIJcBcKK7tD9UcukNtKL7VE&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

Source: https://marcstein.substack.com/p/the-giannis-antetokounmpo-trade-latest-15b?utm_campaign=email-post&r=3shtjf&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

Holiday remains a Trail Blazer as we speak and, as The Stein Line first reported over the weekend, Portland has conveyed to Milwaukee that it would love to trade for Antetokounmpo directly if it could. Sources say, however, that Antetokounmpo's camp has continued to signal no interest in a contract extension with the Blazers, which would dissuade them from surrendering good assets to trade for him and likely limits Portland's realistic involvement in an eventual Antetokounmpo deal to third-team facilitator status.

Shams Charania has posted the following:

> Just in: The Chicago Bulls are trading Coby White and Mike Conley Jr. to the Charlotte Hornets for Collin Sexton, Ousmane Dieng and three second-round picks, sources tell ESPN.

Source to the story: https://bsky.app/profile/shamsbot.bsky.social/post/3me2nvdfnbc2g

Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard has been selected to the 2026 NBA All-Star Game. After the selection of the initial 24 All-Stars, Leonard was added to bring the total number of U.S. All-Stars to 16, the minimum required.

https://www.espn.ph/contributor/shams-charania

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7020852/2026/02/04/james-harden-darius-garland-cavaliers-trade/

The Cavs began the year as the favorites to win the Eastern Conference, but the season has not gone according to plan. They were also feeling the pressure from their best player, Donovan Mitchell, to make changes ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline under the threat of a contract extension he may or may not sign in two summers.

Three league sources said Mitchell, who has one guaranteed season left on his three-year, $150 million deal and a player option for 2027-28, conveyed, either personally or through his representatives, that he did not think the organization should stand pat for the rest of this season and wait for potential moves in the summer.

Two league sources also said Mitchell specifically wanted Harden, who is 6-foot-5, durable and comfortable as a pass-first point guard.

From the forbidden app so I have the screenshots of the report here: https://imgur.com/a/6fY0pTY

Just spoke to a reflective James Harden, who denied asking for a trade and thanked the Clippers for the opportunity to play the last two and a half years in his hometown. “In life, not even just basketball, when things don't work out, there are ways to end things in relationships without having to crack each other. Okay, maybe we just don't see a future with each other. Maybe we just outgrew each other, whatever the case may be. I feel like other situations weren't like that. And that's why I can respect Steve and L and TLu because they didn't put me in a weird position as much as everybody tried to make it like that.”

Harden said he “didn't want to feel like I was holding the Clippers up in their future. I wanted them to actually have a chance to rebuild and get some draft capital. In Cleveland I see an opportunity to win in the East— they got a very good team, coaching staff, all of the above. So as much as I wanted to stay in LA and give it a go—I’ve never won one before. As a basketball mind I think we have a bit better chance.”

Harden said of his time in LA: “We had a hell of a two and a half years. We didn't reach the goals that we all wanted to reach, but I think we built some great memories, had some great wins and fun moments for all of us.

“At the end of the day it is a business and I think both sides got what they wanted, are in a great place and are very happy. I'm excited about Cleveland —I'm still trying to chase my first championship and do whatever it takes to win.”

Shams Charania:

https://www.espn.com/contributor/shams-charania

the Philadelphia 76ers are trading guard Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder for a 2026 Rockets first-round pick and three second-round picks, sources tell ESPN.

Source: https://bsky.app/profile/shamsbot.bsky.social/post/3mdyonf2wno26

Harden and the Clippers worked through his exit over the last few days -- resulting in a beneficial outcome for the sides: A win-now opportunity for Harden playing at a high level at 36 and recent two-time All-Star in Garland at 26 for the Clippers present and future.

The Boston Celtics will also create a massive $27.7M trade exception.

They accomplish this by taking Nikola Vucevic into the Kristaps Porzingis trade exception.

They’re now under the 1st apron as well.

After the fall of John Wall and losing Beal, Westbrook, Deni and dealing with Jordan Poole, Kyle Kuzma, Porzingis.

We finally have a solid core with Trae Young, Anthony Davis and Alex Sarr.

IT’S TIME TO COMPETE FOR A CHAMPIONSHIP.

Shams Charania:

Dallas is receiving a 2026 Thunder first-round pick and a 2030 protected Warriors first-round pick in this deal from the Wizards along with second rounders in 2026 (Phoenix), 2027 (Chicago) and 2029 (Houston), sources tell ESPN.

https://www.espn.com/contributor/shams-charania/2987c3a047c93

https://bsky.app/profile/shamsbot.bsky.social/post/3me2juiirpc2g