Not many people would have guessed that the Boston Celtics would be buyers at this year’s trade deadline, especially after shedding Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis’s contracts to get under the second apron. Some timely breakouts put the Celtics in a position to compete, however, even while the team significantly reduced their payroll.
Brad Stevens and the rest of the front office worked some of the finest financial magic I’ve ever seen. As of June 15, 2025, Boston’s projected salary and tax bill was $540 million. As of today? $186.5 million. They have ducked the second apron, the first apron, and even the luxury tax entirely, all while being holding the second-best record in the Eastern Conference at 35-19.
They might have even managed to somehow improve the roster at the deadline in the process. By trading Anfernee Simons for Nikola Vucevic, they do lose a big scoring punch, but they fill a need and add a new dimension to their offense by bringing in a low-post presence who can also stretch the floor. The guard depth may have taken a hit, but with Payton Pritchard catching fire back in his sixth-man position, and the hopeful impending return of Jayson Tatum, they found a creative way to balance the roster out.
Boston wasn’t the only team to make a big move this year, though. The East was active at the deadline, so, who do the Celtics have to keep an eye?
(Standings, records, and transactions as of Feb 13, 2026)
Each of these teams made moves to improve their current roster to varying degrees. Time will tell if the impact reflects the ambition, but on paper these teams got better.
Cleveland Cavaliers, 4th (34-21) – Cleveland was the only Eastern Conference team that made a drastic win-now move at the deadline. Seemingly dissatisfied with the fit of Darius Garland next to Donovan Mitchell, as well as his inconsistent availability, the Cavs found themselves looking for a change. Luckily for them, James Harden continued his tradition of requesting a trade shortly after joining a new team, stating that he wanted to be in situation where he could contend. Garland and Harden had nearly identical contracts, which worked out perfectly for both teams, neither of which could take in more salary due to their cap restrictions. Cleveland sent out a second-round pick with Garland to sweeten the deal, likely due to Garland’s injury history.
The Cavs made a couple more minor moves as well, dumping Lonzo Ball’s contract on the Utah Jazz for some cap relief, tossing in two second-rounders to incentivize Utah. They also sent De’Andre Hunter to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroeder, saving themselves a bit more money. Cleveland downsized quite a bit, and still find themselves above the second apron, but they did bring in several impactful players in the process. They’ve won both of their games after the deadline with all of their new additions making contributions, especially Harden. Things are trending up for the Cavs, though we’ll have to see how things play out when we have a larger sample size.
New York Knicks 3rd, (35-20) – New York had a fairly simple trade deadline, sending out Guerschon Yabusele to the Bulls, and forwarding their return of Dalen Terry to the Pelicans in exchange for Jose Alvarado. New York also attached two second-round picks to send out along with Terry in that deal. Alvarado is a dog who adds in some extra intensity and defense to the Knicks backcourt. The move likely came in response to the news that Deuce McBride will likely miss the remainder of the regular season, thinning their guard depth. Alvarado may not be a star, but he’s the type of player who can make one or two plays that turn the tide in a playoff game. It was ultimately a subtle, low-cost way for New York to get better.
Toronto Raptors, 5th (32-23) – Speaking of subtle, low-cost ways to get better, Toronto made two minor moves. First, they traded away Ochai Agbaji and a second-round pick for Chris Paul in a three-team deal. Agbaji was seeing his role diminish as Toronto is loaded with talent on the wings, so it was more of a dump than anything. Paul was told that he doesn’t have to report to the team, and will likely be sent to the buyout market in the future.
Following this deal, Toronto picked up Trayce Jackson-Davis from the Warriors in exchange for another second-round pick. Davis provides some much-needed size for size for Toronto given Jakob Poeltl’s inconsistent availability. Davis, still on his rookie deal, is a valuable addition with his defensive instincts, and his above-average vision and playmaking at his position. This move doesn’t turn Toronto into an instant contender, but it does push them in the right direction.
Charlotte Hornets, 9th (26-29) – Charlotte made a lot of small moves at the deadline, but either waived, or passed along several of the players they acquired in separate deals. In the end, they managed to bring in Coby White from Chicago, Xavier Tillman from Boston, and three second-round picks for the cost of Collin Sexton, Mason Plumlee, and cash considerations.
White is a player that a lot of teams had their eye on, but not many were willing to spend for. That allowed Charlotte to get him for a bargain, adding another offensive punch to a team that’s found their first solid stretch in years, going on a 9-game win streak. Charlotte is trending in the right direction, and White helps them move things along, opening the door for them to compete in the play-in tournament, and potentially even secure their first playoff-berth in quite some time.
These are teams that didn’t make any significant moves at the deadline, if at all. It’s hard to assess if that was the right decision at this point, but time will tell.
Detroit Pistons 1st, (40-13) – Detroit hasn’t had many struggles this year, but if there’s one thing they needed, it was more shooting. They did manage to pick up someone they hope will boost their offense in Kevin Huerter, though he’s seeing a career-low in efficiency from beyond the arc this season, shooting 30.6% from three on about 5 attempts per game. The move netted them a first-round pick, but it also cost them Jaden Ivey, who has a high upside, but never found his role in Detroit. If Huerter manages to pick his shooting back up, this could be a great win-now way to round out the roster for the Pistons, but otherwise, they could very well have just sold low on a promising guard.
Miami Heat, 8th (29-27) – For Miami, it was another year where Pat Riley fell asleep on the couch. The Heat didn’t make a single transaction, though it was rumored that they were pursuing Giannis Antetokounmpo and Ja Morant. Rumors don’t mean a thing if they don’t come true, though. The Heat will certainly go back to their pursuit of a star in the offseason, but they won’t be getting any reinforcements this season. While they have been slightly above expectations, they seem to be doomed to another play-in tournament appearance this year.
Milwaukee Bucks, 12th (23-30) – Speaking of rumors not amounting to anything, Milwaukee only made one deal at the deadline, and it didn’t involve any Antetokounmpos. It seems as though the Bucks weren’t serious about making any significant deals, and wanted to stir up drama to gauge interest. They flipped Cole Anthony and Amir Coffey, two guys who weren’t important to the team, for Ousmane Dieng and Nigel Hayes-Davis, two more guys who probably won’t be important to the team.
Giannis, Bobby Portis, and Kyle Kuzma all survived the deadline, likely to be shopped again when teams have more assets in the offseason. It’s hard to see the Bucks being competitive this year, especially if Giannis continues to miss time. The team seems to have communicated that their goal is to put a competitive roster around him in hopes of retaining him, though. The Bucks did have the chance to add Cam Thomas from the buyout market, and will be relying on his scoring punch to turn their season around.
Orlando Magic, 7th (28-25) – Orlando has been hitting a rough patch this year. Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs have both been in and out of the lineup due to various injuries, disrupting any opportunities for the team to find a rhythm. Anthony Black has been stepping up nicely to fill in for Suggs, but Paolo Banchero has really struggled to find any consistency with his scoring.
Tyus Jones was having an underwhelming season himself after being brought in to help control the offense, so the only move Orlando made at the deadline was to dump Jones for cash. This created the path for them to sign Jevon Carter from the buyout market. Carter likely won’t turn things around for the Magic, but his arrival, along with Franz Wagner’s return, Orlando could start to gain some momentum. They certainly have a lot of problems to work through first, though.
Philadelphia 76ers, 6th (30-24) – The Sixers had a mostly quiet deadline, opting to shed salary and free up a couple of roster spots so they could convert Dominick Barlow’s two-way contract into a standard deal. They did, however, decide to dump Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder, as if those guys needed any more cheap, young prospects. In return, Philadelphia did net a decent number of picks, one first and three second rounders.
Daryl Morey, President of Basketball Operations in Philly, decided to take some shots once the deadline passed, aiming at two of his team’s former players. He stated that the team “definitely sold high” on McCain, implying that he wouldn’t amount to much in the league. He also said that he wasn’t worried about what other teams in the East did at the deadline, saying that there were no “needle-movers,” likely a shot at James Harden, who just joined the Cavaliers at the deadline. Harden and Morey used to be the best of friends, but things turned sour when the two rejoined, and then ultimately split up again in Philly just a couple seasons ago.
What Morey didn’t seem to account for, is the fact that they themselves did not move the needle. With Joel Embiid still load-managing, and Paul George being suspended for 25-games for violating the league’s drug policy, the Sixers could find themselves slipping into the play-in, or lower. Embiid is quietly having a great season, Tyrese Maxey certainly earned his All-Star selection, and VJ Edgecombe is having an outstanding rookie year, but if Embiid’s health takes a turn again, it may end up being another wasted year for Philly.
Brooklyn Nets, 13th (15-38) – Brooklyn served more as a facilitator to help other teams meet their cap goals, but they managed to pick up a couple of second round picks and interesting players in the process. They took on Ochai Agbaji from Toronto, Hunter Tyson from Denver, and even worked with the Celtics by taking on Josh Minott’s minimum contract to help Boston duck the tax.
Brooklyn also waived Cam Thomas, likely an indicator that he didn’t have enough trade interest, but potentially still an addition by subtraction for the Nets. Overall, they didn’t add on any significant assets, and their future depends on what they can accomplish in the offseason. This year, they’ll be focusing on their draft position.
These are teams who aren’t going to see any positive impact this year, but weren’t in the running anyways, and have set themselves up nicely either financially, from a talent perspective, or even both.
Atlanta Hawks, 10th (26-30) – Atlanta has had one of the most significant mid-season roster turnarounds that I’ve seen, and they seemingly improved in the process. The first move, one that came well before the deadline, was swapping Trae Young for C.J. McCollum and Corey Kispert from the Wizards. It seemed like it was in both party’s interests for Atlanta and Trae to part ways, and while on paper it may seem like a big loss of talent, Kispert and McCollum have meshed very well in Atlanta, and are much more available. Additionally, McCollum’s expiring contract provides some more future flexibility to improve the roster.
Atlanta also dumped two contracts in separate deals, Vit Krejci and Luke Kennard being shipped out for Gabe Vincent, Duop Reath, and three second-round picks. Krejci and Kennard were both legit contributors for the Hawks, but it seemed Atlanta valued the picks higher, as Reath and Vincent are both on expiring deals, Reath being waived to open up a roster spot as he was already injured and sidelined for the remainder of the season.
The Hawks made a couple more consequential moves, though. They picked up Jock Landale from the Jazz (originally in Memphis,) to add to their frontcourt depth, while sending Kristaps Porzingis’s expiring contract to Golden State in return for Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield. Hield’s contract is guaranteed through 2027, with a player option in 2028, a slightly cheaper and more secure way to replace Kennard.
Kuminga, however is the real wildcard here. We haven’t gotten the chance to see much of him in Golden State due to the coaching decisions of Steve Kerr. Kuminga also picked up a knee injury the last time he suited up, so he has yet to make his Atlanta debut. It’s hard to tell how he fits into their puzzle at this point, but he’s a young prospect with a seemingly high upside at a low-risk cost, given that the second year of his deal is a team option. It’s too early to tell how Atlanta’s moves will pay off for this season, but they have given themselves a fresher look at the future, with some added flexibility.
Chicago Bulls, 11th (24-31) – Bulls fans, rejoice. Chicago’s front office may have held on to their assets for far too long, but the team finally committed to a well overdue reset. They got some interesting prospects back in the process too, including Rob Dillingham, Jaden Ivey, and Nick Richards, along with vets such as Anfernee Simons, Collin Sexton, and Guerschon Yabusele. They’re not going to be competitive this year, and for their sake, that’s a good thing. They didn’t pick up any firsts, but they did bring in a number of second-round picks to help them with the impending rebuild.
Washington Wizards, 14th (14-39) – Washington may have seen the most drastic turnaround of any team this season, though the impact won’t be felt until next year. They somehow managed to pick up Trae Young and Anthony Davis for pennies on the dollar. What did it cost them? The expiring contracts of CJ McCollum and Khris Middleton, Marvin Bagley, Corey Kispert, two first-round picks (neither of which was theirs to begin with), and a few second-rounders.
However you feel about Young and Davis at this point in their careers, Washington seized an opportunity that could completely change the course of their franchise. If it doesn’t work out, they remain at the bottom of the barrel for a few more years, nothing new. But if it works? They could instantly become contenders next year, especially with the addition of a top pick in this year’s draft. Yes, Davis’s health will forever be a concern, but IF you get a good year out of him, the ceiling gets raised astronomically. Big if, I know, but a gamble worth taking for a franchise who previously had little direction.
Indiana Pacers, 15th (15-40) – Indy took a big swing by bringing in Ivica Zubac from the Los Angeles Clippers. Zubac will make an immediate impact for them, but they don’t want that just yet, especially since they leveraged their first-round pick from this year as part of the trade. It’s a big gamble, especially with the protections they put on the pick: 1-4 protected, and 10-30 protected. That means the Pacers are either going to have to greatly improve their winning pace, or tank like you’ve never seen before, as landing the 5th through 9th pick would have it convey to LA instead.
There’s no doubt that a trio of Haliburton – Siakam – Zubac will be tough to contend with next year, especially if they add in a lottery pick from this stacked upcoming draft. Losing that pick could be devastating, though. Expect Indy to make their best effort to remain at the bottom standings, but watch out for them next year.
