A busy 2026 NBA trade deadline saw over 20 moves, with 11 former All-Stars changing teams. Yet, with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Ja Morant not getting dealt, only minimal developments happened across the odds to win the NBA title.
Nothing can top last season’s unforgettable Luka Dončić-for-Anthony Davis trade that shook up the NBA landscape. A year later, the reverberations of Dallas and the Lakers’ epic swap are still being felt. After playing only 29 games with the Mavericks, Davis was traded again. This time, he moved to the Washington Wizards for a bounty of young talent and draft picks.
The only 2026 trade coming close to recreating the shock value of last February was the Cleveland Cavaliers’ acquisition of future Hall of Famer James Harden from the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for all-star point guard Darius Garland.
The Beard going to The Land represents the only 2026 deadline move featuring a close-to-form All-Star-caliber player heading to a legitimate NBA title contender. The bold, win-now move pushed Cleveland into a tie with the NBA Cup-winning New York Knicks as the betting favorites to win the Eastern Conference.
Although many trades involving former all-stars occurred, most involved struggling teams swapping salaries and changing scenery. Washington’s headline-grabbing trades for Davis and Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young appear intended for next season. Utah landing Memphis Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. flips the switch for the Jazz from rebuilding to competitive in future seasons.
With the entire league still chasing the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder, many contenders did their best to make small upgrades despite salary-cap constraints.
Harden deal reshuffles crowded Eastern Conference
The Cavaliers (+1300) landing Harden changed the dynamic among the Eastern Conference’s best teams. At the beginning of February, Cleveland was tied for seventh among NBA title contenders at +1800 odds. Getting Harden briefly pushed the Cavs to third at +1200 odds. Post deadline, Cleveland finds itself once again tied with the New York Knicks (+1300) as the Eastern Conference’s top title contenders.
When the opening odds came out in June, Cleveland and New York were tied at +700 to win the NBA Finals. Cleveland held the conference’s top spot until New York’s December hot streak won them the NBA Cup. To start 2026, the Knicks settled atop the East with +1100 odds, with Cleveland dropping to a season-low +2000 odds in the process.
Harden breathes new life into Cleveland’s season. Currently fourth place in the East, the Cavaliers also traded wing De’Andre Hunter to the Sacramento Kings for guards Dennis Schröder and Keon Ellis. The two trades bolster Cleveland’s backcourt besides Donovan Mitchell while addressing the uncertainty of Garland’s disjointed, injury-filled season.
New York managed to add New Orleans Pelicans point guard Jose Alvarado at the deadline, but that doesn’t drastically alter the title picture.
The Detroit Pistons (+1400) and Boston Celtics (+1500) are also incredibly close in the Eastern Conference odds. Owning the conference’s best record by five games, the Pistons opened at +6600 to win it all and were still at +5000 on Nov. 1. A stellar season from MVP candidate Cade Cunningham vaulted Detroit atop the wide-open East with the Pistons owning a 12-4 record since the start of the new year. The Pistons added guard Kevin Huerter from Chicago at the deadline in exchange for Jaden Ivey, hoping for more consistency for their backcourt rotation with the trade.
The Celtics are lingering around despite playing without injured star Jayson Tatum this season. They’re tied with the Knicks atop the Atlantic Division and only five games behind Detroit in the East. Boston improved its interior at the deadline by sending underachieving guard Anfernee Simons to the Chicago Bulls for veteran center Nikola Vučević. Boston’s makeshift roster continues to exceed expectations as they hope a healthy Tatum potentially joins them later this season.
Oklahoma City maintains the top spot while fortifying roster
The reigning NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder (+130) maintained its heavy-favorite status while bolstering its bench with the addition of Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain.
A favorite for Rookie of the Year last season before injury sidelined him for the remainder of the year, McCain fell out of favor in Philadelphia this season with the team drafting VJ Edgecombe third overall. McCain provides the Thunder with shooting off the bench and an additional regular-season insurance policy with the recent injury to reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Keeping stars on the floor is the most important thing for Oklahoma City during its quest for a repeat, with most of last season’s title-winning roster back. Little would change Oklahoma City’s standing except for a season-ending injury.
The Denver Nuggets (+600) stay in second place in the title odds. Although Denver hasn’t gained much ground on the Thunder, the Nuggets are beginning to create separation with the rest of the league. The current odds gap between Denver at No. 2 and the next contenders, Cleveland and New York, is larger than at any point during this season.
From there, the Western Conference’s other contenders offer three intriguing options. Perhaps anticipating a big deadline move, the Minnesota Timberwolves (+1600) jumped from +3500 odds at the end of January. Although Minnesota didn’t take a major swing at a star, the bench was improved by adding Ayo Dosunmu from Chicago.
The San Antonio Spurs (+1600) dipped slightly from +1200 odds by deciding to stand pat at the deadline. Also standing pat, the Houston Rockets (+2000) are ninth in the odds to win it all. The Los Angeles Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers (both +5000) are the only other teams with title odds shorter than +6600 after the NBA trade deadline.
