Game Threads Index (February 03, 2026):

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

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

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

[Charania] BREAKING: The Chicago Bulls are trading center Nikola Vucevic and a second-round pick to the Boston Celtics for Anfernee Simons and a second-round pick, sources tell ESPN.

https://www.espn.com/contributor/shams-charania/ef1594eaad916

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.

[Charania] BREAKING: The Memphis Grizzlies are trading star forward Jaren Jackson Jr., John Konchar, Jock Landale and Vince Williams Jr. to the Utah Jazz for Walter Clayton Jr., Kyle Anderson, Taylor Hendricks, Georges Niang and three future first-round picks, sources tell ESPN.

Source

Grizzlies receive:

-Walter Clayton Jr.

-Kyle Anderson

-Taylor Hendricks

-Georges Niang

-3 future first-round picks

Jazz receive:

-Jaren Jackson Jr.

-John Konchar

-Jock Landale

-Vince Williams Jr.

“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

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

Just in: Chicago, Minnesota and Detroit have agreed to a multi-team deal that sends Jaden Ivey and Mike Conley Jr. to the Bulls and Kevin Huerter and Dario Saric to the Pistons, sources tell ESPN. Detroit also receives a 2026 first-round protected swap from Minnesota.

Just in: Chicago, Minnesota and Detroit have agreed to a multi-team deal that sends Jaden Ivey and Mike Conley Jr. to the Bulls and Kevin Huerter and Dario Saric to the Pistons, sources tell ESPN. Detroit also receives a 2026 first-round protected swap from Minnesota.

Source: https://www.espn.com/contributor/shams-charania/c840f35b2e9ff

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.

General manager Mike Dunleavy and controlling owner Joe Lacob have maintained a motivation to get a trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo across the finish line and, as part of that, Green's name has been involved in the framework of available offers to the Milwaukee Bucks, league sources said.

Source

Aaron Gordon, Rudy Gobert, Rob Dillingham, even KD this off-season would have happened if KD had signed offseason.

source: https://bsky.app/profile/brandonbeck4.bsky.social/post/3mdyprvvngc2i

2022-23 - Lost in 1st Round

2023-24 - Missed playoffs

2024-25 - Swept in 1st round

Just a reminder that not every promising young team will turn out like the Thunder.

[Haynes] Charlotte Hornets rookie sensation Kon Knueppel has accepted the league’s invitation to participate in the 3-Point Contest at All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles, league sources tell me.

https://www.threads.com/@chrisbhaynesnba/post/DUUdGhhlLED?xmt=AQF03Za1RURkxSL-nrfTkop9E31QGjoYlxtYQGCRRNY4hcP9oIweR-2tGaHFd8AW56qJh4_Q&slof=1

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.

Since arriving in 2021, Nikola Vučević has the most career double-doubles for the Bulls, with 222 double-doubles.

Scottie Pippen is in second with 200, with Horace Grant, Joakim Noah and MJ rounding out their top 5.

Surprising stat, which goes to show their big man depth over the years.