NBA trade rumors: Lakers-Cavs discuss swap, Raptors after All-Star center

The NBA trade deadline is approaching on Thursday. Feb. 5, and teams around the league are lining up for moves with a wide open championship picture. The Oklahoma City Thunder are only 14-10 after their 24-1 start, and have hardly looked like an unbeatable favorite over the last two months. With Aaron Gordon’s constant leg injuries plaguing fellow favorite Denver, the other contenders in the West are starting to think they have a real chance. The East has been wide open from the start, and that’s especially the case now with rumors that Jayson Tatum won’t return this season for the Boston Celtics as he recovers from a torn Achilles.

NBA parity is fully here, and that should mean an active trade deadline. The list of players who could be on the move is headlined by Giannis Antetokounmpo, and four favorites have emerged to land the Bucks superstar.

SB Nation will be covering the NBA trade deadline from every angle through its completion. Here’s the latest rumors to know.

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers are discussing a deal that would send De’Andre Hunter to LA for Rui Hachimura and Dalton Knecht to Cleveland, according to Cavs reported Chris Fedor. The Lakers want to try different wings around Luka Doncic, and Hachimura is in line for a new deal next season which will possibly necessitate a raise from the $18 million salary he’s making this year.

Hachimura has shot the lights out for the Lakers by making 43.3 percent of his three-pointers on 4.2 attempts per game. Hunter has been far less effective as a shooter at 31 percent from three, and his on/off numbers are even more damning. The Cavs play opponents even with Hunter on the floor this year, but the team has a +10 net-rating when he’s on the bench. There’s some noise to that number, but it’s still concerning.

Hunter makes $24.9 million next year in the final season of his deal. I don’t get this one for LA.

The Toronto Raptors are a factor in the Eastern Conference at 29-20 entering the weekend. Toronto has an obvious hole in the middle with Jakob Poeltl’s lingering back injuries, and they’re potentially targeting the most accomplished center on the market.

Domantas Sabonis intrigues the Raptors, according to Doug Smith of the Toronto Star. The report notes that Raptors do not want to lose their depth in the deal, but it’s hard to imagine any team taking Poeltl back without significant draft compensation.

Sabonis doesn’t provide much rim protection on defense or spacing on offense, but he’s an elite rebounder, a wonderful passer, and a bruising interior scorer. The Raptors can talk themselves into an Eastern Conference title run with an upgrade at center, and the Kings have no use for Sabonis as they stare down another full rebuild. This one feels like it could happen.

The Kings haven’t played Keon Ellis much this season, but the rest of the NBA is reportedly intrigued by his connective skill set and tough defense on the wing. The Cleveland Cavaliers have joined a long list of teams interested in Ellis, according to Jake Fischer and Marc Stein.

Stein reported earlier this week that 14 teams have called the Kings on Ellis, including the Lakers. Ellis’ small expiring contract makes him a low-risk addition. Can the Kings land a first-round pick for him? I’d be surprised, but it’s not impossible with this many interested teams.

The Brooklyn Nets are one of the worst teams in the NBA, but they have tons of cap space this summer to go along with a bundle of draft picks, largely from the Mikal Bridges trade. If Giannis wants to be in New York, the Nets could make a big offer.

I’ll believe this one when I see it. I don’t think Brooklyn in anywhere close in their rebuild to having an East contender even with Giannis.

The Thunder have a $28.5 million team option on Isaiah Hartenstein next season. Hartenstein is really good as a defender, rebounder, and passer, but he’s battled injuries this year and the Thunder’s cap sheet is starting to get expensive with Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren’s extensions kicking in next season.

The Thunder are reportedly after center help, according to ESPN insider Brian Windhorst. Does that mean they might turn down Hartenstein’s option? If so, he immediately becomes one of the top 2026 free agents.

OKC has three first-round picks in the 2026 draft — check out our latest NBA mock draft here. The Thunder used a first-round pick on Georgetown center Thomas Sorber last year, but he suffered a season-ending injury before playing a game. OKC could potentially package Hartenstein and a first to the Clippers for Ivica Zubac, but that’s just speculation.