NBA All-Deadline Team: Giannis, Kuminga, and Cash

Following the money and the calendar

Trade season essentially opens Dec. 15 — by which point many of the summer signees become trade-eligible (a smaller tranche on Jan. 15) ­— and extends to the Feb. 5 deadline. This generation of deal, in a league policed by cap aprons and an onerous tax, is most about matching contracts first and basketball fit second. Teams are regrouping following the NBA Cup break as scouts converge on the G League Winter Showcase and discussions ramp up with 2026 looming. Big takeaway: expiring money, apron considerations and any possible flexibility for 2026-27 will drive decisions more than traditional “player-for-player” transactions.
 

All‑Deadline Team and likely trade angles

Among the headliners are Giannis Antetokounmpo, whose 54.1M does makes any moves tricky but potentially inevitable if he had an exit strategy; aBucksPlanB could be spending “bad for worse” money in order to appease him. Golden State The hypothetical Giannis pursuit from above gets funky if Golden State trades Jonatthan Kuminga (22.5M) making his values a bit of a wash- with the play being to add Draymond Green and go for it all, which again I ‘ll believe when I see it. Other names to watch: LaMelo Ball’s bloated deal won’t lead to many suitors; DeMar DeRozan is on a reasonable contract that fits contenders; Ousmane Dieng and Jeremy Sochan serve as solid reclamation fliers; Dallas may move its shapes with Daniel Gafford more likely than an Anthony Davis blockbuster CJ McCollum has an expiring deal that could take in longer money for picks The Clippers have a smattering of expirings available to re-balance their thin roster Bennedict Mathurin is Indiana’s key incoming piece when matching for a center The Lakers can assume salary in 2026-27 using the combined salaries of Gabe Vincent and Maxi Kleber Plus opportunistic, deep value-adds all around for Philly, New York, Orlando, Phoenix, Denver, Toronto and cap-clogged Cleveland.