Warriors and Lakers making moves to try and compete, Clippers building for the future

There were some big NBA trades ahead of Thursday’s deadline. 

But THE big trade didn’t happen. 

The frontrunners in the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes — Golden State, Miami and Minnesota — weren’t able entice Milwaukee to pull the trigger on a deal for their big man, which sets the stage for a wild offseason.

That said, some big names were moved before the deadline, including Anthony Davis, James Harden and Kristaps Porzingis. 

Here’s a look at how the Western Conference looks after one of the craziest times of the NBA calendar. 

CHAMPIONSHIP CONTENDERS

1. Oklahoma City Thunder: The defending champions have the best record in the West and they just got even better. They acquired Jared McCain, which bolsters their ball-handling and perimeter shooting. Not to mention, the Clippers dealing James Harden to Cleveland in exchange for Darius Garland benefits them considering they own the Clippers’ unprotected 2026 first-round pick. (The farther the Clippers dip in the standings, the better for them.) The Thunder is the team to watch come June — and beyond. 

2. San Antonio Spurs: After making a splashy move at the trade deadline last year to acquire De’Aaron Fox, the Spurs wanted to move forward with their current roster this time around. With Victor Wembanyama and Fox, they’ve firmly established themselves as contenders, perhaps even earlier than expected. 

3. Denver Nuggets: They made a smart move by dealing Hunter Tyson to Brooklyn, which saves them money and doesn’t hurt their bottom line. They have an extra roster spot and will be able to evaluate the buyout market. Look out for Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and co. trying to compete for their second championship after winning it all in 2023. 

FRINGE CONTENDERS

4. Houston Rockets: The Rockets made a splash when they acquired Kevin Durant in the offseason, instantly becoming title contenders. But injuries have greatly stunted those hopes, with Fred VanVleet suffering a torn ACL in Sept. and Steven Adams needing season-ending surgery on his left ankle last month.

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5. Minnesota Timberwolves: After it became clear they weren’t going to land Antetokounmpo, they switched courses and traded for Ayo Dosunmu, who should bolster their bench. Dosunmu is a two-way player who’s averaging 15 points, including career-highs in field goal percentage (51.4 percent) and 3-point percentage (45.1 percent). After losing Nickeil Alexander-Walker last summer, adding Dosunmu makes their bench much stronger. 

6. Los Angeles Lakers: It’s no secret that the Lakers are looking toward the offseason when they’ll have three first-round picks and lots of expiring contracts to give them flexibility to build around Luka Doncic. But if Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves can develop a rhythm, they could be dangerous in the playoffs. They acquired Luka Kennard, who’s a great 3-point shooter. But they still have some major issues to address on the defensive end. 

PLAY-IN TEAMS

7. Phoenix Suns: They’re arguably the biggest surprise in the league this season. They’ve greatly exceeded expectations since dealing Durant and waiving Bradley Beal, and are in seventh place with a record of 31-20. The Suns made a few moves ahead of the deadline to put themselves below the luxury tax threshold. This is a sleeper team to watch. 

8. Golden State Warriors: They were ready to empty the cupboard for Antetokounmpo, including being willing to trade Draymond Green, who was previously deemed untradable. But alas, the Bucks were just a giant tease and Steph Curry didn’t get his dream running-mate. At least the Warriors shed their Jonathan Kuminga problem, trading him to Atlanta for Kristaps Porzingis. It was a good move for the Warriors considering Kuminga had been reduced to being a bench ornament. If Porzingis can get healthy, it could be a really good move. 

9. Portland Trail Blazers: They were expected to be bigger buyers, with their only move being acquiring sharpshooter Vit Krejci from Atlanta. Is this helpful? Yes. Will this move the needle for a franchise competing in the very crowded West that has been hampered by injuries? No. 

LOOKING TOWARDS THE FUTURE

10. LA Clippers: Bye bye James Harden and Ivica Zubac. And bye bye any chance of Kawhi Leonard playing meaningful basketball this season after he led the team on a 17-5 run following their dismal 6-21 start. The Clippers are clearly looking toward their future. They acquired Darius Garland, who’s 10 years younger than Harden but has been struggling with a toe injury, as well as the 23-year-old Bennedict Mathruin, two first-round picks and one second-round pick. 

11. Dallas Mavericks: They shed Davis’ massive salary so they can go all in on building around Cooper Flagg. It was the right move. That said, it’s very sad that they traded a generational talent in Doncic to essentially end up with Max Christie, the No. 30 pick in the 2026 draft, the Lakers’ 2029 first, the Warriors’ first in 2030 (if 21-30) and three second-round picks. The Mavs hoped Davis was a win-now move, adding elite two-way talent to a team with Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson. But Davis’ campaign with the team was thwarted by numerous injuries.  

12. Memphis Grizzlies: The Grizzlies shed Jaren Jackson Jr.’s contract while gaining three first-round picks. They have a ton of financial flexibility and some valuable assets to start retooling their team. They didn’t find a buyer for Ja Morant, though. 

13. Utah Jazz: They acquired Jaren Jackson Jr. from Memphis in exchange for four players and three first-round picks. They’re clearly hoping to start competing next season, with Jackson joining Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler, Keyonte George and Ace Bailey. 

14. New Orleans Pelicans: The award for leaving your fanbase the most frustrated goes to this team. They’re 13-40 and have the second-worst record in the league, yet they didn’t sell big at the trade deadline. They traded Jose Alvarado to New York, but they still don’t have a first-round pick in the 2026 draft. 

15. Sacramento Kings: The deadline has come and gone and Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine are still with the team despite all of the chatter around them. They acquired De’Andre Hunter, but he’s not going to change things for this team.