Now that the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline has passed, all 30 teams have their rosters set for the rest of the 2025-26 season. The lead-up to this campaign had many fans excited as there was plenty of roster shuffling during the summer, highlighted by the Kevin Durant trade and Myles Turner’s departure from Indiana following a run to the NBA Finals.
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s availability ahead of the deadline made for quite an interesting few days leading up to Feb. 5.
But, while he remains with the Milwaukee Bucks, there have been plenty of changes over the last few days, including the departure of Anthony Davis from Dallas and Jaren Jackson Jr. from the Grizzlies.
While some teams have seemingly improved, there were a few trades that left fans with a sour taste. Today, we will be looking at the five worst trades of the 2025-26 NBA season.
5 worst trades of the 2026 NBA trade season
1) Jared McCain to the OKC Thunder
Speaking ahead of the NBA trade deadline, 76ers star Joel Embiid had expressed his confidence in the current roster’s ability to compete, saying that he hopes to see the team make improvements ahead of the deadline.
Instead of adding more pieces to the board, Philadelphia traded Jared McCain, who was in the running to win Rookie of the Year last season, to the OKC Thunder.
Injury struggles have altered McCain’s trajectory, but he still had the tools to make an impact in Philadelphia, making this a questionable move.
2) Jonathan Kuminga to the Atlanta Hawks
The Jonathan Kuminga-Warriors saga finally came to an end as the Warriors sent the forward and Buddy Hield packing to the Atlanta Hawks for Kristaps Porzingis and a 2026 second-round pick. While this move looks good on paper, it comes with many risks.
The most obvious risk for Golden State is Porzingis’ persistent injury struggles and his POTS diagnosis, which means there is a solid chance of his availability being limited.
If Porzingis manages to stay fit, he solves many problems for the Warriors, but it is worth noting that he has only played more than 60 games in three out of 10 NBA seasons.
On the other hand, the Hawks have added another forward to a roster already overflowing with guards and wings. Kuminga could also hamper Jalen Johnson’s development, as both players play in the same position and operate from similar spots.
3) Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards have completely transformed their roster over the last month with the acquisition of Anthony Davis and Trae Young.
While this could turn out to be a solid move for the Wizards, the Dallas Mavericks’ updated return on the Luka Doncic trade makes that transaction seem even worse.
The team essentially traded Doncic for Max Christie, a 2029 first-round pick (Lakers), a 2026 first-round pick (OKC Thunder), a 2030 first-round pick (Golden State) and three second-round picks.
This return for Doncic, one of the best players in the league, will be tough to swallow for the fans. Moreover, Davis, who was supposed to be a win-now piece for the Mavericks, ended up playing just 29 games before being traded.
4) Chicago Bulls trade Coby White to the Charlotte Hornets
While Coby White’s departure from Chicago seemed inevitable, the general sentiment around this move is that the Bulls could have received a better package for the guard.
Collin Sexton is a solid two-way player, but the team already has a plethora of options at the guard position.
Moreover, Ousmane Dieng averages 4.2 points per game for his career, shooting 42.3%, making him somewhat of a non-factor. The three second-round picks the team received are unlikely to amount to much either.
5) De’Andre Hunter to the Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings acquired De’Andre Hunter in a trade that saw the team lose Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder, whom the team signed to a three-year, $44 million deal this summer.
Hunter is not the caliber of player that makes the Kings’ long-term or short-term prospects any better.
Furthermore, their veterans, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Domantas Sabonis, are still on the roster. Given the situation, many expected the Kings to blow it up, but the team made a move that had minimal impact on its direction.
Read More: Why didn’t Giannis Antetokounmpo get moved before the NBA Trade Deadline? Bucks’ reason revealed
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