The 2026 NBA trade deadline is a little over a week away, on February 5th at 3:00 p.m. ET. Last year, the Cavaliers swung big and sent Georges Niang, Caris LeVert, three second-round picks, and two pick swaps to the Atlanta Hawks for De’Andre Hunter.
Jrue Holiday, Ja Morant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Anthony Davis could all be on new teams come February 6th. Unfortunately, the NBA’s new financial restrictions make it hard for teams to trade star players during the season. The Cavaliers find themselves as the only team above the NBA’s second apron, meaning they cannot take back more salary than they send out in a trade, or aggregate salaries to match an incoming player.
While I find it unlikely that the Cavaliers make a huge move, Koby Altman has been one of the more active general managers in the NBA since taking over for former GM David Griffin in 2017. He has also shown that he is not afraid to make major changes in the middle of a season, such as the 2018 deadline, when it felt like half the roster was turned over in a 24-hour period to retool before Lebron James’ last finals appearance as a Cavalier.
There are very few players, I believe the Cavaliers would entertain trading. The emergence of Jaylon Tyson and Craig Porter Jr. makes trading De’Andre Hunter or Lonzo Ball plausible. The problem with Hunter is finding a trade partner for his 23 million dollar salary. Ball’s salary is a bit more palatable at 10 million. The hard part is finding a trade that works financially and is not just a lateral move. The phrase “shuffling deck chairs” is relevant here. Would trading Hunter or Ball for another player who plays their same position really make the Cavaliers better?
Pelicans forward Trey Muphy III is a player whom the Cavaliers could actually trade Hunter straight up for and make the finances work. He is having another strong year and would certainly be an upgrade over Hunter, whose three-point shooting has cratered this year. The problem is that New Orleans traded their 2026 unprotected lottery pick to the Hawks this summer, leaving them with little reason to trade players away to tank. Murphy is a cheap, cost-controlled player who they will probably want to keep around.
There are other names that could fit with the Cavaliers. Once again, though, are they worth it? Miles Bridges, Gary Trent Jr. and our old friend Collin Sexton could all be trade candidates. But I think it is more likely the Cavs simply count their injured players getting healthy as their trade deadline acquisitions.
The Cavaliers do have an open roster spot, so they could look to sign a buyout player or trade a second-round pick for one on a minimum salary. Last year, they signed Javonte Green after he was bought out by the Pelicans. He didn’t make a huge impact, but did provide wing depth down the stretch for the Cavs. Nae’Qwan Tomlin’s contract could also be converted from a two-way deal to a standard contract.
A player I would love to see get bought out and end his career with the Cavs is Kevin Love. The Jazz may look to play their younger players more in the second half of the season to ensure better lottery odds, leaving Love with an even smaller role than he already has. He wouldn’t have a huge role, but could be more effective than Larry Nance Jr has been up to this point.
I think it is most likely that the Cavaliers sit this trade deadline out. They may look to the buyout market for a depth piece, but nothing more. Depending upon what happens this spring in the playoffs, look for more major moves to be made this summer.
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