NBA Trade Deadline 2026: Clippers Send Zubac to Pacers, Bulls Deal Vučević to Celtics

The 2026 NBA trade deadline delivered significant roster movements across the league as contending teams made their final push to bolster championship aspirations. The Los Angeles Clippers made the biggest splash by trading starting center Ivica Zubac and forward Kobe Brown to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, a 2026 first-round pick from the Pacers protected 1-4 and 10-30, and a 2029 unprotected first-rounder. The move signals the Clippers' commitment to retooling around their core while acquiring promising young talent and valuable draft capital for future flexibility.

Zubac, who averaged 15.2 points and 12.4 rebounds per game this season, had been the Clippers' starting center for the past four seasons and provided reliable interior presence alongside stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. His departure leaves a significant void in Los Angeles' frontcourt, though the acquisition of Jackson provides some immediate rim protection. Mathurin, the sixth overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, brings explosive scoring ability and athleticism at just 23 years old. He averaged 18.7 points per game for Indiana this season and gives the Clippers a dynamic wing scorer who can create his own offense.

The Chicago Bulls executed their own major trade by sending two-time All-Star center Nikola Vučević to the Boston Celtics for guard Anfernee Simons and a second-round pick. Vučević, averaging 17.8 points and 10.3 rebounds this season, provides the defending champion Celtics with a skilled big man who can stretch the floor and create mismatches in the pick-and-roll. Boston's front office viewed the 34-year-old Montenegrin center as the missing piece to defend their championship after losing starting center Kristaps Porziņģis to a season-ending injury in January. The Bulls, meanwhile, continue their rebuild by acquiring the 25-year-old Simons, who brings scoring punch and playmaking from the backcourt.

Other notable deadline moves included the Warriors trading Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield to the Atlanta Hawks for veteran center Kristaps Porziņģis in a win-now move for Golden State. The Mavericks shocked the league by dealing All-Star Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards in a massive eight-player swap, while Los Angeles sent eleven-time All-Star guard James Harden to Cleveland for Darius Garland and a second-round pick. The Lakers' front office is betting on the younger Garland's playmaking and shooting to better complement their core moving forward.

Perhaps the biggest non-move came from Milwaukee, where the Bucks informed teams they have pulled Giannis Antetokounmpo from the trade block and will focus on other opportunities to improve the roster. The two-time MVP had been the subject of intense trade speculation after the Bucks struggled to a 28-25 record through mid-February. Milwaukee's decision to keep their franchise cornerstone signals confidence in their ability to turn the season around and make another championship push. As teams digest their new rosters with just weeks remaining before the playoffs, the trade deadline's impact will be closely monitored across the league.