How did a frenetic NBA trade deadline shake up the plans of seven lottery-bound franchises?
While about 75% of the league pushes for the postseason, a handful of rebuilding teams are already positioning themselves for June's heralded draft, headlined by Duke's Cooper Flagg and the Rutgers freshmen duo of Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey.
A few teams in this group are also expected to boast massive amounts of salary cap space (as much as $60 million) to chase stars this summer, during the 2025-26 season and beyond.
Let's take stock of what each team did leading up to the Feb. 6 deadline, what it means for their offseason plans and which of their younger stars are expected to get extended run in the second half of the season. (We're listing the teams in order by their lottery odds heading into Tuesday's action, as projected by ESPN Analytics.)
Jump to a team:
Wizards | Jazz | Hornets | Pelicans
Nets | Raptors | Trail Blazers
1. Washington Wizards (9-44)
Chance at No. 1 pick: 14%
Chance at top-5 pick: 91.4%
What's new after the trade deadline?
The Wizards made a series of moves designed to add to their stockpile of draft picks, including sending several second-rounders to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for a late first-rounder in 2026, and getting Memphis' 2025 first-rounder -- another late first selection -- to take on Marcus Smart's salary for next season. -- Tim Bontemps
How have the Wizards' draft plans changed?
