Cleveland opened a crucial week atop the East with a bang, becoming the first team to 40 wins.
Today’s Edition: More on the Luka-AD trade, top reads from around the league last week & what’s coming in a pivotal week
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
Feb. 3, 2025
Sunday Statements: The Cavs erupt, the C’s rally, the Grizzlies roar and more
The Luka-AD Blockbuster: Breaking down the trade that sent shockwaves through the NBA
Reads of the Week: Catch up on a few of last week’s top stories from around the NBA world, with the 2025 NBA All-Star player pool set
What’s Trending – East: A pivotal week for the East’s top 3 teams on the national stage
What’s Trending – West: A Playoff race full of stars is bringing out their best
BUT FIRST … ⏰
More trade buzz, with the deadline approaching…
Reports: The Spurs have reportedly acquired De’Aaron Fox, while the Kings have landed Zach LaVine as part of a 3-team trade between San Antonio, Sacramento and Chicago.
Trade Tracker: With the NBA trade deadline brewing (Thursday at 3 p.m. ET), you can catch every official deal here.
The 2025 NBA All-Star Draft will be conducted live during the TNT pregame show on Thursday at 6:30 ET, with the Inside the NBA crew serving as team GMs.
Plus, the Castrol Rising Stars Draft takes place on Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET (NBA App / on social platforms @NBA).
10 games tip off tonight, including an NBA TV doubleheader as the Knicks host the Rockets (7:30 ET) before the Magic face the Warriors (10 ET).
1. CAVS REACH 40 WINS, C’s STORM BACK, GRIZZLIES KEEP ROLLING
On Sunday, the top two teams in the East stamped statement wins.
Cavaliers 144, Mavericks 101: In an offensive explosion, the Cavs dropped 91 points in the 1st half and splashed a franchise-record 26 3s on their way to a 43-point win over Dallas, marking Cleveland’s 40th win this season. | Recap
- The Cavs’ All-Star trio of Evan Mobley (22 pts, 11 reb, 4 blk), Darius Garland (17 pts, 10 ast) and Donovan Mitchell (12 pts, 6 ast) only needed three quarters to leave their mark
- Early Eruption: Cleveland dropped 51 in the 1st quarter on its way to 91 at the break – marking both its highest-scoring quarter and half in the play-by-play era (since 1997-98)
- Historic Half: In that same span, only two other teams have scored 91+ points in a half – the 2018-19 Warriors (92) and the 2022-23 Nets (91)
- Race To 40: The Cavs are the first team to 40 wins this season, doing so in just 49 games – the fastest in franchise history
Celtics 118, 76ers 110: After trailing by 26 late in the 3rd quarter, the defending champs flipped a switch, outscoring Philly 38-16 in the 4th to stun the Sixers, despite Tyrese Maxey’s fifth-straight 30-piece (34 pts). | Recap
- JT Takes Over: Jayson Tatum (35 pts, 7 reb, 11 ast) poured in 25 2nd-half points to fuel the rally, matching the largest comeback this season
- “We had a choice to make,” said Tatum on the Celtics’ mindset when trailing. “But it brought the best out of us.”
Grizzlies 132, Bucks 119: Without Ja Morant for a second straight game, Jaren Jackson Jr. stepped up and showed out with 37 points on seven 3s as Memphis pulled away from Giannis Antetokounmpo (30 pts, 11 reb, 7 ast) and the Bucks for its eighth win in nine games. | Recap
- New No. 2: With the victory, the Grizzlies jumped the Rockets for 2nd place in the West
Pistons 127, Bulls 119: Cade Cunningham carved up Chicago’s defense with 22 points and 15 dimes as the Pistons outlasted the Bulls. Nikola Vučević posted a triple-double in the loss (20 pts, 10 ast, 11 reb). | Recap
Raptors 115, Clippers 108: After seeing their five-game win streak end at the hands of the Bulls on Friday, the Raptors rebounded for their sixth win in seven games behind RJ Barrett’s 20 points and 7 assists. | Recap
2. A WEEKEND BLOCKBUSTER: LUKA TRADED TO LAKERS FOR AD
On Saturday, the Lakers topped the red-hot Knicks at MSG, improving Los Angeles to a season-best 8-2 in its last 10 games.
Hours later, the NBA was rocked by reports of a monumental trade — marking the first time two reigning All-NBA players were swapped midseason.
On Sunday, it became official: The Mavericks have traded Luka Dončić to the Lakers for Anthony Davis as part of a 3-team, 6-player deal:
- Lakers Receive: Dončić, Maxi Kleber, Markieff Morris
- Mavs Receive: Davis, Max Christie, 2029 1st-round pick
- Jazz Receive: Jalen Hood-Schifino, 2025 2nd-round pick, 2025 2nd-round pick (via Clippers)
What are the Lakers getting?
Dončić is a playmaking master with five All-NBA First-Team nods at just 25 years old and the third-highest scoring average of all-time (28.6 ppg).
- Legendary Pace: Only two other players have earned 5+ All-NBA First-Team selections at age 25 or younger — Kevin Durant and Tim Duncan
- Last season, Luka became the first player in NBA history to record 450+ pts, 150+ rebs, 150+ ast and 50+ 3s in a single postseason, while leading Dallas to its first Finals appearance since 2011
- This season, Dončić is averaging the 5th-most ppg in the NBA (28.1) and the 8th-most assists (7.8) but hasn’t played since suffering a calf strain on Christmas Day
What are the Mavs getting?
Davis is an interior force. At 31 years old, the 6-foot-10 big has 10 All-Star selections to his name, along with a ring, as he led the Lakers to the 2020 NBA title.
- Defensive Anchor: Davis has also made five NBA All-Defensive teams and led the NBA in blocks per game in three different seasons (2014, 2015, 2017)
- This season, AD is on pace to record the ninth 20+ point, 10+ rebound campaign of his career, with current averages of 25.7 points and 11.9 boards
- Elite Company: Only 11 other players in NBA history have accomplished such a feat – all Hall of Famers – with the last being Kevin Garnett
How do they fit in with their new squads?
Luka can not only boost a Lakers offense that ranks 17th in scoring but also ease the burden on a 40-year-old LeBron James while serving as the franchise’s next cornerstone.
- “Luka is a one-of-a-kind, young global superstar who will lead this franchise for years to come,” said Lakers GM Rob Pelinka on Sunday
- “His killer instincts and commitment to winning championships will be a driving force for the team.”
AD adds an elite rim presence on both ends for Dallas, which already boasts one of the best frontcourts in the NBA in Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II (who suffered a right ankle stress fracture last week).
- “We think defense wins championships, and we’re bringing in one of the best two-way players in the league,” said Mavs GM Nico Harrison on Davis. “We feel like we’re built to win now as well as in the future.”
- Diver Deeper: See Shaun Powell’s 5 takeaways on the deal here
3. CATCHING UP AROUND THE NBA: ALL-STARS SET, TOP READS OF THE WEEK
From the unveiling of All-Star reserves to Nikola Jokić’s viral never-look pass, last week had no shortage of big moments. With a special All-Star Weekend on the horizon (Feb. 14-16), let’s catch up on some of the top reads from the last week of January.
- Strength Of Schedule: Breaking down the strength of every team’s upcoming schedule in February – John Schuhmann, NBA.com
- The Rockets’ Rise: Ime Udoka on how Houston isn’t sneaking up on anybody anymore – Ken Powtak. AP/NBA.com
- Looking To Inspire: ESPN will have an all-Black broadcast crew for the Spurs at Hawks game on Wednesday – Lauren Williams, AJC
- Cool Cat: ‘Jordan Poole might be the NBA’s biggest cat guy. For real.’ – Candace Buckner, WaPo
- KD’s Influence: As Durant nears 30k points, teammates glow about his scoring prowess. – Tim MacMahon, ESPN
4. WHAT’S TRENDING: A PIVOTAL WEEK ATOP THE EAST
Last Monday, the East-leading Cavs found themselves on their worst skid of the season, having dropped three straight games with the defending champion Celtics and surging Knicks closing the gap atop the standings.
Seven days later, the Cavs are back to their winning ways with four straight Ws, but the race in the East is far from over – and this week proves critical for its leading contenders, who all take the national stage.
- 3rd vs. 3rd: Seeking its sixth win in seven outings, New York – just 2.5 games back of Boston for 2nd place – enters the spotlight tonight against the West’s 3rd-place Rockets (7:30 ET, NBA TV)
- Top Two Collide: After cutting the Cavs’ lead to 4.5 games last week, the C’s are now 5.5 back from 1st place but can make up ground on Tuesday when they visit Cleveland in a massive Round 3 rubber match (7:30 ET, TNT)
- Finals Rematch: On Thursday, the Celtics host Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis and the new-look Mavs in a Finals rematch at TD Garden (7:30 ET, TNT), where they beat Dallas in Game 5 to win the title
- ABC Saturday Showdown: Two days later, the C’s take on the Knicks at MSG in a classic rivalry and another crucial East matchup (8:30 ET, ABC)
Cleveland, Boston & New York all boast multiple All-Stars, highlighted by the Cavs, who lead the league with three selections in Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland and Evan Mobley.
- Wine & Gold Shining: It’s just the fourth time in Cavs history they’ll have three All-Stars, and coach Kenny Atkinson will join them to represent the East
- The C’s Jays: Jayson Tatum earned his sixth straight selection and fifth as a starter, while Jaylen Brown joined him as a reserve
- NY History: Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson each earned their first All-Star starts, becoming the first Knicks duo to do so since Walt Frazier and Earl Monroe in 1974-75
Rapidly Rising: Another duo is also making noise in the East, as Pascal Siakam and Tyrese Haliburton have last year’s East Finalist playing their best ball of the season.
- Full Stride: After a 10-15 start, the 4th-place Pacers have won 17 of their last 22 games, including an NBA-best 11-2 record since the New Year
- In that stretch, they rank fourth in scoring (120.5 ppg) and first in assists (30.8), leading to the second-best NetRtg (9.8) in the NBA – trailing only OKC
5. WHAT’S TRENDING: STARS SHINING AMID WILD WEST RACE
From future faces of the league to all-time greats, the West race is packed with stars — and the conference leader’s go-to guy is shining as bright as anyone right now.
One week after dropping a career-high 54 points, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander poured in 52 last Wednesday, capping a monster month for the Kia MVP Ladder leader.
- Scoring Spree: SGA closed January averaging 35.6 ppg – the third-highest scoring month of any player since January 2020 (min. 13 GP)
- North Star: He also became the first Canadian-born player to drop multiple regular season 50-pieces and just the third Thunder/SuperSonic to do so, joining Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant
- New Year, Same Thunder: OKC only trails Indy for the best win percentage since Jan. 1 (73.3%), as it leads the West with a 38-9 overall record
Behind the Thunder, two teams have begun to separate themselves from the pack – the Grizzlies (6) and Rockets (6.5), who are separated by just a half-game as they battle for the No. 2 seed.
- Roaring Grizz: After dropping its first three games against Houston this season, Memphis beat the Rockets on Thursday amid their current 8-1 run
- Iron Sharpens Iron: Meanwhile, despite back-to-back losses, Houston has reeled off 10 wins in its last 14 games
Just 7.5 games separate the 4th-place Nuggets and 12th-place Spurs, with a pair of generational bigs at polar ends of the spectrum and the NBA’s all-time leading scorer wedged in between, as the Lakers make a push.
- Joker Brilliance: Leading Denver to a 10-4 record since Jan. 1, Nikola Jokić ranks second on the Kia MVP Ladder with an NBA-best 22 triple-doubles
- A Class Of His Own: The second-most triple doubles this season? LeBron James, with 10. For reference, Jokić has had 9 since the start of 2025.
- Speaking of LeBron, Los Angeles is also climbing with six wins in its last seven outings to move one game back of Denver
- California Clashes: One game behind the Lakers? The Clippers, who host their crosstown rivals on Tuesday (10 ET, TNT), before the Purple & Gold face Steph Curry’s Warriors on Thursday (10 ET, TNT)
- Lookout Below: The Lakers aren’t the only team with a new game-breaking point guard, as Victor Wembanyama – fresh off his first All-Star nod – and the Spurs look to make a run after reportedly acquiring De’Aaron Fox
Shining Horizon: As a slew of teams race for postseason position, two superstar teammates amid the chase are also eyeing major milestones this week.
- KD’s Quest: Durant enters Monday just 53 points shy of becoming the eighth player all-time to join the 30,000 career points club
- Book’s Suns Summit: Meanwhile, Devin Booker is just 23 points away from passing Walter Davis (15,666) for the most in Suns history
- Milestone Watch: Phoenix is in Portland tonight (10 ET, LP) before traveling to OKC on Wednesday (9:30 ET, ESPN) and hosting Utah on Friday (10 ET, ESPN). When will we see history?
