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There is no sports league where trade deadline deals are more common than in the NBA. On Feb. 6, when it is the last day to make trades, all hell will break loose, as it does every year. In the modern NBA, every team gets in on the action during the trade deadline. In fact, each NBA team has made an average of 8.8 trade deadline deals over the last 10 years. That is nearly a trade per deadline.
Teams have been willing to make the moves necessary to either acquire the pieces necessary to compete now or to sell off their assets for pieces that can help in the future. With trade frequency being up recently, we were curious about which teams have made the most trade deadline deals over the last decade. We looked at the last day to make deals every year over the last 10 years to see exactly how many trade deadline deals each team has made.
Note: While there are plenty of trades that happen in the days leading up to the trade deadline, we only looked at the deals that occur on the actual last day to make moves.
Four to five trade deadline deals (2 teams)
Minnesota Timberwolves (4), Indiana Pacers (5)
The Minnesota Timberwolves have not jumped on the trend of making trade deadline deals, as they have the fewest over the last 10 years. The team has only made four trades on deadline day over that time. Two of those deals even came in the same year (2020), and one of them happened way back in 2015.
The team's most recent trade deadline deal (2023) was one of the biggest in recent memory. That move saw them completely switch up their core by moving on from D'Angelo Russell and Malik Beasley and bringing in Mike Conley and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. It was a polarizing but necessary trade that helped them reach the Western Conference Finals last season. Russell Westbrook was also moved in this megadeal.
The aforementioned 2015 trade was also important for the franchise, as that move brought back Kevin Garnett. The all-time great power forward was then able to retire with the team. The Indiana Pacers are the other team that doesn't believe in trade deadline trades like other teams do, as they've only made one more deal over the last 10 years than the Timberwolves. They might be switching up their philosophy, though, as they made two separate deals at the 2024 NBA trade deadline. The Pacers made a surprise run to the conference finals in their own right after the moves.
Six trade deadline deals (6)
New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls, Charlotte Hornets, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs
Fans of big market teams are always expecting a big trade, but the New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, and San Antonio Spurs have only made six trade deadline deals over the last 10 years despite all qualifying as some of the biggest and most prestigious teams in the NBA.
The Warriors, for example, are a team that hasn't needed to make too many trades that could be viewed as desperation moves. They've won four championships over the last 10 years, and while most contenders are looking to add talent to ensure victory, they've been so stacked that they haven't needed to make many deals.
The Lakers also have an NBA Finals victory over that time. Fans have often criticized the infrequency in which they've made trades while LeBron James has been on the team, though. Usually, LeBron-led teams have been very active in the trade market because he is such a generational talent.
All in all, with six teams having made six trade deadline deals over the last 10 years, this is the most common frequency in which teams make last-second trades.
Seven trade deadline deals (3)
Milwaukee Bucks, Utah Jazz, New Orleans Pelicans
The Milwaukee Bucks, Utah Jazz, and New Orleans Pelicans don't make a lot of trade deadline deals, but they make them count when they do. They've all been involved in some of the most impactful trade deadline deals of the last 10 years. The Bucks were included in the Kevin Durant trade in 2023, and the Jazz were a part of Mike Conley for D'Angelo Russell deal. Even the Pelicans were involved in the 2015 Goran Dragic trade that happened before megadeals were commonplace.
Eight trade deadline deals (4)
Brooklyn Nets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Dallas Mavericks
The Miami Heat are one of four teams that have made eight trade deadline deals over the last decade. Unlike the Dallas Mavericks and Brooklyn Nets, though, most of their trade deadline moves surprisingly came closer to 10 years ago rather than in the last few seasons.
It makes sense, too, as the team had to be active when LeBron James was on their team. The same goes for the Cleveland Cavaliers. The other team with eight trade deadline deals in recent memory was most active when James was suiting up for them and they were competing for championships. They've been somewhat quiet ever since.
Nine trade deadline deals (4)
Orlando Magic, Denver Nuggets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Memphis Grizzlies
Small to mid-market teams that find success have to be creative in how they build their rosters. The Orlando Magic, Denver Nuggets, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Memphis Grizzlies are all thriving right now despite not playing in the biggest of cities. Their smart and effective front offices can be credited with this success.
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Nine trade deadline deals over the last 10 years (nearly one a season), seems to be the key to success. Whether these teams were adding the pieces to get over the hump or looking to acquire draft capital, they always have always seemed to come out on top in trades.
For Denver, specifically, the trade deadline deal that landed them Aaron Gordon in 2021 has been one of the most impactful trade deadline deals of the last 10 years. Gordon has been the perfect fit alongside Nikola Jokic, and the trade led to the team winning the championship.
The Thunder, meanwhile, are known for executing perhaps the greatest rebuild in NBA history. They traded loads of veterans for tons of draft picks, and now the team is set up to thrive for years to come.
Ten trade deadline deals (3)
Washington Wizards, Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Clippers
Three teams make exactly one NBA trade deadline deal per year over the last 10 years (on average). Those teams are the Washington Wizards, Portland Trail Blazers, and Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers were most busy in 2023 when they made three separate trades for Bones Hyland, Mason Plumlee, and Eric Gordon.
Eleven trade deadline deals (2)
Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors
Only two teams have made exactly 11 trade deadline moves over the last decade. Those two teams are the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors. Of course, over this time, everyone came to learn that making trades with Danny Ainge (the Celtics decision-maker until 2021) was never a good idea. The Celtics fleeced a bunch of trade partners during his tenure in Boston.
Twelve trade deadline deals (3)
Atlanta Hawks, Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings
Kevin Durant has been traded twice, but only one of them came at the NBA trade deadline. The deal that sent him from the Nets to the Phoenix Suns went down as one of the biggest trade deadline deals ever. It makes sense, too, considering Durant is one of the greatest basketball players ever.
The Suns didn't just make one big deadline deal and call it quits, though. With 12 deadline deals over the last 10 years, the Suns are one of the most frequent deadline matchmakers in the league. Now, Phoenix is the frontrunner to land Jimmy Butler in a deal. Whether Butler is dealt in the weeks before the NBA trade deadline or on the last day to make deals is still to be determined, but it seems like a guarantee that he will be dealt eventually. The Suns just made a trade to acquire three first-round picks, and it seems like that deal was made to acquire the capital necessary for an eventual Butler deal.
Thirteen-plus trade deadline deals (3)
Detroit Pistons (13), Houston Rockets (14), Philadelphia 76ers (16)
The Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, and Philadelphia 76ers have taken trade deadline deals to another level. The 76ers, in particular, have a league-leading 16 deadline deals to their name over the last decade. The four deals they made at last year's deadline are the most in a single deadline over the last 10 years. The team started a roster makeover that continued with the busiest offseason in the NBA.
The team was active even before that, though, as they've made at least one deal on the last day to negotiate every year since 2015 except for in 2018. The 76ers are known for “The Process,” and regularly making deals was a big part of that infamous rebuild. The 76ers' biggest trade deadline deal ever occurred when they shipped out Ben Simmons to the Nets for James Harden. This came after one of many Harden trade requests, and the deal didn't really work out for either Brooklyn or Philadelphia.
The Pistons are an example of trade deadline sellers. Because they've been bad for most of the last 10 years, they've traded veterans for draft capital and young assets at a lot of recent trade deadlines.
