Warriors and Lakers take action to compete, Clippers build for the future

There were some big NBA trades ahead of Thursday’s deadline.

But THE big trade did not take place.

The frontrunners in the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes – Golden State, Miami and Minnesota – were unable to entice Milwaukee to pull the trigger on a deal for their big man, paving the way for a wild offseason.

That said, some big names were moved before the deadline, including Anthony Davis, James Harden and Kristaps Porzingis.

Here’s a look at what the Western Conference looks like after one of the craziest times on the NBA calendar.

CHAMPIONSHIP PARTICIPANTS

1. Oklahoma City Thunder: The defending champions have the best record in the West and have gotten even better. They acquired Jared McCain, which strengthens their ball-handling and perimeter shooting. Not to mention the Clippers are selling James Harden to Cleveland in exchange for Darius Garland, since they own the Clippers’ unprotected first-round pick for 2026. (The further the Clippers fall in the standings, the better for them.) The Thunder are the team to watch in June – and beyond.

2. San Antonio Tracks: After making a splashy move to acquire De’Aaron Fox at the trade deadline last year, the Spurs wanted to move forward with their current roster this time around. With Victor Wembanyama and Fox, they have firmly established themselves as contenders, perhaps even sooner than expected.

3. Denver Nuggets: They made a smart move by selling Hunter Tyson to Brooklyn, which saves them money and doesn’t hurt their bottom line. They have an extra roster spot and can assess the buyout market. Look out for Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and co. trying to compete for their second championship after winning it all in 2023.

FRANGE PARTICIPANTS

4. Houston Rockets: The Rockets made waves when they acquired Kevin Durant in the offseason and immediately became title contenders. But injuries have greatly hampered those hopes, with Fred VanVleet suffering a torn ACL in September and Steven Adams requiring season-ending surgery on his left ankle last month.

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5. Minnesota Timberwolves: After it became clear they wouldn’t land Antetokounmpo, they changed course and traded for Ayo Dosunmu, who should strengthen their bench. Dosunmu is a two-way player averaging 15 points, including career-highs in field goal percentage (51.4 percent) and 3-point percentage (45.1 percent). After losing Nickeil Alexander-Walker last summer, the addition of Dosunmu makes their bench much stronger.

6. Los Angeles Lakers: It’s no secret that the Lakers are looking forward to the offseason, where they will have three first-round picks and plenty of expiring contracts, giving them the flexibility to build around Luka Doncic. But if Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves can develop a rhythm, they could be dangerous in the playoffs. They acquired Luka Kennard, a great three-point shooter. But defensively, they still have some major issues that need to be addressed.

PLAY-IN-TEAMS

7. Phoenix Suns: They may be the biggest surprise in the league this season. They have far exceeded expectations since trading Durant and waiving Bradley Beal, and sit in seventh place with a 31-20 record. The Suns have taken a few steps before the deadline to put themselves under the luxury tax threshold. This is a sleeper team to watch.

8. Golden State Warriors: They were ready to empty the cupboard for Antetokounmpo, including a willingness to trade Draymond Green, who was previously considered untradeable. But alas, the Bucks were just a giant blight and Steph Curry didn’t get his dream running mate. At least the Warriors have gotten rid of their Jonathan Kuminga problem, trading him to Atlanta for Kristaps Porzingis. It was a good move for the Warriors as Kuminga was reduced to a bench ornament. If Porzingis can get healthy, it could be a very good move.

9. Portland Trailblazers: They were expected to be bigger buyers, with the only move being the acquisition of Atlanta sharpshooter Vit Krejci. Is this useful? Yes. Will this be the game changer for a franchise competing in a very busy, injury-hampered West? No.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

10. LA Clippers: Goodbye James Harden and Ivica Zubac. And goodbye to any chance of Kawhi Leonard playing meaningful basketball this season after leading the team on a 17-5 run after their dismal 6-21 start. The Clippers are clearly looking to their future. They acquired Darius Garland, who is 10 years younger than Harden but is dealing with a toe injury, as well as 23-year-old Bennedict Mathruin, two first-round picks and one second-round pick.

11.Dallas Mavericks: They’re forking out Davis’ massive salary so they can fully focus on building around Cooper Flagg. It was the right move. That said, it’s very sad that they traded away a generational talent in Doncic only to end up with Max Christie, the No. 30 pick in the 2026 draft, the Lakers’ first in 2029, the Warriors’ first in 2030 (if 21-30) and three picks in the second round. The Mavs hoped Davis was a win-now move, adding elite two-way talent to a team with Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson. But Davis’ campaign with the team was thwarted by numerous injuries.

12. Memphis Grizzlies: The Grizzlies signed Jar Jackson Jr.’s contract. while receiving three first-round picks. They have a lot of financial flexibility and a number of valuable assets to reshape their team. However, they found no buyer for Ja Morant.

13.Utah Jazz: They took Jaren Jackson Jr. from Memphis in exchange for four players and three first-round picks. They’re clearly hoping to compete next season, with Jackson joining Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler, Keyonte George and Ace Bailey.

14. New Orleans Pelicans: The award for leaving your fanbase most frustrated goes to this team. They are 13-40 and have the second-worst record in the league, yet they didn’t sell much at the trade deadline. They traded Jose Alvarado to New York, but they still don’t have the first pick in the 2026 draft.

15. Sacramento Kings: The deadline has passed and Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine are still with the team despite all the talk surrounding them. They acquired De’Andre Hunter, but he’s not going to change anything for this team.