The list of NBA players that might get traded before the 3 p.m. Eastern deadline on Thursday is a long one, according to Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo.
It includes ... well, basically everybody.
鈥淭his is the world we鈥檙e living in,鈥� Antetokounmpo said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a business. You have to understand this. Nobody鈥檚 safe. Nobody鈥檚 safe.
After this weekend, he might be right.
It's hard to envision a bigger stunner than the first deal that went down over the weekend 鈥� and Anthony Davis is now with the Dallas Mavericks, the first time that two reigning All-NBA players were traded for one another in-season. That move overshadowed another one that, under normal circumstances, would have been seismic: to join with Zach LaVine leaving Chicago for the Kings.
Fox was an All-NBA selection two years ago. LaVine is a two-time All-Star. And when adding in D'Angelo Russell getting moved by the Lakers to Brooklyn in late December, that's five current or former All-Stars that have been traded already this season.
鈥淣ormally when you trade a star you get a bunch of junk back," Hall of Famer and NBA analyst Charles Barkley said on NBA TV, . "This is the first time I can remember when you鈥檝e got two All-NBA players traded for each other.鈥�
To Antetokounmpo鈥檚 point, if Doncic 鈥� until now, the player who replaced Dirk Nowitzki in that role with the Mavericks, someone who took his team to the NBA Finals last season 鈥� can get moved, then yes, it can be argued that any player can get moved.
The Spurs probably won鈥檛 be trading Wembanyama anytime soon, especially now that they鈥檝e landed Fox to play alongside the French center. Golden State would only trade a franchise icon like Stephen Curry if he asked to be moved, which doesn鈥檛 seem likely. The Lakers鈥� LeBron James and Phoenix鈥檚 Bradley Beal have no-trade clauses, meaning they control their own destinies to a certain extent.
But for everyone else, getting a middle-of-the-night call from a general manager 鈥� like the ones Dallas' Nico Harrison tried to place to Doncic in the wee hours of Sunday, all of them going unanswered 鈥� is at least possible.
鈥淎t the end of the day, and I鈥檝e said this in the past, you get evaluated every single day,鈥� Antetokounmpo said. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 take nothing for granted. Being an All-Star, you don鈥檛 take it for granted. Being able to go out there and put on the jersey and represent your team, you don鈥檛 take that for granted. Being out there and representing your family, you don鈥檛 take that for granted. Every second that you play an NBA game, I love it. I try to play with joy.鈥�
another past All-Star and All-NBA selection in and desperately seeking a way out of Miami. He has as many game appearances in the last month as he does team suspensions 鈥� three games, three suspensions.
For Butler to get moved, with Phoenix believed to be his preferred destination, it鈥檚 very possible that another All-Star-caliber player 鈥� or at least someone with a big salary 鈥� would have to be changing addresses as well simply to make the contract math work.
鈥淚t鈥檚 surprising, for sure,鈥� Philadelphia coach Nick Nurse said of superstar-level players like Doncic and Davis getting traded. 鈥淏ut I think there鈥檚 been a lot of stars moving in recent years that we鈥檝e all been surprised by and all that kind of stuff.鈥�
More big things could still happen. Some teams that are out of the playoff hunt, could make deals to collect assets and think about the future. Others might add a piece or two in an effort to win now.
Nobody knows what other surprises might be looming, especially with a slew of teams that are in the playoff 鈥� or play-in 鈥� chase thinking about which players could be acquired to help their postseason odds.
鈥淭he play-in part of it lets the competition last longer," said Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff, whose Pistons are squarely in the Eastern Conference play-in mix. "And more teams are competing for those spots longer into the season. The past, what, four or five years, we鈥檝e had a different champion. So now, everybody feels like they鈥檝e got a shot at it. They're making moves so that they can go and get it. I think that鈥檚 great for the league.鈥�
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AP Sports Writer Steve Megargee in Milwaukee and AP freelance writer Matthew DeGeorge in Philadelphia contributed to this report.
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AP NBA:
Tim Reynolds, The Associated Press
