Giannis or Davis? Bucks Mavericks Deadline Drama

The NBA trade deadline hits at 3 p.m. ET on Feb. 5, and salary rules are pushing more three‑ and four‑team deals that lean on cap‑friendly clubs like Brooklyn, Charlotte and Utah. The biggest dominoes are Milwaukee and Dallas — the Bucks have been "starting to listen" on Giannis and Anthony Davis has surfaced in rumors — while buyers such as New York and Golden State wait to see who moves. Sacramento started the week by acquiring De'Andre Hunter in a multi‑team swap. Merlin sees a marketplace built for clever engineering rather than pure blockbuster swaps. If a superstar flips, rosters shift dramatically; if not, expect depth pieces, draft assets and salary fillers to change hands. The Hunter deal is a reminder: the deadline often reshapes playoff depth more than it crowns a new king.