2025 in the NBA was a rollercoaster of emotions, vibes, and a whole lot of quality. We had teams become the darlings of the country only for them to come crashing down to earth in the Playoffs (Here’s looking at you Cleveland Cavaliers), we had teams confound expectations, and to add to it all, we had a first-time champion, with the Oklahoma City Thunder beating the Indiana Pacers to host the Larry O’Brien Trophy aloft.
However, 2025 also saw some of the most jaw-dropping, mind-boggling, and league-shattering trades that could alter the landscape of the NBA for years to come. It only serves to show that even franchise cornerstones are expendable if the situation demands it.
With that being said, we look at 10 such trades that made headlines in 2025.
On the face of it, this trade looks like another expensive mistake, given Durant is already 37 years old with a sketchy injury history and part of two failed superteams in the space of 3 years. But, dig deeper, and you will recognise that this is probably the best landing spot for the Slim Reaper.
Durantula still is one of the game’s most feared, effortless, and dangerous scorers, getting to his spot and making midrange shots with machine-like efficiency. Getting 26 points per game in 18 shots is still brilliant returns from a man who is no longer the same force as before. And the Houston Rockets have a slew of talented players around Durant to help him get the shots at his spots. With the likes of Amen Thomspon, Tari Eason, and Alperen Sengun around him, he has the players to facilitate and do the dirty work for him.
Durant has often been the victim of narratives about him not being the “main character” in the two championships he won with the Golden State Warriors. His stint at Houston could very well help him change that.
Boston’s loss turned out to be Atlanta’s gain. With the Celtics’ set back by the news of their lynchpin Jayson Tatum’s achilles injury, and the sword of the dreaded second apron looming upon them like a dark cloud, they set about dismantling their roster, sending the Latvian to Atlanta.
Acquiring Porzingis gives Atlanta their best shot of making the Playoffs after years of Play-in mediocrity and underperformance after making the Eastern Conference Final in 2020/21. The Latvian has his own health concerns, but was a positive addition in the Celtics side whenever he played. 19.5 PPG coupled with a fire-breathing 41% accuracy from 3-point attempts in 2024/25 makes him a very very handy addition. Add along his penchant for being a monster on the offensive rebounds, Hawks automatically become contenders in an Eastern Conference that has been at its weakest in years.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are currently between a rock and a hard place. Their post-season flameouts are not a secret across the league, and they are the most expensive roster in the league, well above the second apron as far as the luxury tax goes.
Add to that the injury suffered by starting point guard Darius Garland, and the Cavs have had to find ways to not only keep their contention window going, but also find a member who can seamlessly fit in their side from the first rep. So Cleveland offloaded Isaac Okoro to the Chicago Bulls, getting 2017 Number 2 pick Lonzo Ball in his place.
Now let’s be honest, Ball has had a cursed two years that saw him sit out of the league entirely due to a myriad of knee injuries and complications arising out of it, But when healthy, Ball is a savant of a playmaker who can score, shoot, pass, as well as defend. For context, whenever the Chicago Bulls had Lonzo Ball in the starting 5, they went on to outscore every team they played against. While the regular season will be an opportunity for Ball to manage his minutes as he gets back to full health, his impact will be huge come the Playoffs, which is where the Cavs will be judged.
The Orlando Magic are your classic throwback to the NBA teams of the 2000’s. A team of physical bruisers who pride on their defensive identity and force teams to play and find ways to score that are out of your comfort zone. And while all that is well and good, the modern-day NBA will not gain you success unless there is a bit of a 3-point sprinkling thrown in the mix.
Unfortunately, the Magic were the absolute worst in the league last season when it came to 3-point shooting, having just made 31.8% of their 3’s. Those are diabolical numbers, especially given the fact that this is a team that has Playoffs aspirations of their own. Which is why acquiring Desmond Bane in the offseason was a very shrewd decision by the Magic.
Bane is a sharpshooter of the highest order, with a career 40.8% 3-point percentage and is coming off a 39.2% 3-point shooting season for the Memphis Grizzlies. Both those numbers are more than the entire shooting numbers of the Orlando Magic. In a weakened Eastern Conference, the difference between making the Conference Final and missing the Playoffs could be Desmond Bane.
The Lakers’ need for a centre was well-documented ever since they let Anthony Davis go to the Dallas Mavericks in THAT trade (more on that later). And that is exactly what happened. The Lakers went in and brought in 2018 Number.1 pick DeAndre Ayton.
Ayton at his best is a disruptor that can provide an effortless 18-20 points a game while also being a force on the rebounds at both ends. And with the start that Ayton has had in the Purple and Gold so far, it has been a trade that has been positive to say the least.
Another one of the Laker acquisitions that indicates a shift to a much more defense-oriented style of play this season. Marcus Smart is a former Defensive Player of the Year winner who epitomises the hustle play and will put his body on the line to give his side an extra possession.
Smart’s presence gives the Lakers a much more rugged and disruptive presence, which is a nice contrast to the maverick attacking qualities of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
Throwback to earlier this year. The Cavs were seemingly unstoppable, peeling off 10+ game winning streaks as effortlessly as breathing. Yet there were murmurs around the need for the Cavs to upgrade their quality of options on the wing, with Caris Levert blowing hot and cold.
So, off went the Cavs and brought in DeAndre Hunter from the Atlanta Hawks. Hunter was amid a career-high season in terms of accuracy from the 3-point line, and given his athletic ability to defend every position, it felt like the Cavs were on to something special. Until the Playoffs burnout that is.
San Antonio Spurs were a tanking team, until they got their hands on the phenomenal and otherworldly French pyromancer Victor Wembanyama. But even he can take the franchise only up to a certain level. He needed a running mate to take the Spurs to the next level.
So they went ahead and brought in DeAaron Fox. To say Fox is quick is an understatement, because Fox is lightning quick and can drive to the basket at will. He also can dish well, with close to 7 assists a game in his last three seasons, he is the perfect partner to Victor Wembanyama as Spurs look to get back to dynastic ways.
If there was any one trade that changed the landscape of the NBA in an irreversible way, it is THIS one. Out of nowhere, the Lakers got their hands on arguably the most lethal modern-day scorer who borders on otherworldly. In Luka Doncic, the Purple and Gold have got the basketball version of the Prince who was Promised to succeed the King, who is slowly and steadily laying down his weapons to the inevitable Father Time.
Luka is a phenom. He can score, and then he can score some more. The fact that Dallas let him go for next to nothing speaks volumes about how easily the Lakers got him right in their laps.
In just a flash, Dallas went from a contender to a team that will fight for play-in spots. However, if THE BROW does play to his all-dominant self that can nullify attacks all by himself like in his New Orleans and earlier Laker days, Dallas will be a solid force in the West.
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