New York Knicks guard Miles McBride (abdominal) will undergo surgery on Friday on a core muscle injury, commonly referred to as a sports hernia, and he could be sidelined until the playoffs, according to reports from Fred Katz and James L. Edwards III. McBride was averaging 28 minutes per game this season for New York, producing 12.9 points, 2.8 assists, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.9 3PM per contest. The Knicks added Jose Alvarado from the Pelicans to help cover for his absence, while Tyler Kolek and Jordan Clarkson will still fill in depth minutes behind Jalen Brunson as well. The Knicks will hope to get McBride back for the playoffs, but they have the depth to cover until he's back. In most re-draft leagues, better options than McBride are available, so there's no need to hold him in an injury spot.

The New Orleans Pelicans are trading guard Jose Alvarado to the New York Knicks in exchange for Dalen Terry, two second-round picks, and cash. The Knicks will get a defense-oriented backup point guard that will give their second unit great energy, especially with the news that Miles McBride will undergo surgery for a sports hernia and could be out until the playoffs. It will be a homecoming for Alvarado, who is from New York, and should quickly be a fan favorite at Madison Square Garden. The fifth-year guard was averaging 7.9 points, 3.1 assists, 2.8 rebounds, and 0.9 steals in 21.9 minutes per game this season, and with him on the move, rookie Jeremiah Fears should get more work off the bench for the Pelicans, who continue to go with a starting five that doesn't have a true point guard. Alvarado may not be as prolific a scorer as McBride, but his role off the Knicks' bench could boost his fantasy value slightly.

Denver Nuggets forward Peyton Watson (hamstring) was forced to leave Wednesday's game after injuring his hamstring, and the breakout star could miss significant time, depending on the results of an MRI. Watson averaged 21.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 36.1 minutes per game in his 18 games since the start of 2026, and he has helped the Nuggets fill in for multiple injuries. Nikola Jokic is back, but Watson was still helping to fill in for Aaron Gordon (hamstring) and Cameron Johnson (knee). If Watson also misses time, Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr. will have to step into more involved roles. The Nuggets also converted Spencer Jones' two-way contract into a standard deal, which would allow him to help fill in as well.

The Indiana Pacers are trading center Isaiah Jackson to the Los Angeles Clippers in a deal that includes Ivica Zubac and Bennedict Mathurin, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. Jackson has spent the first five seasons of his career in Indiana, averaging 7.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 0.7 assists in 15 minutes per game. With the Clippers trading Zubac, the center position has opened up with 37-year-old Brook Lopez and rookie Yanic Konan Niederhauser. Jackson is likely to come off the bench for the Clippers and is not expected to see his fantasy value improve in this deal.

Milwaukee Bucks forward/center Giannis Antetokounmpo was the biggest name on the market this year at the NBA Trade Deadline, but it looks like the perennial All-Star will stay in Milwaukee for the rest of the season. ESPN's Shams Charania reports that the Bucks have indicated to teams that they are keeping Giannis Antetokounmpo through the trade deadline. Ultimately, it seems the team is convinced they can get more for their superstar by trading him after the season, when teams have more assets available. Giannis has been sidelined by a calf injury, and he will now be in a tricky situation in which the team would likely rather improve its draft stock by resting him, but he'll be looking to return and compete to raise his offseason value. The Bucks and other teams in talks for Giannis have begun making other deals before the deadline, which indicates the star won't be on the move, at least until this coming offseason, when the rumor mill will get fired back up again.

The Indiana Pacers are trading guard Bennedict Mathurin to the Los Angeles Clippers in a deal that includes center Ivica Zubac, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. Mathurin has spent the first four seasons of his career with the Pacers, averaging 16.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in just under 29 minutes per game. The former sixth-overall pick is heading to Los Angeles, where his offensive production should decrease with Kawhi Leonard, Darius Garland, and John Collins all expected to be key pieces moving forward. With Mathurin out of Indiana, Johnny Furphy will look to start in his place, while Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith should see slight boosts as well.

The Los Angeles Clippers are trading center Ivica Zubac to the Indiana Pacers, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. Zubac has spent the past eight seasons with the Clippers and has played his best basketball over the past two seasons, averaging nearly 16 points and 12 rebounds per game. With the Clippers looking to rebuild and shed these expiring contracts, Zubac heads out of Los Angeles for the first time in his career. After the Pacers lost center Myles Turner in free agency, they've relied on Jay Huff to start this season, so expect Huff's role to change. For the remainder of the 2025-26 season, Zubac should see his offensive production improve as injuries to Tyrese Haliburton and Obi Toppin impact the Pacers lineup. For the Clippers, Brook Lopez should move into the starting lineup, with Yanic Konan Niederhauser stepping up as well.

The Los Angeles Lakers have traded guard Gabe Vincent and a second-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Luke Kennard. Vincent has spent the last three seasons with the Lakers, averaging 5.6 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in over 20 minutes per game. He has struggled mightily on offense in 2025-26, scoring on less than 35% of his shot attempts and just over 25% of his 2PA's. Vincent is likely to come off the bench in Atlanta, with guards Dyson Daniels and C.J. McCollum carrying most of the minutes and shot attempts in this backcourt. The veteran guard hopes to bounce back in Atlanta, but remains outside of fantasy relevance for now.

The Atlanta Hawks are trading guard Luke Kennard to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Gabe Vincent and a second-round pick. Kennard signed with the Hawks on a one-year deal this past offseason and has averaged 7.9 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in just over 20 minutes per game. He adds much-needed shooting for the Lakers, as Kennard leads the NBA in three-point percentage at a whopping 49.7%. The Lakers currently rank 20th in three-point percentage and have struggled to find production off the bench this season. While he lacks a fantasy ceiling due to his limited role, Kennard should be a key producer for the Lakers as they chase their 18th NBA title.

The Chicago Bulls are trading guard Ayo Dosunmu to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Rob Dillingham, Leonard Miller, and four second-round picks. Dosunmu has spent the first five seasons of his career in Chicago, averaging 10.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 3.3 assists. His ascension was on display this season, as he averaged a career-high 15.0 points per game in 45 games. With Minnesota trading Mike Conley Jr. and now Dillingham, Dosunmu will compete for minutes at the point guard position alongside Donte DiVincenzo, who has started in every game this season for Minnesota. For Chicago, the rebuild continues, as Dosunmu's departure opens the door for newly acquired Jaden Ivey and Collin Sexton to take over the share left behind.

The Charlotte Hornets have acquired point guard Tyus Jones from the Orlando Magic for cash considerations. The team also picked up a couple of second-round draft picks in the deal. Jones is a skilled playmaker, but things didn't work out for him in Orlando after he signed with the team as a free agent during the offseason. Across 48 appearances, he made only eight starts and averaged 3.0 points and 2.4 assists in 15.7 minutes. With LaMelo Ball entrenched as the starting point guard and the arrivals of Coby White and Mike Conley from Chicago, Jones' fantasy prospects are unlikely to improve in Charlotte.

The Chicago Bulls have acquired forward/center Guerschon Yabusele from the New York Knicks in exchange for forward Dalen Terry, SNY's Alex Smith reports. Sources have told SNY's Ian Begley that the Bulls plan to keep Yabusele and see how he fits with the team's guards. After a good comeback campaign in the NBA with Philadelphia in 2024-25, Yabusele had a frustrating time in New York. He was limited to 8.9 minutes per game, averaging 2.7 points and 2.1 rebounds. The Frenchman should have a larger role in the Bulls' frontcourt after the team traded Nikola Vucevic to Boston, at least until Zach Collins (toe) returns to the rotation. However, Yabusele still won't offer much fantasy value as Jalen Smith's backup.

The Toronto Raptors have picked up center Trayce Jackson-Davis from the Golden State Warriors in exchange for a 2026 second-round draft pick. The 25-year-old is departing his original team after being the 57th pick in the 2023 draft. As a reserve big, Jackson-Davis did some good work in San Francisco, averaging 6.6 points and 4.6 rebounds in 15.1 minutes per game. This season, he was limited to 4.2 points and 3.1 boards in 11.4 minutes. Toronto has played much of the season without its starting center, Jakob Poeltl (back), with rookie Collin Murray-Boyles shouldering a heavy workload alongside Sandro Mamukelashvili. Jackson-Davis adds depth at center, but he won't have any fantasy value unless Toronto's injury situation worsens.

The Atlanta Hawks acquired guard/forward Buddy Hield from the Golden State Warriors, ESPN's Anthony Slater and Shams Charania report. He was traded alongside Jonathan Kuminga (knee) in a deal to land Kristaps Porzingis (illness). Hield moved to San Francisco in 2024 and had a solid debut campaign. However, he couldn't build on it and became expendable for the Warriors. This season, Hield has averaged 8.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 17.5 minutes per game. His workload is unlikely to improve in Atlanta unless he improves his career-low 34.4 percent three-point shooting.

Forward/center Kristaps Porzingis (illness) will end the season with the Golden State Warriors, who acquired him from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield. The Warriors attempted to lure Giannis Antetokounmpo away from the Milwaukee Bucks but failed, settling for the Latvian big man. According to ESPN's Anthony Slater and Shams Charania, Porzingis has been on Golden State's radar since his Boston days. Unfortunately, it has been another season marked by health issues for Porzingis, who appeared in only 17 games for the Hawks after they brought him in from Boston in the summer. He has done well when healthy, averaging 17.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.3 blocks. Golden State sees him as a good fit in the frontcourt next to Draymond Green, so Porzingis could enjoy a big finish to the season if he can stay healthy.

The Atlanta Hawks have acquired forward Jonathan Kuminga (knee) from the Golden State Warriors, ESPN's Anthony Slater and Shams Charania report. Golden State also departed with Buddy Hield in the deal to pick up Kristaps Porzingis (illness). According to team sources, this transaction ends the Warriors' attempts to acquire Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. Kuminga had a difficult contract negotiation with Golden State during the offseason and never appeared to be part of the team's long-term plans. The 23-year-old won't be in a comfortable spot in Atlanta either, as his playing time will mostly come as Jalen Johnson's backup.

Pelicans' F Trey Murphy III scored 44 points on 15-of-28 shooting in a 137-141 loss to Milwaukee on Wednesday, Feb. 4.

New York Knicks' G Jalen Brunson scored 42 points on 14-of-27 shooting in a 134-127 win over the Nuggets on Wednesday, Feb. 4.

Nuggets' C Nikola Jokic recorded a triple-double, finishing with 30 points, 10 assists and 14 rebounds in a 127-134 loss to New York on Wednesday, Feb. 4.

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (knee) is questionable for Thursday's game against the Lakers. As has been the norm, Embiid didn't suit up for Tuesday's 113-94 win over the Golden State Warriors, the second of back-to-back outings for the club. As expected, Andre Drummond got the start, finishing with 12 points, 12 boards, one steal, and one block. If all goes according to plan, Embiid should be on the court on Thursday. However, if he's not, Drummond is a must-start in all fantasy setups.