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A16 SPORTS
Tuesday 4 February 2025
The NBA trade deadline is approaching and Antetokounmpo says

no player is exempt from the chaos

By TIM REYNOLDS
AP Basketball Writer can get moved.
The list of NBA players that The Spurs probably won’t
might get traded before be trading Wembanyama
the 3 p.m. Eastern dead- anytime soon, especially
line on Thursday is a long now that they’ve landed
one, according to Milwau- Fox to play alongside the
kee star Giannis Antetok- French center. Golden
ounmpo. State would only trade
It includes ... well, basically a franchise icon like Ste-
everybody. phen Curry if he asked to
“This is the world we’re liv- be moved, which doesn’t
ing in,” Antetokounmpo seem likely. The Lakers’
said. “It’s a business. You LeBron James and Phoe-
have to understand this. nix’s Bradley Beal have
Nobody’s safe. Nobody’s no-trade clauses, meaning
safe. they control their own des-
After this weekend, he tinies to a certain extent.
might be right. But for everyone else, get-
It’s hard to envision a big- ting a middle-of-the-night
ger stunner than the first call from a general man-
deal that went down over Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox, right, drives past Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kenrich ager like the ones Dallas’
the weekend Luka Doncic Williams, left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in Oklahoma Nico Harrison tried to place
is now with the Los Angeles City. to Doncic in the wee hours
Lakers and Anthony Davis Associated Press of Sunday, all of them go-
ing unanswered is at least
is now with the Dallas Mav- possible.
ericks, the first time that “At the end of the day, and
two reigning All-NBA play- I’ve said this in the past, you
ers were traded for one an- get evaluated every single
other in-season. That move day,” Antetokounmpo
overshadowed another said. “You don’t take noth-
one that, under normal cir- ing for granted. Being an
cumstances, would have All-Star, you don’t take it
been seismic: De’Aaron for granted. Being able to
Fox leaving Sacramento go out there and put on
for San Antonio to join All- the jersey and represent
Star Victor Wembanyama, your team, you don’t take
with Zach LaVine leaving that for granted. Being out
Chicago for the Kings. there and representing
Fox was an All-NBA selec- your family, you don’t take
tion two years ago. LaVine that for granted. Every sec-
is a two-time All-Star. And ond that you play an NBA
when adding in D’Angelo game, I love it. I try to play
Russell getting moved by with joy.”
the Lakers to Brooklyn in Speaking of joy, or lack
late December, that’s five thereof, another past All-
current or former All-Stars Star and All-NBA selec-
that have been traded al- tion in Jimmy Butler is still
ready this season. out there and desperately
“Normally when you trade seeking a way out of Mi-
a star you get a bunch of ami. He has as many game
junk back,” Hall of Famer appearances in the last
and NBA analyst Charles month as he does team
Barkley said on NBA TV, suspensions three games,
reacting to the Doncic- three suspensions.
Davis trade. “This is the For Butler to get moved,
first time I can remember with Phoenix believed to be
when you’ve got two All- his preferred destination,
NBA players traded for it’s very possible that an-
each other.” To Antetok- other All-Star-caliber player
ounmpo’s point, if Doncic or at least someone with a
the clear face of the Dal- big salary would have to
las franchise until now, the be changing addresses
player who replaced Dirk as well simply to make the
Nowitzki in that role with contract math work. “It’s
the Mavericks, someone surprising, for sure,” Phila-
who took his team to the delphia coach Nick Nurse
NBA Finals last season can said of superstar-level play-
get moved, then yes, it can ers like Doncic and Davis
be argued that any player getting traded. q