Which NBA teams make the most deals at the deadline?

There is no sports league where trade deadlines are more common than in the NBA. On February 6th, when it’s the last day to trade, all hell will break loose, as it does every year. In the modern NBA, every team gets into action during the trade deadline. In fact, each NBA team has made an average of 8.8 trades over the last 10 years. It’s almost a deadline trade.

The teams were willing to take the steps necessary for both acquire the parts necessary to compete now or sell off their assets for pieces that can help in the future. With the frequency of trades increasing recently, we were curious to see which teams made the most deals at the trade deadline in the last decade. We’ve looked at the trade deadline every year for the past 10 years to see exactly how many trade deadline deals each team made.

Note: While there are many trades that occur in the days leading up to the trade deadline, we only looked at trades that occur on the actual last day to withdraw.

Four to five trade deadlines (2 teams)

Minnesota Timberwolves (4), Indiana Pacers (5)

The Minnesota Timberwolves haven’t jumped on the deadline signing trend, as there have been the fewest in 10 years. The team made just four trades on deadline day during that time. Two of those contracts were even concluded in the same year (2020), and one of them happened back in 2015.

The team’s most recent trade deadline deal (2023) was one of the largest in recent memory. The move saw them completely overhaul their core by moving on from D’Angelo Russell and Malik Beasley and bringing in Mike Conley and Nick Alexander-Walker. It was a polarizing but necessary trade that helped them reach the Western Conference Finals last season. Russell Westbrook was also moved in this megadeal.

The aforementioned trade in 2015 was also important for the franchise, as the move brought back Kevin Garnett. The all-time great power hitter then he could retire with the team. The Indiana Pacers are another team that doesn’t believe in changing trades as much as other teams do, having made just one more deal in the last 10 years than the Timberwolves. However, they may be changing their philosophy, having penned two separate deals in 2024. NBA trade deadline. The The Pacers surprised themselves in the conference finals by themselves after the move.

Six trade deadlines (6)

New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls, Charlotte Hornets, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs

Fans of big-market teams always expect a big trade, but the New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs have made just six trade deals in the past 10 years despite all qualifying as some of the biggest and most prestigious. teams in the NBA.

The Warriors, for example, are a team that hasn’t had to make too many trades that could be seen as desperation moves. They’ve won four championships in the last 10 years, and while most contenders want to add talent to ensure victory, they’ve been so stacked that they haven’t needed to make many deals.

The Lakers also have an NBA Finals win during that time. Fans have often criticized the rarity of trades while LeBron James was on the team. Usually teams led by LeBron have been very active in the trade market because he is such a generational talent.

In all, with six teams making six trade deadline deals in the last 10 years, this is the most common frequency in which teams make last-second trades.

Seven trade deadlines (3)

Milwaukee Bucks, Utah Jazz, New Orleans Pelicans

The Milwaukee Bucks, Utah Jazz and New Orleans Pelicans don’t make many deals at the trade deadline, but they make them count when they do. Everyone was involved in some of the the most influential trade deadlines of the last 10 years. The Bucks were involved in the Kevin Durant trade in 2023, and the Jazz were part of the Mike Conley deal for D’Angelo Russell. Even the Pelicans were involved in the 2015 Goran Dragic trade that happened before mega-deals were commonplace.

Eight Trade Deadline Contracts (4)

Brooklyn Nets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Dallas Mavericks

The Miami Heat are one of four teams to make eight trade deals in the last decade. However, unlike the Dallas Mavericks and Brooklyn Nets, most of their trade deadline moves surprisingly came close 10 years ago rather than the past few seasons.

It makes sense, too, because the team had to be active when LeBron James was on their team. The same goes for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Another team with eight contract deadlines recently was most active when James suited them and they were competing for a championship. Since then they have been somewhat quiet.

Nine trade deadlines (4)

Orlando Magic, Denver Nuggets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Memphis Grizzlies

Small and mid-market teams that achieve success must be creative in how they build their lists. The Orlando Magic, Denver Nuggets, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Memphis Grizzlies are currently making progress despite not playing in the biggest cities. Their smart and efficient front offices can be credited for this success.

Nine trade-deadline deals in the last 10 years (almost one per season) seem to be the key to success. Whether these teams were adding pieces to overcome a problem or looking to acquire draft capital, they always looked like they were on top of a trade.

For Denver, specifically, the trade deadline deal that brought them Aaron Gordon in 2021 was one of the most influential trade deadlines of the last 10 years. Gordon was a perfect fit alongside Nikola Jokic, and the trade led to the team winning the championship.

Meanwhile, the Thunder are known for having completed perhaps the biggest rebuild in NBA history. They traded away a ton of veterans for tons of draft picks, and now the team is set up to thrive for years to come.

Ten Trade Deadlines (3)

Washington Wizards, Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Clippers

Three teams make exactly one NBA trade deadline deal per year over the last 10 years (on average). Those teams are the Washington Wizards, Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers were busiest in 2023 when they made three separate trades for Bones Hyland, Mason Plumlee and Eric Gordon.

Eleven trade deadlines (2)

Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors

Only two teams have made exactly 11 trade deadline moves over the last decade. Those two teams are the Boston Celtics and the Toronto Raptors. Of course, during this time everyone learned that trading Danny Ainge (the Celtics decision maker until 2021) was never a good idea. The Celtics shed a bunch of trade partners during his tenure in Boston.

Twelve Trade Deadlines (3)

Atlanta Hawks, Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings

Kevin Durant was traded twice, but only one of them came at the NBA trade deadline. The deal that sent him from the Nets to the Phoenix Suns went down as one of the biggest trade deals ever. Makes sense, too, considering Durant is one of them the greatest basketball players ever.

However, the Suns didn’t just make one big deadline and cancel. With 12 deals at the deadline in the last 10 years, the Suns are one of the most frequent deadline matchmakers in the league. Now, it’s Phoenix favorite to sign Jimmy Butler. Whether Butler will be dealt in the weeks leading up to the NBA trade deadline or on the final day of the deal remains to be seen, but it seems like a guarantee that he will eventually be dealt. The The Suns just traded up for three picks in the first roundand that deal appears to have been made to raise the capital necessary for an eventual Butler deal.

Thirteen and more trade agreements (3)

Detroit Pistons (13), Houston Rockets (14), Philadelphia 76ers (16)

The Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets and Philadelphia 76ers took trade deadline deals to another level. Specifically, the 76ers have a league-leading 16 signings over the last decade. The four deals they closed in last year’s term are the most in one term in the last 10 years. The team began a roster change that continued with the busiest off season in the NBA.

The team has been active before that, however, as they have made at least one deadline-day deal to negotiate every year since 2015 except 2018. The 76ers are known for “The Process,” and making deals on a regular basis has been a big part of that infamous rebuild. The 76ers’ biggest trade deadline ever happened when they sent Ben Simmons to the Nets for James Harden. This came after one of Harden’s many trade requests, and the deal didn’t work out for either Brooklyn or Philadelphia.

The Pistons are an example of trade deadline sellers. Having been bad for most of the last 10 years, they traded away veterans for starters and young assets at many recent trade deadlines.