Antetokounmpo, Morant head the list of names to watch heading into NBA trade deadline

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Ja Morant are waiting to learn whether they’ll be changing addresses after a former MVP and plenty of other big-name players already have switched teams ahead of Thursday's NBA trade deadline.

Antetokounmpo has been the center of attention heading into the trade deadline amid reports that the Milwaukee Bucks have started listening to offers for the two-time MVP and nine-time all-NBA selection. Antetokounmpo, who hasn’t played since straining his right calf on Jan. 23, has spent his entire 13-year career with Milwaukee and led the Bucks to a title in 2021.

The trade deadline is at 3 p.m. Eastern.

As the deadline approached, the Minnesota Timberwolves acquired guard Ayo Dosunmu from the Chicago Bulls, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the trade hadn't yet been finalized.

Minnesota agreed to send guard Rob Dillingham, forward Leonard Miller and four second-round draft picks to the Bulls for Dosunmu and forward Julian Phillips.

Dosunmu is making about $7.5 million in the final season of his current contract. The 26-year-old is averaging a career-high 15 points per game and shooting a career-best 45.1% from 3-point range. He will fill an obvious need for the Timberwolves for more offense off the bench.

Toronto added a future Hall of Famer in Chris Paul, who will likely never play for the Raptors, to get below the luxury tax threshold.

The Raptors traded with the Los Angeles Clippers for Paul, at least on paper. Toronto also sent forward Ochai Agbaji, a future second-round pick and cash to the Nets, the Raptors announced.

Paul — who is expected to retire after this season — was sent home by the Clippers in November but remained on their payroll.

The Cleveland Cavaliers sent guard Lonzo Ball to the Utah Jazz for a pair of second-round draft picks.

Cleveland acquired the veteran point guard from the Chicago Bulls during the offseason, but he struggled to find a place in coach Kenny Atkinson’s rotation. Ball appeared in 35 games, including three starts, and averaged 4.6 points, 3.9 assists and 1.3 steals in 20.8 minutes. The Jazz will be the fifth team for Ball in his seven-year career.

Bucks co-owner Jimmy Haslam had been asked this week during Cleveland Browns coach Todd Monken’s introductory news conference whether he expected Antetokounmpo to get traded. Haslam also owns the Browns.

“I would say this,” said Haslam, who purchased a 25% stake in the Bucks in 2023. “Giannis is, I don’t know, a top-three, top-four player in the world. He brought Milwaukee, it’s the first championship in 50 years, several years ago. And he’s a really good person, too. He’s no problem. He’s a great leader. Tries hard, and I think Giannis and the Bucks, and this goes back before we were involved, have always worked closely to see what’s best for Giannis and what’s best for the Bucks, and we’ll continue to do so.”

Antetokounmpo repeatedly has said that he loves playing in Milwaukee, but he also has emphasized that he wants to continue playing for teams committed to competing for championships. The Bucks have lost in the first round of the playoffs each of the last three seasons and are currently 12th in the Eastern Conference standings.

Some of the teams linked to Antetokounmpo include the Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks. The Warriors already made a move Wednesday night by agreeing to send Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield to the Atlanta Hawks for Kristaps Porzingis.

Morant has spent his entire career in Memphis, but the Grizzlies are 11th in the Western Conference standings and already dealt two-time All-Star Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz this week as part of a roster overhaul.

Although he’s a two-time All-Star in his own right, Morant has seen his stock fall lately because of injuries and off-court issues as well as a drop in production.

Some of the notable players who already have moved ahead of the trade deadline include 2018 MVP and 11-time All-Star James Harden as well as five-time all-NBA selection Anthony Davis.

The Los Angeles Clippers sent Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers for two-time All-Star Darius Garland and a second-round draft pick. The 26-year-old Garland is 10 years younger than Harden.

Davis is going from the Dallas Mavericks to the Washington Wizards as part of an eight-player trade. The Wizards are receiving Davis, Jaden Hardy, D’Angelo Russell and Dante Exum in exchange for Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley III, two first-round picks and three second-round selections.

The Wizards eventually can pair Davis with four-time All-Star guard Trae Young, who came to Washington last month in a trade with Atlanta. Davis and Young are both currently injured.

The Hawks acquired Gabe Vincent and a 2032 second-round draft pick from the Los Angeles Lakers for shooting guard Luke Kennard, a person with knowledge of the move told the AP on condition of anonymity because the trade had not yet received the required league approval.

Each of the conference leaders also has made a move this week.

The defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder acquired Jared McCain from the Philadelphia 76ers for a 2026 first-round draft pick and three second-round selections. The Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons got Kevin Huerter from the Chicago Bulls as part of a four-team trade.

AP Pro Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds and AP Sports Writers Dave Campbell, Joe Reedy and Charles Odum contributed to this report.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant looks on from the bench in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)

Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo blows a bubble on the bench during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo sits on the bench during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo smiles on the bench with Thanasis Antetokounmpo during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

MILAN (AP) — The World Anti-Doping Agency called on the United States to pay its overdue membership fees Thursday and rejected Washington's bipartisan demand to submit to an independent audit.

The U.S. has long sought more transparency from WADA, which has been criticized for its handling of politically sensitive doping cases. A government funding bill signed into law this week restricts payment of the $3.7 million in dues until there's an independent audit.

WADA President Witold Banka, speaking at a news conference at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, named a list of audits that his watchdog organization is already subject to and said that's good enough.

“I don’t know any other international organization with such strong auditing mechanisms, so I think there are no obstacles for our friends from U.S. to fulfill their duties and pay the contributions,” he said.

He added: “I think it fulfills the expectations or the wishes from the U.S. side, and the most important thing in principle, the contribution is not conditional. That is the thing which is extremely important for us.”

Sara Carter, the director of the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy, sent a statement to The Associated Press reiterating U.S. President Donald Trump's strong belief in “supporting U.S. athletes and ensuring fair competition in sports," along with the drug office's insistence on the external audit.

“The United States will not be bullied or manipulated into paying dues to WADA until such is achieved,” Carter said.

The U.S. has already withheld dues under Biden in 2024, then again under Trump in 2025 — a rare point of virtually unanimous bipartisan agreement between the U.S. major political parties. The funding spat accelerated after questions emerged about transparency regarding WADA's clearing of 23 Chinese swimmers after they tested positive for performance enhancers before the Olympics in 2021.

“They should be really careful to go up against the United States Congress,” Rahul Gupta, Carter's predecessor as drug czar, told AP. “It's never a good idea to go up against a bipartisan Congress where both sides of the aisle definitely want this to happen.”

The U.S. law restricts the release of the $3.7 million until there's an audit “by external anti-doping experts and experienced independent auditors” showing that WADA's Executive Committee and Foundation "are operating consistent with their duties.”

WADA statutes say representatives of countries that don’t pay are not eligible to sit on the agency’s top decision-making panels. Gupta was removed from WADA's executive committee when the U.S. first refused to pay.

“I hope very soon they’re going to pay the contribution and come back to the executive committee as a member,” Banka said.

Banka said WADA's budget has grown from $36 million when he started in 2020 to approximately $57 million.

“I wish we could have this money, (these) contributions,” he said of the U.S. fees, “but WADA is financially very stable, so this is not the biggest problem.”

The growing impasse comes at a critical juncture as the United States is set to host major international events, including the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics.

“All of us around the Olympic Movement are trying to work together to come to a resolution of the dispute between WADA and USADA, and we’ve made good progress on that,” said Gene Sykes, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee president and IOC member.

Sykes had a breakfast meeting with WADA leaders this week but declined to give details.

“We understand the disagreements and the issues," Sykes said.

AP Sports Writers Graham Dunbar and Eddie Pells contributed to this report.

AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

United States' Mia Manganello has her fingernails painted in the colors of the United States flag during a speedskating training session at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

An athlete skis past Olympic rings during a cross country training session at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Tesero, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)