The 2026 trade deadline was supposed to be defined by the loud stuff: Anthony Davis changing teams, James Harden getting moved, and the kind of deals that hijack every talk show segment. But the real story of the past week has been the quieter moves that are already flipping rotations and, in some cases, outcomes. The league made it a frenzy, with 27 of the 30 teams completing trades during deadline week, and more than 70 players changing jerseys in the process.
Now that the dust has settled and teams have gotten a few games of tape, the early winners aren’t always the headline hunters. It’s the teams that nailed the margins: the backup big who suddenly stabilizes the second unit, the connector wing who fixes a lineup problem, the “that’s it?” trade that quietly swings two or three possessions every night.
That’s what this is about. Not the press-conference blockbusters, but the underrated deadline plays that are already paying off big time, the kind you feel in on-off numbers, lineup balance, and the way a coach’s options expand immediately.
The Knicks Getting Jose Alvarado
New York Knicks Receive: Jose Alvarado
New Orleans Pelicans Receive: Dalen Terry, two second-round picks, cash considerations
This is the kind of deadline move that looks tiny on paper and then starts showing up in real minutes right away. The Knicks basically turned a low-cost package into a guard who plays like every possession is personal. And for a team that already leans on physicality, that matters.
The first “oh” moment came in Philadelphia. Jose Alvarado popped for a season-high 26 points and drilled eight threes in a 138-89 blowout of the 76ers right before the All-Star break. That’s not a normal Alvarado box score. That’s a heater game. But the important part is what it confirmed: if defenses treat him like a non-shooter, he can punish them. And if they close hard, he’s quick enough to turn that into paint touches and kickouts.
Even if he’s only played a handful of games in a Knicks jersey so far, the early profile is clean. In his first three games in New York, Alvarado averaged 14.0 points, 3.7 assists, and 2.3 steals in about 20.7 minutes, while hitting 45.5% from three. That’s already a rotation swing, because those are “bench guard wins you a quarter” numbers, not just “steady backup” numbers.
Zooming out, his season line sits at 8.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game with 42.3% from the field, which tells you what he usually is: a pressure guard who doesn’t need volume to impact games. The steals and ball pressure are the selling point, especially in playoff-style possessions where a single disrupted entry can flip a whole possession tree.
The fit from now on is obvious. The Knicks don’t need him to be a starter-level creator. They need him to juice the non-Jalen Brunson minutes, pick up 94 feet, speed teams up, and create easy points when the offense gets a little too grindy. Alvarado also gives them a different look: smaller, faster, nastier at the point of attack. That matters in a series when you’re trying to steal two or three possessions a game.
The Knicks didn’t “win” the deadline with a headline, but they might have found a weapon. And those are the moves that actually decide playoff rounds.
Ayo Dosunmu Has Been Great For The Wolves
Minnesota Timberwolves Receive: Ayo Dosunmu, Julian Phillips
Chicago Bulls Receive: Rob Dillingham, Leonard Miller, 2026 second-round pick, 2027 second-round pick (via Cavaliers), 2031 second-round pick (Timberwolves or Warriors), 2032 second-round pick (Suns or Rockets)
This was a deadline move that screamed “minutes” more than “name.” And that’s exactly why it’s already paying off. The Timberwolves didn’t need another high-usage scorer. They needed a guard who can play fast, defend the ball, and keep the offense from dying when the main creators sit.
Ayo Dosunmu has landed running straight out of the gates.
He scored 11 points in his debut against the Clippers, and it didn’t look like a guy trying to figure out where he fits. He pushed tempo, attacked gaps, and played with that straight-line pressure that forces defenses to rotate early.
Two games later, he had the first real “okay, this is why they did it” performance: 21 points off the bench in a blowout win over the Hawks, swinging the game with burst scoring and quick-hit rim pressure.
The best part is: this isn’t some random two-game spike. Dosunmu’s season profile supports it. He’s at 15.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game, shooting 51.7% from the field. With The Wolves, he is also posting 14.7 points, 2.7 assists, and 1.7 steals in his first three games there. Those are starter-level efficiency numbers for a guard who can play on or off the ball, which is exactly what the Wolves needed behind their main guards.
What he brings long-term is simple and valuable: a reliable bench offense that doesn’t turn into chaos, plus a point-of-attack defense that can actually hold up in playoff possessions. If his jumper stays even close to where it’s been this season, teams can’t duck under screens or ignore him off the catch. That changes the geometry of the second unit, and it makes the rotation feel deeper without forcing anyone out of their natural role.
The Lakers Adding A Hot Shooter In Luke Kennard
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Luke Kennard
Atlanta Hawks Receive: Gabe Vincent, 2032 second-round pick
This is the cleanest kind of underrated deadline win: one obvious weakness, one specialist who actually fixes it, and a price that doesn’t touch the core.
The Lakers needed shooting gravity. Not “a guy who can hit a three if he’s wide open.” Actual gravity, the kind that changes how defenses load up on LeBron James drives and Austin Reaves ball screens. Luke Kennard is that. He’s been the most accurate high-volume shooter in the league this season, sitting at 49.4% from three on 3.2 attempts per game, while also shooting 54.2% from the field and 92.1% at the line.
The impact showed up immediately. In his first game in a Lakers jersey, Kennard scored 10 points in a 105-99 win over the Warriors, and it wasn’t just the points. It was the way Golden State stayed attached to him off pin-downs and kickouts, which opened up the floor for everyone else to attack space instead of bodies.
Then came the Spurs game, and the numbers finally matched the feel. Kennard put up 14 points on 5-for-8 shooting, added five assists, and kept the ball moving even as the game got away early. That matters because the fit isn’t “come save us.” The fit is “don’t let the offense turn into mud when the first option isn’t there.”
And last night vs the Mavericks, the stat line screamed role player impact. In 17:39, Kennard had nine points on 3-for-4 shooting, seven rebounds, and three assists, and he finished +13 in a 124-104 win. That’s the clean version of what he does: efficient shots, quick decisions, and the gravity that makes the floor feel wider for everyone else.
And the cost? Gabe Vincent and a second-rounder. Vincent was giving them 4.8 points per game and wasn’t changing their spacing math. Kennard does.
Long-term, this is a playoff rotation play. When the possessions slow down, teams help off the weakest shooter. Kennard raises that floor. If defenses stay hugged to him, the paint gets cleaner. If they don’t, you’re giving a 49% three-point shooter practice reps. Either way, the Lakers’ offense gets easier, and that’s the whole point of a deadline move like this.
The Raptors Stole Trayce Jackson-Davis From The Warriors
Toronto Raptors Receive: Trayce Jackson-Davis
Golden State Warriors Receive: 2026 second-round pick (via Lakers)
This is the definition of a low-cost deadline add that can matter right away. The Raptors didn’t pay for upside in three years. They paid for playable center minutes now, the kind that keep your bench from bleeding the second the starter sits.
The first game was the whole pitch in 16 minutes.
Against the Pacers, Trayce Jackson-Davis came off the bench and posted 10 points and 10 rebounds in 15:31, plus a block and a steal, in a win that flipped in the third quarter. That’s not just “nice debut.” That’s immediate rotation usefulness: finish plays, rebound, protect the rim enough to let the perimeter pressure be aggressive, and don’t ask for touches.
It also fits his season profile. This year, Jackson-Davis is posting 4.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 0.9 assists per game, shooting 57.9% from the field. He’s not here to space the floor. He’s here to be a vertical finisher, a live-body rebounder, and an energy big who can survive playoff-style possessions without fouling or losing the plot.
Since that debut, the minutes have stayed “bench big” sized, but you can already see the range of outcomes. Against the Pistons, he barely got on the board, finishing with 3 rebounds in 10 minutes, which is a reminder that his value is tied to role and rhythm. The important part is that the Raptors can live with that because the trade cost was essentially a flyer. When it hits, you get a real 15-minute center. When it doesn’t, you didn’t burn anything that changes your future.
That’s why this one qualifies as underrated. The Raptors didn’t make a splash. They bought a job, and on his first night, Jackson-Davis already did it.
Jock Landale’s Electric Hawks Debut
Atlanta Hawks Receive: Jock Landale
Utah Jazz Receive: Lonzo Ball, 2028 second-round pick (via Cavaliers), 2032 second-round pick (via Cavaliers), cash considerations
Cleveland Cavaliers Receive: Trade Exception
This one was supposed to be simple. Cheap deadline depth. A functional big. Move on.
Instead, Jock Landale showed up and dropped a debut that basically forced the Hawks to take him seriously right away.
His first game in a Hawks jersey was the Jazz thriller at State Farm Arena, and it was ridiculous: 26 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, and four blocks on 10-for-14 shooting, including 5-for-8 from three. That’s not “nice first impression.” That’s “you just earned minutes for the next month” stuff.
Since the trade, the production has stayed real. In four games with the Hawks, Landale has averaged 13.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 21.5 minutes, while shooting 71.4% from the field and 57.1% from three. That’s absurd efficiency for a center who wasn’t supposed to be a priority add.
The game-to-game log shows the shape of it. After the 26-point explosion, he followed with 5 points in 17:09 vs the Hornets, 12 points in 18:29 vs the Timberwolves, and 9 points in 19:08 in the rematch vs the Hornets. That’s basically the “bench big baseline,” except his spacing is making it easier for everyone else.
And zooming out, his season profile backs it up. Landale is at 11.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game on 52.8% from the field this season. So the debut wasn’t a total outlier. It was the loudest version of what he’s been all year: a legit screen setter who can finish plays, rebound his area, and punish teams that treat him like a non-shooter.
That’s why this trade is already paying off. The Hawks didn’t just buy depth. They bought a playable center night, and in the first 48 hours, Landale turned it into a rotation decision.
