🏀 5x5 | Royce Webb

🏀 5x5 | Royce Webb

NBA Trade Deadline: Big Swings for 4 East Contenders

The East is WIDE open — here's who should make a deal to zoom to the top

Jeremias Engelmann's avatar
Jeremias Engelmann
Jan 30, 2026
∙ Paid
Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell (top); Jared McCain and Joel Embiid.(Michael Reaves/Michael Reaves/Getty Images)


Seven teams have Vegas odds of 7% or better to win the Eastern Conference title, with the top team — Detroit — at just 24%. And that doesn’t include Toronto, currently 4th in the conference.

Given that the East appears ripe for the taking, let’s look at four contending teams and how they can make a leap to the top of the conference title odds.


New York Knicks

Going big to get Giannis

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Jeremias Engelmann's avatar
A guest post by
Jeremias Engelmann
Basketball analyst. Creator of ESPN's Real Plus-Minus. Formerly with the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks
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