As soon as Anfernee Simons was sent to Boston for Jrue Holiday in the offseason, many people wondered if the Celtics would eventually flip Simons and his expiring contract before the trade deadline. That answer has been confirmed as yes, they will. The Celtics are sending Simons to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for veteran big man Nikola Vučević.

In this NBA mock trade, the Atlanta Hawks send Kristaps Porzingis to the Los Angeles Lakers, pairing him up with LeBron James and Luka Doncic.

CBS Sports' NBA experts are getting bold ahead of Thursday's trade deadline

The Toronto Raptors are a "serious suitor" for Sacramento Kings star Domantas Sabonis, but might have to wait until the offseason to complete a deal unless they find a way to trade Jakob Poetl by the Feb.

The Sacramento Kings and Toronto Raptors might have found a third team to help facilitate a Domantas Sabonis trade.

East-leading Detroit has needed more shooting. It may find some with Kevin Huerter. And the Bulls are revamping their backcourt.

All of this lines up quite nicely, and according to Jake Fischer, the Cavaliers and Hornets have indeed held preliminary conversations about a Ball trade that would help Cleveland get below the second apron before Thursday's deadline.

This week's NBA Power Rankings will lean heavily into talk about the NBA trade deadline on Thursday (Feb. 5, 3 PM ET), but there's more going on than just rumors. The team that could put together the best offer for Giannis Antetokounmpo — or anyone else — likely will be quiet at the trade deadline.