Knicks Sending Guerschon Yabusele To Bulls For Dalen Terry
The Bulls will acquire Guerschon Yabusele from the Knicks in exchange for Dalen Terry, sources tell ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).
New York had reportedly been looking to unload Yabusele for several weeks, but couldn’t find a taker because of his $5.7MM player option for next season. Chicago decided to take the risk on a player who was effective last season in Philadelphia but has struggled since joining the Knicks.
Rumors had emerged that the 30-year-old Yabusele was considering going back to Europe, where he was a star for five seasons, but this trade will likely quash that speculation.
Yabusele was only averaging 8.9 minutes per night in 41 games with New York, but he figures to see a larger role in the Bulls’ revamped front court. Chicago has been in need of additional size all season and agreed to trade starting center Nikola Vucevic to Boston earlier this week.
The Knicks get a small savings by swapping Yabusele’s $5.5M salary for Terry, who’s making $5.4MM in the final season of his rookie contract and is on a path for restricted free agency this summer. The 23-year-old shooting guard was selected with the 18th pick in the 2022 draft, but he hasn’t been able to earn a consistent rotation spot during his four years in Chicago.
The deal increases the Knicks’ space below the second apron from $148,359 to $249,241, according to Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Twitter link), allowing them to sign a 15th player on March 26 instead of waiting until April 2. New York can still ship Terry to another team before Thursday’s deadline, and Gozlan believes they may get more interest in his expiring deal than they did in Yabusele.
Warriors Trading Trayce Jackson-Davis To Raptors
The Warriors will send backup center Trayce Jackson-Davis to the Raptors in exchange for a 2026 second-round pick that originally belonged to the Lakers, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).
Jackson-Davis, 25, saw rotation minutes during his first two seasons, but his role has been reduced this year. He has appeared in just 36 games and is averaging 4.2 points and 3.1 rebounds in 11.4 minutes per night.
He makes $2.2MM this season and his contract includes a $2.4MM team option for 2026/27.
Charania notes that Toronto adds some size to its frontcourt by using the space created by trading Ochai Agbaji earlier in the day while managing to stay out of tax territory.
The Raptors explored several options for another big man, including the Pelicans‘ Yves Missi, the Nets‘ Day’Ron Sharpe and the Magic’s Goga Bitadze, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports. However, it would have taken a first-round pick to land any of them and the Raptors were comfortable picking up Jackson-Davis while parting with the second-rounder they acquired when they sent Davion Mitchell to Miami.
The Jackson-Davis trade, coupled with the deal that sends Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield to Atlanta, gives the Warriors enough roster flexibility to eventually convert two-way guard Pat Spencer to a standard deal, notes Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link).
Hornets Acquire Tyus Jones From Magic, Waive Pat Connaughton
11:27pm: The trade is official, the Hornets announced (via Twitter). Veteran swingman Pat Connaughton, who has only appeared in 22 games this season, has been waived to make room on the roster for Jones (Twitter link). Connaughton will receive the balance of his $9.4MM salary.
9:07pm: The Magic have agreed to send Tyus Jones to the Hornets for cash considerations, sources tell ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).
Charlotte will get a pair of second-round picks in exchange for taking on Jones’ $7MM contract, Charania adds. They will be the least favorable between Boston and Orlando in 2027 along with the Magic’s selection in 2028, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link). The Hornets now own 11 first-rounders and 14 second-rounders over the next seven years.
The move allows Orlando to dip roughly $5MM below the luxury tax line. The Magic will be down to 13 players with standard contracts once the deal is finalized and will have two weeks to get back to the league minimum of 14.
The Hornets currently have a full roster, so another move will have to be made before this trade can be completed. Mike Conley, who’s being acquired from Chicago in a separate deal, is viewed as a buyout candidate, so Charlotte could open a roster spot by finalizing that trade first and waiving Conley.
The Hornets can absorb Jones’ salary with the remainder of their mid-level exception or with a trade exception they created in the deal with the Bulls, notes Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Twitter link). Gozlan suggests that Jones could also be bought out, which would make him eligible to sign with any team other than Orlando.
Jones, 29, signed a one-year deal with the Magic in July. He was expected to provide depth at point guard, but his inconsistent shooting (34.2% from the field and 29.4% from three-point range) has limited his playing time. Through 48 games, Jones is averaging 3.0 points and 2.4 assists in 15.7 minutes per night.
Hornets Acquire Coby White From Bulls
11:21pm: The trade has been finalized, the Hornets announced (via Twitter).
2:01pm: The Hornets and Bulls have agreed to a trade that will send guards Coby White and Mike Conley to Charlotte, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
In exchange, Chicago will acquire guard Collin Sexton, forward Ousmane Dieng, and three second-round picks, sources tell ESPN. Dieng is technically still a member of the Thunder, but is reportedly being traded to Charlotte in a deal involving center Mason Plumlee. Oklahoma City is sending the Hornets a second-round pick along with Dieng in that side deal, tweets Charania.
White, who will turn 26 later this month, is a talented scorer who has averaged 19.5 points per game since becoming a full-time starter at the beginning of the 2023/24 season. He has also averaged 4.8 assists and 4.1 rebounds per night over the course of 182 outings during that stretch, with a .448/.369/.859 shooting line.
Although White entered this winter as one of the Bulls’ prime trade candidates, his value has been negatively impacted by calf issues that have limited to 29 games this season, as well as his contract situation.
The veteran guard is on an expiring $12.9MM expiring deal, meaning his maximum extension with Chicago would have been worth $87MM over four years — he reportedly conveyed to the team prior to the season that he wouldn’t be signing an extension and would take his chances on earning a more lucrative payday in unrestricted free agency.
With teams viewing White as a possible rental, the Bulls were unable to extract a first-round pick for him on the trade market, but they did secure three second-rounders, which will be either the Nuggets’ or Hornets’ 2029 pick (whichever is least favorable), the Nuggets’ 2031 pick, and the Knicks’ 2031 pick, according to Zach Lowe of The Ringer (Twitter link).
The Hornets will presumably look to re-sign White, a North Carolina native who played his college ball at UNC, but Conley likely won’t spend long on Charlotte’s roster. He’s viewed as a buyout candidate, and since he’ll be traded twice this week, he would be eligible to return to the Timberwolves without running afoul of the NBA’s rule preventing a waived player to return to the team that traded him away. Jake Fischer of The Stein Line highlighted this potential outcome for Conley earlier today.
The Bulls, meanwhile, could have more moves up their sleeves in the next 24 hours, since they’ll still have a logjam in their backcourt. Sexton will join a group that features Josh Giddey, Ayo Dosunmu, Jaden Ivey, Anfernee Simons, and Tre Jones.
Warriors Sending Jonathan Kuminga, Buddy Hield To Hawks For Kristaps Porzingis
The Warriors will trade Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield to the Hawks in exchange for Kristaps Porzingis, sources tell ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link). It’s a straight player exchange with no draft picks involved, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link).
The deal ends Kuminga’s long saga with Golden State, which was highlighted by occasional moments of brilliance mixed with frustration over not being able to land a consistent starting role or regular playing time during his five seasons with the team. He was hoping for an exit during restricted free agency last summer, but he didn’t receive an offer sheet and the Warriors shut down any idea of a sign-and-trade rather quickly.
Kuminga received several offers from Golden State during the process, but he was reluctant to agree to anything that included a team option. He relented shortly before the start of training camp and accepted a deal with a $22.5MM salary for this season and a $24.3MM team option for 2026/27 that will now be controlled by Atlanta.
Over the past few weeks, several teams expressed interest in trading for Kuminga, who has only been available for 20 games this season, but the Warriors were hesitant to take back long-term money in any deal. Instead they get Porzingis, whose $30.7MM expiring contract will give them financial flexibility for the offseason.
Golden State may be interested in a longer arrangement with the 30-year-old big man, as Charania reports that they’ve viewed Porzingis as a potential target for the past two months in their search for another stretch five. Porzingis has been limited to 17 games this season and is currently sidelined with an illness, but he’s a career 36.6% shooter from long distance and played a vital role on Boston’s championship team two years ago.
Hield, 33, gives Atlanta another outside shooter after sending Vit Krejci to Portland earlier this week. He’s under contract for $9.7MM next season, but only $3MM of that is guaranteed until the day after the draft.
The Hawks could decide to waive both players and have $25MM in cap space this summer, according to Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Twitter link). He adds that they could also use Kuminga’s non-Bird rights to give him an extension worth up to $116MM over four years.
Parting with Kuminga likely signals the end of the Warriors’ pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo before the trade deadline. Marc Stein of The Stein Line notes (via Twitter) that he was a central part of Golden State’s offer, which likely reduces the Bucks‘ options to Miami and Minnesota if they’re determined to move him on Thursday.
Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints reports that the Warriors contacted Milwaukee several times this week with an offer for Antetokounmpo centered around Kuminga, Draymond Green, Brandin Podziemski and multiple first-round picks. After receiving a “clear indication” that the Bucks wouldn’t accept that deal, they pivoted to their pursuit of Porzingis.
Western Notes: K. Murray, Reaves, J. Jackson, Jazz
It sounds as if the Kings are aiming to get forward Keegan Murray on the court shortly after the All-Star break, tweets James Ham of The Kings Beat. Murray, who has been out since January 4 due to a moderate left ankle sprain, was ruled out for two more weeks on Tuesday, per a press release from the team.
After the All-Star break, Sacramento’s first game will be at home vs. Orlando on Thursday, February 19. That contest appears to be Murray’s earliest potential return date, though it’s also possible he’ll require more recovery time after he’s reevaluated earlier that week.
We have more from around the Western Conference:
- Lakers guard Austin Reaves played on Tuesday for the first time since December 25. He shot just 3-of-9 from the floor in 21 minutes off the bench following a 19-game absence due to a calf strain, but scored 15 points and a +10 as the Lakers cruised to a comfortable win in Brooklyn. “I thought he moved great and looked like Austin,” head coach JJ Redick said after the game, per Dan Woike of The Athletic, adding that Reaves is in line for a “pretty significant raise” as a potential free agent this summer.
- Sam Vecenie of The Athletic contends that the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade between the Jazz and Grizzlies looks like a potential win-win deal for the two teams, while Tony Jones of The Athletic observes that it signals the end of the tank in Utah — or at least the beginning of the end of the tank, since the Jazz will still be motivated to hang onto their top-eight protected 2026 first-round pick.
- Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune (subscription required) explores what Jackson will bring to the Jazz, writing that the former Defensive Player of the Year will give the team the sort of defensive play-maker it badly needed. Utah ranks dead last in the NBA in defensive rating for a third straight season in 2025/26. Larsen also advises not to overlook the other players the Jazz acquired in the deal, including fourth-year wing Vince Williams Jr., who may immediately become the club’s best perimeter defender.
- While Jazz players will miss their four teammates that headed to Memphis in the trade with the Grizzlies, they expressed plenty of enthusiasm about Jackson’s potential impact in Utah, Larsen writes in a separate story for the Salt Lake Tribune. “I think obviously the exciting part is Walker (Kessler) and Jaren, you know. That frontcourt is crazy,” guard Keyonte George said. “And then with Lauri (Markkanen) and just the versatility — I know Will (Hardy) is a phenomenal coach, so I just already know the crazy things that he’s gonna do with them. Walker can be a great presence, but now he also knows that he got somebody behind him. It’s rare that you can know somebody has got your back when you’re the person that’s got everybody back.”
Knicks Notes: Yabusele, Brunson, Shamet, McBride
The Knicks are hoping to trade Guerschon Yabusele for a more productive bench player, but teams are reluctant to take on his contract, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints. Sources tell Siegel that New York recently reached out to the Spurs and Pelicans, but wasn’t able to make any progress toward a deal. The main sticking point is Yabusele’s $5.7MM player option for next season, which he’s almost certain to exercise after a disappointing campaign where he’s fallen out of the Knicks’ rotation.
Sport5 in Israel reported that Hapoel Tel Aviv is involved in negotiations with Yabusele in case he leaves the NBA, relays Alessandro Maggi of Sportando. Yabusele is considered a “high-profile target” with several European teams monitoring him, Maggi adds. However, he can only head overseas if he’s bought out and waived, which seems unlikely due to the player option.
Yabusele addressed that rumor after Tuesday’s game, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (Twitter link).
“I ain’t closing no door on nothing. I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Yabusele said. “I don’t know what tomorrow’s going to be. So right now I can tell you nothing has been discussed or signed or anything like that. I’m a Knicks player at the end of the day. There’s nothing with that. But there’s been teams calling, so yeah, I feel like the report was just them saying they want me and then everybody thought that I signed something already. No, nothing like that. But there’s some teams out there that we heard are getting ready to sign me if I go back that way. We’ll see what happens.”
There’s more from New York:
- Jalen Brunson claims his actions after a 17-point loss to Dallas on January 19 were mischaracterized as a players’ meeting, Bondy writes in a full story. Brunson explains that he simply made some comments to his teammates before coach Mike Brown entered the locker room. “It was just me voicing my opinion after the game against Dallas,” Brunson said. “It wasn’t me calling a team meeting. We meet after games. I said something before coach walked in. That’s it.”
- Landry Shamet is rewarding Brown’s faith in him, Bondy states in a separate story. Brown was a strong supporter of Shamet, who was among three players brought into training camp on non-guaranteed contracts to compete for a roster spot. And when Shamet suffered a shoulder injury in November, Brown told reporters that he would be willing to give up his salary to keep him on the team. Brown talked about using Shamet in a larger role when he interviewed for the head coaching job, states James L. Edwards of The Athletic (Twitter link).
- The Knicks have conducted tests on Miles McBride, who’s missing his fifth straight game tonight due to left ankle issues, Bondy adds in another piece. McBride suffered a high ankle sprain in early December that sidelined him for eight games. He returned for 15 games before being held out recently due to left ankle injury management.
- Bondy examines the most and least likely players to be moved by the deadline, with Yabusele topping his list, followed by Pacome Dadiet and Ariel Hukporti.
Sixers Trade Jared McCain To Thunder For Draft Compensation
7:59 pm: The trade sending McCain to the Thunder is now official, the team announced in a press release. In order to open up a roster spot for the newcomer, Oklahoma City waived Plumlee, who was acquired from Charlotte in a separate deal.
1:02 pm: The Sixers and Thunder have agreed to a trade that will send Jared McCain to Oklahoma City for Houston’s 2026 first-round pick (which the Thunder control) and three second-rounders, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
The three second-round picks involved in the trade are a 2027 selection (most favorable of Thunder, Rockets, Pacers and Heat), OKC’s own 2028 pick, and Milwaukee’s 2028 second, reports Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports (via Twitter).
McCain, who turns 22 years old later this month, was the 16th overall pick in the 2024 draft. The former Duke guard got off to an excellent start to his rookie campaign, averaging 15.3 points, 2.6 assists and 2.4 rebounds on .460/.383/.875 shooting in 23 games (25.7 minutes per contest), but missed the remainder of 2024/25 after undergoing season-ending knee surgery.
McCain’s ’25/26 debut was delayed after he suffered ligament damage in his thumb, which required surgery. The injury occurred in an offseason workout just before training camp.
Although McCain has played a bit better recently, he largely hasn’t played at the same level as he did as a rookie, averaging 6.6 PPG, 2.0 RPG and 1.7 APG on .385/.378/.880 shooting in 37 games (16.8 MPG). He was sent to the G League multiple times to get more playing time and to try and find his rhythm.
Assuming Philadelphia doesn’t receive a player back in return, the team would generate a traded player exception worth $4,221,360, which is how much money McCain makes this season.
The Sixers likely viewed McCain as a luxury rather than a necessity due to the strong backcourt play of All-Star Tyrese Maxey and standout rookie VJ Edgecombe. It’s worth noting that all three players are on the smaller side as well, so it would be difficult to play them all at once.
The Thunder, meanwhile, have an excess of future first-round picks and will be betting that McCain can recapture his previous form in a new environment. His rookie scale contract covers two more years beyond ’25/26 for a total of $11.2MM.
Jake Fischer of The Stein Line hears Thunder forward Ousmane Dieng may be involved in the deal as well (Twitter link). According to Fischer (Twitter link), there’s momentum on a trade that would send Dieng to the Hornets for Mason Plumlee. Shedding Dieng’s salary rather than waiving him would help the Thunder stay below the luxury tax threshold.
Avoiding the tax is also presumably a consideration for the Sixers, who will receive a tax variance credit as a result of Paul George’s 25-game suspension and are in position to finish the season as a non-taxpayer after moving McCain.
Thunder Acquire Draft Rights To Balsa Koprivica
The Thunder and Jazz completed a minor trade on Tuesday, with Oklahoma City acquiring the draft rights to Serbian center Balsa Koprivica in exchange for cash considerations. Both teams sent out press releases to announce the deal.
Koprivica, 25, is currently with Bahcesehir Koleji in Turkey’s BSL. He played two seasons at Florida State before declaring for the NBA draft in 2021.
Koprivica was selected by Charlotte with the 57th pick in ’21 and traded to Detroit on draft night. The Pistons sent his draft rights to the Clippers in a cash deal in the summer of 2023, and those rights were shipped to Utah a year later as part of a trade involving Russell Westbrook and Kris Dunn.
There hasn’t been any indication that Koprivica is considering coming to the NBA. However, his draft rights could be a minor trade chip for OKC to use in a deal down the road, especially if the team is operating over the second apron in a future season and isn’t eligible to trade cash that year.
Warriors Notes: Green, Kerr, Curry, Butler
Draymond Green wasn’t sure if Tuesday marked his final game with the Warriors, so he delivered comments worthy of a farewell address, writes Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area. Green made an unexpected appearance at the podium after the game ended to talk to reporters about what his time in Golden State has meant to him, just in case he gets moved by Thursday’s deadline.
“I think a lot of people want to know how I feel about it, like am I upset about it? I’m not at all,” Green said (Twitter video link). “If that’s what’s best for this organization, that’s what’s best for the organization. I’m not like, ‘Oh man, they f–ked me over or something like that. I don’t really feel that way. If you would have told me 13 and a half years ago, like, ‘Yo, I’m going to hand you this sheet of paper and you can sign it to be in a place for 13 and a half years, would you sign it?’ And I would have signed it faster than you can blink.
“So what do I have to sit and worry about? What do I have to be upset about? I’ve been here for 13 and a half years. That’s longer than probably 98 percent of NBA players have been in one place, this guy from Saginaw has been in a place for 13 and a half years.”
Green’s name has popped up recently in trade rumors, particularly in the Warriors’ negotiations with the Bucks for Giannis Antetokounmpo. There’s an assumption that Milwaukee wouldn’t keep him, so if the two teams reach an agreement, it would likely become a three-team deal or he’ll be moved elsewhere in a separate trade. Green holds a $27.7MM player option for next season, so he’ll have a say in determining his future regardless of whether he’s traded or not.
On Tuesday, he was focused on the incredible career he’s had with the Warriors and the legacy of being a four-time NBA champion.
“I don’t know that it ends at 13 and a half, but if it does, what a f–king run it has been,” Green continued. “I’ll take the fine for it. What a f–king run it has been. So that’s just how I feel. I don’t sleep well after games. So if I lose sleep tonight, I promise y’all it’s not because I think I’m betrayed. I just don’t really sleep well after the game.
“But I’m blessed, I’m lucky, I’m grateful. … I don’t know that it ends or whatnot. I don’t. We’ll all see. But if it does, it does. All good things must come to an end at some point. That’s kind of my sentiment and how I feel.”
There’s more on the Warriors:
- Meeting with reporters before Tuesday’s game, Steve Kerr said this is the first time since he took over as head coach that Green’s name has “really been mentioned” in trade discussions, per Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle (subscription required). “This has definitely been more difficult than most,” Kerr added. “Last year’s (trade deadline) was very difficult as well. We’ve had a lot of years where nobody was really overly concerned about anything, but these last two years, there’s been a lot of chatter and it puts guys on edge for sure.” Green said the idea of leaving Golden State “got real” for him when Kerr asked how his wife is handling the trade speculation.
- Stephen Curry, who’s considered to be the Warriors’ lone untouchable player in Antetokounmpo trade talks, told Howard Beck of The Ringer that he wants to finish his career as a one-team player. “I never would see myself be in a situation where I’m chasing another championship anywhere else but here,” Curry said. “There’s a certain mentality that we’re all trying to figure this out together. But it doesn’t pacify the desire to win.”
- Curry was profoundly affected by the torn ACL that knocked Jimmy Butler out for the rest of the season, Beck adds. “I don’t think I’ve stopped thinking about it since he got hurt, to be honest,” Curry said. “Just the human nature part of it comes in, where you feel like things change drastically. … Me and Coach and Draymond talk about it a good amount, the way our contracts are aligned, the fact that last year, we had such a clear identity and we were so close to getting over the hump.”