JUNE 23: The Nuggets and Thunder have officially completed their trade, according to a press release from the Nuggets.
The deal sends Green and a protected 2027 first-round pick to the Thunder in exchange for the draft rights to No. 30 pick Peyton Watson to the Nuggets and two second-rounders (one in 2023 and one in 2024).
The 2027 first-rounder the Thunder are receiving will be top-five protected for three years and would become a 2029 second-rounder if it falls in its protected range in 2027, 2028, and 2029, per Mike Singer of The Denver Post (Twitter link).
JUNE 13: The Nuggets and Thunder have agreed to a trade that will send forward JaMychal Green to Oklahoma City, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Green will pick up his $8.2MM player option for 2022/23 as part of the deal.
According to Wojnarowski, Oklahoma City will also receive a protected 2027 first-round pick from Denver, while the Nuggets will get the No. 30 pick in this year’s draft, plus a 2023 second-round selection and a 2024 second-rounder.
The Thunder entered the week with four picks in the top 34 of this year’s draft — they also control Nos. 2, 12, and 34. They were always considered extremely unlikely to bring in four rookies for the 2022/23 season, so it comes as no surprise that they decided to move off one of their picks. Giving up No. 30 will allow them to land a future first-rounder and a potentially useful player in Green, who will be on an expiring contract.
Green had a down year in 2021/22, averaging 6.4 PPG and 4.2 RPG on .486/.266/.871 shooting in 67 games (16.2 MPG) for the Nuggets, but has proven to be an effective stretch four over the years. Entering ’21/22, he had knocked down 38.0% of his three-point attempts in his first seven NBA seasons.
It’s unclear whether the Thunder intend to keep Green for the 2022/23 season or if they’ll try to flip him to another team.
From the Nuggets’ perspective, the trade – Calvin Booth‘s first as the head of basketball operations – allows them to move off some salary for ’22/23 while acquiring an extra 2022 first-rounder in exchange for a future pick. Denver will now control the 21st and 30th overall picks in this year’s draft, giving the team some ammo if it wants to try to move up.
While it looks on the surface as if the Nuggets may be trying to duck below the luxury tax line for next season, Wojnarowski says (via Twitter) that’s not the case. According to Woj, Denver still expects to be a taxpaying team and now has more flexibility to use its mid-level exception or the $8.2MM trade exception that will be generated by moving Green.
The trade will be finalized sometime before the new league year begins at the start of July, since the Thunder will use a portion of their leftover cap room to take on Green’s salary — that cap room will go away in July when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander‘s maximum-salary extension hits Oklahoma City’s books, as we noted in our offseason preview.
Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype (Twitter link) estimates that OKC will still have about $23.4MM in ’21/22 cap space after acquiring Green, so more salary-dump deals could be on the way within the next couple weeks.
As Bobby Marks of ESPN observes (via Twitter), the Nuggets already owe their 2023 first-round pick (top-14 protected) to the Thunder and their 2025 first-round pick (top-five protected) to the Magic. If either of those selections falls within its protected range, the 2027 pick that OKC is acquiring in this trade would have to be pushed back to 2028, since the Stepien rule prevents teams from trading consecutive future first-rounders.
All this for Presti to waive Jamychal…..
I really wanted that 30th pick, now we just swapped it for a 27 pick and to have JaMychal Greens 5 million dollars stuck on our cap books
Did you really want that 30 pick ?
Green will likely be traded in soon and worst case he’s expiring
OKC really has no choice other than to kick picks back at this point. Rosters packed tight and they still gotta a couple dudes overseas as well
Personally I thought Presti was gonna combine it with 12 and/or the second rounder and move into the top 10.
Still a good trade for okc depending on the protections Denver has on it.
I doubt Green plays a single minute in okc.
The fair deal is likely to be
Nuggets 2027 Top-8 protected first round pick to Thunder.
If not happening, Nuggets 2028 top-6 protected First.
Can’t keep all your picks. At # 30 the likelihood of the 2027 or 2028 pick being better is high.
I expect Presti to push any picks at 28 29 30 the next couple years to later years hoping to get them into the teens or top 10 by then.
Nuggets Luxury tax savings
Suns are supposed to do this kind of deal as early as possible
Tax savings
Part way is the best for both lakers and Westbrook
Sacrifice is the worst strategy for everyone
Sacrifice is insane
Who cares about overpaid loser Lakers?
Doesn’t seem great a 2027 protected first round.
A 2027 pick has a much wider range of possible outcomes than the pick OKC gave Denver. It could be really valuable depending on the protection.
It’s also the only one Denver is legally allowed to trade since they owe 2023 to OKC (possibly with amended conditions) and 2025 to Orlando.
OKC has a few guys at the 4/5 spots, so weird decision, in my opinion. You could say they have enough young players where you might want to trade a couple of this year’s picks, but I feel like they could have done something else with it, plus others…although I could see the possibility that by 2027, Denver might not be in the greatest position, so that could end up working out for them, in that regard
Green would look GREAT in a Bulls uni. We need a stretch 4 who can shoot and he’s still got game left in him. I would be pleasantly surprised if the Bulls can get him this offseason. Great bench player for a bench that lacks more shooting.
Levine and lonzo for JaMychal seems like a fair trade
This seems pretty win-win for both teams. Not sure what there is to complain about on either side. Nugs gain flexibility and OKC kicks a late pick down the road. I would keep Green and maybe flip him down the line to get one or two of those 2nd rounders back. Not like he’s a bad teammate or completely useless player
Trade looks weird at first glance, but the thunder actually have too many picks and not enough roster spots for guaranteed contracts. This trade is basically the last pick in the first round for a future first round pick that will be higher than that. OKC still has three of the top 34 picks. They have way more picks than available roster spots, so expect them to do stuff like this every year.
Given what we saw in the playoffs, the Nugs aren’t far from being a contender in the west if Murray is indeed healthy. To me, this is a win whether they use the 1st round picks or bring in a big time player to augment their stars
I read this trade as being tied to the feeling that there is some sense of immediacy in Denver
This is creative as hell! Especially if Denver has future reservations on bundling up both 1st rders to move up for Jovic!
Nice deal for OKC too, they’ll do this kinda thang again in pushing back picks a time or two in the next 2 years –
OKC needs matchable contracts for other trades – Green works well ..don’t expect him to be a Thunder for more than 45 days
Seems weird for OKC, trade a first and 2 seconds for a 5mil contract your likely to waive and a pick in 2027/28…
I understand it’s cause they had 4 picks in the top 34. But what did you think would happen when all you’ve done for the past 3 years is gather picks.
What are you going to do next year when you have 5 firsts and 3 seconds? Trade those for picks at a later date again?
What you need to do is stop trading back and instead give up some picks for a player you want to build around/with.
For example Donovan Mitchell, DeAndre Ayton etc, give up some picks and contracts now to acquire a guy like this and then use the picks to build around them.
Giddey Spida and Chet…
Giddey SGA Paolo/Jabari and Ayton…
Stop trading back and start building up
I am so glad Presti is the GM of the Thunder and not you.
I like this for OKC- Hope it’s limited protections
Don’t think he get’s waived as well. His contract can be valuable as an expiring in the market
Good deal for both teams.
Presti did the best he could to get future value for 3 picks he really can’t use efficiently. The 1st he gets is 5 years remote, and that makes it less valuable generally (even vs #30), without even getting to the two 2nd’s. But if he felt he needed to move #30, then best to do it in advance of the draft.
J.Green is a physical defensive big who hits 3’s, at 8 mm a year or so, on an expiring deal. I don’t see that as a bad contract, but DEN is loaded with PFs, and not much room under the tax line. Whereas OKC can trade house him and move him at the deadline, and I would think could get a 2nd back which would also be in a later year.
Good point on trade deadline, I was geared more towards a quick turnaround deal w Green but perhaps the deadline maximizes value
OKC has a roster crunch but future moves probably solve that – A Green Favors KWillams and possibly even Dort/Muscala makes up an interesting 20~25 mill (All expiring as well!) league wide
Consolidation is necessary imo, some draft night move ups are also probably being eyed here as well with those salaries as helpers. Im interested how the next 60 days go here
I view Presti as more asset manager than team builder. So, yeah, he’ll have his eyes wide open on draft night and early in free agency; ready to deal, ready to hold. I’m just thinking that Green a 1 year deal (with BRs) might be more a plan B as a rotational big for some contender, which might not be implemented until the deadline.
Odds are the 2027 pick will be higher then 30 and Green I think can be flipped. Another great trade by the Thunder.
But NBA Championship isn’t over so the Celtics or Warriors could nake a Trade then.
Green is a Jokic favorite— Booth must think Nuggets have him in the bag. At some point Jokic may get fed up tho. Few #30 picks could contribute as much as Green, unless Booth knows he’s on the decline.
Another player wasted to keep Porter, and Barton is still on roster.
Jy.Green is 31 and is still average statistically, which is good for a backup.