9:02pm: The trade is official, according to a Hawks press release. While also confirming the trade in their own press release, the Thunder provided more details regarding the picks involved.
The second-rounder headed to Oklahoma City is Atlanta’s 2029 pick. The Thunder will also receive amendments on the conditions of a previously traded 2025 second-round pick from the Hawks. The amended 2025 second-round pick will now be top-40 protected. Previously that pick was top-55 protected.
4:31pm: The Thunder are trading Vit Krejci to the Hawks in exchange for Maurice Harkless and a second-round pick, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
After signing a multiyear contract ahead of the 2021/22 NBA season, Krejci appeared in 30 games in his first NBA season, averaging 6.2 PPG, 3.4 RPG and 1.9 APG. He posted shooting splits of .407/.327/.864.
An early 2020 second-round pick, Krejci underwent an arthroscopic knee procedure in April. His $1,563,518 salary for the coming season is only 50% guaranteed for now.
The 6’8” Krejci, who turned 22 in June, could work his way into a rotation spot with Atlanta. However, the deal is primarily a cost-cutting move for the Hawks. The team drops from $1.7MM over the luxury tax line to $1.3MM below it by swapping Harkless for Krejci, Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype tweets.
The Hawks will also create a trade exception worth $4,564,980, the amount of Harkless’ outgoing salary.
Harkless, 29, has been in the league since the 2012/13 season. He spent last season with the Kings, appearing in 47 games (24 starts) while averaging 4.6 PPG and 2.4 RPG. He has also played for Orlando, Portland, the Los Angeles Clippers, New York and Miami. Overall, Harkless has appeared in 621 NBA games and averaged 6.9 PPG and 3.5 RPG in 22.6 MPG.
Harkless, who has an expiring contract, was traded from Sacramento to Atlanta in the Kevin Huerter deal earlier this offseason. It’s uncertain whether the Thunder plan to keep him or waive him.
Oklahoma City applied for a disabled player exception in late August worth $4.95MM in the wake of Chet Holmgren‘s season-ending injury. Harkless’ contract will slot into that exception, which was granted last week, ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets. That allows the Thunder to complete the deal without matching salaries, since Krejci’s $1.56MM cap charge isn’t big enough to match Harkless’ $4.56MM salary.
BRING OUT YOUR BUSTS
BRING OUT YOUR BUSTS
WE’LL TAKE YOUR WHIFFED DRAFT PICKS AND BLOATED CONTRACTS for a fee
Game of Zones reference, nice
Thunder just traded dudes for the sake of trading dudes now …
I mean, not really. He wasn’t going to make the roster anyways. Why not find someone to trade for him. They already have Shai, Giddey, Mann, Jalen Will, Maledon, and Wiggins to get guard minutes. That’s not even mentioning Jerome who wants to get traded.
They need to get rid of a few guaranteed contracts by opening night. Instead of waiving Krejci outright they got 1.5 extra picks out of it at the cost of 4.5M.
I’m still not sure who they’re gonna waive, but now they only have to waive two since Harkless is in Chet’s DPE. It was reported the other day that Jerome was looking to be traded so he could have a better opportunity somewhere else, so maybe they could package him and Maledon, or even Favors and find a negative contract that a team would attach an asset too. Just spitballing, but maybe Harkless and Ty Jerome for Dwight Powell and a second
1. DPE doesn’t grant an extra roster spot, only a salary exception. So OKC is still at 18 contracts and Harkless will likely be one of the three to go.
2. The deal you propose is currently illegal because Harkless would be subject to the aggregation wait period. The Mavs aren’t throwing in a pick without getting someone that moves the needle for them (with all due respect it’s not Harkless or Jerome). And OKC would end up over the tax if they did that trade.
Maurice Harkless will look good on the Oklahoma City Thunder as a veteran bringing veteran leadership. I’ve always liked him. He’s a very versatile defensive player that can guard a lot of positions.
He can help a contender as well to provide wing defense off the bench or be a spot starter.
So Huerter for Holiday and a future lottery protected 1st. Not looking very favorable for the Hawks tbh. That was my opinion before this Harkless trade too however.
Obviously Hawks we’re looking to shed salary with the trades, but still kinda blows. Oh well
I might be speaking too soon, but I watched Krejci in Vegas this past summer league and he looked really good. Could be some potential there
He played 28 minutes tho lol. Not much of a sample. Just a money move.
Yea it’s very clear that these folks never seen Vit play lol. He’s a definite upgrade from Harkless but we lose that vet tough that he woulda brought. Vit is basically a Euro version of Jalen Johnson. We now have a stable of young forwards to rival any other in the league w/ Dre, John, Jalen, AJ & Vit. Getting a young, cheap, talented forward for as little as we just gave up is a W that could turn into a huge W down the line. And the fact that we save around $3M & get under the tax line is the cherry on top. Hopefully we go get another vet with some of the $ we just saved
I’m hearing Maurice Harkless is going to get bought out. He’s only 29 years old so he can still help some good teams out there.
Harkless would be a good fit for Boston.
Why would Harkless get bought out? He does not have any trade value? Why would they not keep him until the trade deadline?
OKC needs to get rid of 3 guaranteed contracts. It’s possible to get something at the deadline but it probably won’t be very meaningful. In the meantime you have to give him minutes that won’t go to players who will actually be on your roster next year. Furthermore OKC was already compensated to take him, that tells you what his value is in the league.
Fair point.
If they buy him out whatever he gives up gets deducted from the cap? If so, it makes a buy-out more likely indeed.
As Harkless cannot be combined with other players, I dont see many logical straight-up trades for Harkless, not even if they would take on a player with a higher salary of 2,5 million extra.
What are the other guaranteed contracts that are deemed non-essential? I assume Favors (10,8m), Bazley (4,3m), Jerome (4,2m) and Maledon (1,9m) are considered non-essential? They would need to do a 4-for-1-trade to get to the maximum amount of contracts? Possible, but not super likely indeed.
I dont see many big contracts that could be unwanted and are feasible. Westbrook, Randle, Horford and Tobias Harris are too expensive.
Fournier, Rozier, Kemba Walker and Danny Green would be players they could trade for. And any of the players of Utah.
A trade that would work: Fournier and Cam Reddish for Favors, Bazly, Jerome and Maledon. With Reddish then traded to another team for draft assets. But dont see that happening.
Make up for not having luka
When could Harkless be included in a trade?
And how come OKC got so close to the tax line? How far are they off that tax line?
It would make sense for OKC to consolidate multiple smaller contracts into one big unwanted contract.
In a consolidation trade, 60 days from now, or 11/28. But OKC needs to consolidate before opening night, so they might just cut him. They’re only 2.5M under the tax, but may gain some room with what Harkless gives up to choose his next destination.