Warriors Notes: Wiggins, Quinones, Kuminga, Thompson, Green, Paul, Payton
Andrew Wiggins got his wish to stay with the Warriors past the trade deadline, so now he has to prove the team made the correct choice, writes Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. Golden State delayed its toughest roster decisions until the summer, Thompson notes, and one of them will surely involve Wiggins, who was spectacular during the run to the 2022 title, but has played a significant role in the team’s failure to meet expectations this season.
The Warriors were barely active at the deadline, with their only move being a trade of Cory Joseph and cash to Indiana for a second-round pick. Thompson points out that they didn’t acquire another wing, a rim protector or a reliable scorer to take some of the burden off Stephen Curry, which means Wiggins will be counted on to contribute in all those areas.
Wiggins was the subject of trade chatter heading into the deadline, and he understood there was a significant possibility that he might be moved. After a disastrous start to the season, he gave the front office a reason to hold onto him with improved play of late, Thompson adds, noting that Wiggins is back in the starting lineup and the unit that coach Steve Kerr uses to close out games.
“At one point,” Wiggins said, “I told myself, ‘It can’t get no worse than this. Keep swinging and you’re gonna get out of it. Sometimes in the NBA, in basketball itself, it can be a roller coaster. Roller coaster of emotions, doubt, uncertainty. But it can also be great things, success. It’s a roller coaster. I’m glad I’m feeling better. On the court, I’m in a greater rhythm.”
There’s more on the Warriors:
- Two-way player Lester Quinones looks like a strong candidate to have his contract converted and fill the roster opening left by Joseph, according to Andrew Slater of The Athletic. Quinones played regular minutes during the team’s five-game road trip, and Kerr cited the energy and ball pressure he brings to the defense.
- The Warriors reportedly refused to part with Jonathan Kuminga in trade talks with the Bulls regarding Alex Caruso, and Slater asked general manager Mike Dunleavy if Kuminga is considered untouchable. “Virtually,” Dunleavy said. “I mean, as untouchable as guys can be in this league. He’s certainly at that level. I didn’t see a scenario where Jonathan wouldn’t be on our team after this deadline.”
- Dunleavy also didn’t rule out the possibility of eventually trading Klay Thompson or Draymond Green despite their role in winning four NBA titles, Slater states in the same piece. “You know, for me personally in this situation, I’m always going to do what’s best for the organization moving forward,” Dunleavy said. “Based on that, that’s how we’re going to operate — whether it’s this deadline, this summer, in the future.”
- Chris Paul‘s $30MM non-guaranteed contract for next season will give the front office plenty of flexibility this summer, Slater adds. The Warriors can either let Paul go, try to re-sign him at a lower price or work out a trade in which they would guarantee the amount of salary they’re taking back.
- Gary Payton II, who has been sidelined since January 2 with a strained left hamstring, will return on Saturday, tweets Kendra Andrews of ESPN. Kerr told reporters that Payton won’t be on a set minutes restriction.
Pistons Owner Expresses Support For GM Troy Weaver
Pistons owner Tom Gores expressed confidence in general manager Troy Weaver during a session with reporters Saturday afternoon in Los Angeles, writes Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press. There has been speculation that Weaver may be replaced amid a historically bad start to the season, but Gores didn’t provide any indication that he’s considering such a move.
“I think we just came together and the first thing we did is take accountability for the mistakes we made,” Gores responded when asked about Weaver. “As an organization, you really can’t go forward until you acknowledge what didn’t work. That was the first thing. And being honest about that provides you the future. If you don’t look in your past for a little bit and what was right and what was wrong, it’s very hard to go to the future. We did that along the process. I have confidence in Troy. I have confidence. We leaned on each other through this process, but we also didn’t avoid the idea of what were we accountable for? It gave us a pathway to go forward.”
The Pistons still have the league’s worst record at 8-44 after losing to the Clippers today, but Sankofa points out that they have been more competitive recently, going 5-8 since acquiring Mike Muscala and the recently waived Danilo Gallinari from Washington last month. The roster shakeup continued at Thursday’s deadline as Detroit added six new players — Simone Fontecchio, Troy Brown Jr., Shake Milton, Quentin Grimes, Evan Fournier and Malachi Flynn — while parting with veteran shooters Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks, among others.
“We needed to mix up our formation,” Gores explained. “We had to let a few of our players go, all good men. Bojan and Burks contributed a lot to our Pistons. We just needed to change it up a bit and create some more pace-and-space for our young guys. As you know from Troy, we were at it working all last week, so we just needed to, for the sake of the team, let the young guys fly free.”
Today marked Gores’ first public comments on the team since late December when he promised fans that changes were going to be made. In today’s media session, Gores told reporters that he was involved in the process “almost every day.”
“The first month after that, I did a lot of it on a couple days of Zooms and calls and all that stuff,” Gores said. “Over the last 10 days, the team will tell you, Troy will tell you, we had a lot of all-nighters and up really late just making sure we make the right decision for this team. It’s a pivotal moment and you have to know when it’s pivotal. For us, it was important to get the right makeup and I thought we made pretty good moves. We also have a lot of cap space now in the summer, and we gained some good players.”
Gores added that he learned a lot about coach Monty Williams and people throughout the organization by watching how they responded in difficult times. He also indicated that several of Thursday’s additions could be in the Pistons’ long-term plans.
“This is just the beginning, and it’s our responsibility to do this,” Gores said. “We have to learn from what didn’t work, so we have to take that forward now. As I told the team and front office and everyone else that if we don’t win from our losses, then what are we doing? We have to be better because of our losses, and that’s our opportunity.”
Nets Notes: Schröder, Bridges, Marks, Wilson
Being traded is nothing new for Dennis Schröder, and the veteran guard tells Brian Lewis of The New York Post that his approach to the game doesn’t change no matter where he plays. When the Raptors shipped Schröder to the Nets on Thursday, it marked his fifth team in the last three seasons. Brooklyn is in the same situation as Toronto, battling for a spot in the play-in tournament, and Schröder said he’ll do everything he can to help.
“It don’t matter what the circumstances are. I just want to win, and having that mentality of doing it as a team,” he said. “Having a leader out there and just talking to teammates, even if it’s a bad situation. I’m always trying to be straightforward with guys and I want people to be the same way with me. If they see anything, what I can do better, just call it out, and then we go from there. That’s how I’ve been my whole career, and it’s just for great intentions, just for winning basketball, and that’s what I try to bring in.”
Landing Schröder (along with Thaddeus Young, who has since been waived) in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie is a surprisingly good return for the Nets, Lewis adds, considering that Dinwiddie had been unhappy in Brooklyn and could have been considered a distressed asset. The Nets were able to add an experienced lead guard who can help with this year’s postseason push and is under contract for $13MM next season.
There’s more from Brooklyn:
- The Nets took a “half-measure” approach to the trade deadline, opting for smaller deals instead of seeking to maximize the return for Mikal Bridges or Nic Claxton, observes Mark W. Sanchez of The New York Post. The moves indicate that the organization values a chance to reach the playoffs this season and is committed to building around Bridges in the future, Sanchez adds.
- General manager Sean Marks explained that Thursday’s deals were made with a focus on what else the team may be able to do this summer and beyond, per Collin Helwig of Nets Daily. “I think we go into these days always thinking about future flexibility, try to maintain some level of sustainability when we’re looking at how does the team look this year,” Marks said. “How’s it gonna look in six months’ time from now? How’s it gonna look in three, four years? We’re looking way down the road and at what’s fitting with our timetable, fitting with the group that we’re envisioning that we will come back with this next offseason, and we’ll bring back as Nets in a year or two from here. I think we feel pretty good about it by adding the players that we obviously added and bringing those guys in, but at the same time you’re keeping some those draft assets as well. And again, that future flexibility.”
- With the Nets left shorthanded after the deadline deals, rookie Jalen Wilson made his first career start on Thursday and played nearly 40 minutes, Helwig adds in a separate story. “I give him an extreme amount of credit for using his minutes wisely and putting it in my mind that somehow, some way, I got to put him on the floor,” coach Jacque Vaughn said. “That’s what you’re supposed to do as a player, to put that in the coach’s mind.” Helwig views Wilson as a strong candidate to have his two-way contract converted to a standard deal before the end of the season.
Thunder Acquire Gordon Hayward From Hornets
9:57pm: The trade is official, according to a press release from the Hornets. Charlotte received Bertans, Mann, Micic, and second-round picks in 2024 and 2025 in exchange for Hayward.
The Thunder announced in their own press release confirming the deal that the 2024 second-rounder is Houston’s and the 2025 second-rounder is Philadelphia’s. Oklahoma City also said it sent cash to Charlotte in the swap.
The Hornets waived guards Ish Smith and Frank Ntilikina to make room on their roster for the incoming players.
1:04pm: The Hornets will receive a pair of second-round picks from the Thunder in the deal, reports ESPN’s Zach Lowe (Twitter link).
11:17am: Oklahoma City will include Vasilije Micic in the deal for salary-matching purposes, Charania tweets. The 30-year-old point guard makes $7.7MM this season and next year, with an $8.1 team option for 2025/26. Charlotte will also receive draft compensation, Charania adds.
The trade will leave the Thunder $6.9MM below the tax threshold with two open roster spots, Gozlan notes (Twitter link).
9:54am: The Thunder are nearing a deal for Hornets forward Gordon Hayward, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Tre Mann and Davis Bertans will be sent to Charlotte in return, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).
Hayward’s contract includes a 15% trade bonus that will adjust his salary from $31.5MM to about $33.3MM tweets Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype. That would move Oklahoma City into luxury tax territory unless Hayward opts to waive part of the bonus, but there’s been no indication yet that he will agree to that. Gozlan notes that Hayward is eligible for an extension of up to two seasons through the end of June.
The Thunder will have to take back more money for the deal to be finalized, points out Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link). Bertans is making $17MM this season and Mann is at $3.2MM, which isn’t enough to match Hayward’s salary.
The 33-year-old Hayward brings a veteran presence to a young OKC team that has exceeded expectations this year. Injuries have limited him to 25 games, but he has been productive when he’s been able to play, averaging 14.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists while shooting 46.8% from the field and 36.1% from three-point range.
Bertans, a 31-year-old power forward, is headed for his fourth team in the last three years. The veteran sharpshooter has been out of the Thunder’s rotation all season, with minimal playing time in 15 games. He holds a $5.25MM guarantee on his $16MM salary for 2024/25.
Mann, a third-year point guard, has seen limited action in 13 games this season. He was selected with the 18th pick in the 2021 draft and is under contract for one more season at $4.9MM.
Clippers Acquire Draft Rights To Ismael Kamagate For Cash
9:16pm: The trade is official, per an announcement from the Clippers.
2:30pm: The Clippers completed a minor deal before the trade deadline, sending cash to the Nuggets in exchange for the draft rights to Ismael Kamagate, tweets Law Murray of The Athletic.
Denver will receive $2.68MM in the deal, according to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (Twitter link).
Because L.A. is over the second apron, the team won’t be able to send out cash in trades beginning this offseason, so it has made an effort to acquire the rights to some draft-and-stash players for future trade purposes.
The 6’11” Kamagate, a 23-year-old French center, was the 46th pick in the 2022 draft. Originally selected by Detroit, his draft rights were moved to Portland and then to Denver. He is currently playing for Bertram Derthona Tortona in Italy’s LBA league, on loan from Olimpia Milano.
Wizards Trade Daniel Gafford To Mavericks
7:12pm: The trade sending Gafford to the Mavericks in exchange for Holmes and a 2024 first-round pick is official, the Wizards announced in a press release.
Washington will be receiving the second-least favorable of the Thunder’s, Clippers’, Rockets’ (top-four protected), and Jazz’s (top-10 protected) 2024 first-rounders.
12:11pm: The Mavericks will be acquiring the Thunder’s second-least favorable 2024 first-round pick in order to reroute it to the Wizards, reports Stein (Twitter link). Details on that separate deal can be found right here.
10:25am: The Mavericks are nearing a deal to acquire Daniel Gafford from the Wizards in exchange for Richaun Holmes and draft picks, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Dallas has been in the market for another big man and lands a reliable rim protector in Gafford, who has been Washington’s starting center for the better part of the last three seasons. The 25-year-old is posting career highs across the board with 10.9 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.0 steals and 2.2 blocks through 45 games.
Gafford is under contract on a team-friendly deal at $12.4MM this season, $13.4MM next season and $14.4MM for 2025/26. He will fortify the Mavericks’ front court and will likely split time at center with rookie Dereck Lively II.
Holmes, 30, was acquired from the Kings last offseason but never established himself as part of the Mavs’ rotation. He appeared in 23 games, starting two, and averaged 3.4 points and 3.4 rebounds in 10.3 minutes per night. He’s making $12MM this year and holds a $12.9MM player option for next season.
The Mavericks are trying to acquire draft assets from other teams so they can send them to Washington to complete the trade, sources tell Marc Stein (Twitter link). Stein adds that Dallas is close to a deal with the Thunder for draft compensation that will be relayed to the Wizards (Twitter link).
Mavericks Acquire P.J. Washington From Hornets
6:43pm: The deal is official, according to press releases from both teams. The Hornets’ announcement indicates that the two draft picks they sent to Dallas are second-rounders in 2024 and 2028.
Charlotte’s lone 2024 second-round selection is Boston’s pick, so that will presumably be the one headed to the Mavericks. The Hornets own the Clippers’ 2028 second-rounder as well as their own, so it’s unclear which of those was included in the deal.
The Hornets didn’t announce in their press release which player they waived to complete the one-for-two trade, but an earlier report stated that James Bouknight was being let go.
12:07pm: The Hornets will send P.J. Washington to the Mavericks in exchange for Grant Williams, Seth Curry and a first-round pick, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.
The pick will be Dallas’ 2027 selection, which will be top-two protected, Charania adds (Twitter link). In return, the Mavs will get two second-rounders from Charlotte.
Dallas was willing to part with its last tradeable first-rounder so it could keep Josh Green out of the deal, sources tell Marc Stein (Twitter link).
Washington provides Dallas with a reliable frontcourt scorer on a manageable long-term contract. He’s signed through the 2025/26 season with annual salaries of $16.8MM, $15.5MM and $14.1MM and has a bonus of $500K if he plays at least 74 games or 2,400 minutes, which is considered unlikely, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link).
The 25-year-old forward has been with Charlotte since being selected with the 12th pick in the 2019 draft. He was used mainly off the bench this year after starting last season and was averaging 13.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 44 games.
The Mavericks find a way to move off the four-year deal they gave Williams last summer in a sign-and-trade with Boston. He’s making $12.4MM this year and is owed $13MM, $13.6MM and $14.2MM over the next three seasons. Williams, 25, hadn’t provided the fit that Dallas was hoping for and was averaging just 8.1 points and 3.6 rebounds in 26.4 minutes per night.
Curry, who heads to his hometown in the trade, is effectively an expiring contract as his $4MM salary for next season is non-guaranteed. The 33-year-old shooting specialist appeared in 36 games after signing with the Mavericks last summer, but was averaging just 4.3 PPG and playing 12.7 minutes per night.
Spurs Trading Doug McDermott To Pacers
The Pacers will acquire Doug McDermott from the Spurs, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
San Antonio will receive Marcus Morris, a second-round pick, and cash in return, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). One of the picks is in 2029, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).
Morris, whom Indiana is acquiring from Philadelphia in the Buddy Hield trade, will likely be bought out by San Antonio, Charania adds (Twitter link).
If Morris becomes a free agent, he would be ineligible to return to the Pacers or join the seven teams operating above the first or second tax apron: the Celtics, Nuggets, Warriors, Clippers, Heat, Bucks and Suns. Morris would be able to return to the Sixers if the trades involving Hield and McDermott are separate, rather than one three-team transaction.
The Pacers will create a $3.4MM trade exception in the deal, according to Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype (Twitter link). They also get a useful shooter after sending Hield to Philadelphia, while adding some draft assets.
McDermott returns to Indiana, where he spent three seasons before leaving for San Antonio in a sign-and-trade deal in 2021. The 32-year-old forward has seen his playing time reduced this season, but he’s a career 41.2% career shooter from long distance and is connecting at 43.9% through 46 games this season.
Although Morris is unlikely to join the Spurs, it’s something of a reunion for him as well. Gozlan notes that he was close to signing with San Antonio five years ago before changing his mind.
Andre Drummond Fined $15K
The NBA has imposed a $15K fine on Bulls center Andre Drummond for making an inappropriate gesture on the court (Twitter link).
The incident occurred late in overtime of Tuesday’s game against Minnesota after Drummond scored over Rudy Gobert, according to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Drummond said he was expecting to be fined for his actions, Johnson adds.
Drummond is among the names to watch as this afternoon’s deadline gets closer. He has been linked with numerous teams in trade rumors, but the Bulls may decide to keep him in hopes making of a playoff run.
Hawks, Pelicans End Dejounte Murray Trade Talks
The Hawks and Pelicans have halted talks regarding Dejounte Murray because the teams weren’t making progress and had little hope of completing a deal by this afternoon’s deadline, according to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and TNT (Twitter link). Numerous reports stated that Atlanta and New Orleans were discussing Murray, but there was never an indication of any traction.
Talks may have been complicated by a 15% trade kicker in Murray’s contract that he was unlikely to waive to help facilitate a deal, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
The Hawks are hoping to get two first-round picks in return for Murray, but the teams with rumored interest haven’t been willing to offer more than one, Scotto adds. In addition to New Orleans, the Lakers, Knicks and Nets were among the prominent teams with interest in the former All-Star guard.
Scotto states that it’s looking increasingly likely that Atlanta will hold onto Murray through the rest of the season and revisit trade talks this summer in hopes of getting better offers.