Thunder Trade Ousmane Dieng, Second-Round Pick To Hornets
The Thunder and Hornets have officially finalized a trade sending forward Ousmane Dieng and a 2029 second-round pick to Charlotte in exchange for center Mason Plumlee, the two teams announced in press releases.
The terms of the deal were reported in bits and pieces as news broke that the Thunder were acquiring Jared McCain from Philadelphia and the Hornets were using Dieng as part of their package for Bulls guard Coby White.
Dieng, 22, was the 11th overall pick in the 2022 draft, selected by the Thunder one spot before they nabbed Jalen Williams. However, the Frenchman never evolved into a reliable rotation player in Oklahoma City, appearing in 136 regular season games across three-and-a-half seasons and averaging 4.2 points and 2.1 rebounds in 12.0 minutes per night.
The move is financially motivated for the Thunder. Dieng is on an expiring $6.7MM contract this season, while Plumlee is on a one-year, minimum-salary contract with a cap hit of $2.3MM. By saving $4.4MM in this move, Oklahoma City will be able to remain below the tax when it finalizes its acquisition of McCain, who is earning $4.2MM this season. The expectation is that Plumlee will be waived to make room for McCain on OKC’s 15-man roster.
As for the Hornets, they’ll take advantage of their financial flexibility below the luxury tax line to accommodate a salary dump and acquire an extra second-round selection in the process. The Thunder, who have no shortage of future second-round picks, will send them the most favorable of Atlanta’s and Miami’s 2029 second-rounders.
Charlotte will subsequently flip Dieng to Chicago along with Collin Sexton in a trade that will send White and Mike Conley to the Hornets. It’s unclear whether or not the Bulls will hang onto Dieng once that deal is completed.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Sweepstakes A ‘Three-Team Race’?
The Timberwolves and Heat both appear far more motivated than the Knicks to make a trade for Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo before Thursday’s deadline, Brian Windhorst said today during appearances on ESPN’s Get Up (YouTube link) and First Take (Twitter video link).
Unlike the Warriors, who have up to four tradable first-round picks, Miami can only offer two first-round picks in its package, while Minnesota and New York are unable to trade any of their own first-rounders due to the Stepien rule.
Milwaukee is said to be seeking a combination of blue-chip talent and future draft picks for its two-time MVP, so in order to make the kind of offer the Bucks are seeking, some of those teams would likely need to turn one or more of their veteran players into draft assets. The Knicks don’t appear to be doing that, Windhorst explains.
“I don’t think the Knicks have what’s required on their roster to acquire Giannis,” Windhorst said on Get Up. “So if they wanted to (acquire him), they would be out there trying to trade their current players for draft picks and young pieces that the Bucks would want, and they’re not. So I’m taking the Knicks off the list until I have further information.
“I am seeing that action from teams like the Miami Heat and Minnesota Timberwolves. They are out there trying to find ways to improve their offer. The best standing offer that I’m aware of belongs to the Golden State Warriors, but I’m not seeing a lot of momentum towards Milwaukee making a Giannis move. It is only Wednesday. We have another day-and-a-half. But I think Milwaukee is seriously considering staying put and pushing this off until summer.”
Windhorst reiterated that point during his appearance on First Take, referring to the Giannis sweepstakes as a “three-team race” involving the Timberwolves, Heat, and Warriors, unless a mystery suitor emerges.
I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of a mystery team surfacing, given how many surprises we’ve already had ahead of this week’s trade deadline. However, as Windhorst said again on First Take, the most likely outcome might be Antetokounmpo remaining in Milwaukee.
“The choice is down to Bucks ownership,” Windhorst said. “Because I know that Giannis is ready to move. Giannis is ready to move, these other teams are ready to move, there’s ancillary pieces that teams are ready to move. Is Bucks ownership – in the next 24 hours – going to say, ‘OK let’s move on from him now’? If that answer ends up being yes, you see this (trade happen).”
Windhorst added during a subsequent appearance on ESPN 710 Los Angeles (Twitter video link) that he’s not feeling “deal heat” (ie. momentum toward a trade) on the Giannis front at this time.
Here are more of the latest rumblings related to Antetokounmpo:
- While the Bucks would covet forward Jaden McDaniels in a Giannis deal with the Timberwolves, they’d also want first-round picks that Minnesota can’t currently offer, which is why the Wolves are canvassing the league in search of them, writes Chris Mannix of SI.com. One source tells Mannix that practically everyone on the roster besides Anthony Edwards is believed to be up for discussion, with as many as four teams potentially needed for a trade that would get Antetokounmpo to Minnesota.
- As the Timberwolves and Heat survey the market in an effort to maximize the value of their packages, the Warriors’ offer – which is believed to include Draymond Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski, and first-round picks – remains on the table and has yet to be formally declined, writes Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.
- However, the sense is that Green would need to be rerouted if Milwaukee made a deal with Golden State, with Windhorst suggesting on First Take (YouTube link) that the Lakers are one team that would share mutual interest with the longtime Warrior. “If he were traded, his plan would not be to remain in Milwaukee,” Windhorst said of Green. “He would want to be moved on. A team that would be possible if he were traded – and I can’t emphasize the number of ‘ifs’ I’ve said enough before I say this – but the Los Angeles Lakers would be a team he would have interest in and they would have interest in him. But that would require the Bucks to take action on Giannis.” Even if Green isn’t on the move today or tomorrow, Windhorst wonders if including him in these talks might be the first step toward the veteran forward and the Warriors eventually parting ways.
- According to Siegel, many rival front office executives believe the Bucks are gathering as much information as they can from Antetokounmpo suitors right now and then will take that intel into the summer, reopening Giannis trade talks at that time. Mannix also suggests that while a club like the Wolves may be pushing to get a deal done now, there are other teams around the NBA encouraging the Bucks to wait until the offseason, when they’ll be able to enter the bidding or improve their current offer. “Minnesota badly wants to get it done now,” a rival executive told Mannix. “They don’t want to get into a bidding war before the draft.”
Domantas Sabonis Likely To Remain With Kings Through Deadline
1:42 pm: The Kings view their Sabonis talks with Toronto as having “flat-lined,” according to Sam Amick of The Athletic. With the caveat that there’s still 24 hours for the situation to evolve, Amick says it now appears highly likely that the big man will remain in Sacramento through the trade deadline.
10:53 am: Talks between the Raptors and Kings have paused for now, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter video link), who says Toronto has concerns about how much draft capital it would have to give up to move off of Poeltl’s contract.
10:02 am: The Raptors are known to have interest in Kings center Domantas Sabonis, but it’s been hard to get a feel for just how serious the talks between the two teams are, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca, who gets the sense that some of the Sabonis trade chatter has been driven by the three-time All-Star’s representatives, who would like to get their client off a rebuilding roster.
While Grange was still hearing from people close to the Kings on Tuesday that Sacramento would be open to making a trade centered around Sabonis and Raptors forward RJ Barrett, he writes that the connection between Barrett and Kings general manager Scott Perry – who drafted the forward as a member of the Knicks’ front office – has been “overblown.”
There also appear to be at least two obstacles in the way of a trade sending Sabonis to Toronto.
One, Chris Haynes said during an NBA TV appearance (Twitter video link), is a gap between the draft compensation the Kings are seeking as part of the return (a first-round pick) and what the Raptors are willing to offer in their package (second-rounders).
The other complication is that the Raptors would likely want to send out center Jakob Poeltl if they’re going to acquire a starting center who has an even more lucrative long-term contract, but Poeltl’s value is extremely limited due to the $100MM+ left on his deal, as well as his health — he has been dealing with back issues all season long.
The Kings reportedly have zero interest in acquiring Poeltl in a Sabonis deal, so the Raptors would have to find a third team willing to take him on and send that team sweeteners (likely draft assets) separate from what Sacramento would want for Sabonis.
“He’s a really hard guy to trade right now,” one source told Grange. “He’s hurt and he’s locked in for five years.”
According to Grange, the Celtics have been fans of Poeltl in the past, and the Pacers – who are searching for a long-term answer at center – are another team he has heard connected to Poeltl.
However, Boston just made a move for another center, agreeing to send Anfernee Simons to Chicago in a deal for Nikola Vucevic, and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) hears that Indiana hasn’t registered any interest in Poeltl.
The Grizzlies, with their newfound cap flexibility as a result of Tuesday’s Jaren Jackson Jr. trade, are considered one possible landing spot for Poeltl, but they’d likely need to be well compensated to take on his contract, especially given his current health situation.
“There’s nothing structural,” a source said of Poeltl’s back injury, per Grange. “There’s no nerve issue, it’s just a confusing injury.”
Sam Amick of The Athletic suggested earlier this week that it wouldn’t be a surprise if nothing happens with Sabonis this week and the Raptors and Kings renew their conversations in the offseason. Grange also thinks the Sabonis rumors “could all add up to nothing,” writing that Toronto may be better off hoping Poeltl gets healthy and can rebuild his value, either as a trade chip or the Raptors’ center of the future.
Grizzlies Reportedly Lower Asking Price For Ja Morant
After trading Jaren Jackson Jr. to Utah on Tuesday, the Grizzlies have lowered their asking price for point guard Ja Morant “dramatically,” rival teams tell Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports first reported that rivals were anticipating a reduction in Memphis’ price tag on Morant, which could pave the way for the two-time All-Star to change teams this week.
Iko describes the market for Morant as “diminished,” while Chris Mannix of SI.com agrees that interest has been limited, citing “availability, attitude and diminished production” as areas of concern for potential Morant suitors. However, Iko notes that some of those would-be suitors may return to the table after balking at Memphis’ previous demands.
The Grizzlies have increasingly recognized that a Morant trade won’t net them the same sort of hauls that they got for Jackson and Desmond Bane, Iko writes, and teams like the Timberwolves and Heat will have more interest in the guard as a buy-low target than they would’ve at Memphis’ initial price point.
Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints hears that the Grizzlies want to acquire some sort of draft compensation for Morant and may be inclined to accept the first offer that features a first-round pick, though that would presumably hinge on how much salary they’re being asked to take on. Sources tell Fischer that Memphis has conveyed a willingness to take on long-term contracts if they’re attached to worthwhile draft compensation.
Here’s more on Morant:
- While the Kings have been frequently linked to Morant, sources tell Fischer that their interest continues to be “minimal,” and James Ham of The Kings Beat hears similar rumblings, writing that Sacramento isn’t actively pursuing Morant and hasn’t spoken to the Grizzlies for two or three days. That doesn’t mean Sacramento is entirely out of the picture — Siegel cites league sources who believe the Kings would consider a Morant deal if it means moving off some of their own multiyear contracts, including perhaps those of Malik Monk and/or DeMar DeRozan. Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link) also hears that Sacramento remains involved for Morant.
- Both the Timberwolves and Heat remain in the hunt for Giannis Antetokounmpo, so until there’s resolution on that front, they’ll presumably keep any potential Giannis-related trade assets off the table in talks with the Grizzlies. Miami has hoped to be able to land Morant for a Trae Young-esque return, Siegel explains. The Miami Herald has frequently mentioned Terry Rozier‘s and Simone Fontecchio‘s expiring contracts as a possible package for Morant, which would be an even lighter package than what Atlanta got for Young, but would create significant cap flexibility going forward for Memphis.
- There’s a “growing thought” that the Heat would be willing to sign Morant to the kind of contract extension he’ll be seeking beyond his current deal, sources tell Iko. Morant is under contract for two years and $87MM after this season.
- In addition to gauging the market for Morant, the Grizzlies have interest in potentially facilitating an Antetokounmpo trade and are closely monitoring that situation, according to Iko, who says Memphis explored the possibility of reacquiring Mike Conley from the Timberwolves before he was dealt to Chicago.
Trade Rumors: Bulls, Dosunmu, Allen, Missi, Rockets, Pelicans, More
There have been some “tangible” discussions this week between the Bulls and Pacers about a possible trade involving Ayo Dosunmu and Bennedict Mathurin, reports Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). However, after Chicago agreed to trades for guards Jaden Ivey and Anfernee Simons on Tuesday, it’s unclear whether the team still has interest in Mathurin, who is also on the Pelicans‘ radar.
According to Fischer, the Bulls also explored multiple trade scenarios involving Nikola Vucevic before agreeing to a Simons trade with Boston, including offering Vucevic and a future first-round pick to the Cavaliers for Jarrett Allen. That’s a deal Cleveland wouldn’t have been able to make without ducking the second tax apron, since Vucevic’s $21.5MM cap hit comes in a little above Allen’s $20MM figure.
Whether due to the apron restrictions or simply a lack of interest, Cleveland turned down the offer, per Fischer, who adds that the Pacers are another team that has registered interest in Allen.
While the Bulls may not have a viable path to acquiring Allen, they remain very much in the mix for Pelicans center Yves Missi, reports Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints. According to Siegel, New Orleans has continued to seek a first-round pick in exchange for Missi, but no team has been willing to meet that asking price so far.
Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:
- Speaking of the Bulls, it’s worth keeping an eye on whether they end up flipping Mike Conley in a separate trade after acquiring him from Minnesota on Tuesday, Fischer writes. There have been rumblings that if Conley is traded again and then waived, the Timberwolves would have interest in bringing him back on a minimum-salary deal. That wouldn’t be possible if Chicago waives Conley directly due to NBA rules about a traded player rejoining his previous team.
- The Rockets have been connected to Bulls guard Coby White, among other targets, with forward Dorian Finney-Smith viewed as a possible trade candidate, but Siegel hears that Houston likes its roster and would be content to stand pat at the trade deadline — or to make a smaller move or two involving minimum-salary or near-minimum players. Forward Tari Eason, who will be a restricted free agent in the offseason, has drawn significant interest, but the Rockets aren’t interested in moving him, Siegel adds.
- Sources tell ClutchPoints that the Pelicans have received offers that include multiple first-round picks for both Trey Murphy III and Herbert Jones, but they still haven’t seriously entertained the idea of trading either player. It remains very possible that New Orleans maintains its high asking prices for Murphy and Jones and keeps both players through the deadline, despite significant league-wide interest in them, Siegel writes.
- The Clippers continue to seek potential takers for Chris Paul and Kobe Brown, Siegel reports, since moving those players would help create breathing room under the hard cap – and room on the roster – to promote Jordan Miller and Kobe Sanders from their two-way deals to standard contracts.
- Recognizing that whether or not he’s traded this week is “something that’s out of my control,” Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. says he’s at peace with whatever happens, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post. For what it’s worth though, Lewis writes in a separate subscriber-only story that more and more league sources believe Porter will ultimately end up remaining in Brooklyn through this Thursday’s deadline.
Lakers Rumors: Wing Targets, DiVincenzo, Knecht, Sharpe
Although the Lakers remain active on the trade market, their limited assets and their desire to retain as much 2026 cap room as possible are complicating factors as they look to upgrade their roster, writes Dan Woike of The Athletic.
Some rival executives believe the Lakers are willing to trade their 2031 or 2032 first-round pick for the right wing, Woike writes, but the sort of player they’d be targeting with that pick either isn’t available at that price or isn’t available at all — that group includes Pelicans forwards Herbert Jones and Trey Murphy III.
A league source tells Woike that the Lakers have been linked to practically every defensive-minded wing on the market, including Isaac Okoro of the Bulls and Derrick Jones Jr. of the Clippers. But it seems unlikely Los Angeles would give up its lone tradable first-round pick for a player of that caliber, especially since guys like Okoro and Jones are owed guaranteed money for 2026/27 and would eat into the club’s projected cap space.
As previously reported, the Lakers could emerge as a viable Giannis Antetokounmpo suitor this summer if the Bucks don’t move him at the deadline, but for now, any potential L.A. involvement in a Giannis deal would likely be as a facilitator.
Woike identifies Timberwolves wing Donte DiVincenzo and Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen as a couple players from potential Antetokounmpo suitors who might appeal to the Lakers, and Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints hears that L.A. has expressed interest in DiVincenzo.
Those talks haven’t gained traction though, Siegel writes, and Minnesota would likely only move DiVincenzo if it was necessary to land Giannis. Even in that scenario, it’s unclear whether the Lakers would be the Wolves’ most obvious trade partner or if there’s another team more likely to give up valuable draft capital for DiVincenzo.
Dalton Knecht, the Lakers’ 2024 first-round pick, hasn’t requested a trade, but wouldn’t object to a change of scenery, Woike writes, so he’s a player to keep an eye on if the team does make a deal.
The Lakers are also considering potential non-wing trade targets — sources tell The Athletic that Nets center Day’Ron Sharpe has fans within the organization.
Still, Woike believes that any meaningful changes to the Lakers’ roster are probably more likely to happen this summer than this week.
Pistons Waive Isaac Jones
The Pistons waived forward Isaac Jones in order to clear the roster space necessary to officially completed their three-team trade with Chicago and Minnesota, tweets Keith Smith of Spotrac.
An undrafted free agent out of Washington State, Jones played well in a modest role for the Kings as a rookie in 2024/25, beginning the year on a two-way contract and earning a promotion to a standard deal last March. However, Sacramento cut him this past November to make room on its roster for Precious Achiuwa, at which time Detroit claimed the 25-year-old off waivers.
While Jones was on Detroit’s roster for nearly three months, he appeared in just one game for the Pistons, logging two garbage-time minutes. He has spent most of this season with the Motor City Cruise, the Pistons’ G League affiliate. In 26 NBAGL outings, he has averaged 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.3 blocks in 28.1 minutes per game, making 55.7% of his field goal attempts.
Jones’ salary was non-guaranteed when the Pistons claimed him in November but was locked in after January 7, when the team opted not to release him at the league-wide salary guarantee deadline. Unless he’s claimed off waivers again this time around, Detroit will be on the hook for Jones’ full $1,955,377 cap hit.
The trade the Pistons officially finalized on Tuesday night sent Jaden Ivey to Chicago, with Kevin Huerter and Dario Saric landing in Detroit. Since the Pistons had a full 15-man roster, they weren’t able to accommodate the one-for-two deal without waiving a player.
Saric looks like the next potential release candidate for the Pistons — cutting him would allow the club to open up a 15-man roster spot for two-way standout Daniss Jenkins, who is just one game away from reaching his limit of 50 active regular season games.
Giannis Trade Rumors: Wolves, Warriors, Heat, Lakers, Blazers
The Bucks have ramped up trade discussions involving Giannis Antetokounmpo within the past week in the wake of a report that the two-time MVP is “ready for a new home.” However, speaking to Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Tuesday, Antetokounmpo didn’t sound like a player who is eager to move on from the only NBA team he’s ever played for.
“What I want deep down in my heart is I want to be a Milwaukee Buck for the rest of my career and win here,” Antetokounmpo said, before describing in depth how much the city of Milwaukee means to him. “… I got married in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. And also, legally, from the courthouse. And also, I’ve had my kids here. My father is buried here. When I open the passport of my kids and it says born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, my dad is buried here, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
“So people have the audacity to come tell me and say, ‘This guy really doesn’t love Milwaukee.’ I don’t love Milwaukee? Not the people that know. The people of the city know how much I love them. This city has let me be myself, let me be father, have let me (be) a husband, have let me be my own true self.”
As strong as his feelings are for Milwaukee, Antetokounmpo has also spoken repeatedly over the years about his desire to contend for more NBA championships. The 19-29 Bucks look further away from contention than they have at any point in the last decade, which is a crucial reason why both Antetokounmpo and the Bucks have become more open-minded to the idea of a trade.
“I always listen,” Antetokounmpo said when asked about his belief in the team’s ability to build a contending roster around him. “That’s why I’m still here. I always listen and trust. But what I’m trying to say, how many chances do I have left to win a championship? So, you just gotta (be) more careful and more urgent in every decision that you make moving forward. It doesn’t change. I think I’ve listened since day one and that will never change. I have great respect, love and likeness for (general manager) Jon (Horst) and the ownership and that will never be different. Won’t change. But at the end of the day …”
At this point, according to Owczarksi, Giannis paused for about eight seconds before finishing his thought.
“You gotta look.”
Here are several of the latest Antetokounmpo-related rumors:
- The Timberwolves are discussing Jaden McDaniels, Julius Randle, and Naz Reid with teams around the NBA and are in constant communication with the Bucks as they look to gather enough assets to convince Milwaukee to send Antetokounmpo to Minnesota, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, who says Giannis finds the idea of playing alongside Anthony Edwards “extremely compelling.”
- While several rival executives believe the Wolves have a path to acquiring Antetokounmpo this week, the Heat and Warriors have also made strong pitches, Siegel notes. Still, he suggests there’s “growing skepticism” about Miami’s chances of landing Giannis ahead of Thursday’s deadline (Twitter link).
- While Draymond Green, Jonathan Kuminga, and Brandin Podziemski are presumed to be key pieces in the Warriors‘ offer for Antetokounmpo (along with multiple first-round draft picks), the Bucks are reluctant to take on Green’s contract and would likely want to reroute him to a third team if their talks with Golden State progress to an advanced stage, writes Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link). Green is earning $25.9MM this season with a $27.7MM player option for 2026/27.
- The Lakers aren’t viewed as a factor in the race for Antetokounmpo at this time, but if the Bucks hang onto the star forward until the offseason, Los Angeles would become a far more viable suitor, according to Stein. While the Lakers only have one tradable first-round pick (2031 or 2032) right now, they could move up to three first-rounders (2026, 2031, and 2033) in the summer.
- Although the Trail Blazers have some level of interest in trying to trade for Antetokounmpo, the forward’s camp has continued to convey that he wouldn’t be interested in signing an extension with Portland, Stein writes, which will likely dissuade the Blazers from making an aggressive offer.
- Antetokounmpo, who is currently sidelined due to a calf strain, went through a 30-minute on-court workout on Tuesday, writes Eric Nehm of The Athletic. However, the Bucks still haven’t provided a recovery timeline or given any indication of when he might return to action.
Jaden Ivey Traded To Bulls In Three-Team Trade
10:20pm: The Bulls have issued a press release confirming the three-team deal. The Pistons have also confirmed the trade (Twitter link).
3:36 pm: The Timberwolves will receive cash in the three-team deal, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link).
1:31 pm: The Pistons are trading fourth-year guard Jaden Ivey to the Bulls in a three-team trade that also involves the Timberwolves, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
According to Charania, Minnesota is sending veteran point guard Mike Conley to Chicago, while swingman Kevin Huerter and forward/center Dario Saric are headed from Chicago to Detroit. The Pistons will also acquire a protected 2026 first-round pick swap from the Timberwolves as part of the deal.
Ivey, who will turn 24 later this month, was the fifth overall pick in the 2022 draft and started 164 of 181 games in his first three seasons in Detroit, averaging 16.1 points and 4.4 assists per contest. However, he missed the second half of the 2024/25 season due to a broken left leg and had his debut this past fall delayed due to a right knee issue.
Ivey was playing a modest role for the East-leading Pistons this season, averaging just 8.2 PPG in 16.8 MPG in 33 outings (two starts).
With potential restricted free agency around the corner for Ivey, the Pistons apparently decided he wasn’t in their long-term plans and had begun fielding calls on him in recent weeks, per Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). The Bulls will add the former Purdue standout to an increasingly crowded backcourt that also features Josh Giddey, Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, and Tre Jones.
While Giddey is considered a building block in Chicago, the acquisition of Ivey could set up the Bulls to trade one or more of their other guards ahead of this Thursday’s deadline. Chicago will take control of Ivey’s Bird rights, positioning the team to sign him to a new contract as a free agent this July.
With Ivey playing a diminished role in Detroit, the Pistons decided to swap him for a sharpshooter in Huerter who will immediately fill a hole on the roster. As good as the 36-12 Pistons have been this season, three-point shooting remains an area of weakness for the club, which ranks just 27th in the NBA in three-point makes per game (11.1) and 21st in three-point percentage (34.8%).
Huerter has struggled from beyond the arc this season, making just 31.4% of his outside shots, but he entered the season as a career 37.5% shooter and finished strong after a similarly slow start in 2024/25.
It’s unclear whether the Pistons intend to hang onto Saric, who has made just 21 appearances since the start of the ’24/25 season. Even if they plan to eventually waive him, they’ll first need to open up a roster spot in order to accommodate the one-for-two trade.
The pick swap Detroit is acquiring from Minnesota should put the team in position to move up at least a handful of spots in the draft this June. If the season ended today, the Pistons’ pick would be able to swap the No. 29 pick for No. 23.
The Timberwolves are essentially making a salary-dump move by sending out Conley’s $10.8MM expiring contract. The team began the day operating more than $8MM over the first tax apron and with a projected tax bill of about $24MM, but they’ll move below the first apron by roughly $2.5MM and will reduce their projected tax bill to just $3.8MM, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
What Minnesota ends up doing with those savings remains to be seen. The extra flexibility could come in handy in a bigger move for a player like Giannis Antetokounmpo. The newly created $10.8MM trade exception (equivalent to Conley’s outgoing salary) could also be useful to acquire more backcourt help at the deadline if the Wolves aren’t able to land Giannis. Alternately, the club might just be a single move away from ducking the tax entirely.
It’s unclear based on the terms reported so far what the Wolves will be receiving in the three-team deal, but it will likely be a very minor asset like cash, a heavily protected second-round pick, or a draft-rights player.
The Pistons will use Ivey’s outgoing $10.1MM salary to match Huerter’s incoming $18MM expiring contract while employing a portion of their $14MM trade exception to absorb Saric’s expiring $5.4MM deal. The Bulls, meanwhile, could create a trade exception equivalent to Huerter’s $18MM outgoing salary by using Saric to match Conley and taking Ivey’s salary into their unused mid-level exception, observes cap expert Yossi Gozlan (Twitter link).
Grizzlies Trade Jaren Jackson Jr. To Jazz
The Grizzlies and Jazz have finalized a blockbuster trade that sends former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. from Memphis to Utah along with wings John Konchar and Vince Williams Jr. and center Jock Landale.
In exchange, the Grizzlies have acquired guard Walter Clayton, swingman Kyle Anderson, forwards Taylor Hendricks and Georges Niang, and three future first-round picks.
Those three first-rounders headed to the Grizzlies in the deal are the Lakers’ 2027 pick (top-four protected), either the Cavaliers’, Timberwolves’, or Jazz’s own 2027 pick (whichever is most favorable), and the Suns’ 2031 pick (unprotected).
It’s a shocking move for a couple reasons. For one, multiple reports ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline suggested that Memphis had no interest in moving Jackson and hoped to hang onto – and build around – the big man going forward.
Additionally, while there were multiple teams said to be inquiring on Jackson’s availability in the hopes that the Grizzlies changed their mind, there was no indication that the Jazz were among those teams or that they’d be looking to use their stash of future draft picks to make this sort of move this week. Entering Tuesday’s games, Utah holds a 15-35 record, which is the sixth-worst mark in the NBA.
However, the move for Jackson suggests first-year president of basketball operations Austin Ainge and the Jazz are preparing to take a step forward next season. League sources tell Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link) that the team doesn’t plan to trade forward Lauri Markkanen and still wants to re-sign center Walker Kessler in restricted free agency this summer. Utah envisions a frontcourt made up of Markkanen, Jackson, and Kessler, Jones explains.
Third-year guard Keyonte George and 2025 lottery pick Ace Bailey are among the other long-term building blocks in Utah, where the Jazz still control at least one first-round pick in every future draft, starting in 2026. Notably, that 2026 first-rounder will be sent to Oklahoma City if it lands outside the top eight — the Jazz are still in a fairly strong position to hang onto it, since there’s a 4.5-game gap between them and the NBA’s seventh- and eighth-worst teams (the 18-29 Bucks and 19-30 Mavericks).
As for the Grizzlies, we’d heard for weeks that they were open to trading two-time All-Star Ja Morant, but it wasn’t clear whether they intended to retool around Jackson or fully rebuild around a younger core headlined by Cedric Coward, Zach Edey, and Jaylen Wells. Now we have our answer.
While Clayton and Hendricks are just 22 years old and could carve out places in the Grizzlies’ long-term plans, the return for Jackson is primarily about adding three more first-round picks to an ever-growing collection of draft assets and creating additional cap flexibility in the present and future. The Grizzlies now control 12 first-rounders in the next seven drafts, notes Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Twitter link).
Jackson renegotiated and extended his contract with Memphis last offseason and will earn $205MM over the next four years after this one. He’s the only player of the eight involved in this trade who is owed guaranteed money beyond next season, and taking on his long-term deal will likely eliminate Utah’s cap room this summer.
In terms of 2025/26 money, Utah will be taking advantage of its significant breathing room below the luxury tax line by increasing its payroll by more than $18MM — the Jazz are sending out a combined $27.5MM in salary and taking back roughly $45.8MM.
As Gozlan tweets, the Jazz will use their four outgoing players to legally match Jackson’s $35MM cap hit, then take the other three incoming players into existing traded player exceptions (or a portion of their mid-level, if they prefer to preserve their bigger TPE).
Memphis, meanwhile, will create a record-setting trade exception worth nearly $28.9MM, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).
Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link) first broke the news of the deal, with Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link) providing the details on the draft picks involved. The Jazz officially confirmed the news in a press release.