Suns Sign Ish Wainright To Two-Year Standard Deal
7:55pm: Wainright has officially inked a multiyear contract, the Suns announced (Twitter link via Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports).
5:47 pm: The Suns are promoting forward Ish Wainright from his two-way contract to a two-year, $2.5MM standard deal, his agents, Jim Tanner and Deirunas Visokas of Tandem Sports, tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
There will be a club option for 2023/24 on Wainright’s new deal, Charania adds. It’ll be worth the minimum ($1,927,896).
Wainright was active for his 50th game prior to the All-Star break and thus had maxed out the games-played limit on his two-way contract. Phoenix could have kept him on his two-way deal for the rest of the season, but he would have been ineligible to be activated for another regular season or playoff game; now that he’s getting promoted to a standard deal, those restrictions no longer apply.
While Wainright’s counting stats of 4.3 PPG and 2.1 RPG on .384/.339/.810 shooting in 42 games (15.5 MPG) don’t jump off the page, his plus-6.3 net rating is excellent (the Suns’ season-long net rating is plus-1.5), and he is an above-average defensive player. He has been a rotation player since the start of December.
At 28 years old, Wainright is an unusual second-year player. In addition to a temporary attempt at switching to football, the 6’6″, 250-pound combo forward also played international basketball in Germany and France. He has been with the Suns for the past two seasons on a two-way deal.
The Suns had an opening on their 15-man roster, so they won’t need to waive anyone to promote Wainright. They now have one two-way slot available — Saben Lee occupies the other.
Heat Notes: Love, Martin, Lowry, Yurtseven
New addition Kevin Love got the surprise start at power forward on Friday night for the Heat, tweets Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. That moves Caleb Martin to the bench for the first time in 2022/23, Winderman adds (via Twitter).
Head coach Erik Spoelstra said it was a bit surprising that Love was available and a called the decision to sign him a “no-brainer,” Winderman writes in a story for The Sun Sentinel.
“First you go through the trade deadline and see if there was anything that makes sense, and there really wasn’t.” Spoelstra said. “And then you’re just hopeful, you’re not really sure of who’s going to get bought out. And you hear rumors. This one was a little bit of a surprise. And then when Kevin became available or at least there was possible discussion about it, everybody was all in on it. It was a no-brainer. The fit just makes a lot of sense for all of us.”
Part of the reason I’m surprised that Love got the starting nod is that Martin has been solid this season, averaging 10.1 PPG, 5.2 RPG and 1.0 SPG on .454/.361/.764 shooting in 49 games (30.3 MPG). The other reason I’m surprised is that Love had been out of Cleveland’s rotation for the final 12 games leading into the All-Star break, which is reportedly why he wanted a buyout — this is his first appearance in a month.
Here’s more from Miami:
- The team’s other recent addition, center Cody Zeller, was the first reserve to enter for the Heat in Friday’s contest, notes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (via Twitter). Zeller spent his first eight seasons in Charlotte, but played for Portland in ’21/22.
- Point guard Kyle Lowry, who has been dealing with knee soreness, isn’t traveling with the team this weekend, but there’s a chance he could rejoin the team in Philadelphia on Monday, per Winderman (Twitter link).
- According to Jackson, the Heat are weighing the possibility of using Lowry off the bench when he returns, though that decision also depends on how well Gabe Vincent and the Heat perform in his absence. Lowry heard his name pop up in trade rumors, but no deal was made. Jackson writes that Lowry and the Heat are on good terms and they’re confident on his knee prognosis, which played a factor in Miami adding two frontcourt players and not another ball-handler.
- The plan is for Omer Yurtseven to play with Miami’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, in about a week, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (subscriber link). Yurtseven is ramping up for his season debut following ankle surgery. “It’s going to be South Dakota, play in Sioux Falls for a bit and then feel good and move on,” Yurtseven said. “Step by step.”
Hawks Offer Head Coaching Job To Quin Snyder
6:40pm: Atlanta is nearing a deal with Snyder, Wojnarowski said on NBA Countdown (Twitter video link).
5:17pm: The Hawks have offered their head coaching job to Quin Snyder and there are “strong signs” that the former Jazz head coach will accept the position, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports on The Rally (Twitter video link).
According to Charania, Snyder is still gathering information on the job and the organization, but it sounds as if it’s only a matter of time before he accepts the offer. Charania hears from sources that Snyder’s contract could be around $8MM per year, and the 56-year-old has “significant interest” in the opening.
Charania reported yesterday that Snyder was in formal negotiations with Atlanta and he looked like the team’s top choice. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Friday that Snyder and the Hawks were making progress in their discussions about a deal.
The Hawks fired former head coach Nate McMillan on Tuesday following a disappointing 29-30 start to the season. Assistant Joe Prunty was named interim coach, but that may be temporary.
Snyder spent eight years as head coach of the Jazz before resigning in June. He compiled a 372-264 record and took Utah to the playoffs in his final six seasons with the team. He is considered the best coach available on this year’s marketplace.
Atlantic Notes: Poeltl, Raptors, Hart, Celtics
Raptors center Jakob Poeltl is already making a major impact on the defensive end, observes Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca. Heading into Thursday, the Raptors had allowed 103.6 points per 100 possessions in Poeltl’s 79 minutes with Toronto this season, with an incredible plus-20.5 net rating.
While he is unlikely to make such a strong impact every game, Poeltl’s rim protection, rebounding, screening, finishing and passing have all been extremely impressive early on. Murphy also lists 11 other things he’s watching down the stretch, including Scottie Barnes‘ terrific play at the end of games.
Poeltl’s addition provides some hope that the Raptors might be able to make a late-season run, but they’re out of excuses if the team fails to make the postseason, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. Head coach Nick Nurse says the Austrian big man’s addition has made the team deeper.
“I think that just adding [Poeltl] kind of moves things around a little bit,” Nurse said following Tuesday’s practice. “It certainly strengthens our starting unit which therefore strengthens our guys coming off the bench as well.”
Here’s more from the Atlantic:
- Poeltl set a career high in rebounds in Thursday’s win over New Orleans, notes Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. The 27-year-old was outstanding, recording 21 points, 18 boards, two assists, three steals and one block on 9-of-11 shooting from the field. Poeltl was especially great in the fourth quarter, with 10 points and six rebounds, Smith adds.
- New Knicks wing Josh Hart continues to say he’d love to remain with the team long-term, per Zach Braziller of The New York Post. “That’s something I definitely want to do,” Hart said on Thursday after practice. “I want a home. I want to find a home. This is a place where I would love that home to be. On the court, there are so many things that align with my principles as a player and off the court just being around with friends and close to family. This would be an amazing spot. Hopefully they feel the same. It’s a perfect situation for me on and off the court.” Hart can be an unrestricted free agent this summer if he declines his $13MM player option for 2023/24.
- Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe (subscriber link) believes the Celtics are well-positioned to win the team’s first championship since 2008 and says there’s no reason they shouldn’t be able to achieve that goal. One key down the stretch will be maintaining their narrow advantage over the Bucks for the No. 1 seed in the East, Washburn notes — the Bucks have the second-best home record in the league, so playing a potential Game 7 in Milwaukee would certainly be less than ideal for Boston.
Finch: Still No Timeline For KAT, But In “Final Stages” Of Recovery
Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns is making progress in his recovery from a Grade 3 calf strain, with head coach Chris Finch referring to it as the “final stages,” but there’s still no official timeline for his return to action, writes Chris Hine of The Star Tribune.
“He’s itching to play,” Finch said after practice Thursday. “I don’t think that it’s a question of anything like going off path right now. I think it’s just literally just going through the final stages of what that looks like.
“I don’t know how long it’s going to be, but talking to him, I definitely sense more so than any other conversation I’ve had with him up until this point that he’s chomping at the bit to get back and ready to help this team when that time comes.”
Finch went on to say Minnesota wouldn’t rush Towns back until he’s fully healthy, per Hine.
“For sure it’s getting short,” Finch said, referring to the fact that the Wolves only have 21 regular season games left. “But I couldn’t put a marker on when [his return] is. I just know mentally he’s there. You’ll have to ask him this, but I don’t get a sense that he’s at a place where he feels like he’s held back by anything unnecessarily. I think he feels like he’s just finishing off the process.”
Towns has been out since November 28 with the injury and has missed the team’s past 40 games. He was averaging 20.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, and a career-high 5.3 assists per game through 21 contests at the start of the season (33.8 MPG).
According to Hine, veteran point guard Mike Conley, who was acquired for D’Angelo Russell at the trade deadline, has already noticed multiple areas of improvement for trying to close out games. Conley says the Wolves force too many turnovers when opponents are making runs, and Finch agrees.
“We’re not going to make every shot … So when we don’t make shots, what can we run?” Conley said. “How can we get to the free-throw line and not turn it over. Those things that we’re all capable of doing individually. Guys can get better at decision-making. Guys can get better at giving guys the ball and getting back in urgency on defense late in games.”
Hawks Notes: Accountability, Collins, Coaching Change, Young
Forward John Collins showed appreciation for Nate McMillan, who was recently dismissed as head coach, but said his coaching may have been better served on a veteran team rather than a relatively young one like the Hawks, according to Gabriel Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (subscription required).
“I feel like everybody isn’t going to be on board with all of anyone’s decisions, but I’m saying more so in terms of what Nate was asking from us as a group and where we are mentally, professionally, in years and experience,” Collins said. “It just kind of creates a divide of the expectation versus where we are, what we have developed to as young players. So I feel like he’s a little bit more suited for just guys who are older, understand the game. Whereas the young team, we need guidance. And I feel like we need a different kind of guidance. Hopefully, our new coach can come in and bring us that spark.”
He believes player development should be a point of emphasis for the new coach. However, Collins also said the players need to do a much better job at holding each other accountable.
“I feel like we’re all young. We want to develop into the best players we can be,” Collins said. “So, you know, what we do before and after games and just being held accountable to a certain standard. We just need to grow up mentally. I feel like we’re talented, we’re extremely talented in a lot of aspects with the basketball and what we do on the court. But in terms of leadership, togetherness, the brotherhood, the culture we have here, that’s where we need to grow and hold each other accountable. Just making sure we’re mentally locked in in the right areas to succeed on the court.”
Collins then expanded on how the players can become better leaders, per Burns.
- Collins remains in the NBA’s concussion protocol and will be out Friday versus Cleveland, tweets Hawks reporter Brad Rowland. Collins was involved in a collision last Wednesday against New York and was later diagnosed with a concussion.
- All eyes will be on Trae Young over the coming weeks, months and into next season, according to Jeff Schultz of The Athletic, who notes that Young has now had well-known differences with two coaches who were subsequently let go in fewer than five seasons. Schultz asked Hawks GM Landry Fields about the topic. “Whenever you see that in the past, those are definitely areas you want to maintain a focus on,” Fields said. “But for us, it’s not a huge concern and to place any emphasis on Trae in these matters is totally unfair to him, in my opinion.” Schultz believes Young needs to make drastic improvements as a leader, and suggests Collins’ comments about accountability could be pointed at Young, though Collins declined to provide names.
- Young had an excused absence for the past two days, which is why wasn’t around for media availability, per Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link). Young later sent out a tweet saying that he was dealing with a family medical issue.
- In case you missed it, the Hawks are reportedly targeting Quin Synder to replace McMillan. The details are here.
Injury Updates: Raptors, Bucks, Blazers, Nuggets
OG Anunoby, Gary Trent Jr. and Thaddeus Young were all full practice participants on Tuesday evening and head coach Nick Nurse said they looked “good, healthy and ready to go,” on Thursday against New Orleans, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. All three players will indeed play tonight, Lewenberg confirmed on Thursday (via Twitter).
Barring Otto Porter, who is out for the season after foot surgery, the rest of Toronto’s injury report was clean until Fred VanVleet was downgraded to out shortly before tip-off due to personal reasons, per Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link).
Of the group who are set to return, Anunoby had missed the most time — he’s been out the past nine games with a wrist injury he suffered nearly a month ago.
Here are more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Jae Crowder is set to make his season debut for the Bucks on Friday against Miami, writes Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Crowder, who sat out the entire ’22/23 season while awaiting a trade from Phoenix, was working out with Bobby Portis and Joe Ingles in Miami during the All-Star break, per Nehm. Portis has been out for a month with a sprained knee, but he was able to practice before the break and will return to action on Friday. According to Nehm, head coach Mike Budenholzer was optimistic about Khris Middleton returning Friday as well. The three-time All-Star has been dealing with right knee soreness lately, missing the final game before the break. All three players are list as available on the latest injury report, Nehm tweets.
- However, things aren’t so positive for Giannis Antetokounmpo (wrist sprain) and Pat Connaughton (left calf soreness), who are both doubtful for Friday’s game, Nehm adds. Giannis is day-to-day, while Connaughton was only a partial practice participant Thursday for the Bucks.
- Damian Lillard and Jerami Grant are both out for Thursday’s matchup in Sacramento due to rest, the Trail Blazers announced (via Twitter). As Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report explains (via Twitter), the Blazers’ flight out of Portland was delayed for several hours on Wednesday due to a snow storm and finally departed late Thursday afternoon.
- Nuggets guard Jamal Murray returned to action on Thursday in Cleveland after dealing with knee soreness leading into the break, tweets Chris Dempsey of Altitude Sports Radio. Murray had missed the previous six games. Unfortunately, Aaron Gordon remains sidelined with a rib injury, per Mike Singer of The Denver Post (Twitter link). Head coach Michael Malone said Gordon’s rib issue is “not where I would wish it would be,” according to Singer, who hears from a source (via Twitter) that the rib isn’t fractured, but it’s still limiting Gordon’s effectiveness.
Mitchell Robinson Nearing Return For Knicks
Knicks big man Mitchell Robinson has been sidelined since January 18 after undergoing surgery to repair a right thumb fracture, but he’s getting close to a return. He’s officially listed as questionable for Friday’s game against the Wizards, the team announced (via Twitter).
As Peter Botte of The New York Post writes, Robinson was a full practice participant on Wednesday, including taking contact, which was one of the final hurdles in his recovery process.
“It’s great to have him back. He’s an important part of the team. We want everyone healthy. We need everyone right now,” head coach Tom Thibodeau said.
“It does [help] a lot,” Jalen Brunson said of Robinson’s pending return. “It’s good to see him healthy, first and foremost. He brings a lot to the table. He’s been great for us down inside the paint, on both sides of the floor. So when we can get a guy like that back, it definitely helps and I’m very excited to get him back.”
The injury did not affect a lower extremity, so the team’s starting center was able to keep his conditioning up while sidelined. Thibodeau was non-committal when asked if Robinson would be on a minutes restriction, according to Botte.
“We’ll talk to the medical people. Whenever a player comes back you see where they are,” Thibodeau said. “If he can handle minutes, he’ll play. If he needs a break, he’ll get a break. So we’ll talk to him, talk to the medical people, see what everyone thinks. We like the depth that we have at that position.”
Through 38 games, Robinson is averaging 7.2 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 26.9 minutes per contest. The 24-year-old leads the team in net rating among rotation regulars at plus-8.2, Botte notes.
Jericho Sims, who had started the previous 14 games in place of Robinson, could be out of the rotation upon Robinson’s return, Botte adds. Isaiah Hartenstein is likely to remain the primary backup five.
Trade Breakdown: Jakob Poeltl To The Raptors
This is the third entry in our series breaking down the significant trades of the 2022/23 season. As opposed to giving out grades, this series explores why the teams were motivated to make the moves. Let’s dive into a deal between the Raptors and Spurs…
On February 9, the Raptors acquired Jakob Poeltl from the Spurs in exchange for Khem Birch, the Raptors’ 2024 first-round pick (top-six protected), and Toronto’s second-round picks in 2023 and 2025.
The Raptors’ Perspective:
I found this to be one of the more fascinating trades of the deadline. The most obvious reason for that is many around the league thought the Raptors would – and should – be sellers.
Instead, the Raptors doubled down on their core group and made a win-now move to re-acquire Poeltl, whom the team drafted ninth overall back in 2016.
Toronto did not trade away a top-six protected first-rounder and two seconds for a rental player – the team plans to re-sign the center in free agency. Poeltl publicly said he could see it being a long-term fit.
Reports have indicated he could land a contract in the range of $15-20MM per year, so he will not be cheap.
The Raptors have lacked size and rebounding in the middle for multiple years, ranking 28th, 30th and 30th over the past three seasons in defensive rebounds per game, according to Basketball-Reference.com. At 7’1″, Poeltl is one of the tallest players in the NBA, and he is solid on the defensive glass, ranking 21st in the league with a 24.9% defensive rebounding percentage (Chris Boucher previously led the team at 21.4%, which ranks 39th).
Poeltl also enhances a team strength on the other end, as his 13.3% offensive rebounding percentage ranks seventh in the league (Boucher is 16th at 11.3%). The Raptors have ranked second and fourth, respectively, in offensive rebounds per game over the past two seasons.
The Austrian big man was consistently one of the league’s stingiest rim protectors from 2019-22, ranking third, fourth and sixth in defensive FG% at the rim over those three seasons, per NBA.com (minimum five shots defended and 40 games played). Opponents shot between 50.3% and 54.8% in those seasons with Poeltl defending them near rim (anything close to 50% is terrific).
Poeltl is allowing 62.2% at the rim in ‘22/23, which isn’t great, but the Spurs have by far the worst defense in the league – I wouldn’t read too much into that drop-off. For context, San Antonio is allowing opponents to shoot 50.9% from the field, which is dead last in the NBA, and 39.4% from three, which is also last.
On top of his rebounding and rim protection, the 27-year-old is a solid screener, and he improved tremendously as both a scorer and a passer during his time in San Antonio. Over the past two seasons with the Spurs, Poeltl averaged 12.9 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.5 blocks per night in 113 games (27.8 MPG).
Poeltl, Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet were all rookies in ’16/17 and spent their first two seasons together, so there is a level of familiarity not only with the organization but with Toronto’s longest-tenured players. That theoretically should help Poeltl re-acclimate quickly.
He brings a different look and dynamic to a team that had lacked a true center for a few years. The Raptors tried to play rookie Christian Koloko in a similar role to start the year, but he needs more time to develop.
The Raptors went 48-34 and made the playoffs as the East’s No. 5 seed last season. The front office hopes swapping out a non-contributor in Birch for Poeltl will not only galvanize the group amid a disappointing 28-31 season, but also enhance the team in ways that haven’t been seen since Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka left in free agency back in 2020.
However, for all of Poeltl’s strengths, he is a non-shooter who is hard to rely on at the end of games due to his abysmal free throw shooting – he’s at 53.1% for his career. He might help others get better looks due to his screening and complementary play-making, but he doesn’t directly address the team’s 27th-ranked 3-point percentage (33.6%).
I also have yet to mention the contractual issues the team will be facing in the offseason, as Poeltl, VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr. are all about to hit unrestricted free agency, barring unforeseen circumstances (VanVleet and Trent are expected to decline their player options for ‘23/24). This roster could get very expensive very quickly, and it’s hard to see any short-term championship upside unless Scottie Barnes develops into a star sooner rather than later.
Shortly after the deal, president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri implied that the Raptors were less than thrilled with some of the trade offers they were getting for their players.
“The way I look at the deadline (is) it’s really not a great place to make long-term decisions,” Ujiri said, per Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. “In the summer, there are 29 losers and one winner. There are 29 teams looking to do more.”
There’s nothing wrong with that statement from a philosophical standpoint. But what he said and what the Raptors actually did at the deadline don’t align.
Toronto traded away a fairly lightly protected 2024 first-round pick (it’s top-six protected through 2026) and a couple second-rounders to bolster the team this season and have Poeltl’s Bird rights in free agency to give him a long-term contract. Everything about this deal involved long-term decisions and consequences.
Ujiri also gave some insight into how the Raptors’ front office views the team’s three potential free agents, according to Smith.
“We are always focused on trying to retain our players,” Ujiri said. “That’s always the focus for us, and we’ll be focused on that with these guys and see how we perform the rest of the season and make that assessment.”
Obviously, part of the reason why VanVleet and Trent were retained is that the Raptors value them more than what other teams offered. There hasn’t been any solid reporting regarding exactly what Toronto was offered, so there’s no way to evaluate that stance from an outside perspective, but it’s reasonable enough on the surface – the Raptors have a severe lack of backcourt depth and they are the team’s two best guards.
Adding Poeltl and trading away those picks, particularly the first-rounder, indicates that the Raptors aren’t entertaining a full-scale rebuild anytime soon. There’s no reason they would need to – all of their best players are 28 years old or younger, so they should be able to retool if necessary without completely tearing it down.
We’ll see what they do in the offseason with some of their core players, but they may have missed an opportunity to go for a “soft” rebuild by cashing in on an asset or two and improving their lottery odds in what’s supposed to be a strong draft. Acquiring Poeltl just to increase the likelihood of getting eliminated in the first round of the playoffs again this season is pretty strange, even if he’s a good player that fills a need.
The Spurs’ perspective:
San Antonio’s side of the deal is relatively straightforward. My best guess is either Poeltl let the Spurs know that he wasn’t going to re-sign this summer, or the Spurs decided they didn’t want to pay him his market price on a long-term contract in free agency while they’re in the infancy stage of a rebuild.
Birch was a solid backup center with Orlando, but saw his minutes cut as the Magic pivoted to a rebuild. The two sides reached a buyout agreement in April 2021 so he could get more playing time. The Montreal native caught on with the Raptors and impressed during his 19 games (30.4 MPG) with the club at the end of that season, averaging 11.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.2 blocks.
Unfortunately, knee problems have derailed his career after he re-signed with the Raptors on a three-year, $20MM deal, with Birch averaging just 3.9 points and 3.5 rebounds in 75 games (15.4 MPG) over the past two seasons.
Moving off Birch’s guaranteed $7MM salary for ‘23/24 will help clear the books somewhat for Toronto. It seems unlikely that the 30-year-old will have much a role with the rebuilding Spurs after he gets healthy, but they have plenty of cap room available next season so adding him isn’t burdensome beyond taking up a roster spot.
The Spurs were reportedly looking for a couple first-round picks for Poeltl. I haven’t discussed this much in the past, but not all first-round picks are of equal value. That may seem like a very obvious statement, but it’s worth keeping in mind when reading rumors or evaluating trades.
I’m paraphrasing because I don’t remember which episode it was, but ESPN’s Zach Lowe brought up on his podcast a few weeks ago that he spoke to an NBA executive who said their team breaks down the value of first-round picks into tiers. Unprotected picks from bad teams in the upcoming draft or from any team years down the line are the most valuable, followed by lightly protected picks (top-four or so), then moderately protected (roughly top-eight) and finally lottery-protected picks. Anything protected beyond the lottery doesn’t have much value because it could take a while to convey, if at all.
If the season ended today and the Raptors lost in the play-in tournament, their 2023 pick would have the ninth-best lottery odds. Are they a lock to make the playoffs next season? I would certainly say no, considering how mediocre they’ve been this season.
The Raptors have already showed their hand in that they have no intention of rebuilding. They wouldn’t have traded a solid first-round pick otherwise. Sure, they protected themselves a little bit, but they’re unlikely to be at the very bottom of the standings in 2024 — if they miss the playoffs, the pick is more likely to be in the latter half of the lottery than in the top six.
Let’s say the Raptors finish around .500 next season, miss the playoffs, and have the 12th-best lottery odds. The Spurs could very easily possess two lottery picks in 2024 in that scenario, and it’s not far-fetched.
The 2023 second-rounder the Spurs acquired from the Raptors would land No. 39 at the moment as well, which is pretty early. That certainly doesn’t have the same value as a late first-rounder, but it’s much better than, say, the No. 50 pick, which is often used on two-way players or draft-and-stash candidates.
Point being, there’s a strong case to be made that what San Antonio received in this deal is better value than getting a couple lottery-protected first-rounders from another team. That technically would have been receiving two first-round picks, even if they were conditional.
Prioritizing center minutes to Zach Collins and Charles Bassey also makes sense for the Spurs from a developmental perspective, as they’re both younger than Poeltl and less of a known commodity.
I personally think the Spurs got outstanding value for Poeltl given that he’s on an expiring $9.4MM contract and could be earning double that next season. He’s a good role player, but he isn’t the type who is going to significantly move the needle when the players around him are still in the early stages of their development.
Trade Breakdown: Kyrie Irving To The Mavericks
This is the second entry in our series breaking down the significant trades of the 2022/23 season. As opposed to giving out grades, this series explores why the teams were motivated to make the moves. Let’s dive into a blockbuster deal between the Mavericks and Nets…
On February 6, the Nets sent Kyrie Irving and Markieff Morris to the Mavericks in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, Dallas’ 2029 first-round pick (unprotected), and second-round picks in 2027 and 2029.
The Nets’ perspective:
Irving’s trade request derailed what had been a promising season for Brooklyn. The Nets had a poor start to 2022/23, going 2-5 before parting ways with former coach Steve Nash, but found success with his replacement, Jacque Vaughn, who was formerly the team’s top assistant.
After Irving returned from his suspension following his promotion of an antisemitic film, things were looking up. At one point the Nets won 18 of 20 games, with Kyrie playing a big role in their success.
Unfortunately, Kevin Durant went down with another knee sprain, and the Nets started to lose, though not as much as they did in ’21/22 without the star forward. Irving put up big numbers in a few of their victories and was evidently displeased that the Nets didn’t offer him a full maximum-salary extension — he decided he’d had enough.
It’s hard to say that Irving’s tenure with the Nets was anything but a failure, even if he was highly productive when he was on the court. The team only won one playoff series during his stint despite having Durant healthy for two of those runs, not to mention former MVP James Harden for one. Injuries certainly played a role in that, but so did Irving’s decision making.
Over Irving’s three-and-a-half seasons with the Nets, he appeared in just 143 of a possible 278 regular season games, or 51.4%. He played in 13 of 20 playoff games (65%).
Whether it was injuries, leaving the team unexpectedly for personal reasons, refusing to get vaccinated, or a team-imposed suspension, Irving wasn’t available nearly enough and caused chaos throughout the organization. Harden asking out last year was more complicated than just Irving’s lack of availability, but it certainly played a role.
The simple fact is Irving was unreliable for Brooklyn. All you have to do is look at his games played to realize that.
From a purely basketball perspective, getting equal value in return for a player as talented as Irving was never going to be realistic. Considering he’s on an expiring contract, and given all of the issues and controversy over the past handful of years, I’m honestly surprised the Nets got as much back as they did.
Finney-Smith and Dinwiddie were arguably the Mavs’ second- and third-best players this season (in whatever order). Sure, they aren’t stars, but they helped the team win games and played big roles in Dallas reaching the Western Conference Finals in 2022, ranking second and fifth on the team, respectively, in minutes per game during the postseason (both players also shot over 40% from three-point range).
Finney-Smith doesn’t get much media attention since his playing style is selfless, but he has had a pretty remarkable career arc. After going undrafted in 2016, he caught on with the Mavs due to his defense and hustle. However, the combo forward only shot 51.7% on twos and 30.3% from deep over his first three seasons, so he was a liability offensively.
That has changed over the past three-plus seasons, with Finney-Smith improving both his two- and three-point percentages to 59.2% and 38.2%, respectively. He was a full-time starter and often had the impossible task of guarding the opposing team’s best player, credibly defending positions one through four.
While Finney-Smith may not be a lock-down one-on-one defender like OG Anunoby or an elite shooter, he is a quality 3-and-D player who has positive value. Brian Lewis of The New York Post reported after the trade that multiple teams offered two first-rounders for the veteran forward – the Nets could easily deal him in the offseason if they’re so inclined.
Dinwiddie thrived alongside Luka Doncic as a secondary play-maker over the past two seasons (he was really only on the team for about one full season, as he was acquired in February 2022). In 76 games (32.3 MPG) with the Mavs, he averaged 17.1 PPG, 3.1 RPG and 4.9 APG on a rock-solid .466/.404/.788 shooting slash line, good for a .605 true shooting percentage (the league average for guards in ‘22/23 is about 56%).
The combo guard is a below-average defensive player, but he’s big for his position (6’5″, 215 pounds), so he at least offers some versatility. He’s under contract through next season and will carry a reasonable $20.36MM cap hit in ‘23/24.
Both players will turn 30 years old later this season, so they’re in the midst of their primes. Finney-Smith is on a long-term contract that will pay him $13.93MM in ‘23/24, $14.93MM in ‘24/25, and he has a $15.38MM player option in ‘25/26.
In addition to receiving two quality rotation players, the Nets also received the Mavs’ unprotected 2029 first-round pick and a couple of second-rounders. Obviously, the unprotected first-rounder was the key to this deal being made, as there were other teams desperate to improve their chances this season, including the Lakers.
If things go south in Dallas or Irving simply walks as a free agent, how will Doncic respond? That’s what everyone in the NBA will be monitoring in the coming months (and possibly years).
If Doncic is no longer on the team six years from now, all bets are off as far as that pick goes (he can become a free agent as early as 2026). Even if he stays, it’s not like the Mavs are a world-beater or stacked with young talent. Losing Jalen Brunson in free agency and now trading away two of their best remaining players and an unprotected future pick makes it more difficult to make subsequent win-now moves.
It’s worth noting that Brooklyn saved a significant amount of money toward the luxury tax with this deal and added a couple small ($4.5MM and $1.8MM) traded player exceptions as well.
The Nets did the best they could under the circumstances. I certainly don’t blame them for not giving Irving the extension he wanted after all that’s happened over the past handful of years. Obviously there was a major downside in that it caused Durant to ask out as well, which we’ll cover in another article.
The Mavs’ perspective:
Irving’s value might be the most difficult to gauge of any player in the league, because when he’s active and on the court, there’s no question that he’s a star player worthy of a max-salary commitment. He is one of the most skilled ball-handlers in NBA history and an elite shot-maker.
An ambidextrous finisher at the rim whose creativity is unparalleled, Irving averaged 27.2 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 5.8 APG and 1.3 SPG on a terrific .490/.397/.912 shooting line (.604 TS%) in his 147 games (35.8 MPG) with the Nets.
In addition to making one of the biggest shots in NBA history in Game 7 of Cleveland’s championship victory over Golden State in 2016, Irving holds career Finals averages of 27.7 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 4.2 APG and 1.8 SPG on .468/.395/.926 shooting in 13 games (39.8 MPG). He has produced at an extremely high level on the highest stage, against elite competition.
When he gets hot, there’s no one in the league that can guard him. In just his fourth game as a Maverick, Irving scored 26 points on 11-of-12 shooting in the fourth quarter against Minnesota, coming close to a franchise record (only Doncic with 28 and Dirk Nowitzki with 29 have scored more in a quarter). The Mavs wound up losing the game, but Kyrie nearly single-handedly gave them a chance to tie it after being down 18 to start the fourth.
Dirk was 40 years old when Doncic was a rookie and realistically should have been retired already – he could barely move. Trading for Kristaps Porzingis didn’t work out. Irving is far and away the most talented teammate Doncic has ever played with.
Offensively, there’s plenty of reason for optimism. Irving has shown he can be an excellent 1B option next to elite players, and Doncic certainly fits that bill. There’s enough shooting left on the roster to think the Mavs will be improved on that end, and they’re already eighth in the league in offense.
Adding top-end talent is more difficult than acquiring role players. The Mavs obviously believe acquiring Irving raises the team’s ceiling — otherwise they would not have made the trade.
The Mavs could not have signed Irving – or any other top player – in free agency because they’re well over the salary cap. In fact, they added about $29MM to their luxury tax bill with this trade, per Kurt Badenhausen of Sportico.
What they gave up is about the least you could possibly expect to give up for an eight-time All-Star in the middle of his prime. Irving is averaging more points per game (27.2) this season than Dinwiddie (17.7) and Finney-Smith (8.9) combined.
That said, availability has always been an issue for Irving. He missed an average of about 17 games per year due to injuries over his first eight seasons with the Cavs and Celtics. He has missed fewer than 10 games only once in 12 seasons, back in ‘14/15 with Cleveland (he missed seven).
Even putting aside Irving’s injury history and volatility (and both of those are significant concerns), there are basketball reasons why the trade might not work out. At 6’2″, Irving doesn’t have the size to regularly guard bigger players, and he doesn’t always put forth much effort on the defensive end.
He is better than his reputation suggests when he tries, but his lack of size hurts in switching schemes. The Mavs can’t hide him on weaker offensive players because that’s what they do with Doncic.
Part of the reason why Irving made sense when paired with LeBron James and Durant is that both of those former teammates were capable of playing top-tier defense when locked in. Doncic can make plays, but a stopper he is not.
Trading away two quality rotation players for one great-when-available player hurt the team’s size, defensive versatility and depth. Morris was included because he was unhappy with his playing time – he has yet to play a game for Dallas.
Josh Green is having a breakout third season for the Mavs. Instead of being a quality reserve, he’s now a heavy-minutes starter. How he responds will be critical to the team’s chances for the rest of the season and beyond.
Rookie Jaden Hardy, another guard, has also had a real role post-trade after excelling in the G League. He looks overmatched defensively, but he’s fun to watch when he gets going on offense.
The Mavs reached the Western Conference Finals last season primarily because they had the league’s seventh-best defense. The main reason they have already nearly equaled last season’s loss total (52-30 vs. 31-29) is because they have fallen all the way to 24th in defense.
Green, Reggie Bullock and Maxi Kleber (once he returns from a torn hamstring) will be absolutely vital in trying to hold together some semblance of a competent defensive unit. It will be a tall order, especially in the playoffs, assuming Dallas makes it in.
It seems odd to make such a bold trade for perhaps the NBA’s most mercurial and unpredictable star when the team is already in a precarious position in the standings – the Mavs are currently the No. 6 seed in the West, but only two games away from completely missing the play-in tournament. Perhaps they believed they needed to shake things up because the previous roster wasn’t going anywhere.
Obviously, Doncic signed off and approved of the deal. The fact that Irving has longstanding relationships with president of basketball operations Nico Harrison and head coach Jason Kidd theoretically helps.
Even in the most optimistic scenarios, Dallas will have difficult choices to make in the offseason. Let’s say Irving and Doncic’s partnership is fruitful, Christian Wood plays well, Green thrives in a bigger role and the Mavs have another long playoff run. Green will be eligible for a rookie scale extension, Wood is a free agent and they’ll almost be forced to give Irving a massive new contract, assuming he wants to stay. That didn’t turn out very well for the Nets.
If things go south – say they miss the playoffs outright or lose in the play-in tournament – Irving could walk in free agency. In that scenario, the Mavs would have given up two quality players on reasonable contracts, an unprotected first-rounder and two second-rounders for at most 26 regular season games of Irving (he has already missed one game with lower back tightness). Dinwiddie and Finney-Smith were reportedly positive voices in the locker room on top of being solid players.
Irving threatened to undergo season-ending knee surgery if Cleveland didn’t trade him in the 2017 offseason. Two years later, he left Boston in free agency after publicly saying he was going to re-sign with the Celtics. Now he requested and was traded out of Brooklyn after feeling disrespected by not getting a maximum-salary extension.
How long will he last in Dallas if things don’t go the way he wants? Will that have a ripple effect on Doncic like it did with Durant? The Mavericks may have bolstered their championship upside if they can build out the roster around Doncic and Irving, but the risk of everything going up in flames is also exponentially higher than it was before making the deal.