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NBA Teams That Made Most Offseason Trades

October 7th, 2016 at 3:48pm CST by Luke Adams

While most NBA teams rely on a variety of different types of roster moves to revamp their rosters in the offseason, a club can sometimes find itself leaning more heavily on one approach in a given summer. That could mean signing a handful of free agents and forgoing the trade route. It could mean loading up on draft picks and staying out of free agency.

For the teams we’ll examine in this post, the trade market was a primary means of addressing their rosters over the last few months. Each of the clubs we’ll discuss below made at least three trades since the end of the season. In some cases, the moves were designed to cut costs and clear cap room; for other teams, those deals were a way to add talent without having to foray into the free agent market, where contract prices were at an all-time high.

Let’s dive in and examine the teams that made the most trades this offseason…

Orlando Magic

Number of trades: 5
Most notable move: Acquired Serge Ibaka from the Thunder in exchange for Victor Oladipo, Ersan Ilyasova, and the draft rights to Domantas Sabonis (No. 11 pick).
Other players acquired: Jodie Meeks, C.J. Wilcox
Other players moved: Shabazz Napier, Devyn Marble, No. 47 pick (Jake Layman)

The Magic certainly didn’t sit out free agency, bringing players like Bismack Biyombo and Jeff Green aboard on big-money deals. You could also make the case that the team made the biggest trade of the offseason by landing Ibaka. if Ibaka doesn’t mesh well with Biyombo and Nikola Vucevic, and Meeks misses significant time with injury issues this season, Orlando’s offseason deals won’t look great, but the club remains optimistic for now.

Utah Jazz

Number of trades: 5
Most notable move: Acquired George Hill in a three-way trade with the Hawks and Pacers in exchange for the No. 12 overall pick.
Other players acquired: Boris Diaw, Kendall Marshall (waived), No. 55 pick (Marcus Paige)
Other players moved: Trey Burke, Tibor Pleiss, No. 42 pick (Isaiah Whitehead)

The Jazz were a perfect example of a team that used its cap room to improve via trades rather than free agency. The salaries for Hill and Diaw easily fit within the team’s cap space, and while Hill cost a first-round pick, Diaw was essentially a salary-dump for the Spurs. The Jazz were also on the other end of a couple salary dumps, most notably sending Pleiss to the Sixers for Marshall, a player they immediately waived.

Chicago Bulls

Number of trades: 4
Most notable move: Acquired Robin Lopez, Jose Calderon, and Jerian Grant from the Knicks in exchange for Derrick Rose, Justin Holiday, and their 2017 second-round pick.
Other players acquired: Spencer Dinwiddie
Other players moved: Mike Dunleavy, Cameron Bairstow, Jose Calderon (in second deal)

While Lopez figures to be a key piece in Chicago this season, the deal with the Knicks was more noteworthy for the star headed in the other direction, as the Bulls finally decided to move Rose, a Chicago native and a former MVP. The Bulls significantly revamped their roster using free agency as well, and the trades of Dunleavy and Calderon reflected the team’s need to create cap room for those signings.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Number of trades: 4
Most notable move: Acquired Mike Dunleavy and draft rights to Vladimir Veremeenko from the Bulls in exchange for the draft rights to Albert Miralles.
Other players acquired: No. 54 pick (Kay Felder)
Other players moved: Matthew Dellavedova (sign-and-trade), Sasha Kaun

The Cavaliers used the trade market well this summer, acquiring Dunleavy from a Bulls team that couldn’t afford to keep him, and only parting with cash to acquire Felder, who could be the team’s backup point guard. Kaun, meanwhile, was a salary dump, reducing Cleveland’s future tax bill, while the Dellavedova deal allowed the club to get something out of nothing, since Dellavedova had already agreed to sign an offer sheet the Cavs weren’t going to match.

Indiana Pacers

Number of trades: 3
Most notable move: Acquired Jeff Teague in a three-way trade with the Jazz and Hawks in exchange for George Hill.
Other players acquired: Thaddeus Young, Jeremy Evans
Other players moved: No. 20 pick (Caris LeVert)

Like Utah, Indiana isn’t typically a big-time free agent destination, so the Pacers turned to the trade market to make a couple of their biggest moves of the summer, landing Teague and Young, who will likely both start for the club this season. Indiana dove into free agency a little, signing Al Jefferson, Aaron Brooks, and Kevin Seraphin, but I’d expect their trade acquisitions to have a larger impact in 2016/17.

Milwaukee Bucks

Number of trades: 3
Most notable move: Acquired Matthew Dellavedova (sign-and-trade) and cash ($200K) in a sign-and-trade with the Cavs in exchange for the draft rights to Albert Miralles.
Other players acquired: Michael Beasley
Other players moved: Tyler Ennis, No. 38 pick (Patrick McCaw)

The Bucks could move up this list before the regular season gets underway, since the team continues to scour the market for a player to replace Khris Middleton. Milwaukee also reportedly wouldn’t mind moving Greg Monroe and Michael Carter-Williams.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Number of trades: 3
Most notable move: Acquired the draft rights to Domantas Sabonis (No. 11 pick), Victor Oladipo, and Ersan Ilyasova from the Magic in exchange for Serge Ibaka.
Other players acquired: Joffrey Lauvergne, No. 56 pick (Daniel Hamilton)
Other players moved: None

Moving Ibaka was the major move for the Thunder, and one that occurred while the team still had a shot at re-signing Kevin Durant. It would have been interesting to see what the team would have looked like in 2016/17 with Sabonis, Oladipo, and Ilyasova playing alongside KD and Russell Westbrook, but even with Durant no longer in the mix, the move could pay off for Oklahoma City. Sabonis looks like a promising young big man who won’t be expensive for the next few years, and Oladipo could be the backcourt mate the Thunder have long been seeking for Westbrook.

Other teams that made more than one trade this offseason:

Atlanta Hawks
Brooklyn Nets
Charlotte Hornets
Dallas Mavericks
Denver Nuggets
Detroit Pistons
Golden State Warriors
Los Angeles Clippers
Memphis Grizzlies
New Orleans Pelicans
Philadelphia 76ers
Portland Trail Blazers
Sacramento Kings

For the full rundown of the offseason’s trades to date, check out our list right here.

Douglas Believes He'll Be Backup Point

October 6th, 2016 at 7:21pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Journeyman Toney Douglas is confident he’ll win the backup point guard job with the Cavaliers despite coming to camp with a non-guaranteed contract, Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net writes. Douglas, who played 61 games for the Pelicans last season, joined Cleveland this week and is competing mainly with rookie Kay Felder for that spot. “I’m a veteran player,” he told Amico. “I can play defense, lock up, hit open shots, run the offense and find guys when they’re open. I can do all that.”

McRae, Felder Making Strong Early Impression

October 6th, 2016 at 10:12am CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers are a veteran team, but with role players like Matthew Dellavedova, Timofey Mozgov, and Mo Williams no longer in the mix, some of the club’s young players may have to step up this season. As Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com details, two of those young players, Jordan McRae and Kay Felder, have looked promising so far this fall. McRae joined the Cavs down the stretch last season, while Felder was a second-round pick in this summer’s draft.

Dwyane Wade “Thought About” Cavs In Free Agency

October 5th, 2016 at 4:45pm CST by Luke Adams

Dwyane Wade was one of the last top free agents to make a decision on his next team back in July, and while the Bulls and Heat were his primary suitors, along with teams like the Nuggets and Bucks, there were whispers that the Cavaliers were involved as well, with amateur sleuths attempting to track the whereabouts of Wade and Cavs owner Dan Gilbert.

Cleveland never really made sense as a destination for Wade unless he and/or LeBron James were willing to take a significant pay cut to make it happen. However, in an interview with Leo Sepkowitz of SlamOnline.com, the longtime Heat star admitted the thought of teaming up with LeBron again crossed his mind, but he ultimately couldn’t pass up the opportunity to return home.

“For me, it’s as simple as, I got a deal in Miami for $41 million, I got a deal in Chicago for $47 million,” Wade said. “It didn’t come down to the money. I thought about Cleveland, but I didn’t fit there. You don’t just do something because, ‘Oh, I could win the ring there.’ I have three rings. I don’t need to chase the ring. This is what I wanted to do. I couldn’t fight it. If you fight it, you’re gonna always be like, You shoulda, or, What could’ve—I don’t like to live my life like that.”

Wade also acknowledged that his decision to leave Miami was one that caught the NBA world off guard, particularly coming on the heels of Kevin Durant‘s announcement that he was leaving the Thunder to join the Warriors.

“I made a decision that was like, ‘What?!’ We were already like, ‘What?!’ when KD made his decision, so it was like, ‘What?! What?!’—like a double ‘What!'” Wade told Sepkowitz. “I’m happy that he made his decision for himself, and myself the same. If you’re a supporter of mine, then you’re happy that I made the decision for me. Doesn’t mean you love it, but you’re happy for me.”

If things don’t go smoothly for Wade and the Bulls in 2016/17, the former Finals MVP will have the opportunity to explore the market again next summer — his two-year deal with Chicago includes a player option.

Norris Cole To Play In China

October 5th, 2016 at 10:16am CST by Luke Adams

10:16am: Cole drew some NBA interest from the Cavs, Nuggets, and Suns, but no team was willing to offer him more than the minimum, according to Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net, who adds that Cole’s deal in China is believed to be worth about $5MM.

8:56am: Norris Cole is headed overseas for the coming season, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando, who passes along a report from Zhang Duo (Twitter link). International basketball reporter David Pick confirms (via Twitter) that Cole has signed with the Shandong Golden Stars of the Chinese Basketball Association, per the guard’s agent.

Cole, who turns 28 this month, appeared in 45 games for the Pelicans last season, starting 23 of them. He set new career highs with 10.6 PPG, 3.7 APG, and 3.4 RPG, though his FG% (.405) and 3PT% (.324) were a little below his career marks. Before joining the Pelicans, the former first-round pick had spent three and a half seasons in Miami with the Heat.

A recent report suggested that Cole was drawing interest from Cleveland as the team considered adding point guard depth, but the Cavs ultimately decided to add Toney Douglas, perhaps prompting Cole to accept an offer elsewhere.

By signing with Shandong, Cole will be joining the team that signed NBA free agent Jason Thompson earlier in the offseason. According to Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net (via Twitter), Cole’s deal is believed to have an NBA out. The Chinese regular season typically ends in February, with the playoffs wrapping up in March, so assuming Cole didn’t sign a multiyear pact – which seems like a safe bet – he should have the opportunity to return to the NBA before the end of the 2016/17 campaign.

Blatt Recieves Championship Ring From Team

October 4th, 2016 at 5:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Former Cavs coach David Blatt, whose ouster last season didn’t sit well with him given the circumstances, accepted an NBA Championship ring from the franchise, international journalist David Pick relays (via Twitter). “(Cleveland) offered and I graciously accepted because they presented it to me in a way that was very respectful,” Blatt told Pick. “The Cavaliers wanted to give me a ring because the organization felt that I contributed to the championship. It’s not my championship, I recognize that, but I also feel that I did something there. The big thing for me was that I felt that they felt it was earned, not given.“

Players Who Can Veto Trades

October 4th, 2016 at 10:14am CST by Luke Adams

No-trade clauses are rare in the NBA, and they became even rarer this offseason, when several players with those clauses in their contracts either called it a career or signed new deals. Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, and Kevin Garnett, who all opted for retirement, had no-trade clauses last season, and so did Dwyane Wade, who doesn’t have the same protection on his new contract with the Bulls.

Nonethless, while the list of players with explicit no-trade clauses may be dwindling, there are still several players each year who have the ability to veto trades. A player who re-signs with his previous team on a one-year contract – or a two-year contract with an option clause – is given no-trade protection, and so is a player who signs an offer sheet and has that offer matched by his previous team. Players who accept qualifying offers after their rookie deals expire can also block deals, though no restricted free agents signed their QOs this year.

Taking into account that list of criteria, here are the players who must give their consent if their teams want to trade them during the 2016/17 league year:

No-trade clauses

Carmelo Anthony (Knicks)
LeBron James (Cavaliers): Received no-trade clause on his new contract with Cavs.
Dirk Nowitzki (Mavericks)

Players whose offer sheets were matched

Allen Crabbe (Trail Blazers)
Tyler Johnson (Heat)

Players accepting qualifying offers

None

Players re-signing for one year (or two years including an option)

Lou Amundson (Knicks) (waived)
Elton Brand (Sixers) (retired)
Ian Clark (Warriors)
Alonzo Gee (Pelicans) (waived)
Manu Ginobili (Spurs)
Udonis Haslem (Heat)
Kris Humphries (Hawks)
Dahntay Jones (Cavaliers) (waived)
James Jones (Cavaliers)
James Michael McAdoo (Warriors)
Steve Novak (Bucks)
Marcus Thornton (Wizards)
Beno Udrih (Pistons)
Anderson Varejao (Warriors)
Sasha Vujacic (Knicks)
Metta World Peace (Lakers)

Information from Basketball Insiders and Yahoo! Sports was used in the creation of this post.

Moreland Still Recovering From Foot Injury

October 3rd, 2016 at 10:20pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Cavs waived Eric Moreland earlier today to make room to sign Toney Douglas. The forward isn’t upset with the move since he’s still recovering from a foot injury he suffered last season and isn’t quite ready to return to action, Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com notes. “I feel it is in my best interest for me to take my time to make sure I am 100 percent healthy,” Moreland told Goodman. “I feel really good and think I am close to being game ready but with the setback I have already been through, I want be extra cautious with my return and do everything I can to make sure I my foot has completely healed.”

Cavaliers Sign Toney Douglas

October 3rd, 2016 at 11:07am CST by Luke Adams

11:07am: Douglas’ deal with the Cavs doesn’t include any guaranteed money, though he’ll have the opportunity to earn a regular-season roster spot, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com.

10:58am: The Cavaliers have added some veteran depth at the point guard position, announcing today in a press release that they’ve signed unrestricted free agent Toney Douglas to a contract. To make room on their 20-man preseason roster, the Cavs have waived big man Eric Moreland, according to the team.

Douglas, 30, began his NBA career in 2009 with the Knicks. After spending three seasons in New York, the point guard has bounced around, playing for the Rockets, Kings, Warriors, Heat, and Pelicans. His time with the Heat overlapped with LeBron James‘ last season in Miami, so the two players will be teammates again this fall in Cleveland.

Last season, Douglas started a career-high 18 games for the Pelicans, appearing in 61 overall contests. The former first-round pick averaged 8.7 PPG, 2.6 APG, 2.3 RPG, and 1.1 SPG, to go along with a shooting line of .411/.399/.848.

While Douglas likely isn’t guaranteed a roster spot for the regular season, he’ll have a good chance to crack the rotation in Cleveland, given the club’s lack of point guard depth. Mo Williams was expected to enter the season as a primary backup behind Kyrie Irving at the point, but Williams decided to retire instead. The only other true point guard on the Cavs’ roster prior to the signing of Douglas was Kay Felder, a second-round rookie who may not be ready to handle a key rotation role right away.

We don’t know the details yet on Douglas’ contract, though it will almost certainly be a minimum-salary pact. If he receives a fully guaranteed deal, or at least a significant partial guarantee, it will be a strong signal that the Cavs expect him to make their 15-man roster.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Love Has Gotten Past Trade Rumors

October 1st, 2016 at 5:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kevin Love has learned to block out the criticism and trade rumors that have followed him since he joined the Cavaliers two years ago, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. Love believes he proved his worth to the team during the championship run and he isn’t concerned with what outsiders think of his performance. He is also secure enough with his place in the organization that trade speculation doesn’t concern him. “Trade rumors, you know, I don’t know,” Love said. “You lose a couple games … No, I don’t know how to answer that. No. I’m here, man. I plan on being here a very long time.”