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Clippers Trade Kevin Porter Jr. To Bucks For MarJon Beauchamp

February 7th, 2025 at 1:21pm CST by Rory Maher

February 7: The swap is now official, according to press releases from the Clippers and Bucks. This was the last deadline-day trade to be processed, so all of this week’s deals have now been formally finalized.

February 6: The Clippers are trading guard Kevin Porter Jr. to the Bucks for forward MarJon Beauchamp, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Porter is a former first-round pick who played in Greece last season after multiple off-court incidents, including reaching a plea agreement for misdemeanor assault and harassment in January 2024 after allegedly attacking his girlfriend in September 2023. The Clippers gave him another NBA opportunity in July when they signed him to a two-year, minimum-salary contract. He holds a $2.55MM player option for 2025/26.

Porter is still under a league investigation for that September 2023 incident involving former WNBA player Kysre Gondrezick, according to Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link).

While the 24-year-old has been a rotation regular for Los Angeles, averaging 9.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.0 steal in 45 games (19.6 minutes), he has struggled with offensive efficiency (.423/.245/.645 shooting line) and turnovers (1.9 per game). The Clips have also been much better when he’s off the court (+5.4 points per 100 possessions) than when he’s on it (-1.4).

As ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets, Porter will earn a trade bonus of $129,245 as a result of the deal. 

Beauchamp is another former first-round pick who has seen his minutes steadily decline over the course of his three NBA seasons, making just 26 appearances in ’24/25 for an average of 4.7 minutes per contest. The Bucks declined their rookie scale team option on the 24-year-old wing last fall, so he’ll be an unrestricted free agent in the summer. He’s making $2.7MM this season.

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Four-Team Kyle Kuzma/Khris Middleton Trade Officially Completed

February 6th, 2025 at 10:42pm CST by Luke Adams

The four-team trade that sends Kyle Kuzma to the Bucks and Khris Middleton to the Wizards has been formally completed, the Knicks announced in a press release (via Twitter). Washington confirmed the finalized agreement in a press release as well.

The terms of the deal, which also includes the Spurs, are as follows:

  • Bucks acquire Kuzma, Jericho Sims, either the Pistons’, Suns’, or Warriors’ 2025 second-round pick (whichever is second-most favorable; from Wizards), and a protected second-round pick (from Spurs).
  • Wizards acquire Middleton, AJ Johnson, the draft rights to Mathias Lessort (from Knicks), the right to swap their own 2028 first-round pick for the Bucks’ 2028 first-round pick or the Trail Blazers’ 2028 first-round pick (whichever is least favorable), and cash ($1MM; from Bucks).
  • Knicks acquire Delon Wright, the draft rights to Hugo Besson (from Bucks), and cash ($2MM; from Bucks).
  • Spurs acquire Patrick Baldwin Jr. and cash ($4.13MM; from Bucks).
  • Note: If the Trail Blazers haven’t conveyed their lottery-protected 2025 first-round pick by 2027 and it lands outside the lottery in 2028, it would be ineligible to be swapped; in that scenario, the Wizards would simply have the right to swap their own 2028 first-round pick for the Bucks’ 2028 first-round pick.

The Kuzma/Middleton agreement between the Bucks and Spurs was initially reported on Wednesday morning. Our full story on that original deal can be found right here.

Milwaukee later expanded the trade by working out a side deal with New York involving Sims and a second side deal with San Antonio for Baldwin.

The transaction allows the Bucks to shed enough salary move below the second tax apron, which is why they’re permitted to send out cash in the deal — Fred Katz of The Athletic reported the details on the cash going to each team earlier today.

The only other changes from the terms previously reported are that the draft rights to Lessort are headed from New York to Washington instead of Milwaukee and the Spurs are sending the Bucks a protected second-round pick. Details on that second-rounder are TBD.

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NBA Announces 2025 All-Star Game Rosters

February 6th, 2025 at 6:33pm CST by Earnest Marshall

The 24 players selected for the 2025 All-Star Game were drafted on a Thursday pre-game TNT show by coaches Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith, and later announced by the NBA (Twitter link).

The players were previously sorted into groups of starters and reserves, but that had no bearing on their team placement for the new mini-tournament in this year’s game.

Below are each team’s selections, sorted in order of pick:

Team Shaq

O’Neal had the first overall pick in the televised draft, selecting James, who holds the record for most All-Star appearances in a career. For the most part, O’Neal opted for the “old guard” of the NBA, so to speak. His team has a whopping 87 All-Star appearances (including this year) among its eight players.

The roster also unites a handful of players. Durant spent this week in trade rumors, with reports indicating he didn’t want to be traded to Curry’s Warriors. The two players were teammates for three seasons. This also will mark the first time James and Davis will play together since the blockbuster move that brought Doncic to L.A. Additionally, Curry, James, Durant, Tatum and Davis all played together on the 2024 U.S. men’s Olympic Team.

Team Kenny

In contrast to O’Neal’s roster, Smith opted for some of the younger stars across the league. Smith’s team has a combined 13 All-Star nods to their name — Williams, Mobley, Cunningham and Herro are all first-timers. Smith united a pair of Cavaliers, with Mobley and Garland joining forces.

Team Chuck

Barkley went for a mix of experience in his group. He secured the top three expected players in the MVP race this season between Jokic, Antetokounmpo and Gilgeous-Alexander. He also landed Wembanyama with the 12th overall pick. Barkley’s group has a combined 35 All-Star honors, with Sengun and Wembanyama as first-time All-Stars and Antetkounmpo (nine) and Jokic (seven) leading the way.

A fourth team coached by Candace Parker will play in the tournament. She’ll be coaching whichever team wins this year’s Rising Stars Challenge — those rosters were announced earlier this week. Two teams will meet in a semifinal (game one) while the other two also play each other (game two). The winning team from each game moves on to the final round.

The four teams participating in the NBA All-Star Game will compete for a prize pool of $1.8 million. Each player on the team that wins the final will receive $125,000, while members of the second-place team earn $50,000. Players on the third- and fourth-place teams will receive $25,000.

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Trade Deadline Notes: Martin, Draft Pick Details, Cash

February 6th, 2025 at 5:06pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2025 NBA trade deadline is now behind us.

It was a wild week leading up to the trade deadline, with Luka Doncic, Anthony Davis, De’Aaron Fox, Jimmy Butler, Zach LaVine, and Brandon Ingram among the accomplished stars reported to be on the move even before deadline day arrived on Thursday.

Several more deals were agreed upon in the hours before the deadline, with the East-leading Cavaliers striking a deal for Hawks forward De’Andre Hunter and established vets like Marcus Smart, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Jusuf Nurkic also changing teams.

The full list of in-season trades – both official and still pending – can be found right here. We’ll continue to update that tracker as more details are reported and more details are officially processed.

It’s also worth noting that several notable trade candidates remained with their current teams through Thursday’s deadline. The Nets made multiple trades earlier in the season, but didn’t move Cameron Johnson, Nic Claxton, Day’Ron Sharpe, or anyone else this week. The Trail Blazers, another potential seller, stood pat, with Robert Williams, Jerami Grant, Anfernee Simons, and Deandre Ayton all remaining in Portland.

The Jazz and Bulls each made deal, but rumored trade chips like John Collins, Jordan Clarkson, Collin Sexton, Walker Kessler, Nikola Vucevic, Patrick Williams, and Lonzo Ball weren’t involved in them.

The Knicks only made a minor move, preferring to stick with Mitchell Robinson and bet on his return to health rather than acquiring another center. The Magic, Timberwolves, and Nuggets were among the few teams who stood pat, opting not to make a single in-season deal.

The Pacers, Celtics, Rockets, and Thunder all had pretty quiet deadlines too, only taking part in salary-dump deals (either sending or receiving).

Here are a few more deadline-related notes that we didn’t want to slip through the cracks as we look to stay on top of all the roster moves being made and trade details still being reported:

  • The Mavericks had the option to void their Caleb Martin trade with the Sixers after his return from a right hip sprain was determined to be a little further off than anticipated, tweets NBA insider Marc Stein. However, the Mavs were comfortable moving ahead with the deal after Philadelphia added a second-round pick, since they don’t expect Martin to be out too long. They’re optimistic he’ll be back in action within about two or three weeks, sources tell ESPN’s Tim MacMahon (Twitter link).
  • The second-round pick the Pistons are acquiring in the multi-team Butler deal is a 2031 second-round pick from the Warriors, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Golden State previously gave Minnesota swap rights on that pick, so Detroit will receive the least favorable of the Warriors’ and Timberwolves’ 2031 second-rounders.
  • The Grizzlies‘ 2025 first-rounder headed to the Wizards in their Smart trade includes top-14 protection, reports David Aldridge of The Athletic (Twitter link). Given Memphis’ current 35-16 record, it’s a pretty safe bet that pick won’t land in its protected range.
  • The Bucks are sending cash to all three of the other teams involved in their Khris Middleton/Kyle Kuzma deal, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link). The Wizards are getting $1MM from Milwaukee, the Knicks are getting $2MM, and the Spurs are receiving $4.13MM. The Bucks were only able to trade cash because they’re moving below the second tax apron as part of that deal.
  • The Pelicans received $1MM in cash from the Thunder in the trade that sent Daniel Theis and a future second-round pick to Oklahoma City, reports Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). Oklahoma City has since waived Theis.
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Bucks Trading Patrick Baldwin Jr., Cash To Spurs

February 6th, 2025 at 11:27am CST by Rory Maher

The Bucks are trading forward Patrick Baldwin Jr. and cash to the Spurs, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Moving off Baldwin’s $2.45MM contract will give Milwaukee more breathing room below the second tax apron.

It’s possible the deal will be folded into the larger trade that will send Khris Middleton to the Wizards and Kyle Kuzma to the Bucks, as that’s how Milwaukee acquired Baldwin in the first place. In that scenario, he’d technically just go straight from Washington to San Antonio.

The Spurs have an open roster spot after sending out multiple players in the De’Aaron Fox blockbuster, plus enough space left in their room exception to acquire Baldwin outright without having to send anything back in return.

The 28th overall pick of the 2022 draft, Baldwin spent his rookie season with Golden State prior to being traded to the Wizards in the Jordan Poole/Chris Paul deal back in July 2023. Baldwin’s role has been extremely limited through three NBA seasons. He has appeared in just 22 games in 2024/25 for a total of 101 minutes.

Baldwin also appeared in seven G League games with the Capital City Go-Go this season, averaging 15.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists on .494/.349/.571 shooting in 27.3 minutes per contest.

Still just 22 years old, Baldwin had his rookie scale team option for ’25/26 declined last fall, which means he’ll be an unrestricted free agent this summer. He may not be in San Antonio’s plans either, so he could potentially hit free agency sooner than that if the team decides to release him in the coming days.

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Trade Deadline Rumors: Warriors, Post, Bulls, Jazz, Schröder, Lakers, More

February 6th, 2025 at 6:37am CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors may not be done after agreeing to acquire Jimmy Butler in a four-team blockbuster, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Golden State would still like to add a shooting big man, with Bulls center Nikola Vucevic among the club’s potential targets.

Slater notes that the Warriors can still offer the expiring contracts of Gary Payton II and Kevon Looney, which total more than $17MM. However, if they want to acquire Vucevic, they’d need to offer at least one more player besides those two, due to the center’s $20MM cap hit and Golden State’s proximity to the first-apron hard cap.

As they look to navigate that hard cap, one anticipated move for the Warriors is converting center Quinten Post from his two-way deal to a standard contract, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Because he was a second-round pick in the 2024 draft, Post can be signed for the prorated rookie minimum, which only counts for about half as much for cap and apron purposes as a prorated veteran’s minimum deal would.

Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:

  • The Jazz and Bulls were engaged in trade talks as of Wednesday, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link), though he doesn’t have any details on which players they were discussing. Neither team is considered a deadline buyer, so if the two clubs end up making a deal, it could be centered more around contracts and finances than win-now players.
  • The Jazz aren’t expected to retain guard Dennis Schröder after acquiring him as part of the four-team Butler trade, reports Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter link). It’s unclear if Utah’s plan is to flip Schröder to another team or simply to buy him out. If he’s bought out, the veteran point guard would be ineligible to sign with any teams operating above either tax apron, since his salary ($13MM) exceeds the non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($12.8MM).
  • Having agreed to trade for Mark Williams, the Lakers have an open roster spot and could prioritize play-making and/or three-point shooting with that opening, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
  • Based on conversations with sources around the NBA, as well as the fact that many of the Nets‘ top trade candidates were active for Wednesday’s game, Brian Lewis of The New York Post wouldn’t be shocked if it’s a relatively quiet deadline in Brooklyn. After previously reporting that a Cameron Johnson deal appears increasingly unlikely, Lewis says there have been no indications that anything “seismic” is imminent for the Nets.
  • Before making their Luka Doncic/Anthony Davis mega-deal, the Mavericks showed “strong” interest in center Jericho Sims, a source tells Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (Twitter link). The Knicks are reportedly sending Sims to the Bucks as part of a larger deal.
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Knicks To Trade Jericho Sims To Bucks For Delon Wright

February 5th, 2025 at 9:26pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bucks will acquire backup center Jericho Sims from the Knicks, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). The move will be folded into a deal between Milwaukee and Washington that was reported earlier today.

New York will receive Delon Wright and cash in return, Charania tweets. The Bucks will be permitted to send out cash because they will be below the second tax apron once the deal is finalized.

According to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (Twitter link), the Knicks will also part with the draft rights to French big man Mathias Lessort in exchange for the draft rights to French guard Hugo Besson.

The Bucks were among the teams said to have interest in Sims, along with both L.A. clubs, in a Tuesday report from Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Sims, 26, is in his fourth season with the Knicks after being selected with the 58th pick in 2021. He has appeared in 39 games so far this season, but his playing time declined to a career-low 10.8 minutes per game and he was averaging just 1.6 points and 3.3 rebounds. He has a $2.1MM expiring contract and will be an unrestricted free agent after the season.

The move raises speculation that New York will try to add another big man before Thursday afternoon’s trade deadline. Mitchell Robinson remains out of action while recovering from offseason ankle surgery, although he’s reportedly making progress toward a return.

Wright, a 32-year-old guard, was in his first season with the Bucks after signing as a free agent in July. His shooting has been an issue as he’s connecting at 26.8% from the field and 24.5% from three-point range while averaging 2.5 PPG in 26 games.

Wright is on a one-year, $2.1MM contract and is also headed for free agency at season’s end. The expectation is that the Knicks will hang onto the veteran guard for now rather than flipping him or waiving him, tweets Bondy.

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Central Notes: Middleton, Antetokounmpo, Bucks, Bulls, Ivey

February 5th, 2025 at 7:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

The agreed-upon trade sending Khris Middleton to the Wizards will break up one of the longest partnerships in recent NBA history, writes Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Nehm notes that Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo both joined the Bucks in 2013 — Middleton in a trade with Detroit after an uneventful rookie season and Antetokounmpo as a little-known draft pick out of Greece. They wound up playing together for nearly 12 years, combining for 738 regular season and playoff games and bringing Milwaukee its first NBA title in half a century.

“For me, it’s a little bit bigger than business, it’s family,” Antetokounmpo said at Wednesday’s shootaround after news of the trade broke. “With a guy that I’ve won a championship with — it’s not only that I’ve won, I’ve lost a lot of times with him. I’ve been in a dark place a lot of times with him. I’ve been in the bus going to a lot of pressure situations with him. … That’s what I remember.”

Injuries to both players prevented them from duplicating the championship they captured in 2021. Middleton in particular has suffered repeated physical issues and has been limited to 23 games this season after undergoing surgery on both ankles.

Even though they’re no longer teammates, Antetokounmpo said his friendship with Middleton will last beyond their playing days.

“I know it’s business, but for me, Khris is my brother,” he added. “I’m going to have a relationship with him after basketball. It kind of hurts, but at the end of the day, I understand the business side of things, and I’m still going to show up to work and do my job until it’s my time to dip.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

  • The Middleton deal brings the Bucks about $300K below the second apron and will have future benefits as well, notes Frank Madden of BrewHoop (Twitter link). With Middleton’s $34MM player option no longer on the books for next season, Milwaukee projects to be $31MM under the first apron. Madden points out that gives the team access to the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, even if Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton exercise their player options.
  • Coach Billy Donovan said the Bulls aren’t done pursuing deals after sending Zach LaVine to Sacramento on Monday, per Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. Mayberry notes that Nikola Vucevic, Lonzo Ball, Coby White and Patrick Williams have all been mentioned in rumors, but nobody is certain who will be leaving ahead of tomorrow’s deadline. “I already know I’m not untouchable,” White said. “I like being in Chicago, but it’s out of my control. That’s up to the front office and how they view me. As long as I’m here, I’m here to compete, play hard, lead and do anything I can to help win.”
  • Pistons guard Jaden Ivey recently posted a video of himself walking underwater to his Instagram account, relays Jared Ramsey of The Detroit Free Press. Aquatic therapy is part of Ivey’s treatment as he works to recover from a broken left fibula.
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Knicks Expected To Trade Jericho Sims

February 5th, 2025 at 2:54pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks are expected to trade Jericho Sims at some point before Thursday afternoon’s trade deadline, sources tell Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter link).

A landing spot for Sims is not yet known, according to Bontemps, who says that several teams have expressed interest in the big man. A Tuesday report indicated the Lakers, Clippers, and Bucks are among Sims’ potential suitors, while a separate report stated that the Nuggets are also in the market for a backup center.

Bontemps’ report is in line with what local reporters have been saying leading up to the February 6 deadline. James L. Edwards III of The Athletic wrote last week that Sims was the best best among Knicks players to be moved in an in-season deal, while Ian Begley of SNY.tv said today that he views a Sims deal as “likely” (Twitter video link).

A report in January suggested that the Knicks were seeking a second-round pick in return for Sims.

The 26-year-old has been with the Knicks for the past four seasons but has been used sparingly by head coach Tom Thibodeau, even with Precious Achiuwa missing time this past fall and Mitchell Robinson having yet to make his season debut. Across 39 outings (five starts) this season, Sims is averaging 1.6 points and 3.3 rebounds in 10.8 minutes per game.

Sending out Sims’ $2.09MM expiring contract would allow the Knicks to take back another minimum-salary player, though it’s possible the team will just look to trade the big man without taking back anyone in return. In that scenario, New York – which has been unable to sign a 15th man all season due to its proximity to a second-apron hard cap – would have two open roster spots and would be able to fill them immediately with rest-of-season free agent signings.

Trading Sims without taking a player back would also create slightly more financial flexibility in the event of a second trade, though Begley (Twitter video link) said today that there don’t seem to be any active talks involving Robinson, who has been considered one of the Knicks’ top trade candidates.

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Wizards To Trade Kyle Kuzma To Bucks For Khris Middleton, Pick Swap

February 5th, 2025 at 9:18am CST by Luke Adams

The Wizards and Bucks have agreed to a trade that will send Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, and a pick swap to Washington in exchange for Kyle Kuzma, Patrick Baldwin Jr., and a second-round pick, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Josh Robbins and David Aldridge of The Athletic, who reported on the Kuzma/Middleton talks between the two teams on Tuesday, followed on up Wednesday to say (via Twitter) that Johnson, Baldwin, and draft assets were also involved in the structure being discussed.

Middleton, a Buck since the 2013 offseason, had a highly successful 12-season run with the franchise, earning three All-Star berths and playing a key role on the team that won a championship in 2021. However, he had been plagued by injuries in recent years, most recently undergoing surgeries on both ankles last offseason.

Middleton has been limited to 23 games so far this season and is averaging just 23.2 minutes per night, his lowest mark since his rookie year. While he has shot the ball efficiently (.512/.407/.848), the 33-year-old hasn’t looked like the same two-way impact player he was before his health issues.

By swapping out Middleton for Kuzma, the Bucks will acquire a forward who is four years younger (29), is on a more team-friendly contract, and hasn’t been afflicted as significantly by the injury bug.

However, Kuzma hasn’t had a great season either. His shooting percentages of 42.0% from the field and 28.1% on three-pointers are easily career lows, and he’s averaging just 15.2 points per game after putting up 21.7 PPG in his first two years in D.C.

Kuzma recently suggested in comments to reporters that he didn’t adjust well this season as the Wizards pivoted to prioritizing opportunities for their younger players. That shouldn’t be an issue in Milwaukee, where Kuzma is joining a potential contender led by superstars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link), a vote of support for Kuzma from Antetokounmpo factored into the Bucks’ decision to move forward on this deal.

The Wizards nearly moved Kuzma at last season’s trade deadline, but were reportedly lukewarm on an offer from the Mavericks and decided not to accept it after speaking to him about it. A year later, he’s headed to the Bucks instead.

The financial aspect of this trade is an important motivator for Milwaukee as well. The combined salaries of Kuzma ($23.5MM) and Baldwin ($2.4MM) are well below that of Middleton ($31.7MM) and Johnson ($2.8MM), allowing the Bucks – who had been operating about $6.5MM above the second tax apron – to move below that threshold and generating substantial savings on their end-of-season tax bill.

Kuzma had a 15% trade kicker that would have increased his cap hit by roughly $2.5MM per season, but sources tell ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link) that the forward agreed to reduce that bonus in order to allow the Bucks to get below the second apron, giving them more roster-building options in the present and future.

Moving below the second apron will allow Milwaukee to aggregate salaries in any subsequent deals this week. It will also ensure that their 2032 first-round pick doesn’t become “frozen” (ie. unable to be traded) beginning this offseason.

With Baldwin’s salary coming off the books at season’s end and Kuzma replacing Middleton and Johnson on next season’s cap, the Bucks are now in position to potentially get out of luxury tax territory altogether in 2025/26, notes cap expert Yossi Gozlan (Twitter link).

The Wizards, meanwhile, will take on some extra salary this season and likely next season as well, since Middleton has a $34MM player option for 2025/26 that he’s expected to exercise. In return, Washington will get the opportunity to take a flier on a 2024 first-round pick in Johnson, who appeared in just seven games with the Bucks.

The Wizards will also gain the ability to swap first-round picks in 2028 with Milwaukee, reports NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link). Portland already has the right to swap its first-round pick for Milwaukee’s first-rounder in ’28, so Washington would subsequently have the opportunity to swap its own pick for whichever first-rounder the Bucks end up with.

Meanwhile, the Bucks will receive a 2025 second-round pick in the deal, Haynes adds. According to Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter link), it’ll be the second-most favorable of the three second-rounders controlled by Washington. The language around those picks is convoluted, but it’ll almost certainly end up being the second-most favorable of the Detroit, Golden State, and Phoenix second-rounders. Those three teams are all currently within a half-game of one another.

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