Wolves, Hawks, Rockets, Nuggets Complete Four-Team Trade
FEBRUARY 5: The trade is now official, with Twitter announcements from the Rockets, Timberwolves and Nuggets confirming the deal. Atlanta also formally waived Chandler Parsons to accommodate the trade, as detailed earlier.
FEBRUARY 4: The Timberwolves, Hawks, Rockets, and Nuggets are in agreement on a massive four-team trade, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Shams Charania of The Athletic first reported (via Twitter) that the four clubs were close to reaching a deal, while Woj says (via Twitter) the players involved are now being informed.
According to Wojnarowski (Twitter link), Charania (Twitter links), Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link), and Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link), the trade looks like this:
- Robert Covington, Jordan Bell, and Golden State’s second-round pick (from Atlanta) to Houston.
- Clint Capela and Nene to Atlanta.
- Malik Beasley, Juan Hernangomez, Evan Turner, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Brooklyn’s 2020 first-round pick (from Atlanta) to Minnesota.
- Gerald Green, Keita Bates-Diop, Shabazz Napier, Noah Vonleh, and Houston’s 2020 first-round pick to Denver.
There have been rumors for the last several days suggesting that a trade like this one could be in play. An earlier variation had the Warriors in Denver’s place, with the Wolves pursuing D’Angelo Russell, but Golden State backed off those talks earlier on Tuesday, leaving Minnesota, Houston, and Atlanta to work out a new agreement.
Let’s break down how the deal will impact each team…
Houston Rockets:
Daryl Morey‘s group has long been on the lookout for an upgrade on the wing, and they’ll get their man in Covington, a three-and-D specialist who is on a team-friendly contract that’s worth $11.3MM this season and runs through 2021/22.
The Rockets gave up two valuable assets in Capela and their 2020 first-round pick to bring in Covington, Bell, and a second-round pick. By moving Nene and Green in the deal, the team will also move well below the luxury-tax line, which would be a favorable outcome for ownership — while Tilman Fertitta has claimed to have signed off on the club being a taxpayer, it looks like this could be the second straight season that the Rockets sneak out of the tax at the deadline.
On the other hand, as Wojnarowski points out (via Twitter), the structure of the deal would allow Houston to take back up to another $12MM in salary. So until the trade is made official, there’s a window for the Rockets to potentially expand it even further to include another team and player, assuming they find a suitable target, agree on compensation, and are willing to go back into the tax. That won’t be easy, however.
While Bell could play some minutes at the five, the Rockets will remain on the lookout for a more reliable replacement for Capela, either via a trade or on the buyout market, tweets Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Houston’s go-to lineup will feature P.J. Tucker at center, but the team still wants a more traditional big to match up with star bigs in the playoffs, notes Tim MacMahon of ESPN (via Twitter).
MacMahon also adds (via Twitter) that Green, who is likely out for the season with a broken foot, had the ability to veto his inclusion in this trade, but won’t do so.
The move will reduce the Rockets’ roster count to 13 players on standard contracts, so the team will have two weeks to get back up to the NBA’s required minimum of 14 players.
Denver Nuggets:
The Nuggets were said to be seeking a first-round pick for Beasley and a second-round pick for Hernangomez, their two restricted-free-agents-to-be. They won’t quite meet that asking price, but they’ll at least get the first-rounder they were looking for, acquiring Houston’s 2020 pick in the deal.
In addition to sending out Beasley and Hernangomez, Denver also moved Vanderbilt and will bring back four players: Green, Bates-Diop, Napier, and Vonleh. The team had an open spot on its 15-man roster, so no one will have to be waived, though MacMahon reports (via Twitter) that Green is expected to be cut after the trade is official, once again opening up that last roster spot.
As ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski observes (via Twitter), Napier and Vonleh are capable of playing rotation minutes and providing depth off the bench for the Nuggets. Bates-Diop will probably be further down on the depth chart. Napier and Vonleh will be unrestricted free agents at season’s end, while KBD has a non-guaranteed minimum salary for 2020/21.
Having previously traded away their own 2020 first-round selection for Jerami Grant, the Nuggets can get back into this year’s draft with Houston’s first-rounder. Of course, with Wojnarowski suggesting Denver will continue to be active before Thursday’s deadline, that pick could theoretically be flipped in another move.
Atlanta Hawks:
The Hawks have been linked to several centers over the course of the season, reportedly expressing interest in Andre Drummond, Steven Adams, and Dewayne Dedmon, among others. In recent days, the club appeared to be zeroing in on Capela, a big man whose rim-running ability will complement Trae Young on offense and whose rim-protecting ability could help bail out Young on defense.
Atlanta will surrender Turner’s expiring contract, Brooklyn’s lottery-protected 2020 first-round pick, and an extra future second-round pick in order to lock up Capela. The move will give the Hawks some cost certainty in the middle — Capela, who has a $14.9MM cap hit in 2019/20, has three more years and about $51.3MM left on his contract after this season. He won’t be eligible for free agency until the summer of 2023.
Acquiring a center now rather than waiting until the summer and trying to land one in free agency will give the Hawks the opportunity to evaluate how Capela looks next to big man John Collins. A heel injury is currently nagging Capela, but it’s not believed to be an issue that jeopardizes the rest of his season.
A 2017 first-round pick, Collins will be eligible for a rookie scale extension during the 2020 offseason. If he meshes with Capela down the stretch, Atlanta would likely be more willing to invest heavily long-term in Collins, who is expected to seek the max or something close to it.
As ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets, the Hawks are currently carrying 15 players, so they’ll have to waive or trade someone in order to take back both Capela and Nene for Turner, even if they intend to eventually release Nene.
Minnesota Timberwolves:
Although the Timberwolves probably would have preferred to get the Warriors involved in this deal to acquire Russell, they’ll get a handful of intriguing assets in exchange for Covington and several low-cost role players (Bell, Bates-Diop, Napier, and Vonleh).
Beasley and Hernangomez will both be eligible for restricted free agency this summer, which will give the Wolves the chance to match any offer sheet they sign. Neither player had been great this season in Denver, as a crowded depth chart pushed them out of the rotation at times, but they both had solid seasons in 2018/19.
Beasley averaged 11.3 PPG with a .474/.402/.848 shooting line in 81 games (23.2 MPG) a year ago, while Hernangomez averaged 5.8 PPG and 3.8 RPG on .439/.365/.767 shooting in 70 games (19.4 MPG). The Nuggets explored contract extensions last fall with both players, reportedly offering Beasley $30MM over three years, but they didn’t reach a deal with either one. Now the Wolves will have the opportunity to evaluate them during the season’s final two months and decide whether they’re part of the franchise’s long-term plans.
In addition to acquiring those two Denver players – and a little-used project in Vanderbilt – the Timberwolves take on Turner’s $18.6MM expiring contract, generating some extra cap flexibility for the 2020 offseason by moving off Covington’s guaranteed money. They also secured Brooklyn’s lottery-protected 2020 first-round pick, which could end up at No. 15 or 16 if the Nets hang onto a playoff spot this spring.
This move doesn’t necessarily affect the Wolves’ plans to revisit a Russell trade with the Warriors, though like Allen Crabbe, Turner can’t be aggregated with another player in a deadline deal to match D-Lo’s salary. That Brooklyn first-round pick figures to be one of the assets Minnesota dangles in any offer for Russell.
Like Houston, Minnesota will have two openings on its 15-man roster once this trade is finalized, and will have up to two weeks to get back up to 14 players, the league’s required minimum.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Andre Iguodala Headed To Miami, Will Receive Contract Extension
The Grizzlies have reached an agreement to send Andre Iguodala to the Heat, who will give him a two-year, $30MM contract extension, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Justise Winslow will be part of the package headed to Memphis in return, Woj adds (Twitter link).
The second season of Iguodala’s extension will be a team option, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). That will allow the Heat to retain their financial flexibility to participate in a loaded free agent class in 2021. Sources tell Wojnarowski that Miami will guarantee the second season of Iguodala’s deal for $15MM if the team misses out on its top free agent targets (Twitter link).
The trade takes a player off the board who was coveted by contenders around the league for his defensive toughness and playoff experience. Iguodala was widely expected to return to Golden State next season as a free agent, but the extension removes any chance of that.
Bobby Marks of ESPN notes that Miami is limited to two years on the extension along with 5% raises on top of his current salary because of extend-and-trade restrictions. (Twitter link). Normally teams can offer extensions up to four years with 8% raises.
Heat president Pat Riley is making an effort to acquire Oklahoma City’s Danilo Gallinari as well as Iguodala, according to Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
Gallinari was expected to have a short stay with the Thunder after he was acquired in July as part of the trade that sent Paul George to the Clippers. However, OKC has emerged as a strong playoff contender with Gallinari contributing 19.2 points and 5.7 rebounds per night. The 31-year-old has a $22.6MM expiring contract.
Pistons, Suns Hit Snag On Proposed Luke Kennard Deal
Trade talks between the Pistons and Suns involving Luke Kennard are on hold because the teams haven’t been able to agree on the level of protection for a first-round draft pick, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Phoenix appeared set to send a first-rounder to the Pistons in exchange for the 23-year-old sharpshooter, who is averaging a career-high 15.8 points and 4.1 assists through 28 games and hitting at a 39.9% clip beyond the arc. Young guards Jevon Carter and Elie Okobo were mentioned as possible trade chips heading to Detroit to help match Kennard’s $3.8MM salary.
The terms of the draft pick appear to be the only thing blocking the deal, and the teams have until 3:00 pm Eastern time on Thursday to resolve the issue. However, Detroit has started talking to other teams about Kennard, according to Vincent Ellis of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link).
The Suns rank 12th in our current Reverse Standings, but could easily take several steps up or down the draft order.
Suns Taking Calls About Kelly Oubre
The Suns are receiving calls from teams interested in forward Kelly Oubre, tweets Marc Stein of The New York Times.
Stein doesn’t identify any of the teams that have inquired about Oubre or speculate about what Phoenix might want in return. The asking price figures to be steep, as the 24-year-old small forward is having a breakout year in his first full season in Phoenix, averaging career highs with 18.5 points and 6.7 rebounds per game while shooting 34.6% from 3-point range.
Oubre is making $15.625MM this season and is under contract for $14.375MM in 2020/21. The Suns acquired him from the Wizards in December of 2018 along with Austin Rivers in a trade that sent Trevor Ariza to Washington.
Clippers, Lakers Pursuing Marcus Morris
Reports earlier today suggested that the Knicks are expected to move Marcus Morris before Thursday’s trade deadline — it’s just a matter of where.
Los Angeles is one potential landing spot for Morris, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link via Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints), who said today that the Clippers and Lakers are competing for the veteran forward. As Woj pointed out, if either L.A. team lands Morris, it would have the added bonus of keeping him away from a top rival.
Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times provides some additional info on those talks, tweeting that the Knicks are interested in Kyle Kuzma in talks with the Lakers and Landry Shamet in talks with the Clippers. Kuzma is the more attainable player of the two — the Clips are unwilling to part with Shamet, tweets Ian Begley of SNY.tv.
While the Clippers have a logical salary-matching piece in Maurice Harkless, the Lakers’ path to absorbing Morris’ $15MM salary is less straightforward. A three- or four-player package of lower-cost guys could work, but Turner suggests in his tweet that the teams may be discussing Danny Green. The Knicks would want to flip Green to another team, according to Turner. For what it’s worth, I’d be pretty surprised if the Lakers are willing to move both Kuzma and Green for Morris alone.
Meanwhile, Marcus Morris may be the more sought-after twin, but his brother Markieff Morris is also drawing interest from contenders, including the Lakers and Clippers, reports Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer (via Twitter).
O’Connor (Twitter link) names the Bucks, Sixers, Celtics, and Rockets as other clubs that have interest in Markieff. The Pistons’ forward hasn’t had the type of season his brother has, but wouldn’t cost as much in terms of a trade package and has a modest $3.2MM cap hit.
Knicks Rumors: Russell, Morris, Trier, Caruso, Ujiri
The Knicks continue to pursue Warriors point guard D’Angelo Russell with the trade deadline 24 hours away, according to Newsday’s Steve Popper and Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter links).
Reports earlier in the week had revealed the Knicks’ interest in Russell. However, those stories were published prior to Steve Mills‘ ouster from the front office, so it wasn’t clear if the remaining group – led by interim head of basketball operations Scott Perry – would continue to go after the fifth-year guard.
While today’s reports confirm that the Knicks remain interested in Russell, Charania hears that New York’s proposed package haven’t been enough to close the gap and meet Golden State’s asking price.
As we noted last night when we checked in on the Timberwolves’ pursuit of Russell, the Warriors were said to be seeking at least one of Minnesota’s own unprotected first-round picks — preferably in 2021, which is expected to be a strong draft than 2020. The Wolves were reportedly dangling Brooklyn’s lottery-protected 2020 first-round selection and their own protected ’20 first-rounder as part of their offer.
Presumably, the Warriors will be seeking at least one unprotected Knicks first-rounder in talks with New York. However, there’s no consensus within the Knicks’ front office on the team’s willingness to give up first-rounders to land D-Lo, tweets Ian Begley of SNY.tv.
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- Newsday’s Steve Popper (Twitter link) is hearing that Marcus Morris will be moved before the deadline. Marc Stein of The New York Times conveys a similar sentiment, tweeting that the Knicks know they can trade Morris and now it’s just a matter of where.
- In addition to touching base about Kyle Kuzma, the Knicks and Lakers have also discussed Allonzo Trier and Alex Caruso, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Those talks took place before Mills’ ouster and didn’t advance, sources tell Begley.
- According to Marc Berman of The New York Post, Knicks owner James Dolan would like to move fairly quickly on the team’s front office search, possibly so there’s a new president in place for a head coaching search in the spring.
- An in-season search would reduce the likelihood of the Knicks landing Raptors president Masai Ujiri, Berman notes. However, a source suggests to Berman that might be okay with Dolan, who values loyalty and may not want to push Ujiri to break his contract in Toronto. Dolan may also been wary of Ujiri using the Knicks for leverage in extension talks with the Raptors, the source tells Berman.
- Within a separate SNY.tv article examining possible front office targets for the Knicks, Begley writes that R.C. Buford (Spurs) and Kevin Pritchard (Pacers) aren’t realistic options. Both executives are on long-term deals and Buford has a CEO title in San Antonio.
- Recently hired by the Knicks as a brand consultant, Steve Stoute is a “prominent voice” within the organization right now, according to Popper (Twitter link), who says Stoute is involved in the front office search.
Hawks To Waive Chandler Parsons
The Hawks are waiving Chandler Parsons and his expiring contract, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).
The move will allow Atlanta to complete its part of a four-team trade with the Wolves, Rockets, and Nuggets. The Hawks, who had a full 15-man roster, are sending out Evan Turner in the deal and taking back Clint Capela and Nene, so a corresponding move was necessary. The club could subsequently open up its 15th roster spot if it decides to release Nene after acquiring him.
Parsons, 31, signed a four-year, maximum-salary contract with the Grizzlies back in 2016, but dealt with injury issues throughout the deal and was never able to deliver on the promise he showed earlier in his career. He was sent from Memphis to Atlanta during the 2019 offseason in exchange for Solomon Hill and Miles Plumlee, but appeared in just five games for the Hawks this season and was moved to the inactive list along with Evan Turner last month as the organization focused on developing its young players
Parsons was involved in a car accident in January when his vehicle was struck by a drunk driver. Although the Hawks initially announced he had been diagnosed with a concussion and whiplash, Parsons’ lawyers issued a statement indicating that the veteran forward had suffered more serious injuries in that accident, including a traumatic brain injury, disc herniation, and a torn labrum. The injuries may jeopardize Parsons’ career, according to his attorneys.
While Parsons likely wouldn’t have been a candidate for more than a minimum-salary contract next season anyway, it would be a shame to see that car accident prematurely end his playing career. Hopefully he’s able to get healthy and return to the court before eventually retiring on his own terms.
Parsons’ cap hit for this season is $25.1MM. That figure will remain on Atlanta’s books, but since it was an expiring contract, the team won’t be on the hook for any money beyond this season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Wolves At Impasse With Warriors In D-Lo Talks
The Warriors are moving on from conversations with the Timberwolves about a D’Angelo Russell trade for now, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). As Charania explains, Golden State has been firm in its asking price for Russell, and Minnesota has been unwilling to meet that price to this point.
The Warriors and Timberwolves exchanged trade concepts throughout the day, but a significant gap remains, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who tweets that Golden State is exploring deals that would help them shed salary and acquire draft assets. According to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, the impasse between the two teams can be attributed in large part to a disagreement over draft compensation.
O’Connor reports that the Timberwolves are offering their own protected 2020 first-round pick as well as Brooklyn’s lottery-protected 2020 first-rounder, which would be acquired as part of a multi-team trade sending Robert Covington to Houston and Clint Capela to Atlanta. However, the Warriors prefer future first-round picks, including Minnesota’s unprotected 2021 first-rounder, according to O’Connor, who notes that the 2020 draft isn’t considered a particularly strong one.
Interestingly, multiple league sources told O’Connor that Andrew Wiggins was part of “every iteration” of the potential swap being discussed by the Wolves and Warriors.
Although the Warriors are no longer actively involved in trade talks with the Wolves, Hawks, and Rockets, those three teams continue to engage, according to Wojnarowski (via Twitter). In fact, Charania reports (via Twitter) that those discussions are becoming serious.
Minnesota, Atlanta, and Houston are still exploring a trade that would send Covington to the Rockets, Capela to the Hawks, and Evan Turner‘s expiring contract and draft compensation to Minnesota, per Charania, who says that a new fourth team could emerge to round out the deal. The Nuggets are among the candidates to become that fourth team, tweets Wojnarowski, though he cautions that the situation is fluid and talks with other teams are ongoing.
With Denver looming as a potential fourth team, it’s worth noting that the Wolves have eyes for Malik Beasley, according to our Chris Crouse. Minnesota also has interest in Gary Harris, a source tells Crouse. If the Nuggets deal Harris, it would give them some extra financial flexibility to work out a deal with Beasley, who is a restricted free agent after the season.
There are a ton of moving parts involved in these discussions, so we’ll have to wait to see what’s next. D-Lo remains Minnesota’s top priority, so if the Wolves, Hawks, and Rockets end up completing a three-team trade involving Covington and Capela, Gersson Rosas‘ group could hang onto the assets it gets in that deal and attempt to re-open Russell talks with Golden State closer to the deadline or even in the offseason.
Chris Crouse contributed to this post.
Knicks Have Had Exploratory Kyle Kuzma Talks
The Knicks and Lakers have had exploratory discussions about a possible Kyle Kuzma trade, league sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Charania follows up by tweeting that several contending teams are expressing interest in Marcus Morris. He doesn’t explicitly state that the Lakers are among those teams, but it seems safe to connect those dots.
While Morris could be a nice fit for the Lakers, it would be a challenge for the club to build a trade package for him with Kuzma as a centerpiece. Los Angeles would need to send out at least $10MM in salary and Kuzma makes just under $2MM. With Kentavious Caldwell-Pope unlikely to waive his no-trade clause to accept a trade to New York, that means the Lakers would have to package three or four players to get up to $10MM.
The Knicks added several veteran power forwards during the 2019 offseason, signing Morris, Julius Randle, Bobby Portis, and Taj Gibson in free agency. However, there’s no guarantee that any of those players will be with the franchise for the long term. Only Randle has a fully guaranteed salary for next season, and the man that signed off on all those deals – former president Steve Mills – was dismissed today by the team. It’s possible new interim head of basketball operations Scott Perry envisions a young player like Kuzma as a more logical long-term investment at the four.
Let’s round up a few more Knicks-related items…
- While it remains to be seen what sort of compensation the Raptors would want for Masai Ujiri, sources tell Ian Begley of SNY.tv that a team in a similar situation last year asked for two first-round picks when another club inquired about a top executive under contract. That exec was considered to be a tier below Ujiri, according to Begley, who suggests that any Knicks’ discussions for the Raptors’ president of basketball operations would probably have to start with a baseline of two first-rounders.
- Within that same story, Begley identifies several other veteran executives who could make sense as targets for the Knicks, including Pelicans GM Trajan Langdon. Sources tell Begley that Langdon has fans within the organization.
- Kevin Durant‘s manager Rich Kleiman could be a candidate for the Knicks’ front office opening, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. A longtime fan of the team, Kleiman has previously expressed interest in running the Knicks. Sources tell Berman that Kleiman would likely want to hire Mark Jackson as New York’s head coach if he were in position to do so.
Pacers Shopping Leaf, Increasing Oladipo’s Minutes Limit
While the Pacers are unlikely to make a major move, they are not going into the 2020 NBA trade deadline quietly. The team is sniffing around to see if there is a trade for T.J. Leaf, sources tell J. Michael of the Indianapolis Star.
Leaf was selected with the No. 18 overall pick in the 2017 draft. He’s never really carved out a consistent role with the club, given the presence of Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner on the roster. Now, the Pacers could look to trade him for a true stretch four, per Michael, though they are not expecting a major asset in return.
Leaf, who has appeared in 22 games for Indiana this season, is shooting 35.7% from three, though he’s only taken 14 attempts this season.
Minutes should be even tighter now with coach Nate McMillan and the Pacers medical staff increasing the minutes limit for Victor Oladipo, who returned from a gruesome leg injury just three games ago. The star will be capped at 28 minutes now instead of 24, writes Mark Montieth of Pacers.com.
Indiana had initially planned to re-evaluate Oladipo’s minutes restriction at the All-Star break, but is hoping that loosening that restriction will help him find a rhythm and break out of his shooting slump.
“We need to get him to that workload he needs to put on his knee,” head coach Nate McMillan said.