Atlantic Notes: Hart, Thybulle, Raptors, Muscala
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau is excited for the new addition of veteran swingman Josh Hart, according to Zach Braziller of The New York Post.
“I have great respect for him,” Thibodeau said. “He’s been a top-flight competitor in the league for a long time, and he brings a lot of intangibles to the game… A lot of respect for him.”
Thibodeau would not offer insight into whether he would start Hart or make his rotation deeper now. In his 51 games for Portland this season, Hart is averaging 9.5 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 3.9 APG, and 1.1 SPG.
There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:
- The Sixers got close to sending defensive stopper Matisse Thybulle to the Mavericks this year, but Dallas was uninterested in including a first-round draft pick in the offing, reports Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The two-time All-Defensive Teamer was instead shipped out to the Trail Blazers as part of a four-team trade today.
- Raptors team president Masai Ujiri explained why, beyond bolstering their frontcourt depth with their deal for center Jakob Poeltl, the team opted to not make any other major moves at the trade deadline, despite attracting significant interest around the league, writes Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. “The way I look at the deadline (is) it’s really not a great place to make long-term decisions,” Ujiri said. “To be fair (to) this team, I think I haven’t done my part for this team to maybe play a little bit better… I think we needed a big like Jak (to) protect the rim, who these guys have confidence in — a really good passer, a big body, one of our own, which I think really fits.”
- The Celtics opted to augment their bench depth with sharpshooting forward Mike Muscala at the trade deadline. Jared Weiss of The Athletic unpacks how Muscala will help Boston in some major areas of need for the 2022/23 season’s home stretch.
Suns Trade Saric, Second-Rounder To Thunder For Bazley
7:53pm: The trade is now official, according to a press release from the Thunder. Phoenix sent its own 2029 second-round pick and cash to Oklahoma City in the deal.
1:00pm: The Suns are trading forward/center Dario Saric and a second-round pick to the Thunder in exchange for forward/center Darius Bazley, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter).
As John Hollinger of The Athletic tweets, the deal was possible because of a large traded player exception the Thunder created when they dealt Derrick Favors to Houston before the 2022/23 season started (Favors was subsequently waived).
Both players are impending free agents — Saric will be unrestricted and makes $9.24MM in the final year of his contract, while Bazley is earning $4.26MM and will be a restricted free agent if Phoenix gives him a qualifying offer.
Considering the Suns went all-in in their blockbuster trade to acquire superstar forward Kevin Durant, I’m a little surprised that they’re moving a second-round pick — and perhaps the better player — to save money in this deal. Saric missed all of last season while recovering from a torn ACL and he had a very slow start to ’22/23, but he has played his best basketball as of late, averaging 8.8 PPG, 5.4 RPG and 2.3 APG on .485/.438/.800 shooting over the past 15 games (seven starts, 18.5 MPG).
It’s definitely not certain that Saric is a better player than Bazley right now. Both players have been in-and-out of their teams’ rotations, but Bazley (22) is six years younger than Saric (28) and is a superior athlete and defender, while the Crotian veteran has been a better all-around offensive player to this point in their careers.
Perhaps the Suns didn’t want to bring back Saric in free agency, or they were worried about his fit with the new roster. Either way, they will save a significant amount of money toward the luxury tax and get a look at a versatile defensive player who might have some untapped upside in Bazley — his next contract should be relatively affordable, if they choose to re-sign him.
For the Thunder, they add a veteran in the frontcourt after agreeing to trade Mike Muscala to Boston, and add another second-round pick to their ever-growing draft cache. Stylistically, Saric fits well with what the Thunder like to do offensively, as he’s a good screener, passer and play-maker, while Bazley is more limited in that regard.
Hawks, Rockets Finalize Four-Player Swap
7:04pm: The trade is now official, the Rockets and Hawks formally confirmed in a pair of press releases.
1:33pm: The Hawks are trading Justin Holiday and Frank Kaminsky to the Rockets for Garrison Mathews and Bruno Fernando, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.
The Rockets are also acquiring two second-round picks that the Thunder owed the Hawks in 2024 and 2025, Kelly Iko of The Athletic tweets.
The trade provides some salary cap relief for Atlanta. Holiday is making approximately $6.3MM and Kaminsky is on a veteran’s minimum deal (approximately $2.46MM). Fernando ($2.7MM) and Mathews ($2MM) have non-guaranteed contracts for next season, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets. There’s also a team option on Matthews’ contract for 2024/25.
None of the players in the deal were playing significant minutes. Holiday has played in 28 game this season, averaging 4.5 points in 14.7 minutes. Kaminsky has seen spot duty in 26 games.
Fernando has played 30 games (four starts) this season, averaging 4.0 points and 3.7 rebounds in 11.7 minutes. Mathews has appeared in 45 games off the bench this season, averaging 4.8 points in 13.4 minutes.
The 34th overall pick in 2019, Fernando spent his first two seasons in Atlanta, so the Hawks are familiar with him as a person and player.
Pacific Notes: Ayton, LeBron, Westbrook, Warriors
In case you hadn’t heard, the Suns drastically remade their roster this week, trading several picks and young talent in exchange for one of the greatest players in league history, who is still arguably in his prime. But that doesn’t mean there won’t still be questions about at least one of the team’s other priciest players going forward.
According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, there’s skepticism that Phoenix management truly values Suns starting center Deandre Ayton at his salary of $33MM per year. Fischer suggests that the big man’s long-term future in Phoenix remains “curious.”
Ayton is in the first year of new contract with the Suns, signed only after a maximum offer sheet was tendered by the Pacers this summer. He’s averaging 18.4 PPG on 58.6% shooting from the floor, 10.3 RPG, 2.1 APG and 0.7 BPG.
There’s more out of the Pacific Division:
- Lakers All-Star power forward LeBron James will be sidelined by ankle soreness Thursday against the Bucks, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. McMenamin writes that James will be available for a pregame ceremony to commemorate him setting the NBA’s all-time scoring record on Tuesday. L.A. did already celebrate the moment with a mid-game video montage, a presentation from league commissioner Adam Silver and the previous scoring record holder, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and speeches from James and Silver.
- The situation with former Lakers reserve point guard Russell Westbrook had devolved so drastically in the last week that L.A.’s coaching staff might have pushed to waive him had he stuck on the roster through the trade deadline, according to Jovan Buha and Sam Amick of The Athletic. The Athletic’s duo cites sources who referred to the situation as “toxic.” Westbrook is currently with the Jazz, but is widely expected to be bought out.
- At today’s trade deadline, the Warriors essentially flipped 2020 No. 2 draft pick James Wiseman for Gary Payton II in a four-team deal. Payton departed Golden State in free agency last summer, but the Warriors wanted to bring back a reliable veteran who had already proven his mettle with the team during its 2020 title run, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
Kevin Durant Trade Officially Completed As Four-Team Deal
Kevin Durant has officially been traded from Brooklyn to Phoenix, according to press releases from the Suns and Nets.
The blockbuster trade has been combined with the three-team trade agreement involving the Bucks, Nets, and Pacers that sends Jae Crowder to Milwaukee, turning the two deals into a single four-team transaction.
It breaks down as follows:
- Suns acquire Durant and T.J. Warren.
- Nets acquire Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, the Suns’ 2023 first-round pick (unprotected), the Suns’ 2025 first-round pick (unprotected), the Suns’ 2027 first-round pick (unprotected), the Suns’ 2029 first-round pick (unprotected), the right to swap first-round picks with the Suns in 2028, the Bucks’ 2028 second-round pick, the Bucks’ 2029 second-round pick, and the draft rights to Juan Pablo Vaulet (from Pacers).
- Bucks acquire Crowder.
- Pacers acquire Jordan Nwora, George Hill, Serge Ibaka, either the Bucks’ 2023 second-round pick or the least favorable of the Cavaliers’ and Warriors’ 2023 second-round picks (whichever is most favorable), the Bucks’ 2024 second-round pick, their own 2025 second-round pick (from Bucks; it was traded away in a prior deal), and cash (from Nets).
“Today is a transformative day for this organization,” new Suns owner Mat Ishbia said in a statement. “We are thrilled to welcome Kevin and T.J. to the Valley as we build a championship culture both on and off the court.
“Not only is Kevin one of the greatest and most accomplished players in the history of the sport, but his character also embodies the world class commitment to excellence we are instilling across every facet of this organization. T.J. is a natural leader whose work ethic and commitment to getting better every day make him an important addition to the team as he returns to the Valley. Phoenix will be one of the best organizations in all of sports and we are so excited to start our journey with this incredibly dynamic team.”
Nets general manager Sean Marks offered a statement of his own in Brooklyn’s press release:
“After thorough evaluation of the best path forward, we believe making this trade now positions the franchise for long-term success. Mikal and Cam are elite, ascending, versatile wings, plus the draft capital provides us additional avenues to continue to acquire talent. We remain steadfast in our commitment to building the team Brooklyn deserves. We are excited to welcome Mikal, Cam and their families to Brooklyn and thank Kevin for the moments and memories he delivered our fanbase.”
As expected, the Pacers waived Goga Bitadze and Terry Taylor to accommodate their new additions. The team also waived veteran forward James Johnson, per a press release. All three players will become unrestricted free agents if they clear waivers this weekend. Indiana will also cut Ibaka, as we previously relayed.
Because they no longer have to take on Crowder’s salary, the Nets will create a trade exception worth $18MM+ for Durant instead of $8MM, notes Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
For more details on the trade, be sure to read our previous stories breaking down the Durant and Crowder trades.
Lakers, Nuggets, Magic, Clippers Roll Three Trade Agreements Into Single Deal
5:35pm: The four-team trade is now official, according to a press release from the Magic.
4:46pm: The Lakers, Nuggets, Magic, and Clippers will combine three separately reported trade agreements into a single four-team trade, according to Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter links).
As Price explains, the Patrick Beverley/Mohamed Bamba swap between the Lakers and Magic, the deal sending Bones Hyland from the Nuggets to the Clippers, and the Nuggets’ acquisition of Thomas Bryant from the Lakers are the trades affected. The new-look deal is as follows:
- Lakers to acquire Bamba, Davon Reed, the Clippers’ 2024 second-round pick, and the Clippers’ 2025 second-round pick.
- Magic to acquire Beverley, the Nuggets’ 2024 second-round pick, and cash.
- Clippers to acquire Hyland.
- Nuggets to acquire Bryant.
The original terms of the trades called for the Clippers to send their 2024 and 2025 second-round picks to Denver for Hyland, with the Nuggets sending their own 2025, 2026, and 2029 second-rounders to the Lakers for Bryant and the Lakers sending an unspecified second-round pick to the Magic in the Beverley/Bamba swap.
Under the new terms of the deal, the two Clippers picks will be rerouted from the Nuggets (for Hyland) to the Lakers (for Bryant). Denver will keep its 2025, 2028, and 2029 second-rounders. The third pick the Nuggets are sending out for Bryant is now Denver’s 2024 second-rounder — it will be flipped from the Lakers to the Magic for Bamba.
The Magic won’t require Beverley to report to the team, according to Price, which is a strong signal they intend to buy him out or simply waive him.
Raptors Granted Disabled Player Exception
The Raptors have been granted a disabled player exception due to Otto Porter‘s season-ending foot surgery, tweets Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca.
A disabled player exception grants an over-the-cap team some extra spending power when it loses a player to an injury deemed more likely than not to sideline him through at least June 15.
The exception is worth either half the injured player’s salary or the value of the mid-level exception, whichever is lesser. In this case, Porter’s salary for 2022/23 is $6MM so Toronto’s DPE will be worth $3MM.
As we explain in our glossary entry, the disabled player exception can be used to sign a free agent, to claim a player off waivers, or to acquire a player in a trade. The exception can only be used on a single player and can only accommodate a player on a one-year deal. A free agent signee can’t get a multiyear contract, and any trade or waiver target must be in the final year of his contract.
Although the disabled player exception gives a team extra cap flexibility, it doesn’t open up an extra spot on the 15-man roster. The club must have a roster spot available to use the DPE to add a player.
Teams had until January 15 to apply for disabled player exceptions, so if a player suffers a season-ending injury anytime between now and the end of the season, a DPE won’t be available for his club. Porter underwent surgery on January 10, so obviously Toronto applied for the DPE before the deadline.
The Raptors – and any other team with a disabled player exception – will have until March 10 to use their DPE.
Stephen Curry To Be Reassessed After All-Star Break
Warriors All-Star Stephen Curry has been out since February 4 after injuring his left leg against the Mavericks. Imaging after the game, a 119-113 Warriors win, revealed that the 6’2″ vet incurred a lower left leg contusion and partial tears to his superior tibiofibular ligaments and interosseous membrane.
Curry will be reevaluated following the league’s All-Star Weekend festivities next week, the Warriors announced today in a press release (Twitter link).
Thus, he will not have an opportunity to suit up for his ninth All-Star appearance in Salt Lake City. He had been voted in as a Western Conference starter. A timeline for his return may be established more clearly after All-Star weekend.
The reigning 2022 NBA Finals MVP had been enjoying a stellar 2022/23 campaign. Through his 38 healthy games, the 34-year-old has been averaging 29.4 PPG on .495/.427/.922 shooting splits. He’s also contributing 6.4 APG, 6.3 RPG, and 1.0 SPG.
Golden State could certainly use him sooner rather than later. The club has more or less treaded water across the 17 contests Curry has missed thus far, going 8-9 in those games.
Trail Blazers To Waive Greg Brown III
The Trail Blazers intend to waive Greg Brown III, a source tells Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report (Twitter link).
Portland was very active ahead of the trade deadline, and while the team had an open roster spot, it is acquiring three players for one as part of the Josh Hart deal, so Brown will be the odd man out.
Still just 21 years old, Brown was the 43rd overall pick in 2021 after spending one college season at Texas. The raw, athletic forward has only made 16 appearances for a total of 93 minutes in 2022/23.
Brown was a highly touted prospect entering college, but hasn’t found much success in the pros in his first two seasons. He holds career averages of 4.0 PPG and 2.4 RPG on .422/.294/.636 shooting in 64 games (11.5 MPG).
Brown will receive his full $1.54MM salary for ’22/23, but his deal was non-guaranteed next season, so waiving him will only affect Portland’s cap for this season.
Boban Marjanovic To Be Waived, Re-Signed By Rockets
The Rockets intend to waive and then re-sign Boban Marjanovic, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscriber link).
Houston is receiving two players as part of the Eric Gordon trade and needs to release one from its current roster to finalize the deal, and Marjanovic will temporarily be the odd man out, Feigen writes.
However, assuming he goes through the waiver wire without getting claimed (which is a formality, as he makes $3.5MM and seldom plays), the Rockets will re-sign Marjanovic to a minimum-salary contract and retain his Bird rights, a person with knowledge of the situation tells Feigen.
The 34-year-old backup center will earn an additional $1MM this season as part of the moves, Feigen adds. Marjanovic has only appeared in 17 games for a total of 72 minutes this season, but he’s held in high regard as a locker room presence.