Mike Conley Plans To Rejoin Timberwolves
Veteran point guard Mike Conley intends to re-sign with the Timberwolves after he clears waivers, sources tell ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).
Conley was traded twice this week. Minnesota originally sent him to Chicago in a salary-dump deal on Tuesday, then the Bulls flipped him to Charlotte along with Coby White. The Hornets subsequently cut him.
NBA rules prohibit a player who is traded and then waived to immediately re-sign with the team that traded him away. However, that restriction doesn’t apply to the Timberwolves because Conley was traded twice. Once he clears waivers and becomes a free agent, he’d be ineligible to re-sign with the Bulls, the last team that traded him away, but nothing would be standing in the way of a reunion with Minnesota.
Conley, who is in his 19th NBA season, became the Wolves’ starting point guard when they acquired him at the 2023 trade deadline and maintained that role through last season. However, he ceded his starting role to Donte DiVincenzo this fall and has averaged a career-low 18.5 minutes per night in 44 outings (nine starts) so far this season. His 4.4 points and 2.9 assists per game are also career lows, as is his 32.2% field goal percentage.
Despite Conley’s declining production, there were rumblings ahead of the trade deadline that the team wasn’t eager to move the 38-year-old due to his locker room leadership. With that in mind, getting the opportunity to move off of the guard’s $10.8MM expiring contract and then bring him back on a prorated minimum-salary deal represents the best of both worlds for the Wolves.
Minnesota has two open spots on its 15-man roster following its deadline moves, so no corresponding move will be necessary to create room for Conley.
According to Charania, the two sides are working on the timing of the deal. Conley will clear waivers on Saturday afternoon, but the Wolves may not re-sign him immediately since doing so would increase their projected luxury tax penalty and move them closer to the first tax apron.
Magic, Jevon Carter Agree To Rest-Of-Season Deal
The Magic intend to sign point guard Jevon Carter for the rest of the season, agents Mark Bartelstein and Reggie Brown tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
Carter was cut by the Bulls earlier in the week in order to accommodate the acquisition of Dario Saric, the first of seven trades Chicago made between Sunday and Thursday. Having been placed on waivers five days ago, the 30-year-old guard went unclaimed on Tuesday and became an unrestricted free agent.
An eighth-year NBA veteran, Carter has appeared in 435 regular season games for Memphis, Phoenix, Brooklyn, Milwaukee, and Chicago since entering the league as a second-round pick in 2018. He had his best season in 2022/23 in Milwaukee, starting 39 of 81 games and averaging career highs in points (8.0), assists (2.4), and rebounds (2.5) per game.
That performance earned Carter a three-year, $19.5MM deal with Chicago that summer, but he ended up playing a limited role in a crowded Bulls backcourt. In 23 games (11.0 MPG) this season, he scored 5.4 PPG on .398/.410/1.000 shooting.
The Magic’s lone move at this week’s trade deadline was to send Tyus Jones and his $7MM salary to Charlotte along with a pair of second-round picks. That move allowed Orlando to duck below the luxury tax line but also removed a veteran point guard from the roster, so adding Carter will help fill a hole on the depth chart.
As a result of the Jones trade, the Magic moved approximately $1.4MM below the tax threshold and opened up a second spot on their 15-man roster. Carter will fill one of those two openings and – if he officially signs on Friday – would carry a prorated minimum-salary cap hit of $871K. That will allow Orlando to stay out of the tax and potentially sign a 15th man later in the season.
While Carter’s cap hit will be $871K, his rest-of-season salary will be approximately $1.17MM, with the NBA making up the gap between the two figures.
Grizzlies Plan To Trade Ja Morant In Offseason
Two-time All-Star Ja Morant was among the most notable trade candidates who wasn’t on the move this week, but the Grizzlies‘ decision to hang onto him after trading away Jaren Jackson Jr. shouldn’t be viewed as a change in the team’s direction, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic.
League sources tell Vardon that the Grizzlies will revisit Morant trade talks during the 2026 offseason and intend to move him at that time.
Vardon’s report comes as no surprise. Memphis acquired a total of seven first-round picks and a first-round swap in trades involving Desmond Bane (last summer) and Jackson (on Tuesday), and has clearly pivoted to rebuilding around its younger core, led by Cedric Coward, Zach Edey, and Jaylen Wells.
Still, it will be interesting to see how Memphis handles Morant in the next couple months. The 26-year-old is currently sidelined due to a sprained elbow, but that injury likely isn’t significant enough to end his season.
The Grizzlies – who have slipped out of the play-in picture at 20-29 – may be inclined to tank down the stretch in the hopes of maximizing their draft lottery position, which could mean holding out Morant for longer than they normally would. But they’ll have to weigh the merit of that approach against the possible benefits of reinserting the point guard into their lineup and giving him the opportunity to rebuild his trade value — at least to some extent.
Chris Mannix of SI.com wrote earlier this week that “availability, attitude and diminished production” are among the concerns potential suitors had about Morant, and it’s safe to assume his maximum-salary contract – which will pay him $87MM for the two seasons after this one – is another red flag. He wouldn’t be able to assuage all of those concerns with a strong finish to the season, but it might help improve offers from potential trade partners this summer.
Those offers were reportedly too underwhelming for the Grizzlies to seriously consider making a deal prior to Thursday’s deadline, despite the fact that they signaled they’d be willing to take on long-term salary if it came attached to stronger draft compensation.
The Heat, Kings, Bucks, and Timberwolves were linked to Morant this week. That list of possible suitors could grow – or at least change – this summer, depending on which direction certain teams take and which clubs become more motivated to shake up their rosters as a result of early postseason exits.
Injury Notes: Poeltl, Murray-Boyles, White, Wagner, McBride, Duren
The back issues that have limited Jakob Poeltl to just 21 games this season were a major reason why his trade value was so low at the deadline, preventing the Raptors from gaining traction in their talks for Domantas Sabonis. However, Poeltl – who last played on December 21 – may not be out much longer, per Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link).
As Murphy relays, Poeltl is said to be ramping up and reacting “really well” as he works his way back. Toronto has just two more games between now and the All-Star break – Sunday vs. Indiana and next Wednesday vs. Detroit – but the team thinks there’s a chance he could return during that time.
Meanwhile, Raptors rookie big man Collin Murray-Boyles remains active after missing four games in late January due to a left thumb ailment, but that injury is still bothering him, according to Murphy, who notes (via Twitter) that he’ll have to wear a protector on the thumb for five more weeks. Still, Murray-Boyles powered through in Thursday’s win over Chicago, scoring 17 points on 8-of-9 shots from the field in 37 minutes of action.
“I give him a lot of credit,” head coach Darko Rajakovic said (Twitter link via Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca). “… He’s having trouble dribbling the ball, catching the ball, (but) he’s playing through that.”
Here are a few more injury-related notes from around the NBA:
- Newly acquired Hornets guard Coby White had played in 11 of Chicago’s last 12 games before being traded to Charlotte, but president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson said White is dealing with some calf issues, which the Hornets will tread carefully with. According to Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link), the 25-year-old may not play for his new team until after the All-Star break.
- Magic forward Franz Wagner is “very close” to returning from the left ankle injury that has sidelined him since January 18 and caused him to miss 24 of the team’s past 26 games, president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said on Thursday (Twitter link via Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel). Orlando plays three more times before the All-Star break.
- A pair of doctors who spoke to Jared Schwartz of The New York Post suggest that the full recovery period for a sports hernia procedure like the one Miles McBride is undergoing is usually close to 12 weeks. Reports on Thursday indicated there’s optimism the Knicks guard will be back for the postseason, which will begin in about 10 weeks.
- Pistons center Jalen Duren didn’t play in the second half of Thursday’s loss to Washington due to right knee soreness, per the team (Twitter link). According to head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, that knee soreness has been an issue for Duren for “a little bit,” but there’s no indication yet whether it will cost him any additional time (Twitter link via Hunter Patterson of The Athletic).
Luka Doncic To Undergo MRI On Left Hamstring Injury
February 6: Doncic will undergo an MRI on his left hamstring on Friday, head coach JJ Redick confirmed after Thursday’s victory, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
“Yeah, he felt some soreness in his hamstring, so he didn’t feel like it was good enough to go back in,” Redick said. “Neither did (our) medical (staff), so we held him out. And he’ll get some imaging. I mean, too early to say if there’s an injury, but just had a sore hamstring.”
February 5: Lakers star Luka Doncic experience left leg soreness in Thursday’s game vs. Philadelphia and has been ruled out for the remainder of the contest, the team announced (Twitter link via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin).
According to Jovan Buha (Twitter link), the Slovenian guard was grabbing at his hamstring for a couple of possessions prior to leaving the court. He was also holding his hamstring when he went to the locker room with 3:03 remaining in the second quarter, tweets Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times.
Obviously, any type of hamstring injury is very concerning for an athlete. The Lakers will be hoping Doncic’s soreness is simply that and not a strain, which would likely sideline him for multiple weeks.
Doncic, 26, has missed eight games to this point in 2025/26. Through 41 appearances, the NBA’s leading scorer has averaged 33.4 points, 8.7 assists, 7.9 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 36.0 minutes per game. His shooting slash line is .475/.348/.779.
Austin Reaves is currently on a minutes restriction in his second game back from a calf strain, but he’s a candidate for more on-ball responsibilities if Doncic misses additional time. LeBron James and trade addition Luke Kennard are among the other Lakers who could receive more usage depending on the severity of Doncic’s injury.
2026 NBA Trade Deadline Recap
Just over a month ago, some NBA executives were predicting a quiet trade deadline. And entering this past weekend, it looked like we might be headed that way, with just one trade – the Wizards acquiring Trae Young – having been completed through the first three-plus months of the 2025/26 season.
But that changed in a major way this week, with 28 separate deals completed between Sunday and Thursday. Twenty-seven of the NBA’s 30 teams took part in at least one trade this week — only the Heat, Rockets, and Spurs stood pat.
In total, 69 players on NBA rosters changed teams at least once in this week’s trades, including 67 players on standard contracts and a pair on two-way deals.
Two-time Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo, this winter’s most intriguing trade candidate, wasn’t among the group of players on the move. But another former MVP (James Harden) was, and so was a former Defensive Player of the Year (Jaren Jackson Jr.).
Anthony Davis and Darius Garland were among the other multi-time All-Stars dealt, along with Nikola Vucevic, Khris Middleton, and Chris Paul. And All-Defensive center Ivica Zubac headlined a group of high-level role players involved in this week’s trades.
Thanks for following along with us at Hoops Rumors. Here’s a recap of all of 2026’s deadline deals, with the details reported and announced so far:
Trades completed during deadline week
The Cavaliers and Clippers swap star point guards (story)
- Cavaliers acquire James Harden.
- Clippers acquire Darius Garland and the Cavaliers’ 2026 second-round pick.
The rebuilding Jazz become a buyer and upgrade their frontcourt (story)
- Jazz acquire Jaren Jackson Jr., John Konchar, Vince Williams Jr., and Jock Landale.
- Grizzlies acquire Kyle Anderson, Georges Niang, Taylor Hendricks, Walter Clayton, the Lakers’ 2027 first-round pick (top-four protected); either the Cavaliers’, Timberwolves’, or Jazz’s 2027 first-round pick (whichever is most favorable); and the Suns’ 2031 first-round pick.
The rebuilding Wizards become a buyer and upgrade their frontcourt (story)
- Wizards acquire Anthony Davis, Jaden Hardy, D’Angelo Russell, and Dante Exum.
- Mavericks acquire Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Marvin Bagley III, Tyus Jones, either the Thunder’s, Rockets’ (top-four protected), or Clippers’ 2026 first-round pick (whichever is least favorable); the Warriors’ 2030 first-round pick (top-20 protected); the Suns’ 2026 second-round pick; the Bulls’ 2027 second-round pick; and the Rockets’ 2029 second-round pick.
- Hornets acquire Malaki Branham.
The Pacers land their new starting center (story)
- Pacers acquire Ivica Zubac and Kobe Brown.
- Clippers acquire Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, the Pacers’ 2026 first-round pick (top-four protected; 10-30 protected), the Pacers’ 2029 first-round pick, and the Mavericks’ 2028 second-round pick.
- Note: If the Pacers’ 2026 first-round pick falls in its protected range, the Clippers will instead receive the Pacers’ 2031 first-round pick.
The Warriors bring the Kuminga saga to an end (story)
- Warriors acquire Kristaps Porzingis.
- Hawks acquire Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield.
The red-hot Hornets add a potential long-term cornerstone to their backcourt (story)
- Hornets acquire Coby White and Mike Conley.
- Bulls acquire Collin Sexton, Ousmane Dieng, either the Nuggets’ or Hornets’ 2029 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable), the Nuggets’ 2031 second-round pick, and the Knicks’ 2031 second-round pick.
The Timberwolves belatedly bring in a Nickeil Alexander-Walker replacement (story)
- Timberwolves acquire Ayo Dosunmu and Julian Phillips.
- Bulls acquire Rob Dillingham, Leonard Miller, either the Nuggets’ or Warriors’ 2026 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable); the Cavaliers’ 2027 second-round pick; either the Timberwolves’ or Warriors’ 2031 pick (whichever is most favorable); and either the Suns’ or Rockets’ 2032 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable).
The Celtics save some money and fortify their frontcourt (story)
- Celtics acquire Nikola Vucevic and the Nuggets’ 2027 second-round pick.
- Bulls acquire Anfernee Simons and either the Pelicans’, Trail Blazers’, Timberwolves’, or Knicks’ 2026 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable).
The Cavaliers reshape their rotation while the Kings upsize on the wing (story)
- Cavaliers acquire Keon Ellis, Dennis Schröder, and Emanuel Miller (two-way).
- Kings acquire De’Andre Hunter.
- Bulls acquire Dario Saric, the Nuggets’ 2027 second-round pick (from Cavaliers), and either the Pistons’, Bucks’, or Knicks’ 2029 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable; from Kings).
The Lakers add some outside shooting (story)
- Lakers acquire Luke Kennard.
- Hawks acquire Gabe Vincent and the Lakers’ 2032 second-round pick.
Oklahoma City uses its draft-pick surplus to roll the dice on a promising youngster (story)
- Thunder acquire Jared McCain.
- Sixers acquire either the Thunder’s, Rockets’ (top-four protected), or Clippers’ 2026 first-round pick (whichever is second-most favorable); either the Thunder’s, Rockets’, Pacers’, or Heat’s 2027 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable); the Thunder’s 2028 second-round pick; and the Bucks’ 2028 second-round pick.
The Knicks create a little cap flexibility… (story)
- Bulls acquire Guerschon Yabusele and cash ($500K).
- Knicks acquire Dalen Terry.
… and add a New York native to their backcourt rotation (story)
- Knicks acquire Jose Alvarado and the draft rights to Latavious Williams.
- Pelicans acquire Dalen Terry, either the Magic’s, Bucks’, or Pistons’ 2026 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable), either the Pacers’, Heat’s, Rockets’, or Thunder’s 2027 second-round pick (whichever is second-most favorable), and cash.
The Bulls take a shot on a former lottery pick while the Pistons bring in a shooter (story)
- Pistons acquire Kevin Huerter, Dario Saric, and the right to swap their 2026 first-round pick for the Timberwolves’ 2026 first-round pick (top-19 protected).
- Bulls acquire Jaden Ivey and Mike Conley.
- Timberwolves acquire cash ($1.1MM; from Pistons).
The Raptors avoid the tax, the Nets use their cap room, and the Clippers and CP3 finally part ways officially (story)
- Raptors acquire Chris Paul.
- Nets acquire Ochai Agbaji, the Raptors’ 2032 second-round pick, and cash ($3.5MM; from Clippers).
- Clippers acquire the draft rights to Vanja Marinkovic.
- Note: The Raptors also reportedly sent cash to the Nets in the trade. We’re working on confirming whether $3.5MM was the entire combined amount or if the Nets received an additional amount from Toronto on top of that $3.5MM.
The Raptors add some depth up front (story)
- Raptors acquire Trayce Jackson-Davis.
- Warriors acquire the Lakers’ 2026 second-round pick.
The Suns get out of the tax while the Bulls and Bucks add some size (story)
- Bulls acquire Nick Richards.
- Bucks acquire Ousmane Dieng and Nigel Hayes-Davis.
- Suns acquire Cole Anthony and Amir Coffey.
A journeyman center joins his fifth team in five NBA seasons (story)
- Hawks acquire Jock Landale.
- Jazz acquire cash.
Portland acquires a shooter (story)
- Trail Blazers acquire Vit Krejci.
- Hawks acquire Duop Reath, the Hawks’ 2027 second-round pick, and the Knicks’ 2030 second-round pick.
- Note: The Hawks’ 2027 second-round pick was previously traded to the Trail Blazers.
The Sixers make room under the tax to sign Dominick Barlow (story)
- Grizzlies acquire Eric Gordon and the right to swap their 2032 second-round pick for the Sixers’ 2032 second-round pick.
- Sixers acquire the draft rights to Justinian Jessup.
Cleveland bails on a disappointing offseason acquisition (story)
- Jazz acquire Lonzo Ball, the Cavaliers’ 2028 second-round pick, and the Cavaliers’ 2032 second-round pick.
- Cavaliers acquire cash.
The Celtics sneak below the tax line, part one (story)
- Jazz acquire Chris Boucher, the Nuggets’ 2027 second-round pick, and cash.
- Celtics acquire John Tonje (two-way).
The Celtics sneak below the tax line, part two (story)
- Nets acquire Josh Minott.
- Celtics acquire cash ($110K).
The Celtics sneak below the tax line, part three (story)
- Hornets acquire Xavier Tillman Sr. and cash ($3.5MM).
- Celtics acquire the Hornets’ 2030 second-round pick (top-55 protected).
The Magic avoid being a taxpayer (story)
- Hornets acquire Tyus Jones, either the Magic’s or Celtics’ 2027 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable), and the Magic’s 2028 second-round pick.
- Magic acquire cash.
The Nuggets duck the tax (story)
- Nets acquire Hunter Tyson and the Nuggets’ 2032 second-round pick.
- Nuggets acquire either the Clippers’ or Hawks’ 2026 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable).
The first of three Ousmane Dieng trades helps Oklahoma City avoid the tax (story)
- Hornets acquire Ousmane Dieng and either the Hawks’ or Heat’s 2029 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable).
- Thunder acquire Mason Plumlee.
Two Northwest rivals make a minor move (story)
- Thunder acquire the draft rights to Balsa Koprivica.
- Jazz acquire cash.
Notable trade candidates who stayed put
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks (story)
- Ja Morant, Grizzlies (story)
- Domantas Sabonis, Kings (story)
- Zach LaVine (Kings)
- DeMar DeRozan (Kings)
- Malik Monk (Kings)
- Trey Murphy III (Pelicans)
- Herbert Jones (Pelicans)
- Zion Williamson (Pelicans)
- Yves Missi (Pelicans)
- Michael Porter Jr. (Nets)
- Jarrett Allen (Cavaliers)
- Daniel Gafford (Mavericks)
- Kyle Kuzma (Bucks)
- Bobby Portis (Bucks)
Players waived on deadline day
Officially released:
- Lonzo Ball, Jazz (story)
- Chris Boucher, Jazz (story)
- Mike Conley, Hornets (story)
- Pat Connaughton, Hornets (story)
- N’Faly Dante, Hawks (story)
- Nigel Hayes-Davis, Bucks (story)
- Haywood Highsmith, Nets (story)
- Tyrese Martin, Nets (story)
- Georges Niang, Grizzlies (story)
- Mason Plumlee, Thunder (story)
- Duop Reath, Hawks (story)
- Cam Thomas, Nets (story)
- Hunter Tyson, Nets (story)
Expected to be waived:
- Eric Gordon, Grizzlies (story)
- Chris Paul, Raptors (story)
Nuggets Trade Hunter Tyson To Nets To Duck Tax
10:39 pm: The trade is official, per NBA.com’s transactions log. The Nets have released Tyrese Martin to make room on their roster for Tyson, the team announced (via Twitter).
Tyson has also been waived, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
12:58 pm: The Nuggets and Nets have agreed to a trade that will send forward Hunter Tyson to Brooklyn along with a 2032 second-round pick, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). In return, Denver will acquire the least favorable of the Clippers’ and Hawks’ 2026 second-rounders, Charania adds.
The move had been anticipated since Denver was operating just $400K-ish above the luxury tax line, with Tyson considered the most expendable minimum-salary player on the roster.
The trade will allow the Nuggets to duck the tax and create a second opening on their 15-man roster — they’ll have up to two weeks to add a new 14th man, with two-way standout Spencer Jones looking like the obvious candidate to fill that spot on a new standard deal. Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link) confirms that promoting Jones is the plan.
Even after completing that move, Denver will have a roster opening that could be filled on the buyout market, and Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (Twitter link) confirms the team intends to be active on that front.
Tyson, 25, was the 37th overall pick in the 2023 draft and has spent the past three seasons with the Nuggets, but never became a trusted part of Michael Malone‘s or David Adelman‘s rotation. The 6’8″ forward has made 90 total regular season appearances, averaging 2.2 points and 1.4 rebounds in 6.8 minutes per game.
The Nuggets will create a small trade exception equivalent to Tyson’s $2.2MM outgoing salary in the deal.
Bucks Waive Nigel Hayes-Davis
The Bucks have requested waivers on forward Nigel Hayes-Davis shortly after acquiring him from Phoenix in a three-team trade, the team announced in a press release.
Hayes-Davis made his NBA debut way back in 2018, but was out of the league for seven years before signing with the Suns during the 2025 offseason. The 6’7″ forward established himself as a standout in the EuroLeague, helping Fenerbahce win a title and earning Final Four MVP honors last spring.
While Hayes-Davis parlayed his success overseas into a new NBA contract, his time in Phoenix didn’t play out as he hoped. The 31-year-old averaged just 7.2 minutes per game in 27 appearances off the bench. He played primarily in garbage time and recording 1.3 points and 1.2 rebounds per contest.
A return to Europe is a possibility for Hayes-Davis if he doesn’t catch on with a new NBA team right away. For what it’s worth, he remains eligible to sign a two-way contract but can’t rejoin the Suns.
As for the Bucks, they added salary to their books and didn’t acquire any additional assets when they swapped Cole Anthony and Amir Coffey for Ousmane Dieng and Hayes-Davis ahead of Thursday’s deadline. Given that Hayes-Davis is already off the roster, it seems safe to assume that they like Dieng.
Celtics Trade Xavier Tillman, Cash To Hornets
10:29 pm: The trade is official, according to the Hornets, who announced that they sent Boston their own top-55 protected 2030 second-round pick to complete the deal.
3:23 pm: More than an hour after the trade deadline passed, word of another deal has trickled in. According to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link), the Celtics reached an agreement to send center Xavier Tillman Sr. and $3.5MM in cash to the Hornets.
It’s a minor move relative to its on-court impact. Tillman, 27, has played an extremely limited role in Boston this season, appearing in just 14 games and averaging 2.2 points and 1.8 rebounds on 7.9 minutes per night. It’s possible the Hornets won’t keep him on the roster after finalizing their trade.
However, it was a crucial move for the Celtics from a financial perspective. After opening the 2025/26 league year operating above the second tax apron, Boston has now moved all the way below the luxury tax line.
The team made cost-cutting moves involving Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, and Georges Niang last summer, then moved Tillman, Anfernee Simons, Josh Minott, and Chris Boucher in deals this week to duck slightly out of tax territory. That’s a first step toward the team avoiding repeater penalties in future seasons.
Boston’s margins are very small — after its deadline deals and its promotion of Amari Williams to a standard contract are all official, the team will have 12 players on standard contracts and will be below the tax line by roughly $842K, tweets Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron.
The Celtics will likely take full advantage of the rule that permits teams to carry fewer than 14 players for up to two weeks at a time and up to 28 days in total. It also seems likely that Max Shulga, another two-way player, will be promoted sooner or later — he would only count for the rookie minimum for tax purposes since he was drafted by Boston, whereas any free agent signing would count as a two-year veteran’s minimum.
The $3.5MM Charlotte will receive in the deal will more than cover Tillman’s remaining salary, so it’s essentially free money for the Hornets, who remain comfortably below the tax line themselves and won’t have a problem taking on the big man’s $2.55MM expiring contract.
Celtics Trade Josh Minott To Nets
9:52 pm: The trade is official, according to announcements from the Celtics and the Nets. Brooklyn sent cash to Boston to complete the deal and has formally waived Cam Thomas to make room on the roster for Minott.
The Celtics received $110K from the Nets, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post. That was the minimum necessary to make the deal legal.
1:15 pm: The Celtics are trading Josh Minott to the Nets, Shams Charania reports for ESPN (Twitter link). According to Erik Slater of ClutchPoints (Twitter link), no additional players or draft picks are involved in the deal.
Boston signed Minott last summer to a two-year, minimum-salary deal that includes a second-year team option. The athletic 6’8″ wing appeared in 33 games for the Celtics this season, including 10 starts, and averaged 5.8 points and 3.6 rebounds while shooting 44.2% from three.
While Minott played reasonably well in Boston, he has been out of the rotation since before Christmas, and moving off his contract will help the Celtics reduce their luxury tax bill or perhaps even get out of the tax entirely, though at least one more move would be necessary to accomplish that.
Keith Smith of Spotrac (via Twitter) points to Xavier Tillman Sr. as a name to keep an eye on if the Celtics are aiming to duck the tax.
[UPDATE: The Celtics have indeed traded Tillman.]
As for the Nets, they’ll use their cap room to absorb Minott’s contract. It’s unclear whether they like him and will make him part of their plans going forward or if they’re being incentivized with cash to take on his remaining salary.