Wolves Were Among Teams To Inquire On Kevin Durant
The Timberwolves made a “last-ditch effort” near Thursday’s trade deadline to engage the Suns in trade talks about Kevin Durant, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link), who says that effort didn’t go anywhere.
The Warriors pursued Durant earlier this week, but backed off when it became clear that he had no interest in returning to Golden State. Shams Charania of ESPN reported earlier on Thursday that teams continued to “aggressively” call Phoenix about Durant after the Warriors ended their pursuit, but the Suns were said to be seeking a massive return and opted to hang onto Durant for at least the rest of the season.
As Chris Hine of The Star Tribune notes (via Twitter), Durant and Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards established a close bond as members of Team USA at the Olympics last summer, so it makes sense that Minnesota would look into what it would take to acquire the former MVP.
However, any deal involving the Suns and Timberwolves would’ve been extremely complicated, since those two clubs have the highest and second-highest payrolls in the NBA, respectively, and faced tax apron restrictions.
No player on Minnesota’s roster earns as much as Durant’s $51.2MM salary, so the Wolves would’ve needed to aggregate several contracts in order to both match KD’s cap hit and get below the second apron in the process (they were over that threshold by more than $16MM). The Suns also weren’t permitted to take back more salary than they sent out, so at least one more team – and likely more than that – would’ve been necessarily as facilitators.
Although it was essentially a pipe dream to think that the Wolves might acquire Durant today, the fact that Minnesota even made the call is a reflection of just how widespread the interest in the 36-year-old was. According to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link), it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that half the league inquired.
Durant will be remaining in Phoenix for the next several months, but the Suns are expected to perform a “full evaluation” of their roster in the summer if they don’t have the sort of second half they’re hoping for. Durant will only have one year left on his contract at that point, so the Suns could revisit trade talks this offseason, especially if the veteran is reluctant to sign an extension.
Thunder Sign Branden Carlson To Two-Way Deal
After converting Ajay Mitchell from his two-way deal to a standard contract earlier Thursday, the Thunder have filled his two-way slot with Branden Carlson, as first reported by HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto and later announced by the team (Twitter links).
Carlson went undrafted this year after spending his five-year collegiate career at Utah. He originally signed on with the Raptors on a two-way deal but was cut just before the season. Meanwhile, the Thunder cycled through several frontcourt depth options to begin the year, starting the year with Alex Reese on a non-guaranteed contract before moving on to Malevy Leons and finally Carlson.
While Carlson stuck around longer than Reese and Leons, he was waived just after the New Year from his non-guaranteed contract. However, he showed enough during that time to prove he deserved another shot.
The Thunder re-signed Carlson three days after waiving him, this time to a 10-day contract. With Oklahoma City down several frontcourt options due to injury, Carlson stepped up over the last month and played well. He notably scored 11 points off the bench in a blowout win over Cleveland on Jan. 16, making three threes.
The seven-footer was then signed to another 10-day contract. After players have signed two 10-day deals, teams must decide whether to sign them for the entire season or let their deal expire. The Thunder initially opted for the latter option, using their 15th roster spot to take on Daniel Theis in a salary dump from New Orleans. But since Carlson impressed during his time on a 10-day, the Thunder aren’t hesitating to bring him back on board for an even longer look with Theis waived and Mitchell converted.
In all, Carlson is averaging 3.1 points and 1.7 rebounds per game this season while shooting 42.9% from three. The Thunder now have a full 18-man roster, with 15 players on standard contracts and Carlson joining Adam Flagler and Alex Ducas on two-way deals.
Pistons Waive Wendell Moore
The Pistons waived Wendell Moore Jr. on Thursday, according to the official NBA transactions log. Moore was originally acquired by Detroit in the summer in the move that brought in Bobi Klintman.
Moore, the 26th overall pick in the 2022 draft, averaged 3.2 points and 2.2 rebounds in limited playing time across 20 games. The Pistons relied on Moore relatively heavily in a small stretch toward the beginning of the season, with the young guard playing 21.4 minutes and averaging 7.1 points in mid-to-late November.
However, with the Pistons making a series of moves that will see them ultimately bring in Dennis Schröder and Lindy Waters III, Detroit had to make room on the roster. He was in the final year of his rookie scale deal.
Moore began his career with the Timberwolves, playing there from 2022-24. He didn’t play much with either the Wolves or their G League affiliate. In the 29 G League games he did appear in across two seasons, he averaged 17.7 points. Moore, still just 23, could hold some intrigue for teams looking to take a chance on young players.
Trade Deadline Notes: Martin, Draft Pick Details, Cash
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.
Thunder Promote Ajay Mitchell To Standard Roster
The Thunder have converted rookie guard Ajay Mitchell from his two-way contract to a standard deal, promoting him to the 15-man roster, the team announced today in a press release.
Agents Todd Ramasar and Mike Simonetta tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link) that their client has signed a two-year contract worth $6MM. That deal will far exceed the prorated minimum salary for 2024/25, so Oklahoma City used a portion of its room exception to complete the signing.
The 38th overall pick in the 2024 draft, Mitchell was one of the more impressive performers in this season’s rookie class before going down last month with a turf toe injury that required surgery.
The former UC Santa Barbara standout was a regular part of the rotation for the West-leading Thunder, appearing in the team’s first 34 games of the season and averaging 16.5 minutes per night. Michell has recorded 6.4 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per contest, with an excellent shooting line of .506/.431/.848.
When the Thunder announced Mitchell’s surgery, they said he would be reevaluated in 10-to-12 weeks, suggesting he would be out for most – if not all – of the rest of the regular season.
That reduced the urgency to promote the 22-year-old shooting guard to the standard roster, but Oklahoma City will do so anyway, ensuring that if he gets healthy down the stretch, he will no longer face a 50-game NBA limit and will be eligible to play int he postseason.
The Thunder opened up a roster spot on Thursday when they waived Daniel Theis, who was acquired from New Orleans in a salary-dump trade on Wednesday, so no additional move will be necessary to make room on the roster for Mitchell.
Suns To Revisit Kevin Durant Trade Talks In Summer?
Despite not having a no-trade clause, Suns star Kevin Durant essentially nixed a trade to the Warriors, but that didn’t prevent “several more teams” from inquiring about the 36-year-old ahead of today’s deadline, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on SportsCenter (Twitter video link).
Charania reiterates that Durant was caught off guard by seeing his name pop up in rumors and did not request to be traded. Durant will remain with the Suns for at least the rest of the 2024/25 season, but his future with the organization might be tenuous.
The Suns have the highest payroll in the NBA. However, they are currently just 25-25, clinging to the No. 10 seed in the West due to a tiebreaker with Golden State, which has an identical record (No. 9 Sacramento is also 25-25). If Phoenix is unable to turn its season around, Charania says the Suns will do a “full evaluation” of their roster.
Plugged-in local reporter John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 states (via Twitter) that Phoenix wouldn’t move Durant unless it receives a combination of draft assets and young players in return. Gambadoro expects the Suns to field more inquiries on the 11-time All-NBA forward this summer.
Appearing on NBA Today (Twitter video link), former Warriors president of basketball operations Bob Myers, who now works for ESPN, said the Grizzlies were among the teams pursuing Durant. However, the two-time NBA Finals MVP didn’t want to play in Memphis, according to Myers.
Durant is earning $51.2MM in 2024/25, followed by $54.7MM in ’25/26. He’ll be eligible for a veteran extension when the ’25/26 league year begins on July 1.
Jazz To Waive Josh Richardson, Jalen Hood-Schifino
After being involved in two mega-deals over the past week, the Jazz will part with two of the players they received, sources tell Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link), who says the team plans to waive Josh Richardson and Jalen Hood-Schifino.
Richardson is being re-routed to Utah in the Jimmy Butler trade, along with KJ Martin, whom the Jazz plan to keep, according to Larsen. Richardson has a $3MM expiring contract, so Utah won’t be out much money by letting him go. The 31-year-old swingman appeared in just eight games with Miami prior to being traded.
Utah acquired Hood-Schifino over the weekend by helping to facilitate the massive trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Lakers. L.A. had already declined the third-year option on the 2023 first-round pick, so Utah won’t have to pay him more than the balance of his $3.9MM salary for the rest of the season.
Both players will become unrestricted free agents once they clear waivers and will be eligible to sign with just about any team. Richardson won’t be able to rejoin the Heat, while Hood-Schifino will be ineligible to re-sign with the Lakers.
The Jazz will face an offseason decision on Martin, whose $8MM contract for 2025/26 is non-guaranteed. The 24-year-old forward has been out of action since December 23 due to a foot injury.
Sixers Trade KJ Martin, Two Second-Rounders To Pistons
FEBRUARY 6: The trade is official, according to a press release from the Sixers, who received cash considerations in the deal. Martin was acquired using the Pistons’ cap room and will be flipped to Utah as part of the Jimmy Butler multi-team trade, as we outlined in a separate story.
FEBRUARY 5: The Sixers are trading forward KJ Martin and a pair of second-round picks to the Pistons, sources tell Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link).
According to Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports (Twitter link), Philadelphia is sending Detroit a 2027 second-rounder via Milwaukee, as well as Dallas’ 2031 selection.
Martin, 24, was listed as out on Tuesday due to trade pending. Subsequent reports indicated that he was expected to be moved on Wednesday, which has now come to fruition.
Marc Stein reports (via Twitter) that the Pistons are expected acquire Martin using their room exception. The room exception is worth $7,983,000 in 2024/25, while Martin makes just under that total ($7,975,000).
Detroit would have to use its remaining $14MM in cap space before dipping into the room exception, so this presumably won’t be the only trade the team makes. This deal suggests the front office is focused more on the future than the present, but it’s possible Detroit could thread the needle and find win-now help while still acquiring draft assets in the process.
The No. 52 pick of the 2020 draft, Martin spent his first three NBA seasons in Houston prior to being traded to the Clippers in a five-team deal in the 2023 offseason. He only played two games for Los Angeles, having been sent to Philadelphia in November 2023 as part of the James Harden blockbuster.
After playing a modest role for the Sixers in 2023/24, Martin re-signed with the club on a two-year, $16MM deal that was widely viewed as being completed for future trade purposes. The second year is fully non-guaranteed, so the high-flying forward certainly isn’t a lock to remain with Detroit going forward.
However, since the 76ers have struggled in ’24/25 – they currently sit outside of the East’s play-in tournament at 20-29 – they ended up dumping Martin’s contract instead of using it as a way to try and improve the roster, making the decision to bump up his salary last summer look like a mistake in retrospect.
As cap expert Yossi Gozlan observes (Twitter link), by shedding Martin’s salary and completing a separate trade with Dallas on Tuesday, the 76ers have saved $40MM+ when accounting for payroll, tax payments and dipping below the luxury tax line. They’ll now receive a tax distribution valued at roughly $12-14MM instead of being a taxpayer.
Since they’re well below the first tax apron, they’ll also be able to add players on the buyout market, regardless of the player’s pre-waiver salary.
Martin hasn’t seen action since Dec. 23 due to a foot injury. He has appeared in 24 games this season (seven starts), averaging 6.4 points and 3.0 rebounds in 20.0 minutes per game.
Thunder Waive Daniel Theis
The Thunder have waived Daniel Theis, the team announced in a press release.
Oklahoma City acquired Theis and a 2031 second-round pick in a trade with New Orleans on Wednesday. The pick will be either the Pelicans’ or Magic’s, whichever is least favorable.
It was a salary-dump move for the Pelicans, and obviously Theis wasn’t in the Thunder’s plans either. The eight-year veteran appeared in 38 games for New Orleans in 2024/25, averaging 4.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 16.3 minutes per contest, with a shooting slash line of .473/.243/.838.
At 6’8″, Theis is undersized for a center, which has been his primary position in the NBA. Still, the 32-year-old German could provide some depth in the middle for a team seeking a reserve big man.
Theis was on a minimum-salary contract, so the Thunder will carry a dead-money cap hit of about $2.1MM if he passes through waivers. Assuming he goes unclaimed, he’ll be an unrestricted free agent in a couple days and will be able to sign with any team except New Orleans.
Oklahoma City now has 14 players on standard contracts. Rookie center Branden Carlson has signed a pair of 10-day deals with the Thunder and can only be re-signed if he’s given a rest-of-season standard contract or is brought back on a two-way deal, the latter of which would require OKC to either release a player or promote one.
Wizards Waive Reggie Jackson
The Wizards are placing veteran guard Reggie Jackson on waivers after acquiring him from the Sixers earlier today, the team announced (via Twitter).
Jackson is on a one-year, minimum-salary contract, so Washington won’t be on the hook for any dead money beyond this season after letting him go. Assuming he clears waivers, he’ll be free to sign with anyone except Philadelphia for the rest of the season.
The Wizards were able to acquire a 2026 first-round pick from the Sixers, which was their motivation for the deal. They now have a roster opening, along with a vacant two-way slot after sending Jared Butler to Philadelphia.
The 34-year-old Jackson signed with Philadelphia as a free agent last summer, but he averaged just 4.4 points and 1.5 assists in 31 games while playing 12.4 minutes per night. Still, he may find some interest on the open market from teams looking for veteran backcourt help.