Hawks Trade Krejci To Blazers For Reath, Second-Rounders
3:40 pm: The trade is official, the Hawks and Trail Blazers announced.
11:20 am: The Hawks and Trail Blazers have agreed to a trade, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, who reports (via Twitter) that Vit Krejci will be heading to Portland for Duop Reath and two second-round picks.
The Hawks will receive their own 2027 second-round pick back from Portland, as well as New York’s 2030 second-rounder, per Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link). The Blazers controlled both of those picks from previous trades.
Reath, a 6’9″ big man, recently underwent season-ending foot surgery. Although he doesn’t state it outright, Charania suggests Reath could be waived to open a roster spot for the Hawks (Twitter link). N’Faly Dante, who is also out for the season after tearing his ACL, is another candidate to be released, tweets cap expert Yossi Gozlan.
According to Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link), the Trail Blazers have been very active in trade conversations. They plan to promote two-way players Caleb Love and Sidy Cissoko to standard contracts after the February 5 deadline, Stein adds.
As several NBA insiders have noted, Atlanta evidently viewed Krejci as expendable after the team acquired Corey Kispert from Washington.
A 6’8″ guard, Krejci has averaged 9.0 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists while shooting 42.3% from three-point range in 46 appearances this season (22.3 minutes per game). The 25-year-old is on a very affordable contract, earning $2.3MM this season, a non-guaranteed $2.7MM in 2026/27, with a $3MM team option for ’27/28.
Krejci’s outside shooting fills an immediate need for the Blazers, who rank last in the league in three-point percentage (33.6%). The former second-round pick will be extension-eligible in July, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).
Reath, meanwhile, is earning $2.2MM this season and could be a restricted free agent in the summer if he finishes his current contract and is given a qualifying offer, though that seems unlikely.
Spencer Jones Among Two-Way Players Nearing Active-Game Limit
Second-year forward Spencer Jones has emerged as a key part of the Nuggets‘ rotation this season, starting 31 games and averaging 23.5 minutes per night for the Western Conference’s No. 3 team. However, Jones’ two-way contract only allows him to be eligible for up to 50 regular season games and he’s just three away from that limit — he has appeared in 43 contests and was a DNP-CD in four more early in the season.
While the Nuggets have let Jones and his representatives know that they want to promote him to the standard roster, the 24-year-old is also aware he may run out of games before that happens, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (subscription required).
“You want to figure out, where you’ve got a championship push, everything you need to make that push. So yeah, I always knew the decision wasn’t going to be until the (trade) deadline, (that it) won’t be decided until around then,” Jones said. “I may run out of games before then. So they’ve mentioned the possibility of sitting out one or two just ’cause. So we’ll see how it pans out.”
Denver has an open spot on its 15-man roster, so the front office could convert Jones’ contract today without making a corresponding move. However, the Nuggets will likely want to hold that spot open for a few more days to maximize their roster flexibility at the trade deadline.
The Nuggets are also operating above the luxury tax line by about $400K and have reportedly made it a priority to finish this season as a non-taxpayer. That means Jones might have to wait for his promotion until after Denver makes a move to shed a little salary.
If they were to trade one of their lowest-paid players without taking back any salary, the Nuggets could sign Jones and remain below the tax line due to the gap between a full-season and prorated salary. For instance, Hunter Tyson‘s deal features a $2,221,677 cap hit, whereas a minimum-salary contract for Jones would count for just $871K as of February 6 (Denver could also use a portion of its mid-level exception to sign Jones for more than the minimum).
“Whatever happens with Spence, he’ll be fine. What he’s done and what he’s put on tape is a professional basketball player that belongs in a rotation,” head coach David Adelman said. “And he’s earned it. … We’ll figure it out. What that means, I don’t know. And those are Ben (Tenzer) and Jon (Wallace) questions; we’ll have that conversation with them. But we’ll do the best we can do for (Jones) and for the whole roster as we go forward.”
As Durando points out (via Twitter), Jones got a bit of a reprieve when the Nuggets had a game postponed last Sunday and rescheduled for March. But Denver still plays four times between now and next Thursday’s deadline, so if the club isn’t ready to promote Jones until after the deadline, he’ll have to sit out one of those four contests.
There are several other two-way players around the NBA who are nearing their active game limits. Here are the players who are within 10 of the limit, with the number of games they have remaining noted in parentheses:
- Chris Youngblood, Thunder (2)
- Pat Spencer, Warriors (3)
- Jabari Walker, Sixers (3)
- Note: The Sixers have reached their limit of 90 “under-15” two-way games and must maintain a full 15-man standard roster to use their two-way players.
- Daniss Jenkins, Pistons (4)
- Johnny Juzang, Timberwolves (4)
- Nae’Qwan Tomlin, Cavaliers (5)
- Sidy Cissoko, Trail Blazers (7)
- JD Davison, Rockets (8)
- Ryan Nembhard, Mavericks (9)
- Caleb Love, Trail Blazers (10)
- Kobe Sanders, Clippers (10)
Blazers Notes: Avdija, Injuries, Love, Cissoko, Hinson
Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija has been upgraded to questionable for Sunday’s game in Sacramento, the team announced (Twitter link). As Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report observes (via Twitter), the upgraded status is a good sign for Avdija potentially returning after missing three games with a lower back strain.
Avdija is having an excellent season for Portland, averaging 26.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 6.9 assists on .468/.355/.801 shooting in 40 appearances (35.4 minutes per game). The 25-year-old suffered the back injury last Sunday against New York.
Jrue Holiday, Jerami Grant and Robert Williams are all doubtful to suit up on the second night of a back-to-back. Holiday and Grant recently returned from lengthy injury absences, while Williams has battled knee issues for years.
Here’s more on the Trail Blazers:
- Portland has dealt with a series of injuries in 2025/26, but improved to 21-22 with a 16-point victory over the Lakers on Saturday. According to Joe Freeman of The Oregonian, the team feels as though it’s rounding into form. “It feels like we’re starting to be the team that everyone thought we were going to be at the beginning of the year,” center Donovan Clingan said, flashing a wide smile. “Hopefully, once we get everyone healthy, we’re going to make a big jump and we’re going to start winning a lot of games. This is just the start of it and it feels really good.”
- Two-way players Caleb Love and Sidy Cissoko have emerged as viable members of the rotation in the wake of the injuries. Love, who went undrafted out of Arizona in 2025, recorded 22 points and seven assists in yesterday’s win and has now scored 10-plus points in 14 straight games, per the Blazers (Twitter link). The 24-year-old guard has also made multiple three-pointers in 14 consecutive games, tied for the second-longest streak by a rookie in league history.
- As Highkin recently noted, Love and Cissoko are nearing their active-game limits and both players have made cases to be converted to standard deals. If and when those conversions occur, Highkin believes the Blazers should promote Rip City Remix standout Blake Hinson to a two-way contract. The 6’8″ forward has played 21 games (32.6 MPG) with Portland’s G League affiliate in ’25/26, averaging 24.4 PPG, 4.5 RPG and 2.4 APG on .491/.388/.717 shooting.
Western Notes: Sengun, Booker, Horford, Cissoko, Love
Rockets center Alperen Sengun was expected to miss 10-to-14 days due to a right ankle sprain. However, he only ended up being sidelined for three games over seven days. Sengun admitted on Wednesday that he’s not fully healthy, tweets Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports.
“Still not 100 percent. It’s not going to be 100 percent for a while,” Sengun said. “But I’ve played through this all my life and I’m okay with it. Trying to get my treatment every day, feel as strong as I can be and go play.”
The Rockets have been in a slump lately, dropping four of their past five games, including a 20-point home loss to Oklahoma City on Thursday.
We have more from around the Western Conference:
- Suns guard Devin Booker missed Thursday’s loss in Detroit due to a left ankle sprain, but head coach Jordan Ott is optimistic he could return for Saturday’s game at New York, per The Associated Press. It was the four-time All-Star’s fourth absence of the season after he previously missed time due to a groin injury.
- Veteran big man Al Horford only spent one season with the Thunder, but he made a lasting impact on the organization, writes Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman (subscriber link). Horford also rebuilt his value in Oklahoma City after a disappointing season with Philadelphia. “He was one of the first vocal vets that I had been around,” Kenrich Williams told The Oklahoman. “He showed us how to prepare for games. He showed us how to stay ready. And when his number wasn’t called, he always was encouraging on the sideline. It’s kind of like what you see all the guys do today on the team. Even though there were only three (current) guys on that team, I feel like he played a big part in our success.”
- A pair of two-way players for the Trail Blazers are nearing their active games limits, according to Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report (Substack link). Assuming he’s active every game between now and then, forward Sidy Cissoko will reach his 50-game limit on February 11, Highkin writes, while guard Caleb Love is projected to hit his limit toward the end of February. Both players have made cases to be promoted to standard contracts after becoming rotation regulars amid a series of injuries, Highkin notes.
Northwest Notes: Gordon, Trail Blazers, Holiday, Bailey
The Nuggets have been using Aaron Gordon off the bench since he returned from a hamstring strain to maximize the value of his limited minutes, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. Coach David Adelman wants Gordon to be available to help close out games, so he’s playing him strategically the rest of the time.
“When you have a minute restriction, if you start somebody, they sit for so long before you put them back in. So this allows me to kind of play with the minutes,” Adelman said after Friday’s loss to Atlanta. He pointed out that a starting lineup with Hunter Tyson and DaRon Holmes was able to keep the game close until Gordon checked in.
Gordon logged 24 minutes on Friday, the most he has played in any of the three games since his return after a six-week absence, and finished with 14 points, nine rebounds and five assists. He said the hamstring feels “fine” now, but he’s still adjusting to the unfamiliar role.
“I’m just trying to figure out the flow of my minutes, you know? It’s a longer halftime for me right now, for going in at halftime, then coming off the bench out of halftime,” Gordon said. “It’s a little bit longer for me. So I’m just trying to figure out how I can continue to get my body back and contribute more in the second half. And help my team win. I feel like if I was better in the second half, we would have won that game. At least in the fourth quarter. So I take this one on me.”
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
- The Trail Blazers are on a five-game winning streak, triggering memories of last season’s second-half surge, Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report states in a subscriber-only story. Injury issues created opportunities for two-way players Sidy Cissoko and Caleb Love, who have become trusted parts of the rotation. “It’s just the confidence that these guys are getting,” interim coach Tiago Splitter said. “True minutes, meaningful minutes. Knowing that we have a system and a way to play, and we just follow it.”
- Trail Blazers guard Jrue Holiday is close to returning after missing the past 27 games with a right calf strain, according to Joe Freeman of the Oregonian. He has been upgraded to questionable for Sunday’s game against New York and could be back on the court for the first time since November 14. Freeman notes that Holiday was originally expected to be reevaluated in one to two weeks, but the injury continued to linger. In 12 games, Holiday is averaging 16.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 8.3 assists in 33.4 minutes per night.
- Jazz rookie Ace Bailey was only able to play 10 minutes on Wednesday against Oklahoma City as he tried to return from a strained hip flexor. It’s the only time he’s been on the court since suffering the injury on December 26. “Yeah, it’s still day to day,” coach Will Hardy told reporters, per Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link). “You know, he felt like he could go in OKC, and then after his first two shifts, we didn’t love how he looked moving, he didn’t love how he felt, and so we don’t want to put him in a position that hurts him. So we’re taking it day by day. He’s working really hard. He was on the court today. Still got a long way to go.”
Blazers Notes: First Half, Billups, Cissoko, Clingan
After winning just 21 games in 2023/24, the Trail Blazers have surpassed that total by the All-Star break this season. Their 23-33 record doesn’t put them in the mix for a playoff spot, but they’ve won 10 of 14 games since going 13-28 in the first half and are pleased with where they’re at heading into the break, writes Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report (Substack link).
“I’m very happy with where we are right now,” head coach Chauncey Billups said. “I’m happy with where we are as a group. Our young guys continue to take steps.”
“Happier than last year, for sure,” forward Toumani Camara added.
The Trail Blazers went 10-1 from January 19 to February 6 and have since lost three consecutive games as injuries sidelined multiple starters. Even in those losses, Billups likes the effort he has seen from his team.
“I’m so proud of these dudes,” Billups said after 132-121 defeat at the hands of the Nuggets on Wednesday. “This is a game that, in December or November, could be a 40-point loss. But our dudes fought their butts off. I was so happy for them.”
Here’s more on the Blazers:
- Has Portland’s strong play over the past month – and positive player development over the course of the season – put Billups in position to earn a new contract with the team? Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian considers that question, noting that Billups is in the final guaranteed year of his current deal, with a team option for 2025/26. The Blazers’ coach said he wants to see the rebuild through and believes he’s made a strong case to stick around. “Me personally, I definitely think that I’ve done enough,” Billups said. “But I’m also not about to petition for that. I’m not gonna do that. I feel like I’ve done enough. I feel like I’ve developed a ton myself, which needed to happen.”
- As Highkin writes for the Rose Garden Report (Substack link), the Blazers long had interest in Sidy Cissoko before signing him to a two-year, two-way contract last week. The team brought Cissoko in for a pre-draft workout in 2023 and assistant GM Mike Schmitz projected him the French wing a first-round pick during his previous job as a draft analyst for ESPN. “They were interested in me since I got to the league,” Cissoko said, adding that he’s excited to reunite with former G League Ignite teammate Scoot Henderson. “The Spurs drafted me, but we still had a good relationship. The day I was waived, my agent talked to them and they said they wanted me.”
- On Wednesday, having returned to the starting lineup following Deandre Ayton‘s calf injury, first-year center Donovan Clingan became the first Blazers rookie since Sam Bowie in 1985 to grab 20 rebounds in a single game, Fentress writes. Ten of those 20 rebounds came on the offensive end. “I loved these couple games (in Denver) for DC,” Billups said. “I thought it was excellent. He’s gotten himself back to where he was when he was playing at a pretty high level early before he got injured.”
Contract Details: Diabate, Ingram, Battle, Len, Cissoko, Martin
The Hornets used a portion of their room exception to give Moussa Diabate more than the prorated minimum on his new three-year deal, Hoops Rumors has learned. Diabate will earn $957,763 for the rest of this season, then has non-guaranteed minimum salaries for the following two years.
Diabate’s $2,270,735 salary for 2025/26 will become partially guaranteed for $250K if he remains on his current contract through the first day of the Hornets’ regular season opener in the fall. The full amount would be guaranteed if he survives next season’s league-wide guarantee deadline date on January 7, 2026.
Here are a few more details on recently signed contracts from around the NBA:
- While it’s not official yet, Brandon Ingram‘s three-year, $120MM extension with the Raptors will have an ascending structure, with 5% annual raises, so it’ll start at $38.1MM next season before increasing to $40MM in 2026/27, with a $41.9MM player option for ’27/28, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Scotto adds that the deal won’t include a trade kicker.
- Jamison Battle‘s new three-year contract with the Raptors will pay him $1MM this season, with that money coming out of Toronto’s mid-level exception, confirms Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link). Battle’s minimum salary for 2025/26 is currently 50% guaranteed ($977,689 of $1,955,377) and would become fully guaranteed if he’s not waived by July 9, Murphy adds. Battle’s third-year minimum salary ($2,296,271) is non-guaranteed and would become fully guaranteed if he’s still under contract through June 30, 2026.
- While the Lakers could technically have dipped into their taxpayer mid-level exception to sign Alex Len, that wasn’t necessary. The veteran center received a rest-of-season minimum-salary contract, which will pay him $1,177,206 and count for $743,829 on the team’s cap.
- Sidy Cissoko‘s new two-way contract with the Trail Blazers covers two seasons, so Portland will be able to retain him on that contract through 2025/26, tweets Scotto. The same goes for Washington and Jaylen Martin, who got a two-year, two-way deal from the Wizards, Hoops Rumors has learned.
Trail Blazers Sign Sidy Cissoko To Two-Way Deal, Waive Taze Moore
6:22pm: The moves are official, the Trail Blazers announced in a press release.
5:37pm: Sidy Cissoko will join the Trail Blazers on a two-way contract, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
Portland will waive guard Taze Moore to open up a two-way spot, Charania tweets.
Cissoko, a 20-year-old small forward, was traded twice this week, going from San Antonio to Sacramento on Monday in the three-team deal involving De’Aaron Fox and then from the Kings to Washington on Wednesday as part of the return for Jonas Valanciunas. The Wizards released Cissoko on Thursday, and he cleared waivers earlier today.
Selected with the 44th pick in the 2023 draft, Cissoko appeared in 29 total games during his time with the Spurs. He averaged just 3.2 minutes in 17 games this season.
Before being drafted, Cissoko played alongside Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson with the G League Ignite, notes Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Twitter link).
Moore, 26, signed a two-way contract in September after playing four games with Portland last season on a pair of 10-day deals. He saw minimal time in two games this year, but averaged 12.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists in nine regular season contests with the Rip City Remix in the G League.
Wizards Waive Sidy Cissoko
The Wizards have requested waivers on forward Sidy Cissoko, the team announced today (via Twitter).
It has been an eventful week for Cissoko, who was traded from the Spurs to the Kings in the De’Aaron Fox/Zach LaVine multi-team blockbuster, then was flipped to Washington in Wednesday’s Jonas Valanciunas deal. Now, assuming he clears waivers on Saturday without being claimed, he’ll be seeking a new home.
Cissoko, 20, was the 44th overall pick in the 2023 draft. Although he signed a three-year contract that included two guaranteed seasons, the French forward played an extremely limited role during his season-and-a-half with the Spurs, appearing in just 29 NBA games, averaging 2.3 points and 1.1 rebounds in 6.7 minutes per night.
Cissoko saw more action in the G League with the Austin Spurs, San Antonio’s affiliate. He made 34 total appearances for the club last season and 11 more in 2024/25. In those 11 games this season, he averaged 16.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per contest, with a shooting line of .489/.264/.595.
It’s unclear if Cissoko will catch on with a new NBA team or if a return to Europe, where he began his professional career, could be in the cards. He’s still just 20 years old (21 in April) and is eligible to sign a two-way contract, so I’d expect some NBA clubs to have some level of interest in him.’
Because the Kings were the last team to trade Cissoko before he was cut, Sacramento won’t be eligible to re-sign him, but San Antonio would be.
The Wizards, meanwhile, will open up a spot on their 15-man roster as a result of the move, which could come in handy if they have any additional pre-deadline moves on tap. They still need to officially finalize their Kyle Kuzma/Khris Middleton deal with Milwaukee today.
Wizards Trade Jonas Valanciunas To Kings
8:05 pm: The trade is now official, according to press releases sent out by the Wizards and Kings.
3:59 pm: The Kings are acquiring center Jonas Valanciunas in a trade with the Wizards, reports NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter link). According to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link), Sacramento is sending newly acquired wing Sidy Cissoko and a pair of second-round picks to Washington in the deal.
According to Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link), Sacramento will use its $12.8MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception to absorb Valanciunas’ $9.9MM salary. He reports that the picks being moved are the Kings’ own in 2029 and a Denver selection in 2028 that’s top-33 protected. That pick was acquired in the De’Aaron Fox deal earlier this week.
The trade with Washington leaves the Kings about $2.5MM below the tax line, states cap analyst Yossi Gozlan (Twitter link), who notes that the team had some flexibility after unloading Fox’s and Kevin Huerter‘s salaries.
Valanciunas, a 32-year-old center, will provide veteran frontcourt depth for Sacramento. He appeared in 49 games during his lone season in Washington, averaging 11.5 points and 8.2 rebounds in 20.1 minutes per night while shooting 54.7% from the field. Valanciunas will join Domantas Sabonis, his longtime teammate on the Lithuanian national team, notes Marc Stein (Twitter link).
The Nuggets were also hoping to land Valanciunas, sources tell Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link), as were the Suns as they try to find a taker for Jusuf Nurkic.
The second-round picks heading to the Wizards bring their total to 19 over the next seven drafts, according to Gozlan (Twitter link). Cissoko is making just $1.89MM, so this deal helps them offset the extra salary they took on earlier today by agreeing to trade for Khris Middleton. Gozlan states that Washington will create a $9.9MM trade exception and is now $11.8MM below the tax line.
This is the second trade of the week for Cissoko, a 20-year-old small forward, who went from San Antonio to Sacramento in the Fox deal. He has seen minimal playing time at the NBA level since being selected with the 44th pick in the 2023 draft. Cissoko appeared in 17 games for the Spurs this season, averaging 1.3 PPG in 3.2 minutes per night.