Knicks Sign Kenyon Martin To 10-Day Contract
SATURDAY, 10:53pm: The Knicks have officially added Martin, per John Schuhmann of NBA.com (via Twitter).
THURSDAY, 4:20pm: The New York Knicks will sign veteran forward Kenyon Martin to a 10-day contract, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports reports (via Twitter). The team had cleared a roster spot earlier Thursday by moving forward Ronnie Brewer to the Thunder for a future second-round pick.
Martin, 35, last played in the NBA for the Clippers in 2011/12, averaging 5.2 PPG and 4.3 RPG in 42 games.
Bucks To Acquire Redick In Six-Player Deal
The Magic have agreed to trade J.J. Redick to the Bucks, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). According to Wojnarowski, Milwaukee will send Doron Lamb, Beno Udrih, and Tobias Harris to Orlando in the deal (Twitter link). Along with Redick, Gustavo Ayon and Ish Smith are heading to Milwaukee, tweets Wojnarowski.
After a flurry of Redick rumors leading up to the deadline, the Bucks emerged as the frontrunners in the hours leading up to 2:00pm, as the Spurs, Pacers, and other suitors fell out of the running. While it initially appeared that Milwaukee was targeting Redick to replace Monta Ellis if Ellis was part of a Josh Smith trade, the club ultimately pulled the trigger on Redick anyway, meaning the sharpshooter will join a backcourt that features Ellis and Brandon Jennings.
Meanwhile, the Magic had been seeking a first-round pick in exchange for Redick, but will instead acquire a pair of young prospects in Lamb and Harris, along with Udrih's $7.37MM expiring contract, which will come off the books this summer. According to various reports, the only first-round picks Orlando was offered for Redick would have been very late in the first round. Given the value of draft picks and rookie-scale contracts in the new CBA, teams seemed reluctant to give up any picks better than that.
Warriors Send Jenkins To 76ers, Tyler To Hawks
3:15pm: The Warriors acquired a pair of second-round picks, one from the Sixers and one from the Hawks, in their respective deals, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). The Sixers' pick is top-55 protected, GM Tony DiLeo tells Tom Moore of PhillyBurbs.com (Twitter link).
2:59pm: The trade deadline was nearly an hour ago now, but news of a couple deals is still trickling in. According to Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter links), the Warriors reached agreements to send out Charles Jenkins and Jeremy Tyler in two separate trades. Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter) that Jenkins is heading to the 76ers while Tyler is going to the Hawks.
Golden State had been looking for a way to get under the luxury-tax threshold, and was able to do so by moving two minimum-salary players like Jenkins and Tyler. As such, no players will be coming back to the Warriors in either deal.
Jenkins, the Warriors' second-round pick in 2011, was notoriously kept on the team's roster in place of Jeremy Lin prior to the '11/12 season. He has played in 47 games for the team this year, though he averages just 6.2 minutes per contest. He's on an expiring contract, so the Sixers will have the option of offering him a qualifying offer and making him a restricted free agent at season's end.
Tyler, 21, hasn't seen as much playing time for the Warriors this season, though he's averaged 15.0 PPG and 8.0 RPG in a handful of games for the D-League's Santa Cruz Warriors. The 6'10" youngster, who was selected five picks ahead of Jenkins in the 2011 draft, has a non-guaranteed contract for next season, so the Hawks will have a chance to decide whether or not to bring him back at a reasonable price.
Both Jenkins and Tyler are earning $762,195 this season, so moving them takes the Warriors about $300K below the tax. That gives them enough wiggle room to add players on 10-day contracts or perhaps a rest-of-season deal.
Grizzlies Acquire Dexter Pittman From Heat
2:54pm: The Heat have confirmed in a press release that they've sent Pittman to Memphis. The Grizzlies also received cash considerations from the Heat, according to the release.
12:48pm: The Grizzlies and Heat have agreed to a deal that will send Dexter Pittman and a second-round pick to Memphis, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com reports that the Heat will acquire the rights to Ricky Sanchez, who is currently playing in Argentina, in the trade (Twitter link). Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal first reported that the two sides were in serious talks about a swap.
For the Grizzlies, Pittman represents another piece of frontcourt depth off the bench. Memphis had been carrying just 12 players, and would have been required to add a 13th man in the very near future had the team not acquired a player via trade today. The team had intended to make use of one of its seven trade exceptions, but likely won't need to do so, since the third-year big man is making the minimum salary of $854,389.
From Miami's perspective, the trade allows the club to open a roster spot for a potential free agent addition later in the season. According to Windhorst (via Twitter), the Heat have kept in touch with Kenyon Martin, but will likely wait until March to explore all their options.
Moving Pittman also reduces the Heat's tax bill slightly, and the cost to do so wasn't exactly exorbitant — Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports reports (via Twitter) that the second-rounder is Miami's 2013 pick, which is currently projected to be 59th overall, as our projected draft order indicates.
I would assume that Sanchez, who was drafted by the Trail Blazers in 2005, will never see the floor for the Heat. The Grizzlies simply had to include a piece in the deal so that they weren't acquiring Pittman and a pick for nothing. Miami will also obtain a trade exception worth $854,389 (Pittman's salary) in the move.
Trail Blazers To Waive Ronnie Price
The Trail Blazers had been carrying 15 players heading into the trade deadline, so they'll need to waive a player to clear a roster spot for Eric Maynor. According to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com, Ronnie Price will be the player released by the Blazers (Twitter link).
Haynes notes (via Twitter) that Price is dealing with a severe right ankle sprain, but he does plan to return to action this season, so he could find another NBA job once he clears waivers hits free agency.
Price, 29, had averaged 2.7 PPG and 1.9 APG in 39 appearances for Portland this season. His minimum-salary contract was guaranteed, so he'll receive that salary and the Blazers will assume the cap hit.
Thunder To Acquire Ronnie Brewer
2:37pm: The second-round pick heading to New York in the deal will be the Thunder's own 2014 selection, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today.
2:24pm: The Thunder and Knicks have agreed to a deal that will see Oklahoma City acquire Ronnie Brewer in exchange for a second-round pick, according to Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman (via Twitter). It was Mayberry who first reported that the Thunder were expected to land Brewer (Twitter link).
The Knicks had been shopping Brewer this week in an attempt to clear a roster spot, as Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com noted today. Now just carrying 14 players on their roster, the Knicks could take a flier on a free agent – perhaps Kenyon Martin, or Jermaine O'Neal if he receives a buyout – without having to release a player on a guaranteed contract.
For the Thunder, it was a small price to pay to add a solid defensive guard who had fallen out of the Knicks' rotation in recent weeks. Brewer, 27, had started 34 games for New York, but didn't seem to fit with the team nearly as well as he did with the Bulls' "Bench Mob" over the last couple seasons. So far this year, Brewer has recorded a career-low 10.2 PER.
Thunder To Send Eric Maynor To Blazers
2:27pm: The Blazers are sending the draft rights to Giorgio Printezis to the Thunder as part of the deal, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
2:14pm: Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman reports the Blazers will not send a draft pick to the Thunder (Twitter link). It's unclear exactly what Oklahoma City is getting for Maynor.
1:53pm: The Thunder will send Eric Maynor to the Blazers, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com, via Twitter. The teams had been in serious discussions about such a trade, as Stein tweeted just moments earlier. Portland will absorb Maynor with an exception, and is likely sending a draft pick to Oklahoma City, reports Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (Twitter link). If the Blazers aren't giving up anyone in return, that means they'll have to waive someone, since they're at the 15-man roster limit. Mike Tokito of The Oregonian tweets speculation that Elliot Williams could be the one to go.
Williams is attempting to make it back from a torn Achilles' tendon. The Blazers have a disabled player exception for Williams, but it's not worth enough to accomodate Maynor. Portland has a $2,247,740 trade exception from the Raymond Felton deal, and since teams are allowed to add $100K to trade exceptions to accomodate someone, that's how Maynor's $2,338,721 salary fits in.
Maynor had fallen out of favor in Oklahoma City, where he'd lost the backup point guard job to Reggie Jackson. The Thunder were holding out hope for a first-round pick in return as they shopped Maynor aggressively toward the deadline. The Raptors and Jazz had been linked to him in recent days.
The Blazers pick up a piece for their under-performing bench in the deal. Maynor will be a restricted free agent at season's end, and Portland will have the ability to match offers from other teams. Though he kept his interest quiet, Blazers GM Neil Olshey has had Maynor on his radar for more than a month, according to The Oregonian's Jason Quick (Twitter link).
Celtics To Acquire Jordan Crawford
2:16pm: The Wizards will also acquire Jason Collins from the Celtics in the trade, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
12:46pm: The Wizards have agreed to a deal that will send Jordan Crawford to the Celtics, reports TNT's David Aldridge (via Twitter). Boston will send Leandro Barbosa to the Wizards, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). The teams are still working on the details of the trade, but Fab Melo will not be headed to Washington, Aldridge hears (Twitter link). Crawford "desperately" wanted the Wizards to trade him, tweets Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio, and that's in line with previous reports indicating the swingman was unpleased with his reduced role of late.
The Mavs reportedly jumped into discussions for Crawford as well, but the Celtics seemed to have the inside track as the deadline approached. An Eastern Conference executive told Michael Lee of the Washington Post last night there was likely "very little" the Wizards could get for Crawford, and indeed that appears to be the case, as Washington is getting a player who's out for the year with a torn ACL in his left knee. In taking back Barbosa's expiring deal for the minimum salary, the Wizards essentially clear Crawford's salary, worth $1.2MM this year and $2.6MM next season, off their books. The Wizards had an open roster spot going into the trade, but they could waive Barbosa at any point this season to free up more room if they wish, though they'll have to keep paying Barbosa's salary either way.
Adding Crawford for Barbosa adds a little salary to Boston's books, but still allows them to stay below their $74.307MM hard cap for the season. Following his injury, the C's sought to use Barbosa to increase their flexibility, as they considered waiving him to create room on the roster, or, as Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe suggested, using him as trade ballast as they're doing with the Wizards. Nonetheless, a one-for-one deal involving Barbosa was unexpected, Washburn tweets.
Crawford is averaging 13.4 points and 3.7 assists this year, similar to the third-year player's career numbers. He's seen his minutes drastically reduced, to 12.4 per game this month from 35.8 in December, with the return of John Wall from injury and the emergence of rookie Bradley Beal. He was used on the ball as the Wizards struggled to find a solution in Wall's absence at point guard this year, so perhaps he could help Boston's current shorthanded situation at the position.
Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors contributed to this post.
Magic, Bobcats To Swap McRoberts, Warrick
The Magic and Bobcats have agreed to a trade that will send Josh McRoberts to Charlotte and Hakim Warrick to Orlando, reports Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter). The Magic are expected to waive Warrick after the deal becomes official, according to Sam Amick of SI.com (Twitter link). It's the second time Warrick has been dealt this season, as the Hornets traded him for Matt Carroll in November.
The Hornets and Warrick had been working on a buyout before the early-season trade, and it appears that's what the Magic will pursue as well. Warrick making $4MM this season, with a team option for $4MM that's likely to disappear unless another club claims him off waivers. McRoberts is making $3.135MM this season in the final year of an expiring deal, so the deal lines up well for salary-matching purposes.
Warrick was averaging 7.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 17.9 minutes per game with the Bobcats this season, and made 14 starts, but has appeared in only one game this month, as a reserve. McRoberts has put up 3.9 PPG, 3.3 RPG in 16.7 MPG this year for Orlando after coming over in the Dwight Howard blockbuster. The 6'10" power forward has shown versatility this season, guarding multiple positions, but he has seen his minutes cut recently as well, getting 14.8 MPG this month after seeing 21.4 MPG in January.
Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors contributed to this post.
Hawks, Mavs Swap Morrow, Dahntay Jones
The Hawks have sent Anthony Morrow to the Mavericks for Dahntay Jones, tweets Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Jones was reportedly going to be part of a deal for Beno Udrih, but apparently that one didn't materialize for Dallas. Both swingmen are on expiring contracts, though Morrow makes $4MM while Jones is earning $2.9MM this year. The salaries are still close enough for salary-matching purposes, and neither team is close enough to the tax for the difference to have an effect.
Morrow, 27, is seeing a career low 12.5 minutes per game this year with Atlanta after coming over during the summer in the Joe Johnson trade. He led the league in three-point percentage in 2o08/09 for the Warriors, making 46.7% of his long-range attempts as a rookie. He's a career 42.5% three-point shooter.
Jones, 32, saw about the same amount of floor time for Dallas (12.7 MPG), but doesn't provide the outside shooting presence that Morrow does. Instead, he's seen as a defensive presence, and started 71 games in front of J.R. Smith for the 2008/09 Nuggets, who advanced to the Western Conference Finals.