The NBA trade deadline is one of the best times of the NBA season. Countless teams are looking to shop players, and it always seems like one or two massive deals go down each year. This year was no different. Almost all teams were in the trade market this year. Some were strengthening the roster for a championship run, and others selling to rebuild for the future. The NBA trade deadline never fails to disappoint.
NBA Trade Deadline News
Massive Four-Team Deal
The NBA trade deadline extravaganza started off with one of the biggest deals in recent history. Four teams were included in this player-stuffed trade: the Houston Rockets, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Atlanta Hawks, and the Denver Nuggets. The two most notable players in this trade, Clint Capela and Robert Covington, both find more suitable homes.
The Rockets will receive Covington, Jordan Bell, and a second-round pick. The Timberwolves will receive Malik Beasley, Juan Hernangomez, and Jarred Vanderbilt from the Nuggets, as well as Evan Turner and the Brooklyn Nets‘ first-round pick from the Hawks. The Nuggets will obtain Gerald Green and a first-round pick from the Rockets, as well as Keita Bates-Diop, Shabazz Napier, and Noah Vonleh from the Timberwolves. The Hawks receive Capela and Nene from the Rockets. Also, note that the Hawks had to wave Chandler Parsons to create space for the acquisition of Capela and Nene.
This is one of the biggest NBA trade deadline deals in recent history. Many players were shifted. The Rockets are looking to reshape their roster for a championship run. The Hawks keep improving their young, star-studded roster. The Nuggets get a solid wing piece in Green. The Timberwolves open up space to reshape their roster in the future.
Vice City Revamp
It seems as if Andre Iguodala has finally gotten his wish. The Memphis Grizzlies have traded Iguodala, Solomon Hill, and Jae Crowder to the Miami Heat. The Grizzlies will receive Justise Winslow and Dion Waiters in return. James Johnson will be traded to the Timberwolves in exchange for Gorgui Dieng. The Grizzlies have done a great job building their young core, and they just added another piece in Winslow. Since the trade, Dillon Brooks also agreed to a three year, $35 million contract extension with the Grizzlies. Brooks has been having a breakout season with the Grizzlies.
The Heat tried to create an elaborate three-team deal to also acquire the Oklahoma City Thunder‘s Danilo Gallinari but had no luck. The Heat’s goal was to obtain Gallinari while still preserving cap space for a star-studded 2021 free agency class. But not all hope was lost. Iguodala ended up signing a two-year, $30 million extension with the Heat. Sources around the league say that Pat Riley and the Heat are going all in this year, and are confident they can make a title run.
The Return to the Atlanta Hawks
Next up: Dewayne Dedmon. The Sacramento Kings have agreed to trade Dedmon to the Hawks in exchange for Jabari Parker, Alex Len, and second-round picks in 2020 and 2021. Dedmon makes his return to the Hawks as he can become a veteran leader on a young team trying to make a late playoff push.
Parker and Len are able to get a fresh restart on their careers with the Kings. Parker was averaging 15 points per game before his shoulder injury. He will be able to grow and develop with the young core that the Kings have. As for Len, it’s unsure whether he will be bought out or not. He is a free agent this summer, so it’s unclear what the front office’s intentions are for him.
Golden State Warriors Get Draft Compensation
The Golden State Warriors chime in this year’s deadline. They agreed to a deal that would send Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson III to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for three second-round picks. These second-round picks include the Dallas Mavericks‘ 2020 pick, the Nuggets’ 2021 pick, and the Toronto Raptors‘ 2022 pick.
The 76ers are able to get much-needed shooting and scoring off of their bench. This will help alleviate the load that the starters need to carry. This also helps open up the floor more, as having Ben Simmons doesn’t help improve floor spacing much. As for the Warriors, they get draft picks that will most likely help improve their depth later on. However, it’s unclear if they will be trading them or using them in June. But it is clear that the Warriors are preparing for another title run next year, so they need all the assets they can get.
Golden State Warriors Part Two
The Warriors make another splash with the NBA trade deadline. The Warriors agree to send Jacob Evans, Omari Spellman, and D’Angelo Russell to the Timberwolves. The Timberwolves will send back Andrew Wiggins, a 2021 protected first-round pick, and a 2021 second-round pick.
The Timberwolves were persistent in pushing for Russell, and this trade pays off big time for them. Their superstar player Karl-Anthony Towns is now happy with the recent addition of his friend Russell.
The Warriors get to reset their roster makeup with Wiggins. Wiggins is having a bounceback year, averaging 22.4 points per game. Wiggins is a better defender than Russell and is a better fit for the Warriors as they now don’t have two primary ballhandlers in their starting lineup. Warriors keep making moves this NBA trade deadline in order to prepare for another title run next year.
Los Angeles Bound
The New York Knicks have agreed to trade forward Marcus Morris to the Los Angeles Clippers. The Washington Wizards have also traded Isaiah Thomas to the Clippers. The Clippers are sending back Maurice Harkless and a 2020 first-round pick to the Knicks. Lastly, Jerome Robinson will join the Wizards.
The Knicks wanted young pieces in return for Morris. They now have a ton of future assets, including seven first-round picks over the next four years. The Wizards are able to go back to the drawing board, and will hopefully build a better roster around John Wall and Bradley Beal.
The Clippers are able to strengthen their roster even more. Morris was one of the best players in the trade market, and the Clippers managed to snag them away from their rival, the Los Angeles Lakers. According to The Athletic’s David Aldridge, the Clippers don’t plan on keeping Thomas. But after adding Morris, the Clippers look like the deepest team in the league. Talent-wise, they are the cream of the crop.
Big Man Moved
Another interesting trade went down just moments before the end of the NBA trade deadline. The Detroit Pistons agreed to move their star center Andre Drummond to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Pistons will receive Brandon Knight, John Henson, and a future second-round pick in return.
The Cavaliers receive one of the most skilled rebounding centers in the league in Drummond. Drummond will be able to provide strength in the post and will solidify the Cavaliers’ frontcourt. As for the Pistons, they were shopping Drummond for a while. It seemed as if at one point the Hawks were going to receive Drummond, but since the Capela trade happened, Cavaliers were the next best choice.
Small Trades
The Clippers have agreed to send guard Derrick Walton Jr. to the Hawks for cash. This is an obvious move to clear cap room to try and get another good role player for a championship push.
After the four-team deal, the Rockets have traded Bell to the Grizzlies for Bruno Caboclo. Both teams exchange second-round picks as well. The Rockets move Bell for cap space, and the Grizzlies acquire another young piece.
The Portland Trail Blazers are trading Skal Labissiere and cash to the Hawks. Hawks with another young piece for their already great young core.
The Nuggets have turned around and flipped Napier to the Wizards for Jordan McRae. The Nuggets continue to make small changes to their roster in order to maximize their potential come playoff time.
The 76ers have traded James Ennis to the Orlando Magic. In order for this to go through, Ennis had to waive his no-trade clause. He agreed. The Magic are sending back a second-round pick.
Failed Trade Attempts
The Lakers were in hot pursuit of the Knicks’ forward Morris. The deal was reported to be centered around the Lakers’ forward Kyle Kuzma. Of course, the Lakers would’ve liked to obtain Morris without having to move Kuzma. The Knicks, knowing this, declined. The Knicks ended up sending Morris to the Clippers. But don’t lose all hope. The Lakers still have a good chance to land Darren Collison. If this happens, the Lakers didn’t lose much ground this NBA trade deadline.
The Milwaukee Bucks were reportedly pursuing three-point specialists as the NBA trade deadline closed in. That, unfortunately, did not happen. But Bucks fans shouldn’t worry, as they still have the best record in the league at 43-7. They have the reigning MVP in Giannis Antetokounmpo, as well as other very solid players in Khris Middleton and Eric Bledsoe.
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