Milwaukee gets:
Brooklyn gets:
Nets GM Sean Marks continues to do solid work with his cheap veteran signings, and now he cashed in one of them to pick up an extra draft pick that will likely last longer with the team than the former 17th overall pick was going to. Across 42 games (33 starts), Zeller averaged a solid 7.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 0.5 blocks in just 16.7 minutes with 54.6%/38.5%/66.7% shooting. I don't completely see the need on the Bucks' end for another limited big man, but they always seem to be looking for a center that can provide some offensive skills without killing them on the other end. Since they declined the fourth year option on Vaughn, they obviously didn't have plans for him in the future after he was also the 17th pick in his draft, so they must be hoping they'll be good enough that the 2nd rounder will be late enough to not be of much consequence.
Charlotte gets:
New York gets:
Poor Hernangomez: he goes from out of the Knicks' rotation to a Hornets team that already has Dwight Howard, Cody Zeller, and Frank Kaminsky in established roles up front. Howard and Kaminsky only have one more year left on their deals, though, and the 23 year old Spaniard showed enough as a rookie (11.6/9.3/2.0 averages in 25.8 minutes over his 22 starts) that he can be thought of as a nice backup center option in the future. It would have been nice if things worked out for him to stay in New York with his former Sevilla teammate and buddy Kristaps Porzingis, but getting two 2nds back isn't bad value in return considering he was a 2nd rounder himself and that his defensive limitations have kept him out of favor this season.
Los Angeles signs Williams to 3 year, $24 million extension:
With the last year reportedly only containing $1.5 million guaranteed, this was a surprisingly affordable extension for the Clippers since Williams was eligible to sign for upwards of $42 million over four years. I suppose the 31 year old veteran preferred some security in the same city after being on his fifth team in five season, including a year and a half in LA already with the Lakers, over chasing the Mid-Level Exception that is expected to have around an $8.6 million starting salary this summer. That's understandable, so hopefully for his sake the Clips don't end up trading him after the required six month wait now that the high-scoring 6th man is under team control like they did with Blake Griffin.
Chicago gets:
Detroit gets:
Don't look now, but after all the other times they conceded sweeteners as a throw-in, the Bulls actually made a deal that benefited them in the 2nd round! Nelson, who turns 36 tomorrow and will be on his fourth team since training camp, was never long for the rebuilding squad after being included in last week's trade, and now he gets to be reunited with his Orlando coach, Stan Van Gundy, as needed point guard depth for a team competing for a playoff spot. The cost is clearly low for the Pistons after Reed was also recently acquired as an extra piece in the Griffin trade, and it looks like Chicago is just going to waive him anyway despite his productive per-minute numbers. That's a little disappointing, but it does open up a roster spot to try out younger players while inching the Bulls ever so closer to the salary floor (more on that shortly).
Los Angeles gets:
Cleveland gets:
I'm still a bit in shock from the first stunner of deadline day as my initial thought from this morning still holds true: I can't believe the Cavs helped the Lakers clear salary space to target LeBron James and another max contract this summer. As things stand now with the 1st round pick sitting at #24 and estimated at a $1.82 million cap hold, LA can hold onto Julius Randle's cap hold as a restricted free agent and have $45.93 million in space. Clearing Clarkson's salary made things simpler to achieve the estimated $65.65 million in room needed for James and a 30% max salary player like Paul George (assuming a $101 million salary cap), though, because they can stretch Luol Deng's remaining salary and simply renounce Randle's rights like the rest of their free agents to reach $67.3 million. That number could increase a little bit if the pick becomes lower due to Cleveland improving after today or if they waive the non-guaranteed contracts of young players like Tyler Ennis, Ivica Zubac, or Thomas Bryant. Perhaps the Cavs are confident enough that James will stay, especially after fortifying their roster today, that it doesn't matter; there was a report two days ago that LA was shifting their focus to the 2019 free agent class after all. If that is the case, this still helps the Lakers get closer to having two max slots that summer as they'll now have over $60 million in space, and stretching Deng that year could offset a new deal for Randle that eats into that. Deng's contract might even be easier to move once it has less money remaining on it, but it's always been likely that it'll have to count as $7,362,000 in dead money over five years or $6,270,000 over three depending on once he's waived.
As for the actual product on the court, it's a shame how far Isaiah Thomas' stock has fallen after his hip injury and poor 15 game run in Cleveland that he's basically just an expiring contract, so hopefully he can rebuild his free agent value a bit with what is likely to be plenty of opportunity in LA. It may hurt his pride to come off the bench, but he could potentially feast on opposing second units, play alongside the 6'6" Lonzo Ball, and have free reign during the times the rookie is banged up like now. If Frye isn't bought out, he can help in their young players' development by providing floor spacing as a big man like I wrote about when Brook Lopez was brought in. For the Cavs, Nance will give them a player who actually brings effort on defense, and they've already seen recently with rookie Cedi Osman how much of an impact that simple difference can make. He can also slide across a couple of positions for some versatility along with Clarkson, and although the latter tends to give it back up on defense, he provides an athletic scoring punch to the back court with some passing. With that being said, it is a little odd that they did this move that required giving up a 1st round pick and taking on future salary considering they had their other big trade coming just a little bit later. Dealing with Isaiah Thomas' constant public comments couldn't have been that bad, could it?
It would be a real shame if someone captioned this pic.twitter.com/nNHImE8vWi— Rob Perez (@World_Wide_Wob) February 8, 2018
Miami gets:
Atlanta gets:
This minor moved looks even more underwhelming considering what came just before it, but Babbitt gave the Heat some nice shooting in his 55 starts for them last year. His numbers are even better this year, so this could end up being a shrewd addition as they toil in the bottom half of the Eastern playoff picture. The Hawks immediately waiving White is a bit of a head-scratcher since he's an athletic 25 year old forward who has shown some flashes, but I guess Atlanta just wanted to open a roster spot to try out players and save the slightest bit of cash they could.
Detroit gets:
Memphis gets:
Another small move that could actually affect the playoff seeding a bit because Ennis can play. He's a 36.9% career 3 point shooter who provides decent defense on the wing, where the Pistons are lacking some depth, so a 2nd round pick a few years down the line is a small price to pay. It's also not a bad return for a Grizzlies team that isn't going anyway and might have lost him in free agency for nothing. Johnson was the other filler piece along with Reed in the Griffin trade and has already had this 3rd year option declined, but maybe he can find a niche in Memphis among their similarly lanky big men, Brandan Wright, Deyonta Davis, and Ivan Rabb.
Cleveland gets:
Draft rights to Arturas Gudaitis (47th pick in 2015)
Utah gets:
Sacramento gets:
Draft rights to Dimitrios Agravanis (59th pick in 2015)
$2.1 million from Cleveland
$1.1 million from Utah
After the Cavs' first deal, I thought the spark of a Hill trade was extinguished since the previous rumors were Frye, Shumpert, and the 1st round pick for him, but boy was I wrong. Instead, they stoked the flames as the deal just grew a ridiculous amount into an inferno that blew up nearly half the roster, and they look like a better team for it. Crowder was a huge disappointment who (albeit playing out of position) failed to fulfill either part of being a 3-and-D wing, Shumpert also never became consistent in that role as he dealt with injuries, and Rose was an ill-fated signing from the start, so swapping them out for Hill and Hood, who have some issues of their own but worked well together in Utah last season, should be an upgrade. Hill can cover up new teammate Clarkson's flaws as a 3-and-D guard at either back court spot while also providing some playmaking, and Hood has looked at times like a 25 year old rising star with some pick and roll chops to go along with hitting 38.9% of his nearly seven 3's a game en route to 16.8 points per game in just 27.8 minutes. Since a future 2nd and a swap of draft rights to European players who aren't likely to ever play in the NBA were the only assets dealt, the biggest burden is the financial aspect with the cash sent, their Luxury Tax bill increased by over $6.9 million since yesterday, and they took on future salary. At least Hill's last year is only $1 million guaranteed, meaning what he's due overall is just about $1.6 million more than what was owed Crowder and Shumpert (assuming the player option is likely picked up), but Hood could fetch an expensive offer sheet in restricted free agency this summer if he plays as well as they hope. In total though, this series of moves got them younger and better to both try and convince LeBron to stay and keep them in decent shape if he leaves, all without giving up the Nets pick they own.
I can understand the reasoning behind it, but I don't love this for the Jazz. I suppose the amazing emergence of Donovan Mitchell, the re-signing of Joe Ingles over the summer, and a return to health for Alec Burks made Hood a bit superfluous ahead of a big payday while Johnson hasn't aged well at 36 after being such a good pickup last season, but this isn't much of a return. Maybe Crowder proves to be a nice buy-low candidate as a 27 year old on a fair deal, though, and he could prove me wrong by doing the little things to help Utah make the playoffs now that they're healthy and have won seven in a row to climb within 2.5 games of New Orleans for the 8 seed. And they're making the right choice just waiving Rose, who was just included as salary flotsam. Who knows, maybe he'll even help them by making the Timberwolves worse if/when Tom Thibodeau signs him and takes away some of Tyus Jones' minutes.
It's pretty simple for the Kings: get anything you can for a failed free agent signing while shedding close to $8 million in salary this summer. It's unfortunate that they have to waste their former reach of a lottery pick, Georgios Papagiannis, to create the roster spot needed to complete this deal, but once the expected buyout of Johnson occurs, they can bring in another young player for a look.
Miami gets:
Cleveland gets:
Miami's 2024 2nd round pick ("heavily protected")
This was probably the Cavaliers' most unexpected move considering Wade's status as a future Hall of Famer and one of LeBron's best friends, but by all accounts it's to the benefit of all parties involved. Cleveland was planning on reducing his role given their influx of young wings, Wade apparently wanted to eventually return "home" to the franchise he spent 13 years with, and the Heat get an extra shotcreator to replace what they lost when Dion Waiters went down. The pick is likely top-55 protected and will never convey, so the Cavs will just open up another roster spot for buyout candidates that will cost a little less down the stretch again the Tax. Solid all around, especially since James was consulted on it along with his friend.
Toronto gets:
Sacramento gets:
I initially thought this move was made just so that the Kings would have someone that doesn't have guaranteed money next year to waive to complete their other trade, but since they just ate the Papagiannis money, I guess this is just a change of scenery for two unimpressive prospects. Caboclo is still just 22 but hasn't shown much skill in the G-League besides being long and athletic while Richardson, also 22, has been even less efficient in both his NBA and G-League minutes. I'd probably prefer the side getting the forward with more defensive potential, but you can't fault the Raptors too much for taking a look at someone new who has more years of cheap control on his rookie deal while also clearing a little bit more room under the Luxury Tax for any buyout targets.
New York gets:
Dallas gets:
2018 2nd round pick (lesser of Portland's or Sacramento's)
Denver gets:
I know Mudiay hasn't been consistent behind Jamal Murray and that the Nuggets wanted to shed salary for next season amid Tax concerns as they eye new deals for Nikola Jokic and Will Barton, but this just feels underwhelming for the former #7 overall pick. I guess the much more experienced Harris will provide steadier backup point guard minutes for them to make a playoff run, but having to throw in a pick for the Mavericks means they're really only possibly moving up a couple of spots in the 2nd since Portland is currently a game ahead of LA in the standings. It's a nice get for the Mavs since they've had a glut of small guards for a while, and they can take a look at McDermott as a shooter off the bench before possibly retaining him in restricted free agency. The Knicks are the big winner to me, though, because they're betting on the talent of a former lottery pick who is only 21 and has shown nice flashes at just the cost of a mid-range 2nd and an extra piece from the Carmelo Anthony trade. The fit may not be perfect with point guard of the future Frank Ntilikina, but I think they can play together for stretches since they're both long and athletic 6-5 guards who have some catch and shoot ability from deep.
Chicago gets:
Portland gets:
Draft rights to Milovan Rakovic (60th pick in 2007)
It's a recurring theme today: I'm a fan of teams taking on former lottery picks that are still young like Vonleh, the 9th pick in 2014 who is only 22, especially with this literally costing nothing (the draft rights are just required for them to send something back). Given that the Bulls are still below the salary floor, they might as well take on salary to give him a look ahead of restricted free agency, and although I haven't seen the exact amount include, the Trail Blazers are probably sending enough cash to offset what Vonleh is still due, anyway. Most importantly, though, is that this deal brings Portland under the Tax threshold, so they'll collect from taxpayer pool rather than paying into it. Everybody wins.
Brooklyn gets:
New Orleans gets:
So the Vaughn era in Brooklyn was a short one. It's unclear whether the Pelicans will actually give the 21 year old much of an opportunity or if they're just trying to clear a little over $400k in room under the Luxury Tax, but it's good that they're finally giving up on the idea of Cunningham being a small forward. With his 3 point shooting predictably coming back down to earth and Nikola Mirotic now in tow along with Darius Miller, it makes sense to swap him out now. I'm a little surprised the Nets didn't just give Vaughn a chance, but I can understand them feeling a little shorthanded up front after trading Zeller. Neither is likely in their long-term plans, so they just went with the player who is more ready to help them right now as they try to build winning habits.
Atlanta gets:
Washington gets:
Protected 2019 2nd round pick
Being such a minor trade, I haven't seen a lot of details about what's involved, but it sounds like the gist of it is that the Wizards are just clearing a roster spot since Mac tore his Achilles before the season. Sending some cash to the Hawks to cover the rest of his salary this year is a smart way to keep their Luxury Tax bill lower rather than just waiving him and adding the cost of a replacement, and I'd bet that the draft pick is never conveyed.
Phoenix gets:
Orlando gets:
2018 2nd round pick (2nd best of Charlotte's, Memphis', or Miami's)
It's only fitting that the last deal of the day follow the theme of the day after so much of the 2014 draft class didn't sign an extension before the deadline in October. Payton could seemingly never take full control of the starting point guard job with the Magic, so it's no surprise that a front office that didn't draft him made a trade for whatever they could get ahead of restricted free agency. It's an especially good move for the Suns considering their search for a long-term point guard and that it gets them to the salary floor. Payton isn't quite as young as some of the others traded today and has his limitations shooting and on defense, but he's only turning 24 in a couple of weeks and has career averages of 11.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 1.4 steals in 29.5 minutes. With their stash of all the 2nd round picks they own, this isn't a high price to grab a lottery ticket and see what happens.
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