After it was unclear all week how much action there would be this week, a flurry of moves actually made this the
busiest NBA trade deadline ever, and I've got them all here! All of the details that have been reported so far have been included, and I've gradually added my thoughts on each move as the night went along.
Contract information courtesy of BasketballInsiders.com with non-guaranteed salaries, team options, and player options noted.
Clips shed former 1st rounder (Woj)
Kings receive:
| Mfiondu Kabengele | $2,075,880 |
Hawks 2022 2nd (protected 31-55)
Cash considerations
Clippers receive:
Kings 2022 2nd (likely protected 31-55)
As
I tweeted immediately after the news earlier in the week, Kabengele's days were numbered once Los Angeles already declined the team option on the 27th pick in the 2019 rookie contract after just a year. Now this completely clears his salary and provides more room to operate under their hard cap for other trades and/or the buyout market. Neither draft pick is likely to convey, so this is just a matter of Sacramento receiving some cash to cover the big man's contract and maybe take a look at the 23 year old for the rest of the season. Since the small Dewayne Dedmon Trade Exception was about to expire anyway, it's a solid move, and if they do like Kabengele, they can re-sign him for up to the $2,174,880 that was his declined option. (After writing this section earlier in the week, it does now appear that he will simply be waived for the roster spot due to their other trades, according to
The Athletic's Jason Jones.)
Kings get an upgrade at backup point guard (Woj)
Kings receive:
| Delon Wright | $9,000,000 | $8,526,316 |
Pistons receive:
| Cory Joseph | $12,600,000 | $12,600,000 |
Lakers 2021 2ndKings 2024 2nd
Although I didn't expect Wright to be among the group of players going for two picks, I've long been a fan going back to his college days at Utah. He's in the midst of a career year with averages of 10.4 points, 5.0 assists against only 1.3 turnovers, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.6 steals in just 29.2 minutes, and his shooting coming around to a solid 46.4%/34.8%/78.9% line has helped open things up for him. Sacramento doesn't project to be a team with any significant cap room this summer, especially as they look to re-sign starting center Richaun Holmes, so adding the nearly 29 year old on a fair salary and operating as an over the cap team instead is a nice move. At 6'5", Wright is a backup point guard who is easily capable of playing alongside either member of their impressive young backcourt of D'Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton, and now in the offseason they can focus the Mid-Level Exception on a frontcourt signing.
Joseph only has $2,400,000 guaranteed for next season, so Detroit saves over $6 million this summer as they continue their rebuild. Adding more draft equity for a player who doesn't fit their timeline helps that cause, even if the first pick will likely be in the 50's this year. Trading away a productive player like Wright also could lead to them ensuring that they have top-3 odds in the lottery. Dennis Smith Jr. hasn't been impressive running the point since being acquired and rookie Killian Hayes will likely continue to look raw whenever he finally returns from the hip injury that's limited him to seven games.
Nuggets bring back JaVale McGee (Shams; Woj with terms)
Nuggets receive:
Cavaliers receive:
| Isaiah Hartenstein | $1,620,564 | $1,762,796 |
Nuggets 2023 2nd (protected 31-46)Nuggets 2027 2nd
Two 2nd round picks ended up being a theme for the day, and this deal also continues a theme of reunions between players and former teams from the offseason. Again, it seems like a little high of a price for a bench player like McGee, especially considering some of the buyout guys who are becoming available, but it's a solid move to get a more experienced backup for Nikola Jokic in the playoffs. That role could potentially be filled down the line by Bol Bol or rookie Zeke Nnaji, so it works out that McGee has no future salary commitments. To make the salaries work, Denver had to use part of the Jerami Grant Trade Exception and have $5,325,000 left of it while Cleveland should create one equivalent to McGee's salary.
One of my initial thoughts about the picks attached was that it also covered getting off of Hartenstein's player option for next season, but the 22 year old big man has put up decent production in limited minutes. He wasn't always in the rotation, though, and it would probably be tough to trust a slow footed defender with almost zero playoff experience to play for somewhat of a contender in Denver. Maybe the Cavs can continue to develop him as a backup to Jarrett Allen, but if not, they at least did well to get draft assets out of a pending free agent without really affecting their cap sheet going forward.
Bulls pull off Vucevic shocker (Woj)
Bulls receive:
| Nikola Vucevic | $26,000,000 | $24,000,000 | $22,000,000 |
| Al-Farouq Aminu | $9,720,900 | $10,183,800 |
Magic receive:
| Wendell Carter Jr. | $5,448,840 | $6,920,027 |
Bulls 2021 1st (protected 1-4)Bulls 2023 1st (unclear if protected)
I don't think anyone really saw either Chicago or Orlando making this kind of move, but I like it for both sides. The Bulls now have a 30 year old offensive hub on a great contract for two more years after this season to speed up their timeline and give themselves a better shot at the postseason. Currently sitting in the 9th spot at 19-24, the bottom of the East is such a mess that they're somehow only 3 games back of the 4th seed. They're not likely to climb all the way up to that spot, but they can improve their standing in the play-in tournament or even avoid it altogether if they get their new lineup to mesh right away. Vucevic should be an excellent fit with Zach LaVine in the two-man game with the new big man being a great passer in addition to finishing plays as a shooter or roller. Things might be more of a challenge defensively if Lauri Markkanen remains a starter at power forward, but with him hitting restricted free agency this summer, I could instead see veteran Thaddeus Young keeping his spot as a better fit next to Vucevic.
Aminu could also fit into the equation with his defensive prowess at either forward spot, but his inclusion was more about the Magic shedding the guaranteed money that he's due next season when likely picking up his player option. Having that extra $3.3 million on the books for an aging veteran compared to a developing player in Carter isn't ideal for the Bulls, but it also is around what the salary of the 1st round pick they traded away will be. Thus, they will still have options in the offseason based mostly around Markkanen's restricted free agency and $20.2 million cap hold. They'd have around $10.3 million in space if they let him go, and if they decline Ryan Arcidiacono's $3 million team option and waive the partially guaranteed Young and Tomas Satoransky contracts, they could get to around $24 million in cap room. Keeping those useful players and just using the MLE and Bi-Annual Exception might be more prudent, or if they create just some of that cap space, they could give LaVine a raise as part of a renegotiation and extension as Nate Duncan suggested on his podcast. I project that getting him to his projected max would require around $14 million in space, but with his looming free agency in 2022 likely influencing this win now trade, it might be worth it.
Chicago pushing their chips in now did come at a cost, and I think Orlando did pretty well here to kickstart their rebuild. The pick in this year's draft likely will end up around the middle of the 1st round, pending some long lottery odds, and then the 2023 pick could become incredibly valuable since that is following the season that LaVine might leave Chicago. The initial reporting on the protections
from Shams would indicate that there are only protections this year, so that will be worth monitoring as full details emerge. Porter was simply included to match salaries with his expiring contract, but he does at least provide a nice veteran presence for all of their young guys now...if he's not bought out to join a playoff team. Lastly, Carter was a recent high draft pick himself and is extension eligible this summer as he goes into the last year of his rookie contract. Ironically, the Magic selected Mo Bama 6th, one spot ahead of Carter, in the 2018 draft, and now the two centers are teammates. The former Bull showed promise at times before falling out of favor with new coach Billy Donovan, but his development has also stalled a bit due to injuries limited him to 44 and 43 games his first two years. That being said, he is only turning 22 next month and with a change of scenery should provide ample competition with Bamba for the starting center spot going forward.
Celtics add Fournier (Woj)
Celtics receive:
Magic receive:
Boston had to come away with something from the huge Gordon Hayward Trade Exception that they gave Charlotte two 2nd round picks to generate, and now they still have $11,350,000 left of it to use during the draft or early portion of the offseason. Orlando likewise creates a large one equivalent to Fournier's salary since Teague can be taken in through the Minimum Exception, although they might just end up as a team with cap space after all of their moves today. That does make this return a little disappointing for Orlando, who might have prioritized not taking back any long-term salary. I have yet to see details about which picks are heading their way since the Celtics own the 2023 Rockets 2nd and 2025 Grizzlies 2nd in addition to most of their own, but I guess it's good that the Magic at least got some assets for a pending free agent.
3/31 update: it looks like it is the lesser of the Grizzlies or Celtics 2nd in 2025 and then the Celtics 2nd in 2027.
Averaging career highs of 19.7 points and 3.7 assists, Fournier does ostensibly fill Hayward's former role as a much needed offensive creator off the bench who could also play either wing spot next to stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. I don't think he brings quite as much defensively, especially when it comes to switching onto stronger forwards, but that will also be baked into the cost of re-signing him now that Boston has his Bird Rights. They almost certainly won't be able to avoid the luxury tax like they did this year (see below), so unless recent 1st rounders Aaron Nesmith or Romeo Langford show something down the stretch, retaining Fournier on a reasonable deal will likely be a priority if all goes well. I think they're still a tier below Brooklyn, Milwaukee, and Philadelphia, but this should help them restore their place closer to the top of standings and give them more of a chance in the playoffs.
Nuggets win the Gordon sweepstakes (Shams; Woj with terms)
Nuggets receive:
| Aaron Gordon | $18,136,364 | $16,409,091 |
| Gary Clark | $2,000,000 | $2,100,000 |
Magic receive:
| Gary Harris | $19,510,714 | $20,832,143
|
| R.J. Hampton | $2,193,480 | $2,303,040 | $2,412,840 | $4,220,057 |
Nuggets 2025 1st (protected 1-5 through 2027)
And thus completes Orlando's teardown. Based on all of the rumored interest around Gordon, I'm honestly surprised that the cost wasn't higher with his talent and cheap salary for next season, but I suppose his free agency in 2022 had an impact. That worked to the benefit of Denver, which was one of my favorite potential destinations for him from a fit perspective, and they're actually saving money by sending out Harris' contract. Gordon should give them a souped-up version of what Jerami Grant previously provided as a combo forward that can defend across multiple positions, finish inside, and make plays for others, which ideally pairs perfectly with rising star Michael Porter Jr. Although Gordon may not be quite the shooter (32.3% career 3P% but 37.5% this season) as Grant, he's a stronger passer and much better rebounder. The former Nugget surprisingly only hauled in 11.2% of opponents misses and 7.3% of shots overall last season, but the newly acquired high-flyer has a career 18.8% defensive rebounding rate and 12.2% total rebounding rate. With Porter and MVP candidate Nikola Jokic also vacuums on the glass, this should be a real strength going forward after ranking 13th in defensive rebound rate as a team thus far. While losing Harris' defensive chops on the perimeter (when available) does hurt, Will Barton sliding back to his more natural shooting guard position will help him since he was giving up a lot of pounds at small forward, and the lanky P.J. Dozier could potentially do well with more opportunity now. Gordon's contract also expires at the same time that a new deal for Porter would go into effect, so the timing works out if they want to manage their budget. Overall, I expect Denver to secure the #4 seed now, push Utah to the brink in the second round, and possibly make some noise in the Western Conference Finals again.
As indicated above, I like this move a lot more for the Nuggets than the Magic, but there is some potential here for their side. I thought that Hampton was a steal as the 24th pick, and although he hasn't gotten to show more than flashes in limited opportunities on a contender, he now can have a lot more creative license on this rebuilding project. At 6'4", he fits the Orlando mold of being of a long athlete, and that size could allow him to play alongside fellow young point guards Markelle Fultz and Cole Anthony whenever they get healthy. We'll see if Harris fits into their plans beyond this contract as he's still only 26 but has been hampered by injuries for so much of his career. In the two and a half seasons since his $74 million extension went into effect, he's only averaged 11.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.1 steals with 42.5%/33.4%/79.7% shooting compared to the prior two seasons when he averaged 16.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.6 steals with 49.2%/40.5%/80.4% shooting. At least now he won't need to rush back to factor into a playoff race, and maybe he can rebuild his value next year in the last year of his deal. Last but certainly not least, it was a little surprising that the 1st round pick is so far out, but that might have been designed by the Magic to increase its upside instead of getting one in the 20's sooner while the Nuggets are so good.
Celtics give away Theis to avoid tax (Woj)
| Troy Brown Jr. | $3,372,840 | $5,170,564 |
Cash considerations
Wizards receive:
| Chandler Hutchison | $2,443,440 | $4,019,459 |
| Daniel Gafford | $1,517,981 | $1,782,621 | $1,930,681 |
Boston salary dumping a key cog of their frontcourt takes away some of the luster of their previous trade. Due to Brown and now Fournier likely hitting incentives in their contracts, the team was looking at just crossing the luxury tax threshold, but this move avoids that. More so than the monetary cost that ownership has shown they're willing to pay in the past, it's understandable that they don't want to just barely dip into the tax and have this season count towards the repeater penalty down the line. Still, trading away a player who has shown to be a valuable defender and shooter like Theis, even if they were going to lose him in free agency, with only two younger bigs who aren't likely to play in the postseason is a tough pill to swallow. The silver lining is that Robert Williams will get more opportunities to work through growing pains up front going forward.
Subsequently, this is a great come up for Chicago, who are receiving arguably the two best players in the deal and getting paid for their troubles. Theis can both backup Vucevic and play alongside him at times as a big with more experience and versatility than Gafford to contribute now. I've long felt that Brown is underrated even before his Oregon days, and he can serve as a slasher, rebounder, and secondary playmaker at either wing position. Shooting will be his swing skill since he's only hit 33.0% on low volume in Washington, but the 21 year old has solid per 36 minutes numbers of 13.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.4 steals in his young career.
The Wizards actually drafted Brown 15th overall in 2018 ahead of 22nd pick Hutchison for good reason, so it's odd that they gave up on the younger, more talented prospect for the soon to be 25 year old who only has 79 career games, with just 7 this season. Taking on his $4 million in guaranteed salary was probably more of the cost of acquiring Gafford, a talented 22 year old big man that's under cheap control for two more seasons after this. He's only averaged 13.4 minutes in the first year and a half of his career, but his per 36 minutes of 13.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.3 blocks have produced a 17.2 PER so far. His defensive rebounding rate improving from a worrisome 10.3% as a rookie to 17.1% is encouraging, but that needs to continue to trend in the right direction for him to be more than an energy big off of the bench.
Heat acquire new stretch four (Woj)
Heat receive:
| Nemanja Bjelica | $7,150,000 |
Kings receive:
| Maurice Harkless | $3,623,000 |
| Chris Silva | $1,517,981 | $1,782,621 |
Another trade deadline, another impressive day for Miami, who started with turning a failed free agency signing that's only played in 11 games and a 24 year old undrafted prospect into a proven veteran. Granted, Bjelica is only hitting 29.3% from deep this year and had issues with the team that bounced him in and out of the rotation, but he was a career 39.3% 3 point shooter prior to this season. He's also a nice rebounder for a stretch four with a career defensive rebound rate of 18.9%, and there's underrated passing ability with 1.8 assists per game in only 21.4 minutes. They'll have Bird rights if things work out, and Bjelica provides a nice replacement for Kelly Olynyk with the writing on the wall that the incumbent big man's contract would be involved for another trade.
I suppose getting a look at Silva with his cheap team option for next season is a decent return for a pending free agent who had no future with the team. The former two-way player has only averaged 7.8 minutes in 56 career games, but he has produced in his opportunities with a per 36 minutes stat line of 13.7 points, 12.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.8 steals, and 2.2 blocks as a 6'8", 234 lb power forward. Having an offensive rebound rate of 18.2% to go along with 21.1% on the defensive end could keep him around for a while. Meanwhile, Harkless does provide a backup for Harrison Barnes at both forward spots to an extent as Sacramento tries to work their way into the play-in tournament, and maybe a change of scenery will help him bounce back to his Portland form.
Sixers add Hill in three teamer (Shams; Woj with terms)
76ers receive:
| George Hill | $9,590,602 | $10,047,297 |
| Ignas Brazdeikis | $1,517,981 | $1,782,621 |
Thunder receive:
| Austin Rivers | $3,500,000 | $3,325,000 | $3,150,000 |
76ers 2025 and 2026 2nds
Knicks receive:
| Terrance Ferguson | $3,944,013 |
| Vincent Poirier | $2,619,207 |
76ers 2021 2nd
Well, they weren't able to bring Philadelphia native Kyle Lowry home, but this is a really nice pick up for Philly as an alternative. Yes, Bradley has started to show his potential filling in for the injured Joel Embiid, but come playoff time, it will likely only be Dwight Howard getting backup center minutes, with rookie Paul Reed also filling in after being named G League MVP and ROY. Thus, getting Hill to be that important first guard off the bench who is capable of playing in a variety of lineups is a shrewd move, even at the cost of three 2nd rounders overall. Although he'll be 35 come playoff time, the veteran is not showing signs of slowing down with his season averages of 11.8 points and 3.1 assists in 26.4 minutes on 50.8%/38.6%/84.0% shooting right in line with his career stat line of 11.1 points and 3.2 assists in 27.7 minutes on 45.8%/38.4%/80.4% shooting. A knockdown shooter and secondary playmaker who can capably defend either guard position is a valuable piece to put next to any combination of Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, or Danny Green on the perimeter, and if things don't work out for whatever reason, Hill's salary is only guaranteed for $1,275,491 next year. Brazdeikis was the 47th pick just two drafts ago, but he's only played 60 career minutes across 13 games. Averages of 20.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 3.25 assists in 36 G League games the past two seasons does provide some hope for the 22 year old forward, so maybe this is more than just a throw-in.
This is also a solid return for Oklahoma City as they continue to hoard picks in this rebuild. Two more assets far enough down the line that there's at least potential for the Sixers to decline is more helpful in the big picture than Hill, who was arguably helping them win too many games as they battle for lottery positioning. Having Bird rights on Bradley as he enters restricted free agency is also a plus as the 23 year old has a career 21.1 PER fueled by a career FG% of 64.6% and rebounding rates of 18.2% on offense, 24.5% on defense, and 21.5% overall. Conversely, Rivers and his non-guaranteed contract going forward won't be a part of their future plans amidst an uneven season. Fun fact: he went the first 10 games without a single free throw attempt and has a miniscule 10.4% free throw rate on the season with just 14 total attempts in 21 contests. Now he's temporarily teammates with rookie "big man" Aleksej Pokusevski, who only has a 9.3% rate and went 17 games before his first attempt!
For New York, this move was fine since neither Rivers nor Brazdeikis were in their future plans, so they added an extra pick essentially for free. I thought they might use their extra cap space as a salary dumping ground to add even more assets from teams cutting contracts, but this still left them with nearly $12 million in room. Now players from the Knicks and especially the Thunder will get a little bonus check based on how far below the salary floor their teams finish.
3/31 update: For accuracy's sake, I just noticed on the RealGM list of future picks that Philly also sent the 2024 Heat 2nd (protected 31-55) to New York, so good on the Knicks squeezing out a little bit more.
Raptors and Blazers swap pending free agent wings (Woj)
Trail Blazers receive:
| Norman Powell | $10,865,952 | $11,615,328 |
Raptors receive:
| Rodney Hood | $10,047,450 | $10,851,246 |
This might have been the most intriguing deal of the day due to the uncertainty that awaits all parties involved. Barring injury, Powell is sure to decline his player option and hit the open market since he's having a career year with 19.6 points per game in only 30.4 minutes thanks to a hot 49.8%/43.9%/86.5% shooting line. He came into the season averaging 16.5 points per 36 minutes on 45.7%/36.1%/81.% for his career, so this isn't some total fluke. Turning 28 in two months, he now can springboard into free agency with another strong playoff showing that he might not have had with floundering Toronto. What's interesting is that although naturally a shooting guard at 6'3", 215 lbs, Powell has a 6'11" wingspan that allows him to compete at either wing spot. As a tougher defender, he should help Portland more in the postseason than the 6'5", 209 lb Trent, who actually has a shorter wingspan at 6'9". Now that C.J. McCollum is back, I'm curious whether Powell will assume Trent's usual bench role, or if he'll take over the small forward spot from Derrick Jones Jr. My guess would be the latter and that getting a little more juice alongside McCollum and Damian Lillard was the reasoning behind this deal. Going forward, the Blazers will be right around the luxury tax if Jones exercises his $9.7 million player option and Powell re-signs for an expected number in the high teens, so this will be an important audition to see how he fits.
The number that Trent will come in at is a little more up in the air since he will only be a restricted free agent, and the ability to retain control of the 22 year old makes the Raptors the slight winners of the trade. They did have to take on the $4 million guaranteed portion of Hood's salary, but he's worth taking a look at down the stretch to see if he can bounce back from this dismal season. How free agency plays out will really be what determines the winner, and it will be interesting since Trent has been eligible to sign the type of extension that his fellow 2nd round pick Powell is actually finishing up, indicating that he expects more. With a 39.6% career 3P% on a relatively high volume and decent defense, he is a helpful piece on any team, and he would seem to fit well with Toronto's core moving forward of Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, and OG Anunoby. It's also helpful that he has such a small cap hold of a little more than $2 million so that they can use around $18 million in cap room (depending on where their 1st round pick falls) before re-signing him, although a potential offer sheet from another team cold complicate that timing.
Raptors clear roster spots (Woj; Blake Murphy with pick details)
Kings receive:
Jazz receive:
| Matt Thomas | $1,517,981 | $1,782,621 |
Raptors receive:
Grizzlies 2021 2nd (via Sacramento)
Warriors 2021 2nd (via Utah)
These two separate moves were more disappointing for Toronto as it seemed that they were clearing roster spots to accommodate incoming pieces from a Lowry deal that never came to fruition. These picks that will likely end up in the middle of the 2nd are not a bad return for two former undrafted players with one about to hit restricted free agency, but these are two shooters that they've developed into nice players. Will the rookies they select from these positions turn out as well?
While he hasn't played quite as well in his second season, I really like Davis as a well-rounded shooting guard who received steady playing time from day one. As a rookie he was the only Raptor to play in all 72 games, averaging 16.8 minutes, and so far in his 106 game career, he's put up 16.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.2 steals per 36 minutes with 44.3%/37.9%/87.0% shooting. Not likely to break the bank yet in restricted free agency at age 24, this is a really nice get for Sacramento.
Thomas doesn't have quite the track record in the league yet even though he's already 26, but he does have a career 45.7% 3P% on 140 attempts. He even was trusted to play in 10 of Toronto's 11 playoff games last year, and he should fit in well with Utah as a depth piece. The fact that he's signed for next year at the minimum with restricted free agency after that is a bonus.
Clips change up guard styles (Woj; Shams with terms)
Clippers receive:
| Rajon Rondo | $7,500,000 | $7,500,000 |
Hawks receive:
Cash considerations
I mean, I get it: LA has needed a pass first point guard on the roster, and "Playoff Rondo" has become a thing. Adding two draft picks and cash to the consistently superior player is a bit much, though. The 35 year old is only averaging 3.9 points and 3.5 assists in under 15 minutes per game with a PER of 9.9, so this a bet purely on another postseason rise in performance. To be fair, the Clips do already have plenty of perimeter scoring that does make pending free agent Williams expendable, especially with second year guard Terrance Mann coming on strong, as well. The three-time Sixth Man of the Year winner already had his role reduced under new coach Tyronn Lue, and between defensive limitations and reduced offensive effectiveness in his postseason career, I understand the move since they have a cache of 2nds to spare.
3/31 update: Apparently they sent the 2023 Trail Blazers 2nd and their own 2027 2nd.
It just feels like Atlanta got way better value in the deal, not to mention shed itself of the money owed Rondo for next year. It's yet another reunion of player with former team since Williams, who went to high school in nearby Snellvile, Georgia, signed with the Hawks when he first hit free agency in 2012. In addition to being able to get his beloved Magic City hot wings much more regularly again, the 34 year old can better serve as a facsimile to Trae Young as the lead guard for the second unit. For a team that's just trying to make the playoffs for the first time since 2017, he makes a lot of sense.
Mavs add Redick (Shams)
Mavericks receive:
Pelicans receive:
| Wesley Iwundu | $1,678,854 | $1,824,003 |
Mavericks 2021 2nd (per Marc Stein)
Much like in their Orlando days, Redick saw a limited role under Stan Van Gundy before needing a non-surgical procedure on his heel this month, and that resulted in good news for Dallas. At the cost of simply a 2nd round pick that will likely be in the back half of the round, they get a proven shooter plus another stretch big option in Melli. Neither has shot it nearly as well as last season, but now they'll be spacing the floor for a more creative player in Luka Doncic. Although this return is lacking for New Orleans, at least now they can truly open up more minutes for their young guards, Nickeill Aleander-Walker and Kira Lewis Jr.
Warriors lower their luxury tax hit (Shams and Slater; Haynes with terms)
Hornets receive:
Spurs receive:
| Marquese Chriss | $1,824,003 |
Cash considerations
Warriors receive:
Draft rights to Cady Lalanne (55th pick in 2015)
Cash considerations
These two moves weren't earth shattering by any means, but they do save Golden State some important capital in this pandemic season with no fans at the new Chase Center. In a normal season, cutting salary from $172.8 to $168.8 million would save about $21 million in tax payments since the threshold is $132.6 million, but with the league mitigating hits due to the loss of revenue, it's about $11 million, per Bobby Marks. These moves also might have been tied to not moving Kelly Oubre, which was a surprise considering the monetary cost and reports indicating that they're worried about losing him for nothing in free agency.
Chriss breaking his leg after just two games was a real bummer after he developed so well under this coaching staff last season, and a pending free agent that's unavailable for the rest of the year is always a candidate to be moved for a team this far into the tax. The fact that they only had to fork over some cash to cover his salary and not attach any assets was a nice win. Actually receiving cash to shed the more expensive Wanamaker, who lost his backup point guard position to two-way rookie Nico Mannion, was even better. Now they have two open roster spots to make additions at the much cheaper prorated minimum for the remainder of the season. Besides possible buyout targets,
I suspect that they'll use part of the taxpayer MLE to sign young players, namely Mannion, for up to two seasons after this like they wisely did last year with Damion Lee, Mychal Mulder, and Juan Toscano-Anderson, who is a candidate to do so again now. If they pull from the Santa Cruz affiliate again, Isaiah Reese is someone I've advocated for over the past year, and Kaleb Wesson also played well in the "Gubble" along with veteran Jeremy Lin.
Adding some cash for free like San Antonio did is always a good move. Lalanne is now a non-prospect as a 28 year old playing in the Korean league and was only included since they technically have to send back something, so it really was free money. For Charlotte, they had a little bit of cap space to add another ballhandler essentially for free after losing LaMelo Ball to a fractured wrist. Wanamaker started the season decently with solid defense and limited turnovers on offense, but he could just never find his shooting touch as the year went on. If he can rediscover the form he showed with Boston previously (reunited with former teammates Hayward and Terry Rozier), this is a solid depth add.
3/31 update: Again, I noticed on RealGM that Charlotte and Golden State did exchange picks after all despite initial reports. The Hornets got the 2022 Raptors 2nd (protected 31-54), and the Warriors got the Hornets 2025 2nd (protected 31-55). Neither are particularly likely to convey, but if Toronto improves to be a top-6 team next season, Golden State now loses that pick.
Heat finally add Oladipo (Woj; Shams with terms)
Heat receive:
| Victor Oladipo | $21,000,000 |
Rockets receive:
| Avery Bradley | $5,635,000 | $5,916,750 |
Right to swap Nets or their own 2022 1st for the Heat's
The mutual interest between Oladipo and Miami in free agency has been rumored for quite a while, and now they get an up close look at him (and importantly, his medicals) almost for free. I was always kind of dubious of his fit next to Jimmy Butler since neither is a particularly great outside shooter with the latter stunningly going from an acceptable 34.1% for his career to 23.4% in Miami. However, Kevin Pelton pointed out that Oladipo's 3P% this season is impacted more than most due to the amount of pull up 3's he attempts. After questionably forcing up 3.9 such shots per game at only a 28.6% clip, Miami's playmakers can set him up for more catch and shoot attempts, which he hits at 39.4% on 3.6 per game. Overall in the past five seasons, Olapido has made a strong 37.8% (282/747) catch and shoot 3's compared to 32.6% (182/558) of pull up attempts, per NBA.com tracking. So spacing shouldn't be as much of a concern as I thought, and he of course can lighten the playmaking load for Butler. It will be worth watching how the perimeter rotation shakes out now between those two, Goran Dragic, Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, Kendrick Nunn, and Andre Iguodala, particularly with Robinson and Nunn headed to restricted free agency.
Oladipo could take over Nunn's role as a scoring "point guard" with Robinson continuing to stretch defenses around the starters, or Dragic could be re-inserted back into the starting lineup to serve in the traditional role next to Oladipo and Butler. If they get things figured out sooner rather than later, they should improve on their 22-23 record and separate from the middle of the pack to move up from 7th to potentially 4th. Going into the summer, the Heat could get up to around $24 million in cap room while maintaining the small cap holds of Robinson and Nunn if they decline team options on Dragic and Iguodala. Oladipo's cap hold would eliminate all of that if they want to keep him, so Dragic could be retained as they stay over the cap and bring back their guys instead. They've kept their options flexible while giving up basically no long term assets to improve their team today.
On the other side, this return is almost laughable for Houston. I said at the time that they should have just kept Caris LeVert on his good contract for two more seasons, and instead they'll have an insignificant amount of cap space this summer and maybe a jump from the bottom of the 1st round to the middle of it in 2022. If they let Olynyk go and decline the team option on Bradley, who was another free agency whiff for Miami last year with only 10 games played, I have them projected for around $17 million of cap space (about the same as LeVert's contract). A large chunk of that will be taken up by their three 1st round picks, though, so they might as well stay over the cap with the James Harden $10.7 million Trade Exception and just use the MLE, which will increase from last year's $9.3 million. But hey, at least they got 20 inefficient games of Oladipo instead of LeVert...during which they went 5-15 and 9-25 overall.
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