2015 February | Hoops Rumors

Poll: Which Teams Won The Deadline Trades?

February 20th, 2015 at 7:17pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The dust is finally settling after a hectic trade deadline that saw a dozen trades involving 39 players and 17 teams take place. Now it’s time for all of you to critique how each of the teams involved fared. In most cases, some time will be required before a winner can truly be declared for each trade, but it’s never too early to speculate. I’ve listed each and every deal that took place on Thursday, along with all of the known assets involved. Below each trade is a place for you to vote on which team got the better end of that particular deal. Feel free to express yourselves in the comments section below on your deadline deal thoughts and expand the debate.

Here’s a look at each trade that took place on deadline day:

Heat-Pelicans-Suns

The Heat get Goran Dragic and Zoran Dragic.
The Pelicans get Norris Cole, Shawne Williams, Justin Hamilton and cash considerations.
The Suns get John Salmons, Danny Granger, Miami’s 2017 first-round pick (top seven protected) and Miami’s unprotected 2021 first-round pick. Salmons was waived as part of the deal.

Pistons-Thunder-Jazz

The Pistons get Reggie Jackson.
The Thunder get Enes Kanter, Steve Novak, D.J. Augustin, Kyle Singler and Detroit’s 2019 second-round pick.
The Jazz get Kendrick Perkins, Grant Jerrett, the rights to Tibor Pleiss, a first-round pick and Detroit’s 2017 second-round pick.

Suns-Bucks-Sixers

The Suns get Brandon Knight and Kendall Marshall. Marshall was waived as part of the deal.
The Bucks get Michael Carter-Williams, Tyler Ennis and Miles Plumlee.
The Sixers get the Lakers’ 2015 first-round pick (top-five protected).

Timberwolves-Nets

The Timberwolves get Kevin Garnett.
The Nets get Thaddeus Young.

Trail Blazers-Nuggets

The Trail Blazers get Arron Afflalo and Alonzo Gee.
The Nuggets get Will Barton, Victor Claver, Thomas Robinson, and a 2016 first-round pick (top-14 protected).

Celtics-Suns

The Celtics get Isaiah Thomas.
The Suns get Marcus Thornton and Cleveland’s 2016 first-round pick (top-10 protected).

Rockets-Sixers

The Rockets get K.J. McDaniels.
The Sixers get Isaiah Canaan and the less favorable of Minnesota’s and Denver’s 2015 second-round picks.

Sixers-Nuggets

The Sixers get JaVale McGee, the rights to Chu Chu Maduabum and Oklahoma City’s 2015 first-round pick (top-18 protected).
The Nuggets get Cenk Akyol.

Pistons-Celtics

The Pistons get Tayshaun Prince.
The Celtics get Gigi Datome and Jonas Jerebko.

Wizards-Kings

The Wizards get Ramon Sessions.
The Kings get Andre Miller

Rockets-Knicks

The Rockets get Pablo Prigioni.
The Knicks get Alexey Shved, Houston’s 2017 second-round pick and Houston’s 2019 second-round pick.

Pelicans-Thunder

The Pelicans get Ish Smith, the rights to Latavious Williams, a protected 2015 second-round pick and cash. Smith was subsequently waived.
The Thunder get a protected 2016 second-round pick.

Pacific Notes: Dragic, Crawford, Karl, McAdoo

February 20th, 2015 at 5:41pm CST by Chuck Myron

Suns president of basketball operations Lon Babby and GM Ryan McDonough had stern words for Goran Dragic following the trade that sent him out of town at his request, as Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic details. McDonough said of Brandon Knight, whom the Suns acquired in a separate trade, that “We feel like we got the best player in the trade, coming or going,” Coro notes, though that’s conceivably a shot at Dragic nonetheless. Babby said he wasn’t concerned with Dragic’s feelings when he struck deals with Eric Bledsoe and Isaiah Thomas this summer and that, contrary to a report, Dragic hadn’t let the front office know about his feelings about a future with the club, according to Coro. McDonough also said he didn’t receive a list of preferred destinations, which counters another report, and expressed frustration with Dragic’s agents at BDA Sports, Coro writes. There’s more from that piece amid the latest from the Pacific Division:

Babby called Dragic’s statements about a lack of trust in the front office “unfair and unwarranted,” as Coro notes. McDonough responded to the notion that the Suns had traded their best player, saying “Our response to that, I think, is that Eric Bledsoe and Markieff Morris are still in Phoenix Suns uniforms,” as Coro also observes.
The Clippers looked into trading for Gerald Green and Perry Jones III but never came close to a deal, reports Dan Woike of The Orange County Register.
Clippers brass reportedly dangled Jamal Crawford in trade talks, and he seemed glum about it, as Woike adds in the same piece. Crawford, who was reportedly eager to commit to the team in the summer, didn’t jump at the chance to express his those sentiments Thursday, Woike notes. His contract is partially guaranteed next season, the final year of the deal.
Stamina is an issue surrounding new Kings coach George Karl, but the 63-year-old tells Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com that he’s up for the test, in part because he thinks he might get a chance to rest if there’s a work stoppage in 2017.
The Warriors have assigned James McAdoo to the D-League, the team announced. McAdoo just re-signed Thursday with Golden State on a deal that includes partially guaranteed salary for next season.

Execs Losing Faith That Ray Allen Will Sign

February 20th, 2015 at 4:05pm CST by Eddie Scarito

There is a growing feeling among GMs and league executives who are interested in signing Ray Allen that the veteran guard won’t play this season, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports. Allen has been mulling a comeback all season, but neither he, nor his agent Jim Tanner, have made any definitive statements that the player would return to the hardwood during the 2014/15 campaign, Wojnarowski adds. It was rumored that the 39-year-old sharpshooter was going to make a choice regarding his future shortly after the All-Star break.

Allen has been working out, but not at a pace that would allow him a quick transition into NBA playing shape, sources tell Wojnarowski. There’s still time for Allen to make a decision to return, but as one GM told the Yahoo! Sports scribe, “It’s getting late in the game for this to happen.”

The Grizzlies are one team that’s maintained an interest in Allen, as Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal writes in a subscription-only piece. Other teams that have been reportedly linked to the veteran include the Warriors, Wizards, Cavs, Spurs, Heat and Hawks.

Sixers Sign Tim Frazier To 2nd 10-Day Deal

February 20th, 2015 at 3:44pm CST by Eddie Scarito

FRIDAY, 3:44pm: The signing is official, the team announced in a press release.

THURSDAY, 3:57pm: The Sixers intend to sign guard Tim Frazier to a second 10-day contract, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports reports (Twitter link). The point guard appeared in three games with Philadelphia, averaging five points, 4.7 rebounds, and 8.7 assists per game during his first 10-day deal.

Frazier had been playing for the Maine Red Claws, the Celtics’ D-League affiliate, prior to inking his first 10-day deal with Philly. In 27 D-League games this season, Frazier averaged 15.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 8.9 assists in 35.8 minutes per contest. His slash line was .450/.271/.783.

The 24-year-old went undrafted out of Penn State in 2014, and had worked out for both the Wolves and the Celtics this past summer. The 6’1″ guard had attended training camp with Boston, but was waived before opening night.

Northwest Notes: Blazers, Afflalo, Jackson

February 20th, 2015 at 2:21pm CST by Chuck Myron

Blazers GM Neil Olshey made it clear that Thursday’s trade for Arron Afflalo was a product of the team’s emphasis on the present, as he told reporters and as The Oregonian’s Joe Freeman transcribes.

“It’s one of the things about our league; you can’t be a development team and a winning team,” Olshey said. “They’re not always independent of one another, but they’re more independent than people would like to admit.”

All five Northwest Division teams made trades Thursday, and that included two deals in which Northwest teams hooked up with each other. We rounded up the latest on the Wolves, the lone team that didn’t make an intradivision trade, earlier today, and now here’s what’s happening in the rest of the division:

The Nuggets expected that Afflalo would command $9-10MM a year in a new contract this summer, reports Chris Mannix of SI.com, who writes in his Open Floor column. The new Blazers shooting guard has a player option likely worth $7.75MM for next season, up from his base salary of $7.5MM. That’s because playing with Portland means he’ll probably trigger the bonus for making the playoffs that’s part of his contract, notes Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link).
There were strong feelings in the Nuggets organization that the presence of JaVale McGee negatively influenced a “winning culture,” Mannix also writes in the same piece.
Reggie Jackson sat out a game at the beginning of the season because he was disappointed the Thunder didn’t trade him, a source tells Royce Young of ESPN.com, who delves into the frayed relationship between Jackson and his now former Thunder teammates.
The development of Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors and the desire for cap flexibility motivated the Jazz’s decision to trade Enes Kanter, not Kanter’s trade request, Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey insists, as Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune relays.
Dorell Wright, a free agent at season’s end, would prefer re-signing with the Blazers over a deal with any other NBA team, as he tells Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders.
There’s a decent chance Tibor Pleiss, the draft-and-stash prospect whom the Jazz acquired Thursday from the Thunder, leaves his Spanish team soon, making him available to sign with Utah, a source indicated to Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link). Pleiss, a center, is currently under contract through 2016, as our draft rights held database shows.

Spurs Sign Reggie Williams For Rest Of Season

February 20th, 2015 at 1:52pm CST by Eddie Scarito

FRIDAY, 1:52pm: The deal is official, the team announced via press release.

THURSDAY, 3:47pm: The Spurs have reached an agreement with guard Reggie Williams on a deal for him to remain in San Antonio for the remainder of the season, Shams Charania of RealGM reports (Twitter link). Williams recently completed his second 10-day contract with the Spurs.

The 28-year-old Williams was with the Heat on a training camp deal earlier this season, but he failed to make the opening night roster and then caught on with the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder’s D-League affiliate, last month. When initially signed by San Antonio, Williams had taken the place of JaMychal Green, with whom the Spurs failed to reach agreement on a new deal after his initial 10-day arrangement had expired.

In three appearances for the Spurs this season, Williams has averaged 0.7 points in 3.7 minutes of action per game. His career numbers are 8.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists. Williams’ career slash line is .459/.368/.745.

Wolves Rumors: Garnett, Wiggins, Brown

February 20th, 2015 at 12:51pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Wolves reportedly want to re-sign Kevin Garnett for another two years when his contract expires this summer, and he’s expected to take them up on that, a source told Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. Minnesota insisted on Thaddeus Young instead of a first-round pick in the Kevin Love trade, and after dealing Young for Garnett on Thursday, coach/executive Flip Saunders guaranteed that Garnett will have a greater effect on the Wolves than the first-round pick ever would have, Zgoda tweets. Saunders said he tried to engage the Nets in conversations regarding the Love trade to see if he could acquire Garnett then, but Brooklyn resisted the idea, as Zgoda also relays (on Twitter). There’s more on Garnett amid the latest from Minnesota:

Wolves owner Glen Taylor acknowledged the return of Garnett as a player bodes well for KG’s chances of becoming a part-owner, notes Andy Greder of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link). “It’s just that he’s a player. But I think that opens up that possibility,” Taylor said. Still, there were some hard feelings when Garnett and the Wolves parted ways in 2007, and Taylor and the star haven’t said more than hello since, tweets Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press.
The choice Andrew Wiggins made not to sign with Klutch Sports, the agency that represents LeBron James, played a key factor in the Cavs’ decision to put him in the Love trade, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com said on SiriusXM NBA Radio (Twitter link). Wiggins is a Bill Duffy client.
The two-year deal that Lorenzo Brown signed with the Wolves on Thursday is a minimum-salary affair that’s non-guaranteed for next season, reports Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (on Twitter).

Kings Sign David Stockton To 10-Day Pact

February 20th, 2015 at 12:32pm CST by Eddie Scarito

FRIDAY, 12:32pm: The deal is official, the team announced.

THURSDAY, 11:40pm: The Kings intend to sign David Stockton to a 10-day deal, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). Sacramento’s current roster count sits at 14, including the Andre Miller, who was acquired Thursday from the Wizards in exchange for Ramon Sessions.

Stockton is the son of NBA legend John Stockton, and he went undrafted in 2014 after four seasons at Gonzaga. His college numbers were 4.8 PPG, 1.6 RPG, and 3.1 APG. His career slash line was .424/.306/.700. Stockton played for the Suns in the summer league, scoring a total of six points in less than 19 minutes over two games. Stockton was in training camp with the Wizards earlier this season.

The 23-year-old point guard has been playing for the Reno Bighorns, Sacramento’s D-League affiliate. In 31 games for the Bighorns this season, Stockton is averaging 16.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 8.2 assists in 27.4 minutes of action per contest.

Lakers Remain Free Agent Contender For Dragic

February 20th, 2015 at 12:22pm CST by Chuck Myron

12:22pm: The Heat were believed to be the No. 1 team on the list of preferred destinations that agent Bill Duffy reportedly gave the Suns before the trade, according to Chris Mannix of SI.com.

10:12am: New Heat trade acquisition Goran Dragic views the Lakers as a “perfect fit” and would love the opportunity to join the team in free agency this summer, a source with knowledge of Dragic’s thinking told Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. Still, the point guard will probably re-sign with the Heat this summer, as Sean Deveney of The Sporting News heard Thursday, and the expectation is that the Heat will make a five-year max offer, as Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com also reported Thursday.

Miami’s ability to offer that fifth year gives the team a financial edge on the other 29 clubs who are limited to offers of no more than four seasons, though USA Today’s Sam Amick heard before the trade that the fifth year wouldn’t hold sway over his decision on where to sign. The Heat also have the ability to offer more money through 7.5% raises instead of the 4.5% raises to which the Lakers and other teams are limited. Dragic has a $7.5MM player option for next season, but he’s said he plans to turn it down.

The Lakers made a hard push to trade for Dragic in advance of Thursday’s deadline, as Medina confirms. The team has reportedly been eyeing him for months for free agency as well as a trade, and Dragic has said it would be “cool to play with” Kobe Bryant. Still, Rade Filipovich, one of Dragic’s agents, told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald that there’s no question Dragic will like playing with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, and Filipovich also praised Heat team president Pat Riley and coach Erik Spoelstra.

“It’s a great fit,” Filipovich said of the Heat. “Goran and Wade to bring the ball up, create offense, very good shooters –– very interesting team. A playoff team. He feels lucky he ended up in Miami. He’s very happy.”

Recap Of Deadline Trades

February 20th, 2015 at 2:39am CST by Chuck Myron

More than half the teams in the league took part in a whirlwind NBA trade deadline Thursday. A dozen trades involving 39 players and 17 teams took place. Eight teams made multiple trades, while Sixers GM Sam Hinkie and Suns GM Ryan McDonough were busiest, each pulling off three swaps. It brings to a close one of the busiest seasons for trades in memory, with 25 deals going down between the beginning of the regular season and the deadline.

The Heat’s trade for Goran Dragic, a three-team affair with the Suns and Pelicans, involved perhaps the most significant player who changed hands, though it has plenty of competition for that distinction. Detroit’s acquisition of Reggie Jackson and the three-team swap that saw Brandon Knight head to the Suns and Michael Carter-Williams go to the Bucks were landmark deals, too. Sentimentality, if nothing else, makes Minnesota’s trade for Kevin Garnett, who began his NBA career with the Timberwolves 20 years ago, another particularly noteworthy move.