OCTOBER 6: The Nets have now completed both trades, announcing in a press release that their deal with the Pacers is complete.
As we relayed earlier today, Brooklyn and Houston completed their trade on Wednesday morning, with the Rockets waiving Khyri Thomas in order to finalize the move.
OCTOBER 5: The Nets are making a pair of minor trades, according to reports. Brooklyn will send power forward Sekou Doumbouya (and his $3,613,680 salary) and an unprotected 2024 second-round draft pick to the Rockets in exchange for $110K, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link) and Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link). The Rockets will waive Doumbouya, sources inform MacMahon.
In their other deal, the Nets will receive guard Edmond Sumner and a 2025 Heat second-round draft selection from the Pacers, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (via Twitter). The Nets will subsequently waive Sumner, who is set to miss the entire 2021/22 season due to a torn left Achilles tendon. The Pacers will receive the draft rights to Juan Pablo Vaulet from Brooklyn in the deal, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
Both of these transactions are essentially salary dumps. The Nets and Pacers are each attaching a second-round pick in order to avoid paying a player’s guaranteed salary. Both the Rockets and Nets have trade exceptions that will enable them to take on a new player without sending one out in a deal.
The Sumner deal creates extra breathing room below the tax line for the Pacers, as Bobby Marks of ESPN notes (Twitter link). The Pacers will save $2.3MM, dipping them to $2.8MM below the luxury tax line.
Meanwhile, Marks adds (via Twitter) that the Nets will save a total of $8.1MM as a result of the two deals: $6.8MM in projected luxury tax payments and $1.29MM in salary. Marks notes that Brooklyn was able to compensate for the outgoing 2024 second-rounder owed to Houston by adding the 2025 second-rounder in the Pacers transaction. So ultimately, the star-studded Nets saved $8.1MM while not losing cumulative draft equity.
The 6’8″ Doumbouya, 20, was selected with the No. 15 pick in the 2019 draft. Last season, he averaged 5.1 PPG and 2.6 RPG in 56 games with Detroit, including 11 starts.
Marks adds (Twitter link) that Brooklyn now gains a $3.6MM trade exception via the Doumbouya deal, and will probably use the exception to add Sumner. The Pacers have gained a $2.3MM trade exception.
Luke Adams contributed to this report.
These are both surprises as Sekou was a potential guy who could have been a future average or better player
It’s a shame what happened to Edmond, as he was a super athletic future star but may have already had his career ruined
He could still follow a career trajectory of david nwaba who also tore his achilles after it looked like he had carved out a rotation role for Brooklyn. Got traded and waived to Houston but after getting healthy managed to get himself back into a rotation role. Sumner is still young and as you said, super athletic, so he still has a good chance to have a solid NBA career (I hope).
I remember how the Rockets always really liked Nwaba, even before he was cut by the Nets early in 2020. The only thing limiting him right now is his poor 3-point shooting, hopefully he can carve out a decent role in Houston after receiving a 3-year/$15M contract.
Paying 3.6MM for a 2nd round pick seems a little expensive.
Especially since it is the Nets pick and likely to be in the 50s. The Nets will probably still be good in 2023-24.
Who really knows how good Brooklyn will still be 3 years from now?
Houston also bought a 2nd round pick from the Kings in 2020 (#52) which was used to get Kenyon Martin Jr. He has been pretty good.
It has to the include a lifetime supply of coke or something like that.
What are Indiana getting from Brooklyn in return for Sumner? Can’t be cash because they used all their cash up in the DeAndre Jordan trade.
It says they’re getting the draft rights to Argentinian SF Juan Vaulet.
Why aren’t the rockets just keeping dombouya and seeing if he fits into a role there?
Because their roster is already set, they have no room for a player as disappointing as Doumbouya (my lord). Almost everyone here seems to be under the impression that pretty much any player out there can make it on the Rockets roster. They already have a core of 7 young players: Kevin Porter, Jalen Green, Tate, Sengun, Josh Christopher, KJ Martin, and Garuba. Plus they also have five others: Wood (26), Daniel Theis (29), Danuel House (28), David Nwaba (28), and Dante Exum (26) who are all still on the right side of 30.
But for now they’re stuck with Wall, Gordon, and DJ Augustin.
I think you just chose a terrible hill to die on.
Tryna find that answer myself
If the lakers want to build a future, grab this kid to put with monk and Nunn.
I see the Nets received $110K from the Rockets to complete that deal, but I don’t see what they gave the Pacers to complete that one. They maxed out with the cash they sent the Pistons. I don’t think they can offer their own pick protected from #1-#55 because they either don’t have a second rounder available to send, even nominally, in the near future or that pick could actually be conveyed. That leaves the rights to a stash. They just set Isaia Cordinier free, so he’s not an option. I’m guessing the next choice would be Juan Pablo Valuet since they wouldn’t give up the one they just got – Milutinov – and they weren’t allowed to give up one who’s technically retired – Drejer.
Separately, would they be able to offer Sekou Doumbouya a two-way if he’s still eligible since they just traded him? Technically, a two-way player is part of the G-League team’s roster re the cap, not the main roster.
I just followed the path of Juan-Pablo Valuet. One of the future picks the Nets gave up for him in 2015 turned into Talen Horton-Tucker in 2019!
I think that could still be perceived as cap circumvention since Sekou was still on his rookie scale contract. Rockets two ways are accounted for, Pistons have one but they’ve obviously given up on him.
That’s surprising Sekoyu is getting waived. Was the 15th pick not that long ago and although underwhelming so far was still very young and cheap with high upside.
All be it preseason be preformed well with the Nets against the Lakers just the other day.
Played 13 minutes and had 11 points, 4 rebounds, an assist and a steal. He shot 3/3 from the field and 5/5 from the FT line.
Should have options, I’m say his best bet would be OKC but could also look into TWolves, Celtics, Sixers, Bulls, Pistons, Heat, Clippers and Nuggets.
The Pistons?
Sorry my mistake was meant to say Pelicans
Sekou should be able to get a 2W contract w/ somebody. Doubt he finds a spot on a 15-man.
Good for Sekou to get out of BRK… what is really puzzling is why HOU would wave him… really odd, right?
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