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2024 NBA Trade Deadline Recap

February 8th, 2024 at 11:50pm CST by Luke Adams

Most of the marquee in-season trades that took place during the 2023/24 season happened well before the trade deadline, including James Harden to the Clippers in November, OG Anunoby to the Knicks in December, and Pascal Siakam to the Pacers in January.

Still, there was no shortage of trade activity during the 30 hours leading up to the deadline, with 22 teams getting together to complete 19 trades on Wednesday and Thursday. A total of 46 NBA players were on the move in those deals, along with four more draft-and-stash players and plenty of draft picks and cash.

Here’s a recap all of 2024’s deadline deals:

Trades made on deadline day

The Knicks pick up a pair of solid rotation players (story)

The Sixers trade for one of the NBA’s best three-point shooters (story)

  • Sixers acquire Buddy Hield.
  • Pacers acquire Doug McDermott, Furkan Korkmaz, the Raptors’ 2024 second-round pick, the Trail Blazers’ 2029 second-round pick, and cash (from Sixers).
  • Spurs acquire Marcus Morris, the Clippers’ 2029 second-round pick, and cash (from Sixers).
  • Note: The 2024 second-rounder technically has “most favorable” language, but there’s essentially no chance it won’t be Toronto’s pick.

Danny Ainge continues to stockpile draft assets (story)

  • Raptors acquire Kelly Olynyk and Ochai Agbaji.
  • Jazz acquire Otto Porter, Kira Lewis, and either the Thunder’s, Clippers’, Rockets’ (top-four protected), or Jazz’s (top-10 protected) 2024 first-round pick (whichever is least favorable).

The Mavericks undo an offseason acquisition and swap power forwards (story)

  • Mavericks acquire P.J. Washington, the Celtics’ 2024 second-round pick, and a 2028 second-round pick.
  • Hornets acquire Grant Williams, Seth Curry, and the Mavericks’ 2027 first-round pick (top-two protected).

The Mavericks line up a draft asset to use in a separate deal… (story)

  • Mavericks acquire either the Thunder’s, Clippers’, Rockets’ (top-four protected), or Jazz’s (top-10 protected) 2024 first-round pick (whichever is second-least favorable).
  • Thunder acquire the right to swap first-round picks with the Mavericks in 2028.

… The Mavs make use of that draft asset to upgrade at center (story)

  • Mavericks acquire Daniel Gafford.
  • Wizards acquire Richaun Holmes and either the Thunder’s, Clippers’, Rockets’ (top-four protected), or Jazz’s (top-10 protected) 2024 first-round pick (whichever is second-least favorable).

The upstart Thunder add a veteran for their playoff run (story)

The Suns acquire some extra help on the wing (story)

  • Suns acquire Royce O’Neale and David Roddy.
  • Nets acquire Keita Bates-Diop, Jordan Goodwin, either the Pistons’, Bucks,’ or Magic’s 2026 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable; from Suns), the Grizzlies’ 2028 second-round pick (from Suns), the Grizzlies’ 2029 second-round pick (from Suns), and the draft rights to Vanja Marinkovic (from Grizzlies).
  • Grizzlies acquire Yuta Watanabe, Chimezie Metu, and the right to swap their own 2026 first-round pick for either the Suns’, Magic’s, or Wizards’ 2026 first-round pick (whichever is least favorable).

The Timberwolves aim to solidify their backup point guard spot (story)

The Nets swap point guards, while the Raptors clear more 2024 cap room (story)

The Bucks look to improve their perimeter defense with the help of a conference rival (story)

The Celtics add some frontcourt depth (story)

  • Celtics acquire Xavier Tillman.
  • Grizzlies acquire Lamar Stevens, the Hawks’ 2027 second-round pick, and the Mavericks’ 2030 second-round pick.

The Celtics add some backcourt depth (story)

  • Celtics acquire Jaden Springer.
  • Sixers acquire either the Bulls’ or the Knicks’ 2024 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable).

The Pistons land an RFA-to-be wing who’s in their future plans (story)

The Sixers dip below the luxury tax line (story)

  • Pistons acquire Danuel House, the Knicks’ 2024 second-round pick, and cash.
  • Sixers acquire the Pistons’ 2028 second-round pick (top-55 protected).

The Warriors and Pacers make a deal that financially benefits both sides (story)

  • Pacers acquire Cory Joseph, the Hornets’ 2025 second-round pick (top-55 protected) and cash ($5.8MM)
  • Warriors acquire the least favorable of the Pacers’ 2024 second-round picks.
  • Note: In all likelihood, the 2024 pick will be the least favorable of the Bucks’ and Cavaliers’ second-rounders.

The Bucks dump some salary (story)

The Celtics reduce their tax bill (story)

  • Trail Blazers acquire Dalano Banton and cash.
  • Celtics acquire either the Trail Blazers’ or Pelicans’ 2027 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable; top-55 protected).

The Clippers take advantage of their last opportunity to trade cash for a while (story)

  • Clippers acquire the draft rights to Ismael Kamagate.
  • Nuggets acquire cash ($2.68MM).

Notable trade candidates who stayed put

Players waived on deadline day

Officially released:

Expected to be bought out or waived:

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Kings Waive Robin Lopez

February 8th, 2024 at 11:47pm CST by Luke Adams

The Kings have officially waived newly acquired center Robin Lopez, as expected, per an announcement from the team.

Sacramento acquired Lopez from Milwaukee in a salary dump deal on Thursday, with the Bucks sending enough cash to the Kings in the trade to make it worth their while. With JaVale McGee and Alex Len already on the roster as backups for starting center Domantas Sabonis, the Kings weren’t interested in hanging onto another veteran big man, preferring to open up that 15th roster spot.

Lopez appeared in 16 games for the Bucks this season, recording just 18 points, five rebounds, and four assists on 7-of-19 shooting in 65 total minutes of action.

Sacramento will eat Lopez’s minimum-salary ($2,019,706) cap hit and he’ll be free to sign with any team except for Milwaukee once he clears waivers.

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Pacific Notes: Lakers, Christie, Warriors, Kuminga, Thompson, Duarte

February 8th, 2024 at 11:00pm CST by Tristan Tucker

While it was trending that way for a while, the Lakers officially did not make a trade at the 2024, one year removed from a busy 2023 deadline that saw them add D’Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt and more. Though they reportedly pursued players like Hawks guard Dejounte Murray and Raptors wing Bruce Brown, the Lakers ultimately didn’t find a deal that appealed to them and will instead look to get healthy, maintain continuity, and attempt to recreate their Western Conference Finals run from a year ago.

Addressing reporters following the deadline on Thursday, general manager Rob Pelinka emphasized the fact that nothing stood out to them around the league, per The Athletic’s Jovan Buha (Twitter link).

“You can’t buy a house that’s not for sale. … The right move wasn’t there,” Pelinka said.

In addition, it was important to the Lakers to maintain as many assets as possible for a potentially bigger swing in the offseason, according to Buha. The offseason will unlock up to two more first-round picks for Los Angeles to trade for “a greater or bigger swing.” According to The Orange County Register’s Khobi Price, Pelinka didn’t want to “shoot a small bullet now that would only lead to marginal improvement” and would inhibit their ability to make moves down the line (Twitter link).

As for this season’s team, Pelinka specifically mentioned getting Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent back from their current injuries and being “very aggressive” to add a “really good player” with their open roster spot on the buyout market (Twitter links).

We have more from the Pacific Division:

  • Max Christie suffered a right ankle sprain and left in the second quarter of the Lakers‘ Thursday matchup against the Nuggets. He did not return, according to Buha, and Taurean Prince started the second half in his place (Twitter links). Christie was starting in place of Russell, who missed the game due to knee soreness.
  • The Warriors made just one small move at the deadline, sending out Cory Joseph to the Pacers. While players like Andrew Wiggins were involved in rumors throughout the season, there wasn’t an appealing offer out there. “We explored a lot and frankly there wasn’t a lot out there that we thought could improve us significantly at an appropriate price,” general manager Mike Dunleavy said, via The Athletic’s Anthony Slater (Twitter link). Dunleavy added that Jonathan Kuminga, who also came up in rumors early in the season before averaging 21.1 points since the New Year, was “virtually untouchable.” “As untouchable as guys can be in this league,” Dunleavy said (Twitter link via Slater). “Didn’t see a scenario where Jonathan wouldn’t be on our team after this deadline.“
  • Warriors guard Klay Thompson has seemed discouraged throughout the season by his play. While his 17.1 points per game and 37.7% clip from deep are impressive for any player, he’s not quite the same as he was when he was a multi-time All-Star and All-NBA selection. The Athletic’s Marcus Thompson II explores Thompson’s situation and laments the injury that cost him two seasons of his prime. While he might not be an All-Star anymore, he still has the ability to help the Warriors win, Thompson notes.
  • Kings guard Chris Duarte suffered a right ankle sprain ahead of Wednesday’s matchup with the Pistons, Fox 40 Sacramento’s Sean Cunningham tweets. He will be out against the Nuggets on Friday and will be re-evaluated in seven-to-14 days, according to The Sacramento Bee’s Jason Anderson (Twitter link). Duarte is averaging 3.7 points this season.
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Grizzlies To Waive Chimezie Metu

February 8th, 2024 at 10:50pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Grizzlies are waiving forward/center Chimezie Metu, whom they acquired from the Suns in the deadline move that also brought Yuta Watanabe back to Memphis, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto (Twitter link).

Metu, 26, averaged 5.0 points and 3.0 rebounds in 37 games (five starts) with the Suns this season. He signed with Phoenix on a one-year, minimum-salary deal after spending the previous three seasons with the Kings. In three seasons in Sacramento, Metu averaged 6.7 points and 4.0 rebounds in 162 games (26 starts).

Memphis will remain on the hook for Metu’s expiring minimum contract unless he’s claimed on waivers. He would be eligible to sign with any team other than the Suns.

Waiving Metu gives the Grizzlies room on the 15-man roster to add a player. GG Jackson II has been impressive all season, and on Thursday he became the youngest player since Kobe Bryant to score 25 or more points off the bench.

If they did convert the 19-year-old Jackson — who is averaging 8.9 points — from his current deal, it would open a two-way slot. Trey Jemison, who has drawn a couple starts, along with Matthew Hurt and Tosan Evbuomwan could be candidates there. All three players recently signed hardship 10-day contracts.

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Bucks Send Robin Lopez, Cash To Kings

February 8th, 2024 at 10:13pm CST by Dana Gauruder

10:13pm: The trade is official, per a press release from the Bucks. Milwaukee acquired the draft rights to Dimitrios Agravanis, the 59th overall pick in 2015, from Sacramento in the deal.

1:59pm: The Bucks are dealing little-used big man Robin Lopez to the Kings along with cash considerations, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports (Twitter links). He’s expected to be waived by Sacramento and become a free agent.

The cost-cutting move by Milwaukee will open up a roster spot and save it $8.6MM in luxury tax penalties. This trade deadline is the last time teams in the second tax apron are allowed to send out cash in trades, ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (Twitter links).

Lopez was on a veteran’s minimum salary deal, so Sacramento didn’t have to match a salary or use a traded player exception to pull off the deal. The Kings had an open roster spot to make the trade.

Lopez, 35, has appeared in 16 this season, including two starts, but averaged just 4.1 minutes in those appearances.

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Hornets Cut Ish Smith, Frank Ntilikina

February 8th, 2024 at 10:09pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hornets have officially waived veteran guards Ish Smith and Frank Ntilikina, the team announced today in a press release. Charlotte has now cut three backcourt players since the trade deadline, having also parted ways with James Bouknight.

The Hornets needed to make a series of cuts in order to accommodate their deadline deals. Dropping Smith and Ntilikina allowed the team to take on three players while sending Gordon Hayward to Oklahoma City.

A journeyman who has played for 13 teams across 14 NBA seasons, Smith was the Hornets’ primary backup point guard this season, averaging 3.2 points, 3.4 assists, and 1.8 rebounds in 17.2 minutes per game across 43 appearances (five stats). The 35-year-old shot 41.8% from the field.

Ntilikina was initially expected to be LaMelo Ball‘s backup this season, but leg and hip issues have sidelined him for nearly the entire 2023/24 campaign. He played only 43 minutes across five games for Charlotte prior to his release.

Tre Mann and Vasilije Micic, acquired from the Thunder in the Hayward trade, figure to get a shot to earn regular playing time at the point.

Smith and Ntilikina will both become free agents and will be able to sign with any team this weekend once they clear waivers. The Hornets will remain on the hook for their matching $2,019,706 (minimum-salary) cap hits.

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Thunder Acquire Gordon Hayward From Hornets

February 8th, 2024 at 9:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

9:57pm: The trade is official, according to a press release from the Hornets. Charlotte received Bertans, Mann, Micic, and second-round picks in 2024 and 2025 in exchange for Hayward.

The Thunder announced in their own press release confirming the deal that the 2024 second-rounder is Houston’s and the 2025 second-rounder is Philadelphia’s. Oklahoma City also said it sent cash to Charlotte in the swap.

The Hornets waived guards Ish Smith and Frank Ntilikina to make room on their roster for the incoming players.

1:04pm: The Hornets will receive a pair of second-round picks from the Thunder in the deal, reports ESPN’s Zach Lowe (Twitter link).

11:17am: Oklahoma City will include Vasilije Micic in the deal for salary-matching purposes, Charania tweets. The 30-year-old point guard makes $7.7MM this season and next year, with an $8.1 team option for 2025/26. Charlotte will also receive draft compensation, Charania adds.

The trade will leave the Thunder $6.9MM below the tax threshold with two open roster spots, Gozlan notes (Twitter link).

9:54am: The Thunder are nearing a deal for Hornets forward Gordon Hayward, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Tre Mann and Davis Bertans will be sent to Charlotte in return, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Hayward’s contract includes a 15% trade bonus that will adjust his salary from $31.5MM to about $33.3MM tweets Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype. That would move Oklahoma City into luxury tax territory unless Hayward opts to waive part of the bonus, but there’s been no indication yet that he will agree to that. Gozlan notes that Hayward is eligible for an extension of up to two seasons through the end of June.

The Thunder will have to take back more money for the deal to be finalized, points out Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link). Bertans is making $17MM this season and Mann is at $3.2MM, which isn’t enough to match Hayward’s salary.

The 33-year-old Hayward brings a veteran presence to a young OKC team that has exceeded expectations this year. Injuries have limited him to 25 games, but he has been productive when he’s been able to play, averaging 14.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists while shooting 46.8% from the field and 36.1% from three-point range.

Bertans, a 31-year-old power forward, is headed for his fourth team in the last three years. The veteran sharpshooter has been out of the Thunder’s rotation all season, with minimal playing time in 15 games. He holds a $5.25MM guarantee on his $16MM salary for 2024/25.

Mann, a third-year point guard, has seen limited action in 13 games this season. He was selected with the 18th pick in the 2021 draft and is under contract for one more season at $4.9MM.

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Celtics Trade Dalano Banton, Cash To Trail Blazers

February 8th, 2024 at 9:39pm CST by Rory Maher

9:39pm: The Trail Blazers have officially acquired Banton and cash considerations from the Celtics for that heavily protected 2027 second-rounder, the teams confirmed in a pair of press releases.

2:26pm: The Celtics have agreed to trade guard Dalano Banton to the Trail Blazers, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link), Boston will receive a top-55 protected 2027 second-round pick in the swap, so it’s essentially just a salary dump from the Celtics’ perspective.

Banton spent his first two NBA seasons with Toronto before signing with the Celtics last summer. Portland will hold a $2.2MM team option for the 24-year-old in 2024/25.

At 6’9″, Banton has terrific length for a guard, but he has struggled mightily with offensive efficiency, posting a career shooting line of .410/.254/.670, including just .373/.125/.800 in 24 games with Boston this season (7.1 minutes per night).

It’s unclear if Banton will be in the Blazers’ future plans, but they’ll be able to evaluate him for at least the rest of the season if they so choose.

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Sixers Trade Jaden Springer To Celtics

February 8th, 2024 at 9:38pm CST by Rory Maher

9:38pm: The deal is official, according to announcements from the Sixers and Celtics.

2:00pm: The Sixers and Celtics have agreed to a trade that will send third-year guard Jaden Springer to Boston in exchange for a second-round pick, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

The 2024 second-rounder the 76ers are receiving will either be Chicago’s or New Orleans’, whichever is more favorable, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link).

Boston will acquire Springer using its $6.2MM traded player exception, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. Moving Springer means Joel Embiid will be the only player on Philadelphia’s roster with a guaranteed contract for 2024/25, Marks adds.

The 28th pick of the 2021 draft, Springer only appeared in 18 regular season games for 95 total minutes over his first two NBA seasons. Still just 21 years old, the former Tennessee Volunteer has played 32 games this season, averaging 4.0 points in 11.8 minutes per contest.

At 6’4″ and 204 pounds, Springer has a sturdy build for a guard, and he put up strong defensive stats in the NBA G League from 2021-23. He hasn’t provided much on offense at the NBA level, however, with a career shooting line of .416/.238/.810.

Springer makes $2.2MM this season and will earn a guaranteed $4MM next season after the Sixers picked up their option on the final year of his rookie scale contract. While it’s hard to envision him playing much for Boston this season, he didn’t cost much to acquire, and the team clearly likes him as a prospect. His contract could be also useful for salary-matching purposes in 2024/25.

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Community Shootaround: 2024 Trade Deadline Winners, Losers

February 8th, 2024 at 9:26pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The NBA’s 2024 trade deadline came and went on Thursday, with 18 deals officially completed on deadline day. It was a busy day filled with teams moving draft capital in exchange for rotation players to bolster playoff runs.

The Pistons made the most trades at the deadline, bringing in the likes of Quentin Grimes, Simone Fontecchio, Evan Fournier and Shake Milton. In the process, they moved on from Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks, along with waiving former No. 7 overall pick Killian Hayes.

Bogdanovic was one of the top talents moved on deadline day, having been traded to the Knicks alongside Burks in exchange for Grimes, Fournier and more. New York, who is 16-4 since the New Year, bought in on its roster while maintaining flexibility to pursue a star in the offseason by adding a large, but partially guaranteed, salary in Bogdanovic ($19MM with $2MM guaranteed).

The Hornets, like Detroit, sold a pair of players in P.J. Washington and Gordon Hayward for various players and picks, including bringing in Grant Williams, Tre Mann and a 2027 first-rounder. Charlotte got a decent return in exchange for two players who likely weren’t in their long-term plans while sending Washington (to Dallas) and Hayward (to Oklahoma City) to a pair of Western Conference contenders.

In addition to getting Washington, the Mavericks brought in Daniel Gafford from the Wizards for a first-round pick. The Thunder moved off a handful of players who weren’t seeing minutes for Hayward, who can still pass, dribble and shoot at a high enough level.

The Sixers made a handful of deals at the deadline, acquiring Buddy Hield — who earlier requested a trade from Indiana — in exchange for some second-round picks and salaries. They then swapped Patrick Beverley for Cameron Payne and traded Jaden Springer to Boston, recouping up a second-round selection in both deals.

Brooklyn didn’t end up trading Dorian Finney-Smith, who was a popular target, but sent out Spencer Dinwiddie and Royce O’Neale in separate deals to Toronto and Phoenix, respectively. The Nets brought in Dennis Schröder, as well as Keita Bates-Diop in the series of moves. The Raptors later waived Dinwiddie, but were able to move off future salary by sending out Schröder. They also added Ochai Agbaji and Kelly Olynyk from the Jazz in exchange for Otto Porter, Kira Lewis and a first-round pick.

Other veterans on the move at the deadline included Simone Fontecchio (to Detroit), Xavier Tillman (to Boston), Doug McDermott (to Indiana), Monte Morris (to Minnesota) and Yuta Watanabe (to Memphis).

While there were plenty of storylines from the teams that did make trades, some of the names who weren’t moved were equally intriguing. The Hawks didn’t make a deadline-day deal after having conversations regarding the likes of Dejounte Murray, Clint Capela and AJ Griffin. Murray, the biggest name on the list, was sought after by teams like the Pelicans and Lakers, but neither team got a deal done.

The Lakers didn’t make any moves after being one of the more active teams at last year’s deadline. They’ll be banking on the team’s health improving over time and improved play from their rotation to make a postseason run akin to last year’s Western Conference Finals appearance.

The Bulls didn’t make a trade deadline move for the third year in a row despite having conversations regarding Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Alex Caruso and Andre Drummond and will instead continue to try and compete for a playoff spot.

Most of the available talent on the trade market was moved before deadline day. Nine in-season deals were completed before Thursday, including All-Stars James Harden and Pascal Siakam switching teams. The Knicks might not have been as aggressive if they hadn’t already acquired OG Anunoby and moved toward the top of the Eastern Conference standings. Meanwhile, the Heat got one of the top guards on the market in Terry Rozier a couple weeks ago.

In total, Thursday capped off an NBA trade season with 27 in-season deals.

We want to hear from you. Which teams do you think did the best for themselves at the trade deadline? Which teams made the wrong moves? Were there any trades that surprised you? How do you feel about the teams who stood pat?

Personally, I’m most impressed with the additions the Celtics, Thunder and Knicks made without having to sacrifice many assets and staying flexible for the offseason.

Sound off in the comments below with your picks.

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