NBA Rumors - HoopsRumors.com

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Clippers Acquire Draft Rights To Ismael Kamagate For Cash

February 8th, 2024 at 9:16pm CST by Arthur Hill

9:16pm: The trade is official, per an announcement from the Clippers.

2:30pm: The Clippers completed a minor deal before the trade deadline, sending cash to the Nuggets in exchange for the draft rights to Ismael Kamagate, tweets Law Murray of The Athletic.

Denver will receive $2.68MM in the deal, according to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (Twitter link).

Because L.A. is over the second apron, the team won’t be able to send out cash in trades beginning this offseason, so it has made an effort to acquire the rights to some draft-and-stash players for future trade purposes.

The 6’11” Kamagate, a 23-year-old French center, was the 46th pick in the 2022 draft. Originally selected by Detroit, his draft rights were moved to Portland and then to Denver. He is currently playing for Bertram Derthona Tortona in Italy’s LBA league, on loan from Olimpia Milano.

Timberwolves, Pistons Complete Monte Morris Trade

February 8th, 2024 at 9:05pm CST by Luke Adams

FEBRUARY 8: The Pistons have officially traded Morris to Minnesota in exchange for Milton, Brown, and the Timberwolves’ 2030 second-round pick, according to announcements from both teams.

Danilo Gallinari was waived by Detroit to complete the transaction.

FEBRUARY 7: The Timberwolves and Pistons are finalizing a trade that will send point guard Monte Morris to Minnesota, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

According to Charania (Twitter link), Detroit will receive Shake Milton, Troy Brown, and a second-round pick in the swap. The pick will be Minnesota’s own 2030 second-rounder, per Chris Hine of The Star Tribune (Twitter link).

Morris was traded from Washington to Detroit during the 2023 offseason in exchange for a future second-round selection, but battled back and quad injuries that delayed his Pistons debut until late January. He has appeared in just six games so far this season and has made a limited impact, averaging 4.5 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 11.3 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .364/.182/.500.

However, Morris has a solid track record, having averaged 10.5 PPG, 4.0 APG, and 2.5 RPG on .480/.392/.829 shooting in 339 games across five seasons for the Nuggets and Wizards from 2018-23. He was a key contributor for many years in Denver under current Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly.

The Wolves had been in the market for a ball-handler who could back up starter Mike Conley. Jordan McLaughlin, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Kyle Anderson have all gotten some reps in that role, but Morris is a more reliable option as a backup point guard, assuming he stays healthy and rounds into his usual form.

Morris is on an expiring $9.8MM contract and will become an unrestricted free agent this summer if he doesn’t sign an extension before then. As cap expert Yossi Gozlan observes (via Twitter), the 28-year-old will remain eligible until June 30 to sign an extension of up to two years, but Minnesota already projects to be well into tax territory next season, so it’s possible he’ll end up being a rental.

The Wolves will remain about $1.6MM below the luxury tax line after the trade and will have a pair of open spots on their 15-man roster, Gozlan adds (via Twitter). They’ll also be able to create a $4MM trade exception in the deal.

By acquiring a second-round pick for Morris, the Pistons will recoup the price they initially paid for him and won’t impact their projected summer cap room. Milton is earning $5MM this season while Brown is making $4MM, and both players have identical non-guaranteed cap hits for next season.

Assuming the Pistons hang onto both Milton and Brown for the rest of the season, they’ll have to decide by the end of June whether they want to guarantee either player’s 2024/25 salary.

Detroit will have to trade or waive a player to complete the deal, since the club currently has a full 15-man roster.

Pacers Re-Sign James Johnson

February 8th, 2024 at 9:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Following the expiration of his second 10-day contract with Indiana on Wednesday night, veteran forward James Johnson has re-signed with the Pacers, the team announced in a press release.

As expected, veteran point guard Cory Joseph was waived to open up a spot on the 15-man roster for Johnson. Indiana acquired Joseph from Golden State along with $5.68MM in cash earlier in the day.

Johnson has now signed four separate contracts with Indiana since the 2023/24 season began. He originally inked a non-guaranteed minimum-salary contract on December 15, but was waived to accommodate the trade for Pascal Siakam a month later. Johnson returned to the Pacers on a pair of 10-day contracts and now that he’s ineligible to sign another 10-day pact, has finalized a rest-of-season deal with the club.

Johnson, who will turn 37 later this month, doesn’t see much action for the Pacers, having logged just 24 total minutes across five appearances so far this season. However, he’s a valued veteran presence in the locker room and brings some toughness and physicality to a relatively young team.

A prorated minimum-salary contract for Johnson will pay him $1,230,816 the rest of the way and will count toward Indiana’s cap for $777,703.

The Pacers now have a full 15-man roster, but they’re expected to open up a spot by waiving Furkan Korkmaz, who was acquired from Philadelphia on Thursday.

Bucks Acquire Beverley From Sixers For Payne, Second-Rounder

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

8:38pm: The Bucks and Sixers have each put out a press release officially confirming the deal.

12:43pm: The Bucks are acquiring Patrick Beverley from the Sixers, he announced (via Twitter). Philadelphia will receive Cameron Payne and Milwaukee’s 2027 second-round pick, according to reports from Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN and Shams Charania of The Athletic (All Twitter links).

Both players are on expiring minimum-salary contracts, so neither the Bucks nor the 76ers will have financial commitments to the veteran guards beyond this season.

The Bucks have reportedly been scouring the trade market in search of help on the defensive end. The team is currently 33-18, but Milwaukee ranks just 18th in the league in defense.

Beverley, 35, is a three-time All-Defensive team member, and while he’s no longer in his prime, he still ranks as a positive contributor on that end. It’s worth noting that Beverley previously played under new Bucks head coach Doc Rivers while they were employed by the Clippers.

As Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel tweets, sending out a defensive-minded veteran like Beverley might mean Philadelphia is confident about signing Kyle Lowry via buyout. Lowry is currently on the Hornets after being traded by the Heat.

Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported (via Twitter) on Thursday afternoon that Milwaukee was looking at Jazz guard Kris Dunn and Pelicans wing Naji Marshall to improve its defense. Perhaps the asking price for Dunn was too steep, and the Bucks decided to pivot to Beverley.

Payne, 29, is a former lottery pick who didn’t find much success over his first four seasons, but he resurrected his NBA career after a solid multiyear stint with Phoenix. Payne was traded to San Antonio in the offseason, waived, and then signed a one-year deal with Milwaukee. He has averaged 6.2 points and 2.3 assists while shooting 39.7% from three-point range in 47 games this season (14.9 minutes).