Sixers Rumors

23 Trade Exceptions Generated In Deadline Deals

As we explain in our glossary entry on the NBA’s trade rules, teams that complete a “non-simultaneous” deal can create what’s called a traded player exception. These are salary cap exceptions a team can use anytime during the following calendar year to acquire one or more players whose salaries are no greater than the amount of that exception (plus $100K).

A number of the traded player exceptions created at the 2019 trade deadline expired this week without being used, but nearly two dozen new TPEs were generated as a result of the trades completed at this year’s deadline. They’ll expire next February, so they could be used during the offseason or sometime next season.

The full list of traded player exceptions created this week is below, sorted by amount. The player whose departure helped generate the TPE is noted in parentheses. The full list of available trade exceptions can be found right here.

In addition to the traded player exceptions from the deals completed on February 6, this list includes the exceptions created on February 5 in the four-team trade involving the Hawks, Timberwolves, Rockets, and Nuggets.

It doesn’t include trade exceptions generated in deals earlier this season, such as the $7,069,662 TPE the Trail Blazers got when they sent Kent Bazemore to Sacramento in a five-player trade. Again, the full list of current TPEs can be found here.

If you have any questions or corrections, please let me know in the comment section below.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders and Early Bird Rights was used in the creation of this post.

Embiid Believes He Needs To Play Happier

  • Forward Al Horford is looking for a silver lining to the Sixers’ four-game losing streak entering Friday’s action, Malika Andrews of ESPN relays. “It’s like finding ourselves,” he said. “Trying to figure it out. I think good is going to come out of this.” Philadelphia has won just nine road games, and center Joel Embiid believes he needs to be a little more upbeat. “I’m trying to get back to the fun Joel,” Embiid said. “Smile a little more. The whole season I told myself I was going to be serious. I felt like everyone looked at [me] in a way that I’m moody or I might not care. I do. I want to win.”

Kyle O’Quinn Seeking Release From Sixers?

Sixers center Kyle O’Quinn wanted to be waived today, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter). However, Philadelphia doesn’t plan to release him at this time, Pompey adds.

O’Quinn, who signed with Philadelphia as a free agent last summer, has played 22 games this season, averaging 3.5 PPG and 3.7 RPG in 10.0 minutes per contest. He has appeared in just three games since the start of January, and the return of two-way player Norvel Pelle to the NBA team figures to push him even further down the depth chart.

Having promoted Pelle today and acquired Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson III on Thursday, the 76ers had to open up three roster spots. They did so by trading James Ennis and releasing Trey Burke and Jonah Bolden.

If O’Quinn wanted out, it’s somewhat surprising that Philadelphia wouldn’t have made him one of its cuts, since the veteran has a one-year, minimum-salary contract and is rarely used. But perhaps the team views him as an important depth piece, given Joel Embiid‘s injury history.

The Sixers would have to open up a roster spot in the event they want to sign a player from the buyout market, Pompey notes (via Twitter), so waiving O’Quinn could still be a possibility. If he’s released by March 1 and subsequently signs with a new team, he’d be eligible to participate in the postseason.

O’Quinn has been ruled out for Friday’s game for personal reasons, tweets Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com.

Sixers Waive Jonah Bolden, Promote Norvel Pelle

10:30am: The Sixers have officially waived Bolden and signed Pelle to his new contract, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link).

10:23am: The Sixers are making a change to the back of their roster, according to Derek Bodner of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that the team will waive Jonah Bolden in order to sign two-way player Norvel Pelle to a standard contract.

Bodner adds (via Twitter) that Pelle’s new contract will be a multiyear deal. This season will be fully guaranteed, and next year’s salary will become guaranteed if he remains on the roster through July 6, a source tells Bodner.

Pelle, who turned 27 on Monday, has averaged 2.5 PPG and 3.6 RPG in 14 appearances (11.1 MPG) for the 76ers this season. The big man, a member of the NBAGL All-Defensive Team in 2019, has put up flashier numbers for the Delaware Blue Coats, recording 14.1 PPG, 9.4 RPG, and 2.4 BPG in seven G League games (22.6 MPG) this season. He had reached his 45-day NBA limit and will now be permitted to rejoin the Sixers once his new deal is official.

As for Bolden, the 36th overall pick in the 2017 draft fell out of Philadelphia’s rotation entirely this season, logging just 14 minutes in four games for the club. He was under contract through 2022, but his salaries for the next two years are non-guaranteed, so the Sixers won’t be on the hook for any dead money beyond this season. He’ll become an unrestricted free agent if he clears waivers on Sunday.

The 76ers won’t be able to sign a two-way player to replace Pelle, since the deadline to do so was January 15.

Warriors Trade Alec Burks, Glenn Robinson III To Sixers

FEBRUARY 6: The trade is now official, according to press releases from the Warriors and Sixers. Philadelphia waived Trey Burke in a corresponding move, as we noted earlier. The team created the other roster opening by sending James Ennis to Orlando.

FEBRUARY 5: The Warriors and Sixers have agreed to a trade that will send Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson III to Philadelphia, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

According to Charania (Twitter link), the 76ers will send Golden State a trio of second-round picks in the deal. Those three picks are Dallas’ 2020 second-rounder, Denver’s 2021 second-rounder, and Toronto’s 2022 second-rounder, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

The 76ers have a full 15-man roster, so they’ll have to move a pair of players to accommodate the new additions. They’re working on possible trades to clear those roster spots, but will waive two players at the deadline if necessary, tweets Wojnarowski.

No salary-matching is required in the deal, since both Burks and Robinson are on one-year, minimum-salary contracts and can be taken on using the minimum salary exception.

Sixers general manager Elton Brand had been on the lookout for players who could provide the team with reliable depth and outside shooting, and Burks and Robinson should fit nicely. Both wings have played increased roles for the injury-plagued Warriors this season, with Burks averaging a career-best 16.1 PPG with 3.1 APG and a .375 3PT% in 48 games (29.0 MPG), while Robinson has put up a career-high 12.9 PPG and 4.7 RPG on .481/.400/.851 shooting in 48 games (31.6 MPG).

Philadelphia didn’t have expendable players on mid-level-type salaries to make a run at higher-priced trade candidates, so the team made use of its cache of second-round selections to acquire a pair of low-cost veterans. Even after surrendering three future picks in this deal, the Sixers still control a handful of valuable second-round selections, including the Hawks’ and Knicks’ 2020 second-rounders.

As for the Warriors, they’ve rebuilt their own collection of future draft picks in recent weeks, having now acquired a total of four second-rounders for role players Burks, Robinson, and Willie Cauley-Stein. The moves have also helped Golden State inch closer to the tax line for the 2019/20 season.

As Jeff Siegel of Early Bird Rights details (Twitter link), the Dubs are still slightly over the luxury tax threshold, and will move further into tax territory once they sign replacement players. But they’re at the point where they’ve greatly reduced their projected end-of-season bill and could even sneak out of the tax if they move another player or two on Thursday.

The Warriors will have just 11 players under contract once this trade goes through. The team will have to sign at least one player by Saturday, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link), who suggests Marquese Chriss is a strong candidate to be promoted to the 15-man roster. Golden State will subsequently have to add two more players to get to the NBA-mandated minimum of 14 later this month.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Sixers Trade James Ennis To Magic

4:03pm: The trade is now official, the Magic announced in a press release. President of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said in a statement that Ennis will add “shooting, athleticism, and toughness” to the team.

Orlando also confirmed the release of Amile Jefferson, which we noted in a separate story.

2:00pm: The Sixers have reached an agreement to trade James Ennis to the Magic in exchange for a second-round pick, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Ennis’ approval was required to complete the deal, adds Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link). He has veto power over any trade because he’s on a one-year Bird restriction.

Philadelphia will receive the Lakers’ 2020 second-rounder in return, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link). It would be 59th overall if L.A. remains in its current position in our Reverse Standings.

Because Orlando has a full roster, an opening must be created before the deal can be finalized. The most likely move is an early termination for Gary Clark‘s second 10-day contract, which expires tomorrow night.

The Sixers needed to clear two players off their roster after agreeing to a deal last night with the Warriors that will bring Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson III  in exchange for three second-round picks.

Sixers To Waive Trey Burke

The Sixers will waive back-up point guard Trey Burke so they can complete a trade with the Warriors, tweets Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Philadelphia agreed last night to send three second-round picks to Golden State in exchange for Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson III. Because the Sixers had a full roster, two spots had to be opened before the deal could be finalized. In addition to cutting Burke, Philly is trading James Ennis to the Magic for a second-rounder.

Burke, 27, appeared in 25 games for the Sixers after signing as a free agent last summer. He averaged 5.9 points and 2.1 assists per game while sharing reserve point guard duties with Raul Neto.

Eastern Conference Notes: Thompson, Sixers, Horford, Knicks

Kevin Love doesn’t want to see long-time teammate Tristan Thompson get traded, but he understands it might be the best move for both him and the organization, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. The Cavaliers are reportedly seeking a first-round pick in return for Thompson, who will be a free agent this summer. If Cleveland can’t find an acceptable deal, management still has interest in re-signing the 28-year-old center or possibly working out a sign-and-trade.

“That’s my brother, man,” Love said. “I would always go to war with him. I would run through a wall for him. He’s the best. Just the type of guy he is, he’s a lifelong friend of mine, so it would be tough to see him go. I would like to have him around selfishly, but if there’s a better situation out there for him, going to make him happier, have a chance to win a championship, then so be it. I only know Tristan Thompson as a Cavalier and I like it that way.”

There’s more from the Eastern Conference as the trade deadline draws nearer:

  • Trey Burke, Kyle O’Quinn and Jonah Bolden were all absent from the Sixers‘ shootaround this morning, tweets Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Philadelphia has to trim two players from its roster by 3pm Eastern to complete a trade that will bring Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson III from the Warriors in exchange for three second-round draft picks.
  • Al Horford hinted at trouble in the Sixers‘ locker room in comments after Wednesday’s practice, relays Jon Johnson of KYW Radio (Twitter link). “There’s some stuff going on in our locker room,” Horford said, “and we’ll keep that internal.”
  • A pair of Knicks youngsters have signed with Rich Paul and Klutch Sports for representation. Ian Begley of SNY.tv reports (via Twitter) that Mitchell Robinson is one of Paul’s newest clients, while Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter) says Allonzo Trier has joined Klutch Sports too.

Clippers, Lakers Pursuing Marcus Morris

Reports earlier today suggested that the Knicks are expected to move Marcus Morris before Thursday’s trade deadline — it’s just a matter of where.

Los Angeles is one potential landing spot for Morris, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link via Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints), who said today that the Clippers and Lakers are competing for the veteran forward. As Woj pointed out, if either L.A. team lands Morris, it would have the added bonus of keeping him away from a top rival.

Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times provides some additional info on those talks, tweeting that the Knicks are interested in Kyle Kuzma in talks with the Lakers and Landry Shamet in talks with the Clippers. Kuzma is the more attainable player of the two — the Clips are unwilling to part with Shamet, tweets Ian Begley of SNY.tv.

While the Clippers have a logical salary-matching piece in Maurice Harkless, the Lakers’ path to absorbing Morris’ $15MM salary is less straightforward. A three- or four-player package of lower-cost guys could work, but Turner suggests in his tweet that the teams may be discussing Danny Green. The Knicks would want to flip Green to another team, according to Turner. For what it’s worth, I’d be pretty surprised if the Lakers are willing to move both Kuzma and Green for Morris alone.

Meanwhile, Marcus Morris may be the more sought-after twin, but his brother Markieff Morris is also drawing interest from contenders, including the Lakers and Clippers, reports Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer (via Twitter).

O’Connor (Twitter link) names the Bucks, Sixers, Celtics, and Rockets as other clubs that have interest in Markieff. The Pistons’ forward hasn’t had the type of season his brother has, but wouldn’t cost as much in terms of a trade package and has a modest $3.2MM cap hit.

Amick’s Latest: Rockets, Len, D-Lo, Bogdanovic, Pistons

The Rockets remain on the lookout for a center who can help the team fill the hole that will be created when Clint Capela is officially sent to Atlanta, writes Sam Amick of The Athletic. According to Kelly Iko of The Athletic (via Twitter), Houston is moving closer to a deal for a center and is in talks with a pair of Eastern Conference teams.

Both Amick and Iko indicate the Rockets have shown a willingness to take on some “bad” salary if it helps them acquire an asset or two.

Once the four-team trade involving Capela is officially complete, Houston will have limited flexibility to acquire a center or absorb an unwanted contract. However, until that point, the Rockets could try to fold a separate trade into that four-team deal, which would allow them to take back up to $12MM+ in additional salary (up to $5.8MM before reaching the tax line).

Alex Len is one potential fit for the Rockets, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic, who suggests that the Hawks would want at least a second-round pick for Len. Since Atlanta is already part of the Rockets’ four-team trade, this could be simpler than bringing a fifth club. But I wonder if the Hawks would want to get back the 2024 second-rounder they’re sending to the Rockets in addition to acquiring a separate second-rounder for Len.

Here’s more from Amick and Hollinger:

  • A source confirmed to Amick that the Knicks continue to pursue D’Angelo Russell, but said none of New York’s offers have been “even remotely appealing” to the Warriors.
  • Kings swingman Bogdan Bogdanovic is generating “serious” interest, but a source says the Kings are still happy to keep Bogdanovic and attempt to re-sign him in free agency, according to Amick. As of this afternoon, Sacramento wasn’t discussing a Kyle Kuzma deal with the Lakers, but many teams around the NBA have registered interest in Bogdanovic, including the Sixers and Hornets, Amick notes.
  • The Pistons are “open for business” and willing to discuss just about anyone, per Amick and Hollinger. However, a source with knowledge of the situation downplayed the idea that Derrick Rose will be moved before the deadline.
  • The Magic are unlikely to do anything too significant, but remain in the market for “good, young perimeter help,” says Hollinger.