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Thunder Waive KZ Okpala

February 11th, 2022 at 4:35pm CST by Rory Maher

The Thunder have waived forward KZ Okpala, the team announced. Okpala was acquired via trade from the Heat earlier this week.

The 32nd overall pick in the 2019 draft out of Stanford, Okpala appeared in just 63 games across three seasons for Miami. In 2021/22, he has averaged 3.7 PPG and 2.0 RPG in 21 contests (11.6 MPG). Okapala hasn’t played since December due to a wrist injury.

If someone claims Okpala off waivers, he’ll eligible for restricted free agency at season’s end. Otherwise, he’ll become an unrestricted free agent once he clears waivers. By waiving Okpala, the Thunder clear a spot on their 15-man roster.

It’s possible they could ink Mamadi Diakite to a new deal, since they ended his 10-day contract a day early to complete the trade for Okpala. The trade was clearly about Miami’s future first-round pick that is owed to OKC, which was amended as part of the trade.

Instead of owing Oklahoma City their top-14 protected first-round pick in 2023, the Heat will now owe OKC their 2025 first-rounder (also top-14 protected).

That ’23 first-rounder would have been top-14 protected for three straight seasons before becoming unprotected in 2026. Now, the Heat’s ’25 first-rounder will be lottery-protected for just one year before becoming unprotected in ’26.

Essentially, the Thunder improved their odds of gaining a higher first-rounder by pushing the pick a couple years into the future (when the Heat could theoretically be less assured of having a playoff-caliber roster) and ensuring it has just one year of protection.

The 2026 second-rounder the Heat acquired in the trade will be the least favorable of the Thunder’s, Mavericks’, and Sixers’ second-rounders that year, according to the Heat’s announcement.

Jazz Sign Danuel House For Rest Of Season

February 11th, 2022 at 11:00am CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz have re-signed forward Danuel House, the team announced today in a press release. His new deal will cover the remainder of the season, tweets Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune.

House previously signed three 10-day deals with Utah, including two standard 10-day pacts. He wasn’t eligible to sign another standard 10-day contract with the Jazz, who in turn aren’t currently permitted to sign a player to a hardship 10-day. As a result, House had to be signed for the rest of the season if the team wanted to bring him back.

House has appeared in seven games with the Jazz this season, averaging 8.3 PPG, 2.6 RPG, and 1.6 APG on .487/.417/.714 shooting in 19.3 minutes per contest.

The club had reportedly been impressed with the 28-year-old’s ability to contribute on both ends of the court, and was in the market for more help at the forward position after losing Joe Ingles to a season-ending ACL tear.

House, who began the season with the Rockets, was waived in December by Houston and quickly caught on with the Knicks on a 10-day hardship deal. After that deal expired, he signed a series of contracts with Utah, ultimately earning this rest-of-season commitment.

The Jazz came out of Thursday’s trade deadline with two open spots on their 15-man roster, so they won’t have to cut anyone to make room for House. They’ll still be able to add a 15th man at some point.

Celtics Trade Richardson, Langford, First-Round Pick To Spurs For Derrick White

February 10th, 2022 at 10:11pm CST by Rory Maher

10:11pm: The trade is now official, according to a press release from the Celtics. White heads to Boston, while the Spurs acquire Richardson, Langford, the Celtics’ 2022 first-round pick (top-four protected), and the conditional right to swap first-round picks with Boston in 2028.

12:40pm: The Celtics are trading Josh Richardson to the Spurs in a deal for Derrick White, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Sources tell Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter) that the Celtics are including a first-round pick in the trade. That pick will be Boston’s top-four protected 2022 first-rounder, a source tells Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (Twitter link).

Himmelsbach tweets that Romeo Langford will also be headed to San Antonio. In addition, the Spurs will have the ability swap 2028 first-round picks with Boston, sources tell ESPN’s Zach Lowe (Twitter link).

White, now in his fifth season, is averaging 14.4 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 5.6 APG, 1.0 SPG, and 0.9 BPG through 49 games (30.3 MPG). The 27-year-old is also one of the NBA’s best perimeter defenders. White’s big weakness is an inconsistent outside shot, shooting just 31.4% from three-point range.

However, he’s a good finisher inside the arc, making 51.9% of his two-pointers and 86.9% of his free throws, both very respectable for a guard. He’s also a heady passer and driver on top of being a premier defender. White’s addition further bolster’s Boston’s third-ranked defense, and the team will become an absolute menace on that end of the court.

White makes $15.2MM this season and is under contract through 2024/25, making him a potentially long-term addition as president Brad Stevens builds the roster around stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Boston currently sits at 30-25 after winning six straight, No. 7 in the East.

As Keith Smith of Spotrac tweets, the Celtics plan to absorb White’s contract into their Evan Fournier traded player exception, which is worth $17.1MM. Doing so will create a new TPE worth $11.2MM for Richardson. Smith notes that could change, pending other moves, but that’s the plan for now. John Hollinger of The Athletic first reported that creating a new TPE for Richardson was a possibility (via Twitter).

San Antonio obtains a stunning array of assets for White. I value him highly and think the Celtics have improved significantly in the short-term, but they gave up an awful lot to get him. The first-round pick this season is almost certain to convey, and depending on how the rest of this season plays out, there’s even a chance it could be a late lottery pick, although Boston has played outstanding basketball since the start of January. The 2028 pick swap could also be very valuable, but that’s far down the line and foolish to speculate about at this juncture.

Richardson, 28, was in his first season with Boston after being acquired via trade in the offseason. The 40th overall pick of the 2015 draft by Miami, Richardson had been a valuable two-way contributor for the Heat before being traded multiple times the past few years, spending the 2019/20 season with the Sixers and last season with the Mavs. He’d been a bit disappointing for both of those clubs, but is performing well this season, averaging 9.7 PPG, 2.8 RPG, and 1.5 APG on .443/.397/.859 shooting in a reserve role (44 games, 24.7 MPG).

San Antonio also gets a buy-low candidate in Langford, the 14th overall pick of the 2019 draft. Still just 22, Langford was a highly touted prospect who struggled to break Boston’s rotation. Now in his third season, he’s averaging 4.7 PPG and 2.4 RPG through 44 games (16.5 MPG). As a third-year former first-round pick, Langford is eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer, although it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Spurs take a wait-and-see approach, as they’d still hold his rights as a restricted free agent in the summer of 2023.

Mavericks Trade Kristaps Porzingis To Wizards

February 10th, 2022 at 9:29pm CST by Luke Adams

9:29pm: The trade is official, according to a Wizards press release. Dallas also confirmed the deal in a press release, announcing that they’ve waived Brown.

The second-rounder going to Washington is a protected 2022 pick, the teams announced. It’ll have to be the Mavs’ own second-rounder, since they hadn’t previously acquired any others.

“Kristaps is an All-Star player whose unique talents will fit well within our system and allow him to impact the game for us in multiple ways,” Wizards president of basketball operations Tommy Sheppard said in a statement. “He will get a fresh start with our team and provide us with the opportunity to play multiple lineups that feature size, versatility and shooting ability.”

1:38pm: The Mavericks and Wizards have agreed to a major trade, according to reports from Shams Charania of The Athletic and Marc Stein (Twitter links).

Big man Kristaps Porzingis is headed to Washington in the deal, per Stein, while Dallas will receive point guard Spencer Dinwiddie, according to Charania. Tim MacMahon of ESPN reports (via Twitter) that the Mavs are also acquiring sharpshooter Davis Bertans, while Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN says (via Twitter) that the Wizards are getting a second-round pick.

The Mavs will release big man Moses Brown to complete the trade, tweets MacMahon.

According to Stein (via Twitter), the Mavs spent much of the day on Thursday trying to find a home for Porzingis, who was previously linked to the Raptors. Dallas gave up a significant package in 2019 to acquire Porzingis from the Knicks, but he has continued to battle health problems in the years since then and hasn’t developed into the star running mate for Luka Doncic that the Mavs envisioned. He is also owed nearly $70MM for the two years beyond this season.

This season, Porzingis has averaged 19.2 PPG and 7.7 RPG while playing improved defense, but his three-point rate dipped to a career-worst 28.3% and he has only been healthy for 34 of 55 games. Dallas has a 13-8 record in the games he has missed.

The Wizards, who are retooling their roster around Bradley Beal, will roll the dice on Porzingis, hoping he has more success in D.C. than he did in Dallas. They’ll give up Dinwiddie and Bertans, two players who struggled badly this season in the midst of pricey multiyear deals.

Dinwiddie, 28, signed a three-year contract with the Wizards in the offseason, but has shot just 37.6% from the floor in his first season back from ACL surgery. As Josh Robbins of The Athletic tweets, Dinwiddie never seemed comfortable in Washington’s offense without the ball in his hands, which happened a lot when he played alongside Beal.

Bertans, meanwhile, is in the second season of a five-year, $80MM contract, but has seen his three-point shooting fall off a cliff in 2021/22. A career 40.7% three-point shooter entering the season, the 29-year-old forward has made just 31.9% of his attempts from beyond the arc this year.

The Mavericks will be hoping that both players, who have had plenty of success in the past can bounce back in Dallas. Dinwiddie will give the team another ball-handler when Doncic and/or Jalen Brunson aren’t on the court, while Bertans will provide another floor-spacer to give Doncic more room to operate.

As Bobby Marks of ESPN notes (via Twitter), Dinwiddie will give the Mavs’ some insurance in case they’re unable to re-sign Brunson in unrestricted free agency this summer. However, sources tell MacMahon (Twitter link) that Dallas remains confident about its ability to retain Brunson beyond this season.

Nets Waive DeAndre’ Bembry

February 10th, 2022 at 8:50pm CST by Luke Adams

8:50pm: The Nets have officially waived Bembry, according to a team press release.

4:25pm: The Nets are waiving veteran swingman DeAndre’ Bembry, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).

Brooklyn was required to cut a player today in order to complete the team’s blockbuster deal with the Sixers. The Nets are acquiring three players – Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, and Andre Drummond – in that trade and only sending out two (James Harden and Paul Millsap).

Bembry, 27, has played well for Brooklyn in 2021/22, beginning the season on a partially guaranteed contract and earning a full guarantee based on his strong performance. In 48 games (19.8 MPG), he has averaged 5.8 PPG and 3.2 RPG on .568/.417/.600 shooting while providing defensive versatility.

Bembry will likely draw interest around the league as a free agent, or even before he clears waivers, since any team could claim his one-year, minimum-salary contract using a minimum salary exception. If Bembry goes unclaimed, Brooklyn will be on the hook for his full $1,669,178 cap hit.

Nets Trade James Harden, Acquire Ben Simmons

February 10th, 2022 at 8:34pm CST by Luke Adams

8:34pm: The trade is official, according to press releases from the Nets and Sixers. Nets general manager Sean Marks released this statement:

“We are thrilled to welcome Ben, Seth, Andre and their families to Brooklyn. Ben is an All-NBA and All-Defensive player with elite playmaking abilities, while Seth has proven to consistently be one of the league’s best 3-point shooters and Andre has been one of the league’s top rebounders for the last decade. Together, the three will enhance our core by providing versatility and depth on both ends of the floor while better balancing our roster.

“The decision to trade James was a difficult one, however after recent discussions with him and his representatives we felt that this move would be best for all involved, as it better positions us to achieve our goals this season and in the years ahead.”

Sixers co-owner Josh Harris released the following statement in Philadelphia’s announcement:

“James Harden is one of the truly elite players in the league. His career has been defined by incredible personal achievement, including honors as NBA MVP and three-time NBA scoring champion. We’re thrilled to pair him with Joel Embiid and this dynamic roster in our pursuit of an NBA title. I am proud to welcome James and Paul Millsap – a proven veteran and former All Star – to the 76ers, and can’t wait for what the future holds for the city and our fans.”

12:18pm: The Nets and Sixers are finalizing a trade that will send James Harden to Philadelphia, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter links), Brooklyn will receive Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and two first-round picks, while the 76ers acquire Paul Millsap along with Harden.

Wojnarowski reports (via Twitter) that the first-rounders headed to the Nets are the Sixers’ unprotected 2022 pick and a protected 2027 pick.

Brooklyn will have the right to defer this year’s pick to ’23, according to Wojnarowski, who says (via Twitter) the ’27 pick will be top-eight protected. If it doesn’t convey in 2027, it will be top-eight protected again in ’28. If it falls in its protected range twice, the Nets would instead get a 2028 second-rounder and cash.

Although a potential Harden/Simmons swap was first mentioned as a possibility back in the fall, it hadn’t been viewed as something that could realistically happen during the season until the last week or so.

With Kevin Durant injured and Kyrie Irving only partially available due to his vaccination status, the Nets have been in a tailspin, losing their last nine games. Harden had looked increasingly unhappy during Brooklyn’s slide and was said to be frustrated by Irving’s off-and-on availability.

Rumors began swirling that Harden was interested in reuniting with Daryl Morey in Philadelphia, culminating in a report this morning that said the former MVP wanted to be traded to the Sixers, but hadn’t made a formal request.

It still seemed like a long shot that the Nets and Sixers would find common ground before today’s trade deadline, but both sides were ultimately motivated to get something done. Brooklyn didn’t want to risk an unhappy Harden leaving for Philadelphia for nothing as a free agent in the offseason, while the Sixers wanted to resolve their standoff with Simmons and maximize their ability to contend for a title this season by acquiring a legitimate star to pair with MVP candidate Joel Embiid.

Morey, the Sixers’ president of basketball operations, had maintained since Simmons first requested a trade last summer that the team wouldn’t give away the Defensive Player of the Year runner-up in a deal that didn’t bring back an All-Star caliber player. He took plenty of heat for that stance as the Simmons drama extended through the offseason, into training camp, and then well into the regular season, but it ultimately paid off. A year after missing out on Harden when the Rockets sent him to Brooklyn, Morey finally got his man.

Harden can become an unrestricted free agent this summer by turning down his $47.4MM player option for 2022/23 and would be eligible to sign a five-year contract worth up to about $269MM with the Sixers, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks.

Harden and Embiid will team up to lead a Sixers roster that still features Tyrese Maxey and Matisse Thybulle, both of whom reportedly drew interest from the Nets during trade talks.

Philadelphia maintained through the process that Maxey was off the table, but Brooklyn pushed for Thybulle up until today. Shortly before the two teams reached a trade agreement, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reported (via Twitter) that the inclusion of Thybulle was the last remaining sticking point. The Nets ultimately relented on that point.

Simmons’ value took a hit as a result of his poor showing in last season’s playoffs and his subsequent holdout, but the Nets are getting one of the NBA’s best play-makers and defenders, albeit one who still lacks a jump shot.

They’ll also add a sharpshooter in Curry who will fill in nicely for Joe Harris, whose status for the rest of the season remains up in the air due to an ankle injury. Both players on on multiyear deals, with Simmons not eligible for free agency until 2025, while Curry’s contract expires in 2023.

Additionally, the Nets found a new home for Millsap in the deal. The team had agreed last month to trade or waive the veteran forward, who wasn’t satisfied with his role in Brooklyn. The Nets will replace Millsap and bolster their frontcourt depth by adding Drummond, who is on a one-year, minimum-salary contract.

The Nets created $15MM in tax savings as a result of the move, Marks notes (via Twitter).

The Nets will take their time getting Simmons acclimated, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, who reports (via Twitter) that the former No. 1 overall pick welcomes the change of scenery.He has already spoken to Durant and they’re on the same page, Haynes adds.

Simmons, who said he wasn’t mentally ready to play for the Sixers this season, will continue to work with his therapist now that he has been traded, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com. “It’s a work in progress,” a source told Shelburne.

While more deals will be made today, it’s safe to say none will be as impactful as this one, featuring two Eastern Conference rivals who hope to contend for a title this season. It will be fascinating to see how the Nets and Sixers look going forward.

Rockets Trade Daniel Theis To Celtics For Schröder, Two Others

February 10th, 2022 at 8:27pm CST by Rory Maher

8:27pm: The trade is official, according to press releases from both the Celtics and Rockets. As expected, Houston has officially waived guards D.J. Augustin and Armoni Brooks in order to complete the deal.

2:03pm: The Rockets are sending Daniel Theis back to the Celtics, Kelly Iko of The Athletic reports (via Twitter). Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets that it will be for a package including Dennis Schröder.

Sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link) that Enes Freedom and Bruno Fernando are also be headed to Houston in the deal. Woj reports that the Rockets will waive Freedom (via Twitter).

After sending Bol Bol and PJ Dozier to Orlando, agreeing to trade Josh Richardson and Romeo Langford to San Antonio in exchange for Derrick White, and now dealing three players for one, the Celtics have opened five roster spots today and figure to be aggressive on the buyout market.

Theis, 29, started his NBA career in Boston, appearing in parts of four season with the club prior to being traded to Chicago at last season’s deadline.

He signed a four-year, $35.6MM contract with Houston as a free agent last summer, with the 2024/25 season being a team option. It was a strange signing for a rebuilding Rockets team that had just used two first-round picks on young big men Alperen Sengun and Usman Garuba. Theis had fallen out of the team’s rotation as it prioritized youth, averaging 8.4 points and 5.0 rebounds through 26 games (22.5 minutes).

Theis will provide a major defensive upgrade over Freedom and should see some backup center minutes for his old team. Obviously, the Celtics have a high level of familiarity with the German big man, and he’s been teammates with the majority of the roster after just being dealt away last year.

For the Rockets, the move is mostly about clearing their books. Schröder is having another decent year, averaging 14.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 4.4 assists through 49 games (29.2 minutes), but he’s on an expiring $5.9MM contract, which was the main appeal. Freedom and Fernando are also in the final year of their respective deals.

Fernando can become a restricted free agent this summer if Houston tenders him a qualifying offer, but that seems unlikely given the limited contributions he’s provided this point in his career. Still, the Rockets get a look at 23-year-old big man to see if they want to keep him around beyond this season.

It will be interesting to see if a market develops for Schröder this summer after he failed to secure the large contract he was hoping for in 2021. I suspect he’ll still fall in the mid-level exception range, as not many teams will have cash to spend on free agents in 2022.

Nuggets Sign DeMarcus Cousins To Another 10-Day Deal

February 10th, 2022 at 8:02pm CST by Luke Adams

FEBRUARY 10, 8:02pm: The Nuggets have officially signed Cousins to a 10-day contract, Singer tweets.

FEBRUARY 10, 3:59 pm: Now that the trade deadline has come and gone without the Nuggets filling their open roster spot, they’ll move forward with their plan to sign Cousins to another 10-day contract, tweets Singer. The big man is expected to be available for Friday’s game vs. Boston, Singer adds.

FEBRUARY 7: The Nuggets will likely sign center DeMarcus Cousins to another 10-day contract, a league source tells Mike Singer of The Denver Post. However, it remains unclear when exactly that will happen.

As Singer explains, with the trade deadline just three days away, Denver is still assessing its options and determining whether to keep its 15th roster spot open to accommodate a potential deal. The Nuggets aren’t eligible for a hardship exception, so they’d have to use that lone roster opening to re-sign Cousins.

If they don’t bring back Cousins prior to Thursday’s deadline, the Nuggets will likely do so afterward. As Singer notes, the veteran big man earned praise from head coach Michael Malone and star center Nikola Jokic on Sunday after he grabbed nine rebounds in 16 minutes in a win over Brooklyn. His 10-day contract expired after that game.

In total, Cousins has appeared in five games with Denver, averaging 6.0 PPG and 7.0 RPG in 13.3 MPG while struggling with his shot (.257 FG%). He initially signed a 10-day hardship deal, which the team terminated early in order to give Cousins a standard 10-day contract after multiple players exited the COVID-19 protocols.

If Cousins signs another standard 10-day deal with the Nuggets, the team would have to either let him walk or sign him for the rest of the season once it expires. A player can’t sign more than two standard 10-day contracts with the same team in a season.

Suns Release Abdel Nader, Justin Jackson

February 10th, 2022 at 7:43pm CST by Luke Adams

The Suns have officially waived Abdel Nader, the team announced today in a press release (Twitter link via Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic). Phoenix had to remove a player from its 15-man roster in order to accommodate its acquisition of Aaron Holiday.

Nader, 28, was sent from Oklahoma City to Phoenix during the 2020 offseason in the Chris Paul trade. Since then, he has appeared in 38 games with the team, averaging 5.1 PPG and 2.3 RPG on .457/.386/.723 shooting in 13.2 MPG.

Injuries marred Nader’s time with the Suns. He underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in late April 2021, and while he returned from that injury in the playoffs and was available to start the 2021/22 season, that knee continued to give him problems. Nader hadn’t played for Phoenix since November and was being listed on the injury report as out due to right knee injury management.

The Suns will be on the hook for the rest of Nader’s $2MM this season, but won’t owe him any money beyond that. He had a $2.16MM team option for 2022/23.

Phoenix also terminated the 10-day contract of Justin Jackson, per today’s announcement. Jackson’s deal, signed last Tuesday, would’ve expired at the end of the day, so he’ll become a free agent a day early. Unlike Nader, Jackson won’t have to pass through waivers.

Pacers, Suns Swap Torrey Craig, Jalen Smith

February 10th, 2022 at 7:33pm CST by Arthur Hill

7:33pm: The trade is official, according to an announcement from the Suns.

3:57pm: The Pacers will receive the Suns’ 2022 second-round pick in the deal, according to Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files (Twitter link).

1:03pm: The Pacers will send Torrey Craig to the Suns in exchange for Jalen Smith, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Indiana will also receive a future second-round pick in the deal.

Craig, 31, was part of the Phoenix team that reached the NBA Finals last season. He only got into 32 games with the Suns and left in free agency to find a team that would give him a larger role. He signed a two-year, $10MM deal with the Pacers and averaged 6.5 points and 3.8 rebounds in 51 games.

There has been speculation that Smith, a 21-year-old big man, would be moved ever since the Suns decided not to pick up his third-year option. The 10th pick in the 2020 draft, Smith got into 29 games this season, averaging 6.0 points and 4.8 rebounds in 13.2 minutes per night. He may get a larger opportunity on an Indiana team that traded away Domantas Sabonis this week.

Because Smith’s option for next season has already been declined, the Pacers can’t offer him a new contract starting at more than $4,670,160, which was the amount of the option.

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