Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Magic Trade Nikola Vucevic To Bulls

March 25th, 2021 at 4:37pm CST by Luke Adams

4:37pm: The trade sending Vucevic to Chicago is official, according to a press release from the Magic.

“Anytime you trade a player like Nikola, it is a tough decision to make,” president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said in a statement. “‘Vooch’ will go down as one of the best players to ever wear a Magic uniform and we can’t thank him enough for all the contributions he made to the organization, both on and off the court.”

10:05am: The Magic are trading All-Star center Nikola Vucevic and veteran forward Al-Farouq Aminu to the Bulls, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (all Twitter links).

According to Wojnarowski, Orlando will receive Wendell Carter, Otto Porter, and a pair of future first-round picks in the deal. Those picks will be the Bulls’ own 2021 and 2023 first-rounders, Woj adds (via Twitter). Both will be top-four protected, per Shams Charania of The Athletic and K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago (Twitter links).

The agreement comes as a major surprise. While Vucevic has been mentioned in some trade rumors in the weeks leading up to the deadline, he had talked about being happy with his current situation, and there was a belief that the Magic were reluctant to move their lone All-Star and shift into full-fledged retooling mode. Wojnarowski (Twitter link) had reported earlier today that Orlando was still listening to offers for the big man, but would have to receive a substantial package to pull the trigger on a deal.

The Magic apparently believe the Bulls’ offer qualifies as substantial. In addition to the future first-round picks, which are the prized assets in the return, Orlando will also receive a former lottery pick in Carter who was highly regarded coming out of Duke and is still just 21 years old. Carter has been plagued by injury issues through his first three NBA seasons and his production hasn’t really increased since his rookie year, but he’s still viewed as a player with upside.

Orlando will also gain some longer-term salary relief in the trade. While Porter is earning more ($28.5MM) this season than any of the other three players involved in the swap, his contract will expire this summer. Vucevic is owed and Aminu are owed a combined $34MM+ next season, and Vucevic is under contract for one more year beyond that, so the Magic will have much more cap flexibility going forward.

The move also signals that Aaron Gordon is even more likely to be dealt today, with the Magic headed for a reset. The odds of the team moving Evan Fournier and/or Terrence Ross figure to increase as well. As Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports tweets, Orlando will boost the odds of landing a top pick in the 2021 draft by trading away veterans — that lottery pick, combined with the return of Jonathan Isaac and Markelle Fultz next season, could help accelerate the team’s rebuild.

The Bulls, meanwhile, weren’t among the teams listed as having significant interest in Vucevic in a report earlier this month, but decided to take a big swing and will add a second All-Star to a core headlined by Zach LaVine.

The team’s front office wanted to bring in a “productive, serious-minded veteran” to be a cornerstone in Chicago, according to Wojnarowski (Twitter link), and zeroed in on Vucevic, who has posted a career-high 24.5 PPG this season to go along with 11.8 RPG and 3.8 APG. His .406 3PT% is also a career-best mark.

Taking on Aminu’s multiyear contract will add some money to the Bulls’ cap in 2021, but the club was projected to have plenty of flexibility, so that shouldn’t be an issue. Vucevic’s contract is also relatively team-friendly — he’s making $26MM this season, but that number will decline to $24MM in 2021/22 and $22MM in ’22/23.

It will be interesting to see whether the Bulls have more up their sleeve before today’s deadline. The team has been taking calls to gauge Thaddeus Young‘s value, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter link), and remains in the mix for Pelicans point guard Lonzo Ball, according to Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

It will take more than just Lauri Markkanen to acquire Ball, tweets Johnson. New Orleans may want Chicago to take on an unwanted multiyear contract, such as Eric Bledsoe‘s.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Pacers Waive Jalen Lecque

March 25th, 2021 at 4:10pm CST by Dana Gauruder

4:10pm: The move is now official, according to a press release from the team.

4:03pm: The Pacers are waiving guard Jalen Lecque, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.

Indiana didn’t make any deadline deals on Thursday but the move will open up a roster spot. Lecque appeared in five games with Phoenix and only made four cameo appearances with Indiana this season.

He was sidelined by an ankle sprain in early January, then was sent to the G League bubble later that month. He averaged 14.3 PPG and 3.3 APG in 14 G League games with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in Orlando.

Indiana acquired him in an offseason trade with the Thunder.

The athletic 20-year-old guard will seek a greater opportunity elsewhere.

Bulls Acquire Troy Brown In Multiplayer Trade

March 25th, 2021 at 11:32am CST by Arthur Hill

3:00pm: The trade has been expanded to include the Celtics as well. The full details can be found right here.

11:32am: The Wizards will send Troy Brown and Moritz Wagner to the Bulls in exchange for Daniel Gafford and Chandler Hutchison, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Washington will create a $2.1MM trade exception in the deal, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN.

Brown, 21, was the 15th pick in the 2018 draft, but he has appeared in just 21 games this year, averaging 4.3 PPG. Brown is under contract for $5.2MM next season and will be extension-eligible this offseason. Wagner, 23, who has a $2.2MM expiring contract, was a part-time starter in Washington, averaging 7.1 points and 2.9 rebounds in 25 games.

Since the Wizards declined Wagner’s team option for 2021/22, Chicago won’t be able to offer him a starting salary this offseason higher than what that option would have been worth ($3.89MM).

Gafford, a second-year big man, has a $1.8MM non-guaranteed salary for next season. He’s averaging 4.7 points and 3.3 rebounds in 31 games. Hutchison, also a first-round pick in 2018, has appeared in just seven games this year. He will make $4MM next season and will also be eligible for an extension this offseason.

Clippers Trade Mfiondu Kabengele To Kings

March 22nd, 2021 at 10:54pm CST by Dana Gauruder

10:54pm: The trade is official, according to a Clippers press release.

9:07pm: The Clippers are trading big man Mfiondu Kabengele, a future second-round pick, and cash to the Kings in exchange for a future second-rounder, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. Both second-round picks are heavily protected and are unlikely to convey, Woj adds (via Twitter).

The Kings, who have an open roster spot to and won’t need to cut anyone, are using a $2,673,334 trade exception that was set to expire on Monday to take on Kabengele’s salary. They’ll presumably receive more than enough cash to cover the money owed to him for the rest of the season, making the deal worth their while.

The Clippers, meanwhile, open up a roster spot with the deal and create some extra room below their hard cap, giving them more flexibility to make another trade or sign a free agent.

As a hard-capped team, the Clippers would have needed to wait until March 30 to sign another player. With two roster spots open, they can now fill one or both of those spots, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets. The club moves to $2.6MM below the hard cap (Twitter link via Marks).

Kabengele has appeared in 23 games this season but is only averaging 4.1 MPG in those outings, having essentially been limited to garbage time. The 27th overall pick in 2019, Kabengele saw action in 12 games last season as a rookie.

The 23-year-old power forward, who played college ball at Florida State, had his third-year option for 2021/22 declined, so he’ll be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, assuming he spends the rest of the season under contract.

Nets Sign Alize Johnson To 10-Day Contract

March 22nd, 2021 at 5:31pm CST by Luke Adams

5:31pm: The signing is official, according to a team press release.

7:39am: The Nets are set to sign forward Alize Johnson to a 10-day contract, pending clearance of the NBA’s health and safety protocols, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).

Johnson, 24, spent two seasons with the Pacers after being drafted 50th overall in 2018, but appeared in just 31 total games and played limited minutes, seeing more action with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in the G League.

Johnson suited up for the Raptors 905 in the G League bubble this season, averaging 16.6 PPG and 13.5 RPG (second in the league) in 15 games (32.1 MPG). It was the third straight season in which he averaged at least 13 rebounds per game in the NBAGL.

The Nets’ roster dipped to 13 players on standard contracts on March 8. Since teams are only permitted to carry fewer than 14 players on standard deals for up to two weeks at a time, Brooklyn needed to add a player to its roster to get back to that required minimum. After signing Johnson, the club will still have one opening on its 15-man squad.

Johnson’s 10-day contract with Brooklyn will pay him approximately $111K. The Nets’ cap hit will also be $111K, though Johnson’s deal will ultimately cost them a little more than that, since team salary is already far beyond the luxury tax line.

Cavaliers Sign Quinn Cook To Second 10-Day Contract

March 22nd, 2021 at 1:18pm CST by JD Shaw

MARCH 22: The Cavs have officially re-signed Cook to his second 10-day deal, the team announced in a press release.

MARCH 21: The Cavaliers are signing point guard Quinn Cook to a second 10-day contract, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link).

Cook appeared in four games during his first 10-day deal with the team, which expires tonight, averaging five points, 1.5 assists and 12.8 minutes over that stretch. He holds past experience with the Mavericks, Pelicans, Warriors and Lakers.

Once his second 10-day deal expires, the Cavaliers can sign Cook for the rest of the season or opt to let him go at the end of this contract, something the Lakers did with center Damian Jones over the weekend.

Cleveland currently owns the third-worst record in the Eastern Conference at 15-26. The team has upcoming games scheduled against the Raptors on Sunday, Kings on Monday and Bulls on Wednesday.

Rockets Trade P.J. Tucker To Bucks

March 19th, 2021 at 11:04am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

MARCH 19: The Rockets and Bucks have officially completed their trade, per a press release.

MARCH 17: Milwaukee is making some roster adjustments ahead of a playoff push.

The Bucks are acquiring forwards P.J. Tucker and Rodions Kurucs and reacquiring their own 2022 first-round pick from the Rockets in exchange for veteran point guard D.J. Augustin, forward D.J. Wilson, the Bucks’ 2023 unprotected first-round draft pick, and the right to swap the Rockets’ 2021 second-round pick for Milwaukee’s first-round draft pick (top-nine protected), reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

The deal will add Tucker to the Bucks’ frontcourt, giving the team a strong, versatile defender to match up with opposing forwards and big men in the second half and in the postseason. After three-and-a-half seasons in Houston, the 35-year-old reached an agreement with the team last week that allowed him to remain away from the Rockets while they sought a trade for him.

Tucker hasn’t contributed much on offense this season, averaging a career-low 4.4 PPG with a .314 3PT% in 32 games (30.0 MPG), but he’s still a solid defender and could be rejuvenated by a change of scenery that gets him to a contender.

The Rockets, losers of 17 straight games, clearly appear to be in asset acquisition mode now. The deal should allow them to move up at least a few spots in the 2021 draft, as they’ll swap their second-round pick for Milwaukee’s first-rounder. By reacquiring their 2022 first-round pick from Houston, the Bucks are able to surrender both their 2021 and 2023 first-rounders in this deal without violating the Stepien rule.

While the Rockets were rumored to be seeking a young impact player in exchange for Tucker, that was always considered an ambitious goal, given the forward’s recent decline. But the club will get a chance to look at a former first-rounder in Wilson before he becomes eligible for restricted free agency in the summer.

It’s not yet clear what Houston’s plan for Augustin is, but he’s the one player in the deal who is owed guaranteed money beyond this season, with a $7MM guaranteed salary for 2021/22 and a non-guaranteed $7.3MM salary in ’22/23. He could provide depth at the point guard spot for the Rockets or be rerouted to a new team at some point.

The Bucks have also reportedly agreed to send Torrey Craig to the Suns and will now have two open roster spots. They’ll go from about $442K below the hard cap to $3.5MM below, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link), so they’ll have a little more breathing room to fill out their 15-man roster via trade or on the buyout market.

Luke Adams contributed to this story. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Pistons Sign Tyler Cook To 10-Day Contract

March 18th, 2021 at 1:47pm CST by Luke Adams

MARCH 18: The Pistons have officially signed Cook to his 10-day contract, per NBA.com’s transactions log. He’s expected to be available for Friday’s game vs. Houston, tweets James L. Edwards III of The Athletic.

MARCH 15: The Pistons are signing free agent forward Tyler Cook to a 10-day contract, reports Rod Beard of The Detroit News (via Twitter). Cook reached the open market on March 6 when his 10-day deal with Brooklyn expired.

Undrafted out of Iowa in 2019, Cook spent time as a rookie last season on a two-way contract and a pair of 10-day deals with Cleveland before joining Denver for the NBA restart as a substitute player. He only appeared in 13 total NBA games, but played more for the Canton Charge and OKC Blue in the G League, averaging 12.9 PPG and 5.7 RPG in 29 games (21.3 MPG).

Cook returned to the G League for the 2020/21 season and was one of the early standouts at the Walt Disney World bubble, averaging 20.8 PPG, 9.6 RPG, and 4.4 APG in eight games (33.3 MPG) for the Iowa Wolves. That performance earned him a 10-day look from the Nets, but Brooklyn has opted not to re-sign him, clearing the way for his deal with Detroit.

Cook’s 10-day contract, which will pay him $99,020, won’t require the Pistons to make a corresponding roster move — they’ve had an open spot on their 15-man squad since buying out Blake Griffin.

It’s unclear when the Pistons intend to officially sign Cook and start the counter on his 10 days. According to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter link), the 23-year-old still has to clear the COVID-19 protocols and is expected to be available for Friday’s game vs. Houston.

Bucks Trade Torrey Craig To Suns

March 18th, 2021 at 11:19am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

MARCH 18: The Bucks have officially sent Craig to Phoenix in exchange for cash considerations, according to the club (Twitter link).

MARCH 17: The Bucks will trade reserve small forward Torrey Craig to the Suns, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM tweets that the Suns are sending out cash considerations in the deal.

Milwaukee will not be getting a player in return from Phoenix in the agreement, Woj adds (via Twitter).

After spending his first three NBA seasons with the Nuggets, Craig signed a one-year, veteran’s minimum contract with the Bucks during the 2020 offseason.

Undrafted out of the University of South Carolina Upstate in 2014, Craig began his pro career in Australia, where he played for several NBL teams from 2014-2017. He signed a two-way deal with the Nuggets in 2017, and eventually earned his way onto Denver’s regular 15-man roster.

The defensive-oriented Craig, 30, played in just 18 games with the Bucks, averaging 11.2 MPG as an occasional perimeter defender off the bench. He did improve his three-point shooting this season, connecting on 36.4% of his 1.2 long-range attempts per night. He could help spell starting Suns wings Devin Booker and Mikal Bridges in a limited role.

Phoenix’s 26-12 record currently makes the team the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, and if Craig can have a good showing as a reserve for a potential powerhouse, he could attract some interest when he returns to free agency this summer.

The Bucks have been active today with trades, having also agreed to send backup point guard D.J. Augustin and reserve power forward D.J. Wilson to the Rockets in exchange for forwards P.J. Tucker and Rodions Kurucs. That move also involves a series of draft picks and swaps.

Thanks to these two deals, the small-market Bucks are now $3.5MM below the hard salary cap, as Bobby Marks of ESPN notes (via Twitter). Milwaukee also now has two open roster spots, which could serve the team well in future trades or in the buyout market this season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Heat, Thunder Finalize Trevor Ariza Trade

March 17th, 2021 at 5:22pm CST by Luke Adams

5:22pm: The Heat have officially announced the deal (via Twitter). As had been expected, the Thunder announced in a press release that Leonard would remain away from the team.

“Leonard will not be reporting to Oklahoma City and will not be an active member of the organization,” the statement read in part.

Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel tweets that Ariza has been undergoing tests for the novel coronavirus COVID-19 in anticipation of a potential deal, and hopes to suit up for Miami as soon as Friday, when the Heat host the Pacers.

1:57pm: As expected, Leonard has signed off on the trade, confirms Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link).

1:32pm: The Heat and Thunder are finalizing a trade that will send forward Trevor Ariza to Miami in exchange for center Meyers Leonard and a 2027 second-round pick, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

As Wojnarowski notes, Leonard’s contract gives him the option of vetoing a trade, but he’s expected to sign off on the deal. Although the veteran big man likely won’t ever play for Oklahoma City, he’ll probably remain on the roster through the deadline in case he can be used in another deal, tweets Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman.

After starting the 2019/20 season in Sacramento, Ariza was dealt to Portland and played well for the Trail Blazers, averaging 11.0 PPG and 4.8 RPG on .491/.400/.872 shooting in 21 games (33.4 MPG). However, he opted out of the summer restart, then was traded multiple times in the 2020 offseason, ultimately landing in Oklahoma City. Ariza and the Thunder reached an agreement to have him remain away from the team.

Since he’s 35 years old and has essentially spent a full calendar year out of the NBA, it’s unclear how much Ariza has left in the tank, but the Heat will pay a very modest price to find out.

Leonard is out for the season with a shoulder injury and was recently fined and suspended for using an anti-Semitic slur during a video game live stream. While his $9.4MM salary for this season is guaranteed, his $10.15MM salary for 2021/22 is a team option and has long been viewed as a lock to be declined. He’s just being included in the deal to sufficiently match Ariza’s $12.8MM expiring contract.

The real asset going to the Thunder in the swap is the future second-round pick, which was one of the only picks Miami had left available to trade. Even though they won’t actually receive it for another six years, the Thunder will be happy to add that 2027 selection to their ever-growing stash of draft assets, especially for a player who didn’t play a single game for the club.

Even after trading for Ariza, the Heat will have a handful of assets to pursue other deals prior to next Thursday’s deadline, including Andre Iguodala‘s and Kelly Olynyk‘s expiring contracts, a $7.5MM trade exception, and a handful of promising young players. Because they’re trading Leonard, they’ll lose the $4.7MM disabled player exception they received after he suffered his season-ending injury, as ESPN’s Bobby Marks observes (via Twitter).

Miami remains about $5.4MM below the tax line and still has approximately $10.6MM of breathing room below the hard cap, Marks adds (via Twitter).

If the Thunder don’t use one of their existing traded player exceptions to take on Leonard’s salary, they’ll create a new $3.4MM TPE in the deal. They could very well be active again before the deadline, with veterans like George Hill, Al Horford, and Mike Muscala among their potential trade candidates.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.