The NBA trade deadline is today at 3 PM Eastern Time. I’ll have you covered here with updates and analysis throughout the day; please check back here all day for more!
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3:44 PM ET
And that’s a wrap. Thanks to everyone for reading and let’s do this again next year!
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3:25 PM ET
Per Adrian Wojnarowski, Houston has already dealt Joel Anthony:
Detroit has traded Joel Anthony to Philadelphia, league sources tell @TheVertical.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) February 18, 2016
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3:23 PM ET
To be very frank with you, I’m not 100% that this could be true. But it comes from Dan Woike, a reputable source with the Orange County Register:
Source: Lance Stephenson has been traded to Memphis
— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) February 18, 2016
This move is all kinds of wow. The winner in this move is probably Los Angeles, as the Clippers have been looking to move Lance Stephenson all week. And look what they got for him:
Our @ZachLowe_NBA says it’s Jeff Green for Lance Stephenson. Deal DID beat the 3 p.m. buzzer
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) February 18, 2016
I’m not so sure about this trade for the Grizzlies. They give up a solid player in Green for a massive personality in Stephenson, one who doesn’t quite fit their roster at the present moment. They’re not a contender and really had no need to make this trade.
But they did, and they just executed the biggest blockbuster of the 2016 trade deadline. Holy schnikes.
UPDATE: Per Marc Stein, the Grizzlies get a cherry on top of the deal:
Grizzlies also acquire a first-round pick in the deal
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) February 18, 2016
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3:09 PM ET
We have another trade, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst:
Kirk Hinrich has been traded to Hawks for a second round pick sources say
— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) February 18, 2016
The Bulls’ backcourt has been very crowded for the last couple of years, with Derrick Rose, Aaron Brooks, Doug McDermott, and others. The odd man out in that rotation, invariably, was Hinrich, and now he’ll be the backup point guard on a Hawks team that needed one after this morning’s trade of Shelvin Mack.
Atlanta makes a good pickup while the Bulls shed some salary.
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3:01 PM ET
It’s after 3:00, but the trading is not yet officially done. I’ll be here until the dust settles.
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3:00 PM ET
Dwight Howard is staying in Houston, according to this anti-Woj Bomb:
Dwight Howard will stay with the Houston Rockets, league source tells @TheVertical. No trade.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) February 18, 2016
While this seems like it could be a surprise, teams simply did not want to give up their futures for Howard. Even though he is one of the most talented big men in basketball, teams like the Hawks, Heat, and Celtics deemed that he wasn’t worth the high asking price Houston GM Daryl Morey was requesting.
The Houston Rockets will remain broken for another two months.
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2:55 PM ET
Less than 10 minutes to go before the trade deadline and the much, much pursued Ryan Anderson is staying put in New Orleans
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) February 18, 2016
Ryan Anderson was one of the most pursued players in trade talks this week, so it’s at least somewhat surprising to see him pulled back by New Orleans now. However, New Orleans couldn’t get the right deal for him and so he will remain in a Pelicans uniform until at least this summer.
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2:47 PM ET
WE HAVE ACTION!
Phoenix has traded Markieff Morris to the Wizards, reports @ShamsCharania and @WojVerticalNBA.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) February 18, 2016
In Morris, the Wizards get a player who can score off the bench and shoot at a decent clip from deep as they try for one last push to the playoffs. If you’ll remember, Morris went berzerk when his brother Marcus was traded to Detroit last summer.
This move is best for both sides, no matter what the Suns receive in return.
UPDATE: This is what Washington is giving the Suns:
Kris Humphries and DeJuan Blair also going to PHX
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) February 18, 2016
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2:17 PM
Wojnarowski coming in hot with some more news:
MIami has traded guard Brian Roberts and a second-round pick to Portland, league source tells @TheVertical
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) February 18, 2016
It’ll be interesting to see if Portland keeps Roberts or flips him as part of another deal. We’ll see what happens.
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2:05 PM ET
Here’s another potential trade, coming to us from Vincent Goodwill of CSN Chicago:
Bulls discussing trade with Magic about G Shabazz Napier for Aaron Brooks, according to a source
— Vincent Goodwill (@vgoodwill) February 18, 2016
This is another trade that is basically a lateral move. Napier would see more playing time in Chicago while Brooks could mentor Elfrid Payton in Orlando. An interesting move for both sides.
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1:59 PM ET
Sources: Seventy minutes until deadline — and Dwight Howard remains firmly in Houston. Rockets know how to make deals, so it isn’t over.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) February 18, 2016
The last sentence is the key part. Dwight Howard isn’t fully entrenched in Houston just yet because Daryl Morey can find the right deal in a heartbeat. If he does, D12 will be playing in another city at the end of today.
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1:56 PM ET
Looks like the Cavaliers are done for the day:
Still an hour to deadline but as of now, Cavs have no plans to trade Timofey Mozgov. He will be free agent in July.
— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) February 18, 2016
This isn’t a huge surprise. They’ve done enough today and it looks like they have decided to keep the rest of their team intact for the rest of the season.
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1:44 PM ET
According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, the Bucks and Timberwolves have discussed a deal involving Ricky Rubio but neither side can find traction:
ESPN sources say Minnesota and Milwaukee engaged in fresh Ricky Rubio trade talks today but couldn’t find common ground on a deal structure
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) February 18, 2016
Such a deal would likely involve Michael Carter-Williams as well. The trade would essentially be a swap of point guards who can’t shoot, which is why the mere discussion of this deal is puzzling. Rubio doesn’t offer very much to Milwaukee that Carter-Williams does not, but it would be interesting to see what Jason Kidd could do with him as his starting point guard.
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1:28 PM ET
Now it’s official, as Chris Dempsey of The Denver Post is reporting:
According to league sources the #Nuggets have traded Randy Foye to Oklahoma City
— Chris Dempsey (@dempseypost) February 18, 2016
Solid, safe move for the Thunder. Foye can step in and contribute right away, and it is unlikely that the Thunder give up very much to get him.
UPDATE: We now know what the Thunder are surrendering:
The Thunder send D.J. Augustin, Steve Novak and two second-round picks to Denver for Randy Foye, league source says.
— Ken Berger (@KBergCBS) February 18, 2016
It’s still a good move for Oklahoma City.
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1:23 PM ET
Sources: Atlanta has shut down talks on guard Jeff Teague with several suitors — including Utah and New York.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) February 18, 2016
Like Wojnarowski reported this morning, Atlanta is probably going to stand pat this deadline.
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1:17 PM ET
Not a huge stunner here:
The #Mavs will NOT make any trades today, according to Donnie Nelson, the team’s president of basketball operations.
— Dwain Price (@DwainPrice) February 18, 2016
The Mavericks haven’t been linked to any major trades and there isn’t very much they can do to overcome the top three teams in the West. This shouldn’t come as a surprise and Donnie Nelson is making the right decision here.
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1:13 PM ET
Well, so much for Anderson Varejao’s playoff experience:
The Portland Trail Blazers will likely waive Anderson Varejao, league sources tell @TheVertical.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) February 18, 2016
The Blazers are getting a first-round pick from Cleveland out of the deal, so they’re not coming out fo this entirely empty-handed.
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12:58 PM ET
And….. another one:
The Atlanta Hawks are trading guard Shelvin Mack to the Utah Jazz for a second round draft pick, league sources tell @TheVertical.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) February 18, 2016
Mack will be a solid point guard for the Jazz and could maybe even start for the team if Trey Burke struggles. Solid, although somewhat nondescript, move for Utah.
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12:55 PM ET
Action is heating up as we approach the 3:00 PM trade deadline:
Oklahoma City and Denver are in advanced talks on a deal for guard Randy Foye, league sources tell @TheVertical
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) February 18, 2016
Foye would be a home run for the Thunder as they are already one of the deeper teams in the league. He would add to this depth and provide a steady presence as one of the best locker room guys in the game to boot.
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12:50 PM ET
We have ourselves another trade! This one comes to us from Frank Isola of the New York Daily News:
Anderson Varejao will be moved by Orlando to Portland for picks and an expiring contract according to a source. Channing Frye to Cleveland.
— Frank Isola (@FisolaNYDN) February 18, 2016
This seems like a no-brainer for the Cavaliers. Varejao is playing the least minutes of his career this season and has rarely seen the floor behind Timofey Mozgov. In Frye, the Cavaliers get a player who can stretch the floor, something Varejao could not do. Frye’s presence will give Cleveland’s offense one more serious perimeter threat, something that could help new coach Tyronn Lue’s fast-paced offense.
Varejao will give a young Portland roster legitimate playoff experience, which the team lacked with the obvious exception of Damian Lillard.
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12:42 PM ET
It turns out Houston did get something of worth out of their trade with the Pistons:
Pick Detroit sending the Rockets is top 8 protected this year and then top 10 protected next 2 years.
— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) February 18, 2016
It’s very likely that Houston will get this pick this year, as the Pistons could very well make the playoffs. At worst, they’ll probably be at the back end of the lottery, which would add even more value to the pick for Houston. Also, if Detroit continues to improve over the next two years and stays out of the top ten of the draft, they would surrender their first round pick to the Rockets.
Maybe this wasn’t such a bad deal for Daryl Morey and the Rockets after all.
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12:28 PM ET
The Motiejunas-to-Detroit deal is now official, but Stan Van Gundy was also able to get another piece as part of the trade:
Houston has traded Donatas Motiejunas and Marcus Thornton to the Detroit Pistons, league sources tell @TheVertical
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) February 18, 2016
To recap: Van Gundy fleeces the Rockets of Motiejunas and Thornton, all while only giving up Joel Anthony in the process. This was a steal because Detroit gets two players who can come off the bench and contribute immediately to a team that is on the verge of the playoffs. As the late Jack Buck once said, “Pardon me while I stand up and applaud.”
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12:21 PM ET
Here’s another intriguing move that could go down this afternoon, as ESPN’s Marc Stein reports:
ESPN sources say that the Pistons have offered center Joel Anthony to the Houston Rockets in exchange for PF Donatas Motiejunas
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) February 18, 2016
Motiejunas is a 41% three-point shooter this season, and Anthony only plays four minutes per game. For a team that is trying to make the playoffs for the first time since 2009, this move could help.
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12:11 PM ET
WE HAVE A TRADE!….. but it doesn’t mean very much. Jarnell Stokes is going from Miami to New Orleans, as reported by Shams Charania of Yahoo’s The Vertical:
The Miami Heat are trading forward Jarnell Stokes to the New Orleans Pelicans, league source tells The Vertical.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 18, 2016
This is nothing more than a cap-saving move for Miami, as all they are acquiring in the deal is a protected draft pick. But it’s the first trade of the day, so let’s go sufficiently nuts.
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11:32 AM ET
It looks as though things are changing on the Ty Lawson front. Back to Wojnarowski:
Sources: Rockets, Jazz had casual talks on Ty Lawson, but those ended. Both teams moved on. Another thing: Rockets won’t buy out Lawson.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) February 18, 2016
If Lawson is not moved to Utah or bought out, it would seem as if the Rockets would have no other choice but to keep him. It’s not like the team can command very much for his services, especially given his poor play this season.
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11:28 AM ET
It looks like the Atlanta Hawks are standing pat, per Adrian Wojnarowski:
Sources: Atlanta’s expressing its intentions to rivals that Hawks plan to keep team intact at deadline, holding onto Horford and key guards.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) February 18, 2016
So that means Horford, Jeff Teague, Thabo Sefolosha, and Kyle Korver would all stay in Atlanta.
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10:33 AM ET
This is an interesting one. While this news doesn’t necessarily have to do with the trade deadline, it probably takes one team out of trade discussions for today. As first reported by Marc J. Spears of Yahoo:
Nets announce hiring of Sean Marks as general manager.
— Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) February 18, 2016
This is an excellent hire for Brooklyn, as the Spurs executive will get the chance to rebuild the Nets’ roster from scratch. It won’t be easy and it will likely take a couple of years, but Mikhail Prokhorov has brought in the right man for the job.
As for the immediate impact on today, the Nets will likely lay low and not make any deals. That means keeping Joe Johnson and Thaddeus Young, two players who were thought of as potential trade targets for contending teams.
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10:26 AM ET
While the Boston Celtics could reasonably make a blockbuster deal today, it looks as if they aren’t willing to give up primary assets for an elite big man. Via Yahoo’s Adrian Wojnarowski:
Sources: So far, Boston’s showing unwillingness to pay premium prices on rentals for Al Horford and Dwight Howard.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) February 18, 2016
Trading for Howard or Horford would likely mean parting ways with a part of their young core, which includes Marcus Smart, Jared Sullinger, Avery Bradley, Kelly Olynyk and Jae Crowder. Even though the team is third in the East right now, going for broke this year probably isn’t the smartest idea. Boston would have to go through the Cavaliers just to win the East and then would have to beat either the Spurs or Warriors in the Finals. Both scenarios are unlikely, so this is probably a good decision by Danny Ainge to keep his young squad together… for now, anyway.
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9:46 AM ET
The Rockets clearly want to move Dwight Howard, but who is going to take him? No one yet, as USA Today’s Sam Amick is reporting:
I’m starting to get a sense of what it’s like to be Rockets GM Daryl Morey today: In inquiring w/ team execs, “Nos” on Dwight at every turn.
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) February 18, 2016
So while Houston will try to find a deal for the enigmatic big man, there may not be any suitors willing to trade for his services.
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8:57 AM ET
According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, Ty Lawson may be the first domino to fall today, as the Rockets have reportedly had enough of the troubled point guard:
ESPN sources say Rockets, if Ty Lawson trade talks with Utah were to collapse, would strongly consider waiving Lawson if they can’t move him
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) February 18, 2016
Stein is also reporting that the trade with Utah would involve Trey Burke. Such a move would need to involve other pieces because Houston is over the salary cap and the difference in the salaries of Burke and Lawson is almost $10 million. Therefore, it wouldn’t be out of the question to see a third team get involved; if not, Utah would need to move other pieces to complete the trade.
Either way, Houston is committed to moving Ty Lawson. His days as a Rocket are over.
I don’t know if anybody will do something !!?
I’d wait until 3:00 before passing judgment…..