Jakob Poeltl
Basketball

Trade Deadline Recap

February 10, 2023
Devon Gallant

   The dust has barely settled after a chaotic NBA trade deadline, and already appears as though it will get kicked right back up with potential buyout candidates coming in the wake of all the deals made, going back to the Lakers’ acquisition of Rui Hachimura on January 23rd. 

   Things kicked into high gear on February 5th, when the Nets began what is clearly a full scale rebuild by moving Kyrie Irving to the Mavericks.

   The Lakers and the Nets both decided to make the night before the NBA trade deadline a late one, finalizing two separate massive trades in the wee hours of Thursday morning, which saw Russ leave LA and Kevin Durant head to Phoenix.

   With those massive deals dominating headlines, fans can be excused for having a tough time keeping track of the remaining transactions that occurred before the 3pm NBA trade deadline. Don’t worry, we have those covered as well.

Trade

Nets Receive: Three 2nd round picks

Pacers Receive: George Hill, Serge Ibaka, Jordan Nwora, Two 2nd round picks,

Bucks Receive: Jae Crowder

   The bizarre holdout between Jae Crowder and the Phoenix Suns finally comes to an end, as the Nets immediately flip Crowder after acquiring him in the Durant trade to a championship chasing Milwaukee Bucks team that seems to have been tied to Crowder all season. With the Nets committing to a full rebuild, retaining Crowder, a 32 year old who has yet to play at all this year, made no sense. So they did well to move him along for more future assets. 

   For the Pacers, gaining two 2nds themselves, while also taking a flier on a cost controlled Nwora is a nice piece of business. George Hill is familiar to the organization, although a buyout is certainly a possibility as the Pacers now need to open up roster spots. Serge Ibaka is almost certainly going to be bought out as well, but they did well to turn their unused cap space into assets going forward.

   The Bucks are taking a bit of a risk, sending out five 2nd round picks to acquire Crowder, who is also a free agent this summer. With Kris Middleton in the midst of an injury plagued season, the Bucks were in the market for more secondary scoring, which Crowder can provide in spurts.

   The real risk is how long he needs to ramp his game back up to an NBA level after not playing for 9 months. If the Bucks are able to get Crowder’s game back to where it was a few seasons ago, and better yet, get him under contract for next season, the Milwaukee won’t lose much sleep over the future picks they moved, and have a real chance to come out of the east in this years playoffs.

Trade

Lakers Receive: Mo Bamba

Magic Receive: Patrick Beverley, 2nd round pick, Cash

   The Lakers continued to surprise everyone by actually making smart deals this trade deadline. Even after shipping out Russel Westbrook, the Lakers had depth at guard after acquiring D’Angelo Russel and Malik Beasley, while Lonnie Walker IV and Dennis Schroder have frankly just been better than Beverley this season.

   Getting Mo Bamba gives the Lakers several things this team has been missing – he’s an excellent rim protector, and a legit 3 point threat as a big man that will do wonders to help spacing. His versatility will allow him to fit in seamlessly on the court with Anthony Davis or the recently acquired Jarred Vanderbilt. He’s also on the books for next season at a reasonable $10.3 million which the Lakers can always use as another asset this summer.

   Orlando essentially makes this deal to help the Lakers manage their cap space. They get a free 2nd round pick and the cash considerations will likely cover the buy out that is almost certain to come for Beverley. There’s a lot to like about Bamba’s game, but he’s barely played for the tanking Magic so moving him along is best for both sides.

Trade

Hawks Receive: Saddiq Bey

Pistons Receive: James Wiseman

Warriors Receive: Gary Payton II

Blazers Receive: Kevin Knox, Five 2nd round picks.

   While this was technically 2 separate trades, we’ll look at them together to simplify things.

   The Hawks are the ones giving up the picks, but they’re getting back arguably the best talent in the trade in Saddiq Bey. Their move to acquire Dejounte Murray in the offseason hasn’t paid off as they sit under .500 on the season.

   Bey is a large physical wing who can shoot, which the Hawks need to help the spacing between Murray and Trae Young. The Hawks needed more wing depth on the roster, and Bey has another year remaining on his rookie deal after this season. The race for the playoffs in the east is wide open and Bey gives the Hawks a realistic path to get there and surprise some people.

   The Pistons taking on Wiseman will be difficult to judge for a while. It’s hard to see how the former 2nd overall pick fits into a rotation that is already populated by bigs, but considering they have the 2nd worst record in the NBA, taking a flier on an athletic 21 year old 7 foot forward seems to be a sound choice.

   Giving up Bey hurts, but he was falling out of the rotation anyway with Detroit’s priorities more focussed on securing a top draft pick. This move is all about the future, and seeing if a change of scenery is what’s needed to unlock the potential hidden in Wiseman.

   The Warriors have to be given some credit in not succumbing to the sunk cost fallacy. Despite Wiseman being a 2nd overall pick in what on the surface was a disappointing draft, there was just no clear path for him to earn meaningful playing time within the organization, and nothing Wiseman has shown to date would lead the Warriors to believe he would carve that out on his own.

   In Payton, the Warriors get a familiar face who is a coveted 3 and D wing. The only knock on Payton is his size, and the Warriors will certainly need an upgrade there when the playoffs come around. Payton is a valuable player and will definitely make the Warriors better in the immediate future, but perhaps tying another asset or two to Wiseman could have netted them something greater. 

   The Blazers get out of the Payton contract, which was looking like a bust. It frees up cap flexibility for next season, and the five 2nd round picks can, in theory, be used to make more deals at the draft or in the offseason. Kevin Knox is under team option for next year if he shows up and impresses in Portland, which is unlikely. The Blazers’ other moves to acquire Cam Reddish and Matisse Thybulle made Payton all the more expendable, but at the end of the day it seems like a net zero for the Blazers, and another wasted season of Damien Lilliards prime.

Trade

Spurs Receive:  Khem Birch, 2024 1st Round Pick (top 6 protected), two 2nd Round Picks

Raptors Receive: Jakob Poeltl

   It was no secret that the Raptors have been looking for a center for a while now, and Jakob Poeltl is a very good fit for the roster as it’s currently built. The thing is, there’s no saying how long this roster will stay intact.

   Billed as potential major sellers entering the trade deadline, the Raptors instead held on to the expiring contracts of Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr, as well as extension eligible players OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam. The season hasn’t gone as planned and Toronto looks to be headed towards the draft lottery, so giving a 1st round pick for ANOTHER expiring contract just seems way off base.

   I ‘m a big fan of Poeltl’s game, and his rebounding, rim protection and offensive creativity on the elbows will no doubt make the Raptors better. This seems like a move you make to finish a championship caliber team, which the Raptors have shown no sign of being this season. With VanVleet and Trent Jr potentially out the door this summer, that 1st round pick could be extremely valuable to a team that may be forced to rebuild.

   It goes without saying, then, that the Spurs did a fantastic job with this deal. Poeltl is too good to retain on a tanking team, and at 27 years old he doesn’t fit the timeline for their youth movement. Khem Birch gives the Spurs a body to trot out there for the rest of the season, and is a potential trade chip next year. Getting the two 2nds as security for the protected 1st is smart business. This is exactly the type of deal a team like the Spurs should be making, and it will pay off as the losses continue to pile up.

Trade

Nuggets Receive:  Two 2nd Round Picks

Clippers Receive: Bones Hyland

   The Nuggets trading a splashy scorer who is only 22 and still on his rookie contract for another two seasons for two 2nds isn’t great. Unless the Nuggets felt Hyland was a locker room distraction, pushing him out for end of the draft picks while you’re contending for a championship just isn’t good business.

   Holding onto Hyland and having him as a break in case of emergency scorer in the playoffs just seems like a better move. But with rumours that Hyland and the coaching staff were clashing on a somewhat regular basis, this is perhaps a case of addition by subtraction.

   Make no mistake, the Clippers aren’t getting a refined superstar that will vault them to the top of the NBA. But while giving up practically nothing they get a young fresh scorer who will see plenty of regular season reps while their stars take load management days. The Clippers have enough depth to insulate Hyland’s defensive deficiencies, and the young blood will help keep everyone fresh for the postseason. There’s a ton of upside with the trade and next to no loss.

Trade

Pelicans Receive: Josh Richardson

Spurs Receive: Devonte Graham, Four 2nd Round Picks

   This move is little more than a salary dump. Getting Graham’s $12.1 million off the books for next season is smart, and removing Graham from the rotation all together is good basketball. The Pelicans are getting back a valuable shooter in Richardson, which they most definitely need. Richardson can also guard the 1-4 slots, although not at an elite level. Not having to tie a 1st rounder to Graham makes this trade an immediate win.

   For the Spurs, they’re simply adding to their war chest, and with no big contracts on the books they can eat another year of Graham’s salary. You can be picky and say that the Spurs should be maximizing their cap space and taking on contracts that earn them 1st rounders, but in a year with minimal pure salary dumps, you can’t hate on this move too much.

Trade

Hornets Receive: Reggie Jackson, 2028 2nd round pick

Clippers Receive: Mason Plumlee

   We won’t spend much time breaking down this deal. The Hornets probably wanted to get more for Plumlee, but there isn’t much of a demand for reserve bigs on expiring contracts. Moving him will give more court time to youngsters like rookie Mark Williams, so that in itself is a win. Reggie Jackson is almost guaranteed to be bought out.

   The Clippers are getting a serviceable backup to Ivica Zubac which could make a difference in the playoffs. Plumlee is an excellent screen setter, so they don’t have to completely hide him in the offensive zone, and is actually a pretty good free throw shooter so the Clippers can feel confident rolling him out at the end of games if Zubac gets into foul trouble. Jackson became expendable, and getting a high value backup for only a 2nd is another strong move by the clippers.

Trade:

Rockets Receive: Danny Green, John Wall, 1st round pick swaps

Clippers Receive: Eric Gordon, three 2nd round picks

Grizzlies Receive: Luke Kennard

   Houston likely hoped for more than just the option to swap Milwakee’s 1st round pick for the Clippers, but as things currently stand, it would be an upgrade. The market for Gordon never seemed to take off, and if moving up in the draft is the best offer, then that’s worth moving money off the books for next season. John Wall is likely to be waived, and Danny Green to be bought out, so Houston will get a good look at what they have left on the bench for the rest of this season.

   The Clippers continued their impressive trade deadline day in this deal. Grabbing three more seconds will almost certainly help the franchise in future deals. While they may miss Kennard’s shooting, he’d largely fallen out of the rotation anyway. Meanwhile, Gordon gives them more direct source of points. He’s more willing to attack and create his own offense, which the Clippers need while their stars are on the bench. Gordon’s $20.9 million contract probably won’t look great going into next season but if the Clippers go on a run, I’m sure ownership will have no problem footing that bill.

   The Grizzlies upgraded their offense by getting the sharpshooting Kennard. His contract for next year is reasonable at $15.4 million, so he isn’t just a rental. Paired with Desmond Bane, the Grizzlies now have two high end shooters that defenses will lose sleep over deciding who to cover out at the three point line, which in turn will open up things in the paint. You could argue the Grizzlies should have set their sights higher with both the Mavericks and Suns going big name hunting, but this is a solid move that helps the Grizzlies immediately.

Trade:

Hawks Receive: Garrison Mathews, Bruno Fernado

Rockets Receive: Justin Holiday, Frank Kaminsky, two 2nd Round Picks

   The Hawks added roster depth and managed to shed a couple millions dollars of salary in this deal, and it only cost them a couple 2nd round picks. There’s a possibility they fall in love with Mathews’ shooting, and they have a few months to evaluate him to see if they want to pick up his $2 million team option for next year. Holiday was already falling out of the rotation and the addition of Bey made his role on the team almost non-existent.

   Stop me if you’ve heard this before – the Rockets acquired more assets in exchange for taking on some contracts that they will almost certainly buy out. Spend a little money, gain a couple more picks. Easy business for the Rockets.

Trade:

Thunder Receive: Dario Saric, 2nd Round Pick

Suns Receive: Darius Bazley

   Fun fact – Saric is now the oldest player on the Thunder roster at 28. With a team that’s still in rebuild mode, taking on Saric’s contract to help the Suns save some luxury tax money earned them a 2 round pick. Saric will actually fit well with the Thunder as they’re currently constructed. He brings good spacing on offense and will work well with Chet Holmgren going forward. The Thunder needed another big body and getting Saric was a strong move.

   The Suns save almost $20 million off the luxury tax, which, good for the owner I guess. Sure they get an extended look at Bazley before he hits restricted free agency, and maybe he can find some consistency in his long range shooting playing on that superstar lineup, but this move is just about the money.

Trade:

Knicks Receive: Josh Hart

Blazers Receive: Ryan Arcidiacono, Svi Mykhailiuk, Cam Reddish, lottery protected 1st round pick.

   This trade must thrill Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau. Josh Hart gives them a strong wing that can finish at the net, always rebounds hard but most importantly can defend almost anyone who plays 1-4. He gives Thibodeau some extremely strong lineup options defensively.

   His fit on the offense might be a little bit questionable, and he is an unrestricted free agent this summer. After giving up a very valuable 1st round pick for him, the Knicks might be in a position where they need to retain him and end up overpaying for a talented but flawed wing. The move does free up two additional roster spots that the Knicks can look to fill in the deep buyout pool, so this trade in theory could look better for them.

   The Blazers likely weren’t going to pay Hart in free agency with the contracts they already had on the books and Jeremi Grant’s deal still looming. Netting the first rounder for someone who was gone this offseason anyway is a savvy move. Getting a couple months to look at the much cheaper Cam Reddish before he become a restricted free agent is a nice plus as well. This isn’t a move that pushes the Blazers forward in the present, but will look better in the future.

Trade:

Hornets Receive: Svi Mykhailiuk, 2023 2nd Round Pick

76ers Receive: Jalen McDaniels, 2024 2nd Round Pick, 2029 2nd Round Pick

Blazers Receive: Matisse Thybulle

   On the surface, the Hornets getting their own 2nd rounder back for McDaniels seems poor, but despite his mini breakout this year, the Hornets are far from complete and aren’t in a position to pay their mid tier players in free agency. Considering their dismal season, the 2nd rounder will be an early one, so getting that back instead of losing McDaniels for nothing isn’t a bad move.

   The 76ers downgraded in the 2nd round, but swapping out Thybulle for McDaniels actually opens up more money for Philadelphia to spend during the buyout season. It doesn’t hurt that McDaniels is a very usable player. His decision making has grown exponentially this season, but his shot selection sometimes leaves much to be desired. Thankfully Philly doesn’t need him to create offense in the half court, and he should excel in their fast break offense.

   The Blazers give up a couple second round picks to gain some much needed defense in Thybulle. His offense is almost non existent, but that just might be ok on a star dominated blazers team. Their defense has been notoriously poor for years, and taking a flier on a restricted free agent who is consistently disruptive on the defensive end seems like a smart move by Portland.

The Trade:

Nuggets Receive: Thomas Bryant

Lakers Receive: Davon Reed, Three 2nd Round Picks

   There’s no doubt that Bryant improves the Nuggets’ rotations and gives them a rotational big behind Jokic. He plays solid defense, has decent range, and is skilled when driving to the net. Reed had fallen almost completely out of the rotation, but giving up three 2nd rounders might be a bit much. Bryant is a good fit in Denver, they just might have just slightly overpaid.

   The three picks will almost certainly just equip the Lakers for future trades. Moving on from Bryant opens up more minutes for Jarred Vanderbilt at center, which makes the Lakers rotation as a whole much stronger. The 6’5’’ Reed has shown some defensive ability, and if he can prove to be capable of hitting the occasional spot up three, then the Lakers might have stumbled upon another piece they can actually use.

The Trade:

Celtics Receive: Mike Muscala

Thunder Receive: Justin Jackson, two 2nd Round Picks

   Mike Muscala is a risk free acquisition for a team that was clearly in the market for a reliable big man. They now have insurance for the aging Al Horford and oft injured Robert Williams for the upcoming grind of a long playoff run.

   Muscala won’t blow you away on the defensive side, but the Celtics are built to help insulate that. He’s a decent shooter and could potentially allow Boston to roll out some dual big line ups and create matchup problems for the opposition. The Celtics are fully into win now mode, so spending the assets they have to get valuable pieces is the right way to approach the deadline.

   For the Thunder losing Muscala makes them worse on the court, which is exactly what they want. They opened up another roster spot for the offseason with Jackson being a free agent, and acquired more future draft capital so that when they do eventually have the building blocks in place, they’ll have the assets to acquire a Muscala of their own.

-Devon Gallant

Twitter: @DevGallant

Photo: Keith Allison. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.