NBA, market, trade: all the movements

With Bogdanovic and Burks, Coach Thibodeau fills the gaps in the shooting department. Gafford and PJ Washington improve Dallas under the basket

Riccardo Pratesi

@
rprat75

The game is done. The “repair” market, the NBA winter trade window, has closed. Shutter lowered. New York, Boston and Dallas made interesting moves before the deadline, which was set for 9pm EST. From now until the playoffs, the 30 teams will only be able to draw on the market of consensual resolutions to strengthen themselves. Free agents, so to speak. There were many last minute trades, as per tradition, but without illustrious names involved. Here are all the last minute deals, those of the last 30 hours of the market. The latest, for this season.

MORE QUANTITY than quality

Dejounte Murray, Miles Bridges and Kyle Kuzma didn’t move. They liked them, but not at any cost. They remained in Atlanta, Charlotte and Washington, therefore. And no All Star has changed address. But there have been noteworthy movements, however…

NEW YORK

The Knicks, after having already redone the trick with the addition of OG Anunoby, have relaunched further. Bringing Bojan Bogdanovic to the Big Apple, a 34-year-old Croatian who scores 20.2 points per game, and shoots 41.5% from 3 points. He and Alec Burks, another winger, another perimeter shooter, arrive from Detroit in exchange for Quintin Grimes, Malachi Flynn, Evan Fournier, Ryan Arcidiacono and 2 future second round draft picks. Fontecchio without Bogdanovic will find space in Detroit, now the move of the Pistons can be better explained, as they are banking heavily on rookie Ausar Thompson in the Croatian’s role.

BOSTON

The Celtics needed to extend their bench. They needed a big man and a backup playmaker. Taken. The center is Xavier Tillman, who comes to Beantown from Memphis for two second-round picks plus Lamar Stevens. He extends the rotation under the basket: undersized and not particularly athletic, but reliable, with excellent playing instincts and tough both physically and mentally. The Celtics then also added a winger, 21-year-old Jaden Springer, from Philadelphia, for a second-round pick (from Chicago or New Orleans). Furthermore, Boston trades Dalano Banton to Portland for a (protected) second-round pick.

DALLAS

The Mavericks, in the balance as a playoff prospect, desperately needed reinforcements to try to reach them. Especially under the basket. They paid dearly for them, but they arrived in Texas. The “cavalry”. The Mavs take center Daniel Gafford from Washington, exchanged with Richaun Holmes in the same role and a first-round pick in the 2024 draft (from the Clippers or Thunder). Dallas is 22-14 with freshman big man Lively available and 6-9 without him. He therefore adds another jumper/intimidator under the basket. Not only that: he rebuilds the long department: via Grant Williams (plus Seth Curry and a protected first choice from 2027) to get his hands on PJ Washington, Charlotte’s 4/5 long man, who will probably start in the quintet. The exchange of picks with OKC should be noted: a 2024 first-round Thunder was taken, exchanging the 2028 picks of the two franchises favorably to OKC.

OKC

And here are the Thunder, who were not left idle. They brought veteran Gordon Hayward, 33, to Oklahoma as his contract expired. Taken from Charlotte for the Serbian playmaker Vasilije Micic – perhaps a mortal sin to have him burned like this – the shooter Davis Bertans and the winger Tre Mann. The Thunder have accumulated 35 picks from the next 6 drafts: they will stock up on talent

PHILADELPHIA

With Embiid’s injury, new signings were needed with points in hand: here is Buddy Hield, a 31-year-old guard, exchanged with Indiana for Marcus Morris, Furkan Korkmaz and three second-round draft picks (Toronto 2024, Portland and Clippers 2029). Hield is a proven shooter whose contract is expiring.

MILWAUKEE

The Bucks needed defense. And then they made Patrick Beverley available to Doc Rivers, sold by Philly for a 2027 second-round pick plus Cam Payne who had until now been Lillard’s reserve. Beverley is a “bad” veteran, a so-so director, but who knows how to drag in the other half of the pitch, even if the best years for him, 35 years old, are over. The Bucks also sent starting center Robin Lopez, Brook’s twin, to Sacramento, where he will be cut.

PHOENIX

The Suns were looking for a winger: Bridges from the Hornets was the first choice, Finney-Smith from the Nets perhaps the second, but in the end the reinforcement still comes from Brooklyn: Royce O’Neale, for three second-round picks plus Jordan Goodwin and Keita Bates-Diop. David Roddy also ends up at the Suns from Memphis in exchange for Yuta Watanabe and Chimezie Metu. They are not epochal names, but they extend Coach Vogel’s rotation.

MINNESOTA

A change from Mike Conley was needed like hot cakes, in the form of Monte Morris, a 28-year-old director who comes to Minny from Detroit for Shake Milton, Troy Brown and a second-round pick.

DETROIT

It was said about Simone Fontecchio in the past few hours, in the meantime the trade has been made official. Detroit also takes Danuel House (later cut) and a first-round pick from Philadelphia (via Knicks) which thus obtains salary space for any releases following consensual termination of contracts (like Lowry). The Pistons cut Killian Hayes somewhat by surprise, pick number 7 in the 2020 draft: the Frenchman has never broken through, but it was thought he could at least guarantee a return.

INDIANA

The Pacers identify Doug McDermott as the shooter to replace Hield on the roster. The winger comes from San Antonio in exchange for Marcus Morris, a second round draft pick and cash. Indy also takes Cory Joseph from Golden State, the modest veteran playmaker, for a second round pick.

BROOKLYN

The Nets bring Dennis Schroeder to New York from Toronto, the German director named best player of the last World Cup won by his Germany and with him the veteran Thaddeus Young in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie. The guard whose contract is expiring takes the opposite route, towards Canada, but will be cut: he will tempt many as a free agent.

TORONTO

Bring Canadian center Kelly Olynyk and guard Ochai Agbaji from Utah across the border in exchange for winger Kira Lewis, veteran Otto Porter and a first-round pick in the 2024 draft (the least favorable among those by OKC/Clippers /Rockets and Jazz). Olynyk’s contract is expiring, paying him so much…

LAKERS AND WARRIORS

They didn’t move on the way in. A bit surprising considering the difficulties of both franchises, which have great ambitions and mediocre records

THE NUGGETS CASE

The reigning champions had already essentially not made any transfers in the summer, they doubled to nothing. Jokic must have the patience of Job…





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