For a special edition of my column, I will live track all the trades between now and the deadline on Feb. 8 at 3 p.m. with a breakdown of what it means for both parties. With rumors filling up the NBA media discussion, and a plethora of deals in the works, stay organized in just one spot… right here!
The Pistons are looking for any way to get players they see can fit a long-term lens, as the season has done little in favor of Detroit. Fontecchio has improved his shooting ability from last season and has started 34 games this year averaging just under nine points a game. They are looking to resign him this offseason to ensure he remains a part of their growing core.
Xavier Tillman to the Celtics helps sure up the frontcourt of Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford if they were to miss a game heading into the home stretch of the year. The irony is that Tillman is having a similar season to the recently departed Celtic Grant Williams, and acquiring him adds a little bit more depth to an already talented roster. He can provide some toughness if they were to face the Miami Heat again in the playoffs. Tillman will be a free agent after this year and I doubt the Celtics will be willing to resign him.
The Detroit Pistons fire sale continues, and the Minnesota Timberwolves benefit. Morris has only played six games this season but can add veteran leadership to a young and upcoming locker room. Although it is hard to make anything out of his little production in Detroit, it could help Mike Conley by lowering his minutes and sharing the playmaking duties. It could open up more scoring opportunities for Anthony Edwards. Shake Milton will get a chance at more minutes and shot-creation opportunities with the Pistons after struggling during his brief stint in Minnesota.
Buddy Hield, a volume three-point shooter, has been involved in trade rumors to the Sixers for a few years now, and to get him without having to give up a first-round pick is robbery by Daryl Morey. He is averaging 12 points per game with 38% shooting from three-point range. I would expect these figures to tick upward with a larger role in Philadelphia now that Joel Embiid is out for at least six weeks. He should fit in easily next to Maxey, and when Joel comes back, be a quick trigger shooter off of double-teams in the post. Furkan Korkmaz finally gets a change of scenery after requesting a trade multiple times with no acknowledgment. Marcus Morris Sr.’s stop in Philly was highlighted by his reception of the key to the city on Jan. 11.
Olynyk was a vaunted trade target for multiple contenders, yet it is the 12th-seeded Toronto Raptors who take the bait. A questionable move from Raptors President Masai Ujiri brings in a difference-making role player for a team that is stuck in the middle. When pairing the OG Anunoby trade with this one, the Raptors are minus a first-round pick despite sending out a high-quality wing. More questions arise from the acquisition of the stretch big than answers.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have too many young players to have them all get minutes, so a consolidation trade was probable even before the season. Gordon Hayward has not played since Jan. 26 but could still provide veteran leadership for the second-youngest team in the league who is locked in a race for the top seed in the west. When Hayward gets healthy from his calf injury, his production will help fill out a talented roster whose only weak position was the wing spot. His playoff experience could help catapult the Thunder through a round or two come springtime for a team hungry to make some noise.
A financial move for the 76ers frees up a solid $18 million in cap space in case the Sixers want to sign players in the buyout market. 76ers owner Josh Harris is somewhere smiling.
A massive deal for the Knicks consolidates bench pieces into certified performers who can have a large impact in the playoffs. If any team would be willing to look the other way on Bojan Bogdanovic’s defensive holes, it would be the Knicks, whose entire identity is grit and grind. Alec Burks will get a second stint with the Knicks after averaging 12 points per game from 2020-2022. Both fill out a roster built to handle the top dogs in the Eastern Conference. They can grow their lead over the rest of the field for home court in the first round of the playoffs as they currently occupy the fourth seed. Both can fill in for the production lost by the injury to Julies Randle, even though their styles of play contrast that of the all-star forward. The Pistons finally get off of Bogdanovic and recoup some more young, place-your-bets, type players in Quentin Grimes and Malachi Flynn. I would not be surprised to see Fournier rerouted before the deadline or eventually be bought out. Ian Begley of SNY reported that the Knicks pulled the trigger due to a concern over Anunoby’s right elbow injury.
Another oddball trade from Toronto, as both Dennis Schroder and Spencer Dinwiddie are practically the same player. Dinwiddie might be a touch of an upgrade but this signifies, if anything, the Nets sudden willingness to trade away players, perhaps speaking to a bigger trade looming in the next two hours.
The Mavericks make a move to upgrade the forward spot taken up by Grant Williams by adding PJ Washington, who has spent his entire career in Charlotte. Dallas is currently occupying the eighth seed in the Western Conference but is only two games behind the fifth seed Phoenix Suns. This move signals to star Luka Doncic that they are willing to surround him with talent to get him the best chance for a Finals run. Having a certified frontcourt threat could open up a more versatile pick-and-roll game for both Doncic and Kyrie Irving. If both guards are hitting on all cylinders at the same time, the Mavericks are unstoppable, and the Washington addition only increases the chances that they are.
Brooklyn opts to not trade any of their big names: Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, and Nico Claxton and the Suns are attempting to throw a makeshift foundation of role players together to support a very top-heavy trio. The Suns are currently the fifth seed, but if their new supporting cast clicks in time for playoffs, I would not be surprised to see them be a top-three team when it’s all said and done.
See above: Roddy will join forces with O’Neale to help support the big three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal.
It looks like the Sixers, despite trading for Buddy Hield just three hours prior, are opting to quietly forego this season in the wake of the Joel Embiid knee injury. A questionable move at best for the Sixers, unless cap flexibility in the summer is the top priority.
From getting the key to the city in Philly to a four-hour work trip in Indiana, Morris finds a home mentoring first-overall pick Victor Wembanyama in San Antonio. McDermott provides some much-needed catch-and-shoot ability to the Pacers’ young offense, he currently ranks third best in catch-and-shoot points on the team behind Aaron Nesmith and Myles Turner.
The Kings can get some valuable center minutes from Lopez to aid a very unimposing center rotation.
A third Sixers trade to file under the confusing folder. Springer has shown glimpses of NBA-ready defense, but the offensive side of the ball leaves much to desire. This is only the second trade the two teams have made since the Celtics traded back in the 2017 draft to select Jayson Tatum, whereas the Sixers moved up to select Markelle Fultz.
The last trade of the deadline secures Indiana as one of the clear winners, as freeing up Hield’s salary opens the door for them to resign Pascal Siakam, a deal both parties seem interested in. They have equipped themselves with veteran talent that could help them make some noise in the playoffs, despite being a young team. The New York Knicks should also be considered winners of the deadline, as Anunoby’s injury may be more serious than previously considered, the acquisition of Bojan Bogdanovic will ensure that they do not skip a beat. If the Knicks could avoid the Miami Heat, I would not be surprised if they made a Conference Finals run.
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