Recapping the 2017-18 NBA Trade Deadline
Recapping the 2017-18 NBA Trade Deadline
We were hoodwinked, bamboozled, led astray, run amuck, and flat out deceived by reports of the NBA Trade Deadline being a quiet one.
We were hoodwinked, bamboozled, led astray, run amuck, and flat out deceived by reports of the NBA Trade Deadline being a quiet one.
We were hoodwinked, bamboozled, led astray, run amuck, and flat out deceived by reports of the NBA Trade Deadline being a quiet one. Instead, we were handed a deadline reminiscent of the 2015 version. Here is the full recap of what went down around the league.
Cleveland trades Isaiah Thomas, Channing Frye, and a 2018 first-round pick to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr
In a move that many of us did not see coming, the Cavaliers parted ways with guard Isaiah Thomas after just 15 games with the team. Thomas, who was coming off a somewhat serious hip injury that sidelined him for most of the season, has been vocal in why the Cavaliers had been spiraling out of control.
The Cavs purge themselves of Thomas, but it comes with giving up locker room-staple Channing Frye and their own 2018 first-round draft pick, which is top-3 protected.
In return, the Cavs receive a 25-year-old scoring combo-guard in Jordan Clarkson along with energizer Larry Nance Jr., both of whom will not only help the team in the present but also provide them with a future.
In 53 games for the Lakers this season, Clarkson, the No. 46 overall pick in the 2014 draft holds averages of 14.5 points, 3.3 assists, and 3.0 rebounds in 23.7 minutes a game.
Nance Jr., whose father's jersey is retired in the arena he'll be playing in for the foreseeable future, averaged 8.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in 42 games for the Lakers this season.
Cleveland acquires Rodney Hood and George Hill from Utah and Sacramento
In a three-team trade that involved six players, the Cavaliers made another move shortly after their first trade of the day, shocking the league and social media.
| Team |
In |
Out |
| Cleveland |
George Hill
Rodney Hood
|
Derrick Rose
Jae Crowder
Iman Shumpert
|
| Sacramento |
Joe Johnson
Iman Shumpert
|
George Hill
|
| Utah |
Jae Crowder
Derrick Rose
|
Rodney Hood
|
The Cavaliers received George Hill, a more-than-capable starting point guard, and sharpshooter Rodney Hood from Sacramento and Utah.
Hill, 31, had reportedly been upset with the Kings after he was promised minutes and a bigger role when he initially signed with the team this past summer. It's unclear who will start at point guard for the Cavaliers between Clarkson and Hill, although we should find out the team's decision in the next coming days.
Hill holds averages of 10.3 points, 2.8 assists, and 2.7 rebounds in 43 games for the Kings this season.
Hood, who had spent his first three seasons in Utah, after they selected him with the No, 23 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, became expendable after the Jazz hit on rookie Donovan Mitchell this past summer. In 227 games for the Jazz, Hood holds averages of 13.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.0 assists on 37 percent shooting from the arc.
He will now join the Cavs, hoping to build on his 16.8 point average this season.
Utah is expected to waive Derrick Rose following the trade, with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Rose's former coach Tom Thibodeau expressing interest in the former MVP.
The Jazz will welcome Jae Crowder's defensive prowess and hope he'll return to his previous season's form. So far this season, Crowder has been a disappointment this year, averaging 8.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 53 games with Cleveland this season.
Joe Johnson is also expected to get bought out with the Sacramento Kings, with the Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics expected to pursue him heavily.
Cleveland trades Dwayne Wade to the Miami Heat in exchange for a 2024 second-round pick
In an effort to overhaul their roster, bringing in youth and athleticism, Cleveland remained loyal to Dwayne Wade and traded him back to Miami where his career first started.
Heat fans won't have to wait long for Wade to don Miami threads once again, as he said he'll be ready to go Friday against Milwaukee.
New York, Dallas, and Denver get a three-team deal done sending Emmanuel Mudiay to New York
After falling out of the point guard rotation this season with the Denver Nuggets and the emergence of 20-year-old Jamal Murray, the Nuggets shipped Emmanuel Mudiay to the Big Apple in a three-team trade.
Mudiay, 21, was the No. 7 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft and found himself buried deep on the Denver bench this season, averaging a career-low 17.9 minutes per game. His minutes have declined all three seasons he's been in the league.
He'll now join Frank Ntilikina, 19, who the Knicks selected with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.
The Nuggets get a veteran presence in Devin Harris, something the team had been lacking since the loss of Jameer Nelson. Denver will also receive a future second-round pick from the Knicks as well.
Dallas receives sharpshooter Doug McDermott, who has bounced around the league the last two seasons, going from Chicago to Oklahoma City, and now from New York to Dallas.
Phoenix acquires guard Elfird Payton from Orlando in exchange for a second-round pick
In a deal that came minutes before the 3 p.m. EST deadline, the Orlando Magic agreed to send point guard Elfrid Payton to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for a 2018 second-round draft selection.
Payton, 23, was the No. 10 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. During his three and a half year stint in Orlando, Payton has averaged 11.1 points, 6.4 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in 29.5 minutes a game.
He'll head to a Phoenix team that lacks an answer at point guard, with Tyler Ulis and 10-day contract signee Josh Gray the only healthy options at the position. Brandon Knight is out for the season with a torn ACL, while Isaiah Canaan will miss the remainder of the year with a fractured ankle.
Payton is expected to take over starting point guard duties and will help to close out the season for the Suns on a high note, one that would ease the burden on guard Devin Booker, who's been manning the point guard position for the Suns recently.
He was brought in as an insurance policy for the Suns in the event that the team did not end up with either one of Trae Young or Luka Doncic, a league source told Hashtag Basketball. Phoenix has a stockpile of future second-round picks and felt comfortable in trading for Payton.
Orlando will receive the second-most favorable of either Memphis, Charlotte, or Miami's second-round pick in 2018, according to a league source.
The Suns are expected to waive Canaan in order to open up a roster spot for Payton.
Miami re-acquires Luke Babbitt from Atlanta in exchange for Okaro White
The Hawks and Heat make a minor trade that sends three-point shooter Luke Babbitt back to Miami in exchange for forward Okaro White.
Babbitt, 28, left the Heat in the offseason but has since returned, marking two reunions for the Heat this deadline. He's expected to provide Miami with some shooting off the bench in the wake of a shoulder injury to Kelly Olynyk.
Following the trade, White has been waived from the Hawks.
Detroit ships Willie Reed to Chicago in exchange for Jameer Nelson and swap 2022 second-round picks
The Pistons add depth to the point guard position in this move while swapping second-round picks in 2022.
Grizzlies acquire Brice Johnson and a future second-round pick from Detroit in exchange for James Ennis
Brice Johnson, 23, spends a few days in Detroit via the Blake Griffin trade before he's traded away to Memphis.
Detroit adds, even more, shooting in Ennis, while Memphis gets a forward in Johnson who was the No. 25 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft out of the University of North Carolina.
Portlands sends Noah Vonleh and cash considerations to Chicago in exchange for the rights to Milovan Rakovic
Portland gives up on the Noah Vonleh experiment and sends him to Chicago in exchange for a 32-year-old Milovan Rakovic.
Vonleh, 22, was the No. 9 overall selection in the 2014 NBA Draft and has not lived up to his potential yet. During the draft process, he was compared to the likes of Chris Bosh. Instead, he'll now head to his third NBA team in four years hoping to break out for the Bulls.
Rakovic, who plays for Union Neuchatel Basket of the Swiss Basketball League, isn't expected to make the jump to the NBA.
New Orleans acquires Rashad Vaughn from Brooklyn in exchange for Dante Cunningham
New Orleans picks up a project in Rashad Vaughn, who is just a 21-year-old shooting guard by way of UNLV, swapping him for forward Dante Cunningham.
He was the No. 17 overall selection in the 2015 NBA Draft, picked ahead of players such as Bobby Portis, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Larry Nance Jr., and Josh Richardson.
Washington sends guard Sheldon Mac to Atlanta for a future second-round draft pick
The Wizards send injured guard Sheldon Mac to the Hawks in exchange for a protected 2019 second-round pick.
Mac, 25, underwent surgery in October to repair a torn left Achilles tendon and is expected to miss the remainder of the season.
Washington saves money in the deal while also creating an open roster spot for any buyout candidates.
Atlanta picks up a second-round pick.
Toronto ships Bruno Caboclo to Sacramento in exchange for Malachi Richardson
In a deal that no one ever saw coming, the Raptors finally admitted to their Caboclo mistake and sent him to Sacramento for swingman Malachi Richardson.
Caboclo, 22, was the No. 20 overall selection in the 2014 NBA Draft and had appeared in 25 career games, holding averages of 1.1 points, 0.6 rebounds, and 0.2 assists in 4.5 minutes per game.
Toronto picks up a young swingman who's only appeared in 47 career games.
Richardson, 22, was the No. 22 overall selection in the 2016 NBA Draft and holds averages of 3.5 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 0.5 assists in 11.0 minutes per game.
Recap
On deadline day, 12 trades processed, with 27 players switching teams. If the deadline told us anything, it was that not many teams were as aggressive as previously reported. First-round picks were held in high esteem, as the Cavaliers were the only team to trade a first-rounder. Memphis ended up holding onto swingman Tyreke Evans, while the Boston Celtics kept guard Marcus Smart.
The new CBA/TV Money contracts can be pointed to as a sign as to why teams weren't willing to part with any first-round picks. Rather than taking on salary teams around the league figured that the rookie-scale contracts were too valuable in today's market.
We're now 143 days away from free agency.
We were hoodwinked, bamboozled, led astray, run amuck, and flat out deceived by reports of the NBA Trade Deadline being a quiet one. Instead, we were handed a deadline reminiscent of the 2015 version. Here is the full recap of what went down around the league.
Cleveland trades Isaiah Thomas, Channing Frye, and a 2018 first-round pick to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr
In a move that many of us did not see coming, the Cavaliers parted ways with guard Isaiah Thomas after just 15 games with the team. Thomas, who was coming off a somewhat serious hip injury that sidelined him for most of the season, has been vocal in why the Cavaliers had been spiraling out of control.
The Cavs purge themselves of Thomas, but it comes with giving up locker room-staple Channing Frye and their own 2018 first-round draft pick, which is top-3 protected.
In return, the Cavs receive a 25-year-old scoring combo-guard in Jordan Clarkson along with energizer Larry Nance Jr., both of whom will not only help the team in the present but also provide them with a future.
In 53 games for the Lakers this season, Clarkson, the No. 46 overall pick in the 2014 draft holds averages of 14.5 points, 3.3 assists, and 3.0 rebounds in 23.7 minutes a game.
Nance Jr., whose father's jersey is retired in the arena he'll be playing in for the foreseeable future, averaged 8.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in 42 games for the Lakers this season.
Cleveland acquires Rodney Hood and George Hill from Utah and Sacramento
In a three-team trade that involved six players, the Cavaliers made another move shortly after their first trade of the day, shocking the league and social media.
| Team |
In |
Out |
| Cleveland |
George Hill
Rodney Hood
|
Derrick Rose
Jae Crowder
Iman Shumpert
|
| Sacramento |
Joe Johnson
Iman Shumpert
|
George Hill
|
| Utah |
Jae Crowder
Derrick Rose
|
Rodney Hood
|
The Cavaliers received George Hill, a more-than-capable starting point guard, and sharpshooter Rodney Hood from Sacramento and Utah.
Hill, 31, had reportedly been upset with the Kings after he was promised minutes and a bigger role when he initially signed with the team this past summer. It's unclear who will start at point guard for the Cavaliers between Clarkson and Hill, although we should find out the team's decision in the next coming days.
Hill holds averages of 10.3 points, 2.8 assists, and 2.7 rebounds in 43 games for the Kings this season.
Hood, who had spent his first three seasons in Utah, after they selected him with the No, 23 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, became expendable after the Jazz hit on rookie Donovan Mitchell this past summer. In 227 games for the Jazz, Hood holds averages of 13.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.0 assists on 37 percent shooting from the arc.
He will now join the Cavs, hoping to build on his 16.8 point average this season.
Utah is expected to waive Derrick Rose following the trade, with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Rose's former coach Tom Thibodeau expressing interest in the former MVP.
The Jazz will welcome Jae Crowder's defensive prowess and hope he'll return to his previous season's form. So far this season, Crowder has been a disappointment this year, averaging 8.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 53 games with Cleveland this season.
Joe Johnson is also expected to get bought out with the Sacramento Kings, with the Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics expected to pursue him heavily.
Cleveland trades Dwayne Wade to the Miami Heat in exchange for a 2024 second-round pick
In an effort to overhaul their roster, bringing in youth and athleticism, Cleveland remained loyal to Dwayne Wade and traded him back to Miami where his career first started.
Heat fans won't have to wait long for Wade to don Miami threads once again, as he said he'll be ready to go Friday against Milwaukee.
New York, Dallas, and Denver get a three-team deal done sending Emmanuel Mudiay to New York
After falling out of the point guard rotation this season with the Denver Nuggets and the emergence of 20-year-old Jamal Murray, the Nuggets shipped Emmanuel Mudiay to the Big Apple in a three-team trade.
Mudiay, 21, was the No. 7 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft and found himself buried deep on the Denver bench this season, averaging a career-low 17.9 minutes per game. His minutes have declined all three seasons he's been in the league.
He'll now join Frank Ntilikina, 19, who the Knicks selected with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.
The Nuggets get a veteran presence in Devin Harris, something the team had been lacking since the loss of Jameer Nelson. Denver will also receive a future second-round pick from the Knicks as well.
Dallas receives sharpshooter Doug McDermott, who has bounced around the league the last two seasons, going from Chicago to Oklahoma City, and now from New York to Dallas.
Phoenix acquires guard Elfird Payton from Orlando in exchange for a second-round pick
In a deal that came minutes before the 3 p.m. EST deadline, the Orlando Magic agreed to send point guard Elfrid Payton to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for a 2018 second-round draft selection.
Payton, 23, was the No. 10 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. During his three and a half year stint in Orlando, Payton has averaged 11.1 points, 6.4 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in 29.5 minutes a game.
He'll head to a Phoenix team that lacks an answer at point guard, with Tyler Ulis and 10-day contract signee Josh Gray the only healthy options at the position. Brandon Knight is out for the season with a torn ACL, while Isaiah Canaan will miss the remainder of the year with a fractured ankle.
Payton is expected to take over starting point guard duties and will help to close out the season for the Suns on a high note, one that would ease the burden on guard Devin Booker, who's been manning the point guard position for the Suns recently.
He was brought in as an insurance policy for the Suns in the event that the team did not end up with either one of Trae Young or Luka Doncic, a league source told Hashtag Basketball. Phoenix has a stockpile of future second-round picks and felt comfortable in trading for Payton.
Orlando will receive the second-most favorable of either Memphis, Charlotte, or Miami's second-round pick in 2018, according to a league source.
The Suns are expected to waive Canaan in order to open up a roster spot for Payton.
Miami re-acquires Luke Babbitt from Atlanta in exchange for Okaro White
The Hawks and Heat make a minor trade that sends three-point shooter Luke Babbitt back to Miami in exchange for forward Okaro White.
Babbitt, 28, left the Heat in the offseason but has since returned, marking two reunions for the Heat this deadline. He's expected to provide Miami with some shooting off the bench in the wake of a shoulder injury to Kelly Olynyk.
Following the trade, White has been waived from the Hawks.
Detroit ships Willie Reed to Chicago in exchange for Jameer Nelson and swap 2022 second-round picks
The Pistons add depth to the point guard position in this move while swapping second-round picks in 2022.
Grizzlies acquire Brice Johnson and a future second-round pick from Detroit in exchange for James Ennis
Brice Johnson, 23, spends a few days in Detroit via the Blake Griffin trade before he's traded away to Memphis.
Detroit adds, even more, shooting in Ennis, while Memphis gets a forward in Johnson who was the No. 25 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft out of the University of North Carolina.
Portlands sends Noah Vonleh and cash considerations to Chicago in exchange for the rights to Milovan Rakovic
Portland gives up on the Noah Vonleh experiment and sends him to Chicago in exchange for a 32-year-old Milovan Rakovic.
Vonleh, 22, was the No. 9 overall selection in the 2014 NBA Draft and has not lived up to his potential yet. During the draft process, he was compared to the likes of Chris Bosh. Instead, he'll now head to his third NBA team in four years hoping to break out for the Bulls.
Rakovic, who plays for Union Neuchatel Basket of the Swiss Basketball League, isn't expected to make the jump to the NBA.
New Orleans acquires Rashad Vaughn from Brooklyn in exchange for Dante Cunningham
New Orleans picks up a project in Rashad Vaughn, who is just a 21-year-old shooting guard by way of UNLV, swapping him for forward Dante Cunningham.
He was the No. 17 overall selection in the 2015 NBA Draft, picked ahead of players such as Bobby Portis, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Larry Nance Jr., and Josh Richardson.
Washington sends guard Sheldon Mac to Atlanta for a future second-round draft pick
The Wizards send injured guard Sheldon Mac to the Hawks in exchange for a protected 2019 second-round pick.
Mac, 25, underwent surgery in October to repair a torn left Achilles tendon and is expected to miss the remainder of the season.
Washington saves money in the deal while also creating an open roster spot for any buyout candidates.
Atlanta picks up a second-round pick.
Toronto ships Bruno Caboclo to Sacramento in exchange for Malachi Richardson
In a deal that no one ever saw coming, the Raptors finally admitted to their Caboclo mistake and sent him to Sacramento for swingman Malachi Richardson.
Caboclo, 22, was the No. 20 overall selection in the 2014 NBA Draft and had appeared in 25 career games, holding averages of 1.1 points, 0.6 rebounds, and 0.2 assists in 4.5 minutes per game.
Toronto picks up a young swingman who's only appeared in 47 career games.
Richardson, 22, was the No. 22 overall selection in the 2016 NBA Draft and holds averages of 3.5 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 0.5 assists in 11.0 minutes per game.
Recap
On deadline day, 12 trades processed, with 27 players switching teams. If the deadline told us anything, it was that not many teams were as aggressive as previously reported. First-round picks were held in high esteem, as the Cavaliers were the only team to trade a first-rounder. Memphis ended up holding onto swingman Tyreke Evans, while the Boston Celtics kept guard Marcus Smart.
The new CBA/TV Money contracts can be pointed to as a sign as to why teams weren't willing to part with any first-round picks. Rather than taking on salary teams around the league figured that the rookie-scale contracts were too valuable in today's market.
We're now 143 days away from free agency.