Multiple Former Oklahoma State Stars Moved at NBA Trade Deadline

The NBA trade deadline has been as wild as ever in 2025, and two Cowboys were caught in the insanity.

On Wednesday night, the Golden State Warriors acquired All-Star Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat as part of a multi-team trade that sent former Cowboy Lindy Waters III to Detroit. Waters had spent the first three seasons of his career with the Thunder before being moved to the Warriors over the offseason.

This season, Waters has been in and out of the regular rotation for the Warriors but should give the Pistons some additional shooting. In 38 games, he has averaged 5.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists while shooting a career-worst 33.1% from deep.

Although this hasn’t been his best season, he will join another former Cowboy in Detroit, with Cade Cunningham leading the Pistons. With Waters and Cunningham on the same team, two former Cowboys are on the same NBA team for the first time since John Lucas III and Stephen Graham briefly teamed up on the Houston Rockets in the 2005-06 season.

Along with a couple of former Cowboys teaming up, another former Cowboy was moved on Thursday. In the minutes before the deadline, the Memphis Grizzlies sent Marcus Smart to the Washington Wizards to create roster flexibility.

Smart spent the first nine seasons of his career in Boston and had a memorable tenure with the Celtics. He played a key role in each season, helping the Celtics to nine straight playoff appearances, including the 2022 season, when he won Defensive Player of the Year and helped Boston to its first NBA Finals since 2010.

However, Smart wasn’t able to stick around for the Celtics’ NBA title in 2024 as he was dealt to Memphis the offseason before. His time with the Grizzlies was injury-riddled, playing only 39 of a possible 133 games.

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