NBA Trade Rumors Roundup: Latest News, Buzz, Updates as Deadline Passes
The NBA trade deadline is Thursday, Feb. 8 at 3 p.m. ET, and news and rumors are flurrying around the league as teams look to shake up their rosters in anticipation of the stretch run.
As is the case every season, certain teams have emerged as buyers while others are looking to unload salary and/or get younger. The free-falling Cavaliers have long been expected to make a move before the deadline, most often being linked with Kings point guard George Hill, but Cleveland has yet to strike a deal with just hours until that 3 p.m. deadline. The Lakers, on the other hand, have made most of their young players available in an attempt to free up salary commitments going forward.
The most notable player in recent trade rumors is Clippers center DeAndre Jordan, who has been linked with the Cavs, Blazers, Bucks and Wizards. The Clippers, who traded away Chris Paul before the season and Blake Griffin on Jan. 30, were also reportedly fielding offers for Lou Williams, but the team signed him to a three-year contract extension on Wednesday.
Other players who could be on the move include Grizzlies guard Tyreke Evans, Jazz guard Rodney Hood, Wizards center Marcin Gortat and Pistons forward Stanley Johnson. There's also an outside chance Kemba Walker gets moved, but there's a sense around the league that this deadline could come and go without a major splash.
Of course, some major moves have happened well before the deadline. Most notably, the Clippers dealt Griffin to the Pistons for Avery Bradley, Tobias Harris and Boban Marjanovic, and the Pelicans also acquired Nikola Mirotic during deadline week. The biggest trade of the entire season happened before a single game was played—when the Cavs traded Kyrie Irving to the Celtics for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and a pick.
Stay with us as we track all the latest news, rumors, and deals that go down before the deadline.
4:02 p.m. - Notable players who are staying put, IT wants a buyout if he doesn't start
A number of key players who were expected, or at least rumored, to get traded but stayed put include: Grizzlies guard Tyreke Evans, Clippers center DeAndre Jordan, Bulls center Robin Lopez, Bulls guard Justin Holiday, Wizards center Marcin Gortat, Clippers guard Avery Bradley, Hawks guard Marco Belinelli.
Isaiah Thomas, who was traded to the Lakers today in the deal that saw Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance move to Cleveland, would prefer a buyout if he doesn't start for the Lakers. That could complicate things, as the Lakers' starting point guard (when healthy) has been Lonzo Ball, the number two pick in the 2017 draft. (Rachel Nichols, ESPN)
3:06 p.m. - DeAndre and Tyreke staying put, Let buyout season begin
Despite engaging in talks with multiple teams, the Clippers did not strike a deal for DeAndre Jordan. (Adrian Wojnarowski, ESPN) The Grizzlies, too, will keep Tyreke Evans after failing to agree to a trade.
Now that the deadline has passed, the next dominoes begin to fall: buyouts. Multiple players who were dealt (or not dealt) today will soon be bought out and become free agents. Joe Johnson, who was traded from the Jazz to the Kings today in the deal that brought Rodney Hood and George Hil to Cleveland, will reportedly be bought out by Sacramento. The favorites to land him? The Warriors and Celtics. (Chris Mannix, Yahoo! Sports)
2:59 p.m. - Elfrid Payton to the Suns, any last-minute magic?
The Magic have traded Elfrid Payton to the Suns in exchange for a second-round pick. The deadline is only a minute away, but trades are often reported after the 3 p.m. deadline, as it sometimes takes a bit for reporters to get wind of deals. (Adrian Wojnarowski, ESPN)
2:45 p.m. - Things getting hectic as deadline nears
With only 15 minutes left until the deadline, we're going to go with bullet points:
• The Sixers remain in the hunt for Hawks guard Marco Belinelli. (Michael Scott, The Athletic)
• The Sixers are also involved in talks for Tyreke Evans, but Memphis asked for Dario Saric, and that was a dealbreaker. (Alex Kennedy, Basketball Insiders)
• If Shabazz Muhammad isn't traded by the Wolves, he could get bought out and become a prized free agent. (Marc Spears, ESPN)
2:22 - Portland trades Vonleh, gets under cap, Tyreke staying put?
Per Woj, Portland has traded Noah Vonleh and Cash to the Bulls for the rights to Milovan Rakovic. For what it's worth, Rakovic is a 32-year-old Serbian who has never played in the NBA. He was drafted by the Mavericks in 2007. Notably, this trade gets Portland under the salary cap and opens up a $3.5 million traded player exception, which they could use on a free agent on the buyout market.
Also, per Woj (who is killing it today, per usual), the Grizzlies haven't made much progress in any deal involving Tyreke Evans. If they do indeed keep him, which is looking increasingly likely, they'll try and re-sign him using their mid-level exception this summer.
2:06 p.m. Knicks get Mudiay but dish McDermott, PERK BACK
The Knicks acquire Emmanuel Mudiay, the seventh overall pick in the 2015 draft, in a three-team deal involving the Nuggets and Dallas. As part of the deal, Doug McDermott will go to Dallas and Devin Harris will go to Denver.
Cleveland has sent six players away and received four, so they have a two open roster spots. One of those spots will be filled by none other than Kendrick Perkins, who has not played an NBA game since 2016. (Adrian Wojnarowski, ESPN)
1:53 p.m. - D-Rose to Minnesota?
This feels like a new low for Derrick Rose, who was (never forget) the league MVP in 2011. Rose, who was sent there in the deal that brought Rodney Hood and George Hill to Cleveland, will reportedly be released by the Jazz. There is some light at the end of the tunnel, though, as the Timberwolves will reportedly try to sign him after he's released. (Shams Charania, Yahoo! Sports) (Marc Stein, New York Times)
1:41 p.m. - If a tree falls in a forest when no one's around...
The Raptors have traded Bruno Caboclo to Sacramento for Malachi Richardson, according to Yahoo! Sports' Shams Charania.
1:08 p.m. - Cavs' major shake-up continues, D-Wade headed back to Miami
More Cavs trades! This time Cleveland will trade Dwyane Wade back to Miami in exchange for a protected second-round pick. The Cavs armed themselves with athletic young wings and realized D-Wade didn't fit their plans, so they worked out a deal to send him back to Miami. (Adrian Wojnarowski, ESPN) Cleveland has now gotten rid of Isaiah Thomas, Channing Frye, Iman Shumpert, Derrick Rose, Jae Crowder and Wade.
1:01 p.m. - The Cavaliers are completely retooling; acquire Rodney Hood, George Hill
Cleveland, which has struggled mightily of late, is seriously shaking up their roster. Per Woj, the Cavs will acquire Rodney Hood, one of the most in-demand trade targets, from the Jazz and point guard George Hill from the Kings. As part of the deal, Utah will send Joe Johnson to Sacramento, Cleveland will send Iman Shumpert to Sacramento and Jae Crowder and Derrick Rose to Utah.
The full deal:
Cleveland receives: Rodney Hood, George Hill
Utah receives: Derrick Rose, Jae Crowder
Sacramento receives: Iman Shumpert, Joe Johnson
12:42 p.m. - Pistons, Grizzlies agree on minor deal
Minor deal here, as the Pistons send Brice Johnson and a second-round pick to the Grizzlies for James Ennis.
12:11 p.m. - The Isaiah Thomas experiment is over in Cleveland
Gotta love the NBA trade deadline, as a major deal just came out of nowhere. Cleveland is reportedly sending Isaiah Thomas (really), Channing Frye and their first-round pick (not Brooklyn's) to the Lakers for Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. Woj first reported the deal, while Kevin O'Connor reported the haul Cleveland will send to Los Angeles.
11:57 a.m. - Raptors in the DeAndre Race, Cavs looking at Kemba
We're seeing some bigger names now, as another contender out East has thrown its hat into the DeAndre Jordan ring. The Raptors are trying to work their way into the mix but would likely need a third team to facilitate a potential deal. (Marc Stein, New York Times).
The Cavs, according to Woj, are trying to piece together a deal for Hornets point guard Kemba Walker, but they're finding little common ground with Charlotte. Charlotte's owner, some guy named Michael Jordan, won't part easily with Walker and has previously said he won't let him go without getting an All-Star in return.
11:42 a.m. - Pistons, Pels discussing Brice Johnson for Dante Cunningham
The Pistons and Pelicans are deep in negotiations about a deal that would send Brice Johnson to New Orleans in exchange for Dante Cunningham, who recently requested a trade. Also, the Bulls intend to immediately waive Willie Reed. (Vincent Goodwill, NBC Sports Chicago)
11:11 a.m. - Finally, a trade! Jameer Nelson to the Pistons
We have our first deal on Deadline Day, though it's not exactly a game-changer. The Bulls are trading veteran point guard Jameer Nelson to the Pistons for Willie Reed, whom Detroit acquired from the Clippers in the Blake Griffin deal. As part of the deal, the two teams will swap their second-round picks in 2022. (Shams Charania, Yahoo! Sports)
Nelson spent one week with the Bulls and did not appear in a game for them, as he was traded to Chicago from New Orleans in the deal that brought Nikola Mirotic to the Pelicans. Reed was just suspended six games for a domestic violence incident in August.
10:47 a.m. - Will there be any deals at all?
It's looking more and more like this will be one of the quieter trade deadlines in recent memory. Woj says multiple teams have told ESPN that they're already "easing out" of the trade market with more than four hours left until the deadline. Instead, they're focusing on retooling with players who will be available on the buyout market.
10:29 a.m. - Lakers looking to move Randle, Clarkson, Nance
The Lakers have made a number of their young players available, including Julius Randle (for the right price), Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. Nance in particularly has served as a "sweetener" in talks involving Clarkson, whose contract has been a sticking point. Clarkson is in the second year of a four-year deal worth $50 million. (Kevin O'Connor, The Ringer)
10:08 a.m. - Keep an eye on DeMarre Caroll and Rodney Hood
Two players to keep an eye on: Brooklyn's DeMarre Carroll and Utah's Rodney Hood. Brooklyn could get a pick in a deal for Carroll, per Jeff Zillgitt, but Bleacher Report's Howard Beck says that'd really upset coach Kenny Atkinson, who loves the effect Carroll's had on his young team. And 20 teams have inquired about Rodney Hood, who has said his gut tells him he won't be in Utah by the time the deadline comes. Hood is set to become a free agent at the end of the season, so the Jazz have three options—trade him, keep him and allow him to become a free agent, or keep him and sign him to an extension. (Marc Stein, New York Times)
9:22 a.m. - OKC, T'wolves would be interested in Noah post-buyout, Spurs and Clippers discussing Green-Bradley
Remember Joakim Noah? The Knicks big man, who is in just the second year of a four-year, $72.5 million deal, has played in just seven games this season and hasn't been with the team recently as New York has sought a trade partner to take the 32-year-old off their hands. But Noah's contract is, unsurprisingly, proving extremely difficult to trade. If the Knicks and Noah do agree on a buyout—something Noah has said he isn't interested in—the Thunder and Timberwolves would be among the interested teams. (Ian Begley, ESPN)
Don't foret about the Spurs. San Antonio and the Clippers have discussed a deal that would send Danny Green and a first-round pick to Los Angeles in exchange for Avery Bradley, whom the Clippers acquired from Detroit in the Blake Griffin deal. (Marc Stein, New York Times)
8:46 a.m. - Cleveland remains in the hunt for DeAndre Jordan
The Cavs haven't given up on their pursuit of DeAndre Jordan just yet. Cleveland and Los Angeles remain in discussion about a deal involving the star center and have had conversations with potential third teams to facilitate the deal. (Adrian Wojnarowski, ESPN)
8:23 a.m. - Welcome to Deadline Day!
Happy Deadline Day! It's been a relatively quiet morning as a number of teams have been unwilling to compromise on their asking prices for assets. The Thunder have deemed Paul George "untouchable" while Memphis is still insisting on receiving a first-round pick—and nothing less—for the in-demand Tyreke Evans, an asking price that's proven too high for teams like the Celtics, Nuggets and 76ers. Teams have also called regarding three-time All-Star Marc Gasol, but any inquiry about the Spaniard has been rebuffed. (Sam Amick, USA Today) (Adrian Wojnarowski, ESPN)
Wednesday's news
• Teams reaching out to the Grizzlies about Marc Gasol have been consistently shut down. (ESPN)
• The Lakers have turned down several offering second-round picks for Julius Randle. (ESPN)
• The Clippers are looking to get a first-round pick in exchange for guard Avery Bradley. Bradley was acquired by Los Angeles in the Blake Griffin trade. (New York Times)
• The Spurs have emerged as a possible trade suitor for Clippers guard Avery Bradley. (New York Times)
• The Clippers and Lou Williams agreed to a three-year extension. (Sources)
• The Knicks have traded Willy Hernangomez to the Hornets for two second-round picks and Johnny O'Bryant. The team plans to waive O'Bryant. (Official)
• The Jazz are still trying to trade Rodney Hood. Hood will be a restricted free agents this summer. Hood told Shams Charania of Yahoo! Sports that his "gut feeling" is he will not be in Utah after the deadline. (Sporting News)
• The Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets and Philadelphia 76ers and another unidentified team are interested in Memphis Grizzlies guard Tyreke Evans. Evans has not played since Jan. 31 in anticipation of a trade. (ESPN.com)
