NBA Trade Deadline: Recapping Every Major Deal
It’s deadline day! Here at The Crossover’s 2020 NBA trade deadline live blog, we are providing instant analysis on reports and rumors all day. The Rockets, Hawks, Timberwolves and Nuggets agreed to terms on a four-team, 12-player deal late Tuesday night—one of the biggest trades in NBA history. While the Grizzlies traded Andre Iguodala to the Heat in exchange for Justise Winslow, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Iguodala has also agreed to a two-year, $30 million contract extension with Miami that includes a team option in 2021-22, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania. In addition, the Heat and Grizzlies are reportedly working with Oklahoma City on an "elaborate" three-team deal that would bring the Thunder's Danilo Gallinari to Miami along with Iguodala. To make the deal work, Miami may have to release protections on a 2023 first-round pick the Heat owe the Thunder, Wojnarowski reports. In a smaller transaction, the Warriors are trading Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson III to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for three second-round picks.
If you want to keep up with every second of the madness as it happens, check out our live blog below, which features instant reactions in real-time to all the deadline hoopla.
3:05 PM: We did it! The deadline has passed and we all survived.
The big moves are as follows: The Clips got Marcus Morris. The Wolves and Warriors exchanged Andrew Wiggins and D’Angelo Russell. The Heat got Andre Iguodala. The Grizzlies got Justise Winslow. The Lakers and Celtics got no one. The Cavaliers got Andre Drummond. And that’s really just the tip of the iceberg.
Some small deals that happened as the deadline grew closer include James Ennis to the Magic, Isaiah Thomas to the Clips as part of the Morris trade (and Jerome Robinson to the Wizards), and Shabazz Napier is headed to Washington as well.
As for the teams that struck out, I’m sure the Lakers, Celtics, Rockets, and others will all be active on the buyout market. The Lakers are already frontrunners for Darren Collison, reports The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor.
For now, feel free to scroll back through the live blog if you want to relive any of the madness. Thanks for following along!
2:30 PM: It's picking up!
A flurry of activity as the deadline approaches! Jerome Robinson is headed to the Wizards from the Clips, according to Caron Butler! Seems like a reasonable enough low-risk pickup for the Wiz. Robinson was a lottery pick in 2018.
James Johnson is now headed to Minnesota in exchange for Gorgui Dieng as part of the Andre Iguodala trade, reports Woj. I like the makeover for the Wolves. Johnson can offer solid minutes at the four and maybe even as a backup five against certain lineups. Minny also needs wing depth after trading Robert Covington.
Shabazz Napier is being rerouted from Denver to Washington in exchange for Jordan McRae, reports Candace Buckner. Keith Smith says this could be happening in conjunction with an Isaiah Thomas trade.
Phew.
2:17 PM: Cleveland is finalizing a trade for Andre Drummond!
The Pistons will receive Brandon Knight, John Henson and a second-round pick form the Cavaliers for Drummond, according to the Ringer's Kevin O'Connor.
What a salary dump.
2:10 PM: The Knicks are trading Marcus Morris to the Clippers
The Clippers have beat out the Lakers in the Marcus Morris sweepstakes, according to Shams.
1:30 PM: D'Angelo Russell is headed to Minnesota!
Whoa! The Warriors have traded D’Angelo Russell to the Timberwolves in exchange for Andrew Wiggins and some draft picks, reports Woj. Easily the biggest trade of the day. I don’t understand why Golden State was in a rush to make this move. I have no reason to believe this, but could they have gotten a better return in the summer? Acquiring Wiggins is a big bet on the culture created by Steve Kerr. He hasn’t lived up to the hype in Minnesota and he’ll join the Dubs on a massive contract. Wiggins may become a much higher priced version of Harrison Barnes...with even more questionable shooting. I don’t know about this trade for the Warriors at first blush, but maybe those picks can become something as well.
Elsewhere: The Clippers are hot on Marcus Morris, reports The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor. Morris is a popular guy after the Heat traded for Andre Iguodala. Morris can provide some shooting and defensive depth to whichever team he ends up on. I wonder if the Lakers are still in play (they’ve been awfully quiet so far.) According to KOC, the sharpshooting Landry Shamet is off the table in any potential Morris deal.
Also the Rockets are trading Jordan Bell for Bruno Caboclo. Okay.
1:00 PM: A couple notes as we approach the deadline:
Chris Haynes says Houston did its “due diligence” on Tristan Thompson, but couldn’t find a way to match salaries in a potential trade with the Cavaliers. For now, the Rockets still look committed to supersmallball for the rest of the season, though Houston almost certainly will pick up a cheap center on the buyout market.
Elsewhere, the Clippers traded Derrick Walton Jr. for cash (how crass!), which basically opens up a roster spot. The Clips can use that spot to take on an extra guy in a trade or for a buyout guy down the line.
12:30 PM: The Knicks are trying to land Kyle Kuzma
According to Frank Isola, the Knicks (with a new-look front office on the way) are pursuing Kyle Kuzma in a deal that would send Marcus Morris to the Lakers. This is not enough to pass judgment, but Morris’s scoring and offensive versatility would be a legitimate upgrade for L.A.’s closing lineups come playoff time. The Lakers would have to add another player or two to match salaries to do a deal like this straight up, which could mean Danny Green is a logical candidate to go the other way. If they’re able to nab Morris, it ups the ante for rival contenders like the Clippers and Bucks, who both have first-round picks they can part with and have yet to make a move. The next couple hours will tell all.
11:48 AM: Is the Danilo Gallinari deal dead?
Memphis is sending Jae Crowder and Solomon Hill to Miami as part of the Andre Iguodala deal. Dion Waiters and James Johnson are headed to Memphis in the trade as well. Does this mean the Danilo Gallinari deal is dead? Woj reports that the Grizzlies and Heat are focusing on a two-team deal with Miami and Oklahoma City unable to reach an agreement on a three-team trade that would land Gallinari to the Heat.
Whether they land Gallinari or not, the Heat are stacking up on wings in hopes of slowing down Giannis and the Bucks come playoff time. Will it work? Only time will tell.
Here's to hoping Crowder and Butler get along.
11:15 AM: Andre Drummond will remain in Detroit
Chris Haynes reports the Pistons will likely keep Andre Drummond today after his name has popped up in rumors the last few weeks. I actually really like Drummond and I want to live in a world where centers like him can thrive on winning teams. But this makes sense, because I don’t know who could’ve taken Drummond on and found a way to integrate him into their gameplan this far into the season.
10:45 AM: Bogdan is not going anywhere - ALSO WORLD WIDE WES to NY
Quiet morning so far as we wait for the Heat to complete their potential three teamer with OKC and Memphis. Elsewhere, James Ham of NBC Sports reports the Kings will not trade Bogdan Bogdanovic today. That’s good news! Sacramento has already made a couple head-scratching trades this season. Bogdanovic is a good player who can be a useful part of the core moving forward.
Also, the Knicks are hiring CAA’s Leon Rose as a head of basketball ops, according to a combo of Woj, Ramona Shelburne, and Shams. Honestly, considering the success of Bob Myers and (to a somewhat lesser extent) Rob Pelinka as agents-turned-front office men, the Knicks could be doing worse. Rose is certainly very well connected, and Shams says William “World Wide Wes” Wesley will also have a role in the front office. If the Knicks’ problems stem from players not trusting management, this should help at least a little bit, right? It’s easy to dunk on this team and I love doing so as much as the next guy, but if Masai Ujiri had no interest, I don’t think this move has any extra probability for disaster than a typical Knicks occurrence.
8:05: Heat working on extension with Gallinari to complete three-team trade
7:00 AM: Iggy is excited to join the Heat
Pat Riley is definitely going for it this season with the addition of Andre Iguodala and the hopes of acquiring the Thunder's Danilo Gallinari. This team is going to be dangerous in the playoffs with Jimmy and Iggy both defending the ball. Iguodala sounded genuinely happy about heading to South Beach in a video from The Undefeated's Marc Spears:
“I’m really excited about that. Jimmy Butler obviously proved to be one of those guys who is looked at as different but very well-respected in terms of the passion and hard work that he brings out to the game. I feel like his temperament and the values that he have really resonates with the Miami Heat.”
He also talked about his excitement about working with the younger players on the Heat's roster such as Bam—a little shot at his former young Grizzlies teammates.
