The NBA Trade Deadline is today at 3 PM ET, 12 PM PT. This thread will service as a place to discuss any and all deals and rumors as they happen. If the Sacramento Kings make any moves, we’ll of course cover those individually.
Unfortunately it seems we should have posted this thread last night, because of the biggest dominos in the league has already fallen, with the Brooklyn Nets trading Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns.
The Suns are sending Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, four first-round picks, a 2028 pick swap for Durant and TJ Warren, sources tell ESPN. Durant wanted move and new owner Mat Ishbia pushed to get deal done tonight. https://t.co/fqFUMIDllo
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 9, 2023
Nets gets unprotected picks in 2023, 2025, 2027 and 2029, source tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 9, 2023
This has huge implications for the Western Conference playoff race, and we’ll spend more time analyzing the potential impact to the Kings once all the dust has settled today.
Among the biggest names expected to move today, the Raptors seem destined to trade OG Anunoby, and Phoenix will try to move Jae Crowder.
The Kings seem likely to pursue a trade to upgrade the bench unit, having been connected in rumors to the likes of Matisse Thybulle, Mason Plumlee, and Nerlens Noel. The Kings have also been rumored to be actively shopping Richaun Holmes. I’m hopeful Monte McNair can pull off something good even if it’s just a small upgrade to improve the bench.
It should be a fun day. Stay tuned.
I unplug last night around 9:30 and shit goes crazy. Gonna be a fun day.
Glad you did. I was at a bar when I saw the Woj bomb. A long day at work (at least it wasn’t hard) and a few beers later and I was on my way home. But I think my mind was racing more from the Durant news than I was from the 3 light beers I had at BJ’s. LOL
BJs and Beer are awesome.. wait nvm beers at BJ’s not as awesome but still great
Your filth is noted, and appreciated.
I was about to go to sleep around 10ish and then the Woj bomb happened.
I’m shocked PHX gave up as much as they did for Durant. As good as he is, he’s going to be 35 before next season and hasn’t played in 70% of his regular season games since moving to Brooklyn. The Suns have this year and maybe next to win it all.
Nets, on the other hand. Have a bunch of great pieces and a ton of picks. I also don’t think they are done. If they are looking to move one of their many wings, it would nice for the Kings to pounce
I think giving up Bridges A) is bad and B) giving up a lot of picks which means you’re moving Devin Booker at some point to recoup that is also a difficult pill I’m not sure I’d want to swallow.
But that said, I don’t fear Phoenix as much as others do. If you take away the name power, I ask this: Who is the best defender on the Suns now that Mikal Bridges is (for the moment at least) in Brooklyn?
I guess Torrey Craig? Yeah, they are all offense and no defense at this point, just like Dallas.
Agree, big risk for Suns going forward . Is Durant ever going to be able to stay healthy for 60 games ? Doubt it !
is Booker? He’s missed more games than you might think over his career.
That is overlooked a lot when people talk about Booker. This is quite a gamble for PHX. Might look like the Laker trade for AD, they get a ring then go off the rails for a bit.
Is that worth it? I don’t know, I’m not especially enamored of the notion of winning rings. It’s often about luck as much as anything.
That’s exactly why they did the trade, to win a chip. That would be a successful trade in their eyes even if it was only one. What has Phoenix really got to lose, the team prior to acquiring Durant wasn’t going to get it done anyways. It was going to cost them bridges at the very least, and 4 unprotected firsts is a haul for Brooklyn but having KD on ur team is a game changer in the short term
I like the way Tim thinks…sometimes.
https://twitter.com/TimMaxwell22/status/1623711314534367232
Why send Barnes? I doubt the Nets will be aiming to win games. Could the kings not offer expirings and a young player plus picks? I guess it depends what the Grizzlies are offering.
Barnes is expiring and will probably get waived.
To make the money work, mainly.
I’d also ask for Mills or Sumner coming back to fill the point guard void.
Preferably Sumner.
Agreed, though I think with Mills we could save a pick for taking that $7m for a 35yo off their hands next season.
Give up ALL the assets and get Claxton thrown in too! I know, I know. Never happen for multiple reasons, but adding two smart elite versatile defenders…
I’m not trading Nic Claxton after having already traded Jarrett Allen. There’s no guarantee you’ll find another big as good as Claxton is now.
Although, it’s not impossible. For the right return anyone is tradeable….
I thought the same thing. Seemed like a perfect example of win now and worry about the future when it comes.
Gave up a ton (imo) in pics and good players for an objectively great player who is on the backside of his career and as you mentioned, misses a decent amount of games a year.
I could certainly live with the Bridges deal Baby G proposed!
I think Durant is under contract for 2 more years after this one. He and Booker should be incredible together, I think they get 1 championship in the next 3 seasons.
Who plays defense for them? Who is coming off of their bench?
The depth and defense just got impacted, no doubt. They should be able to find some quality back-ups and defenders this off-season who will take cheap deals to play with these guys. But, keeping Booker, Paul, and Ayton while bringing in KD is a huge upgrade for the next 2-3 years.
They are banking on Booker/Durant to carry those lineup’s…and right now that’s Booker because Durant will be out for awhile.
I don’t get exaclty what makes Phx such an automatic title contender. It’s mostly name on the back of the jersey knee jerk reaction IMO.
This has that “new owner smell” written all over it.
Yep. New owners think they understand how to build rosters better than their GM’s do….
Ishiba and the other guy he’s partnered with will likely learn. As Woj said, most do.
And PHX might be too far back when Durant is ready to play.
Who plays defense here?
You may recall that last summer, Durant had three full years on his contract, and demanded a trade. If things in Phoenix don’t go exactly to his liking, is there any reason to believe that he won’t do the same?
Contracts are meaningless to players at his level, other than their money had better not be late. Everything else is up for grabs.
100%, I said the same thing below in the comments. That is a major risk with KD. He is a total wild card. The wind blows the wrong way, he demands a trade.
I will never tire of this photo from a pre-season press conference.
Gotta love a new owner.
Four first round picks, YIKES.
Right? Who gave up more, PHX to get Durant, or what Minny gave up for Gobert?
Phoenix because Bridges is the best player that either team gave up.
I agree that the Nets got a hell of a return for KD. But if we’re talking right now, I’d say KD is still the best player. However, Mikal is the best asset and would be better than KD in a few years — assuming he doesn’t get a Lebron type of renaissance.
KD doesn’t have the body type LeBron has.
His game would be more of a spot up guy as he ages.
I agree and no one does. Dude is a super soldier.
Yep, pretty much. Him and the Big O.
You and Jerry Reynolds or are you ?
Goodness no. I’ve never even been to Indiana for crying out loud.
Bridges isn’t even an all star yet. Any team trading for Durant would have to give up a piece like that.
The Gobert trade looks like a flop, so far… Let’s talk in a year about this KD deal. Hell, he might be holding his semi-annual trade demand tour in Feb 2024.
I like that in the middle to long term, Both Phoenix and the Lakers are likely to be very hamstrung in future efforts to put competitive teams on the floor. No picks or young assets to put on the table in a deal.
If the Suns win a ship then it was worth it same way the AD trade was worth it because LAL one a ship.
I love living in the PST for trade deadline day. We’ll know everything by lunch.
Who is expecting no trade from the Kings ?
I am not against no trade……as “Less is More”………..
We played well, and the team right now got good chemistry…………
Just don’t want to ruin the current team chemistry.
Also, I personally like the team don’t have any toxic contract at all.
Richaun certainly isn’t a toxic player, but that contract is.
Everyone is happy and pleased that Holmes signed that “below market value contract” last year…kept saying Holmes gave the Kings a discount and stayed as a Kings…
Few months later, that contract becomes toxic…
Totally agree, except for the part of Holmes giving the Kings a discount. All indications were he couldn’t get the money that he and his agent expected elsewhere. Seemed like a good contract at the time. Today, not so much.
It is not a toxic conract, good lord, it’s nowhere near that.
Yea, and I think the Sixers is a good destination for him. They’re probably thinking about it too. I hope if the Kings make a move for Thybulle, it would include Holmes for Thybulle and Korkmaz (assuming the contracts work).
Eh, there isn’t much smoke out there right now about the Kings doing a deal. That’s the big hope I’ve got.
Besides Jae Crowder just got moved to Milwaukee for 5 2nd rd picks. LOL
lmao 5 2nd rounders what the fuck
Brooklyn is probably going to save quite a bit of tax as well. I’m interested to see what the cap mechanics of this deal look like by the time the smoke clears. There’s not many clarifications yet on what that deal looks like for Milwaukee.
We clearly need a defensive stopper to slow whoever is going off on the Kings turnstile defense on any given night.
Exactly!
Unless we’re counting on the Kings scoring 140+ every game, Monte needs to find a couple of guys who can play some defense.
Just throwing it out there, but with the Nets blowing things up and amassing a ton of wings. I’d call on Ben Simmons.
Before you scoff, his price is at an all time low and he could play backup center, would be the best defensive wing, and/or backup PG. All positions of need for the Kings. Kings could find 25 minutes a night for him. Not sure how to make contract numbers work, but maybe get a third team involved.
Lol I was thinking about Ben Simmons as backup C as well
There’s no way to make this deal without including Barnes Adam. Do you want to do that? I don’t, not for Ben Simmons.
My heart says no, but Nets may have to include picks for someone to take on Simmons, and that gets my brain thinking.
Fair. That’s totally fair.
And lordy, do they have picks to offer.
Alas, his price is still $78 million for the two seasons following this one.
I read today that Richaun Holmes’ contract as a backup center is “toxic.” It’s less than one-third of Simmons’, he is reliably available, and he doesn’t pass up clean dunks.
If I was OKC, I’d really look at Holmes.
Agreed, they have a bunch of guys taller than Holmes, but none of them want to play center.
Poku and Bazely for Holmes and Len works. Or Metu or Davis or whomever.
The West going all in again. Pfft the beam got em scared!
It’s wide open this year, can’t blame teams for going all in.
The Durant trade is crazy! I didn’t think about this until I saw someone comment on this thread, but maybe they gave up so many first rounders because they expect to move booker and get them back down the road?
I’ve always disliked these inorganic star pairings since Lebron and the Heat did it. It’s become so commonplace that I’ve accepted it but I always root against those teams that just bypass internal development and star up for a playoff berth. Star players have too much power in this league, NBA should look to the NFL and how it handles their stars.
Would like the Kings to sit tight maybe add some backup center/guard on a good deal for our team, we have something special going!
The Suns are basically telling Devin Booker that they can’t win a title if he’s their best player. I’m sure that he’ll be fine with that.
Like how Fox was getting told that we can’t make the play-offs if he’s our best player?
If a guy wants to win, he’ll be happy with reinforcements. If he’isn’t … [shrug].
The Kings are 1-4 when Fox is out, and 1-1 when Sabonis isn’t available, but do go on.
For what it’s worth, the Kings were 1-1 in the first two games Fox missed this season, too.
Personally, I don’t want either of them out, as our chance at winning suffers greatly, regardless of who it is.
That’s an impressive sample size; tell me more.
Alas, it’s all we have. But you already know that. I guess we’d need Fox and/or Sabonis to miss a bunch of games in order to satisfy your sample size requirements, whatever they are.
Yes, that’s my heart’s desire.
You know me so well.
And the guy who is on a supermax deal, no less.
Booker hasn’t proven them otherwise so who cares what he thinks.
Kings are getting bounced in the first round unless they’re somehow able to play the TWolves. I don’t even think there’s a need to analyze match ups or anything like that. We’ve watched enough games to know this team’s strengths and weaknesses and they’re just simply not going to be able to compete in the playoffs with the current defense the Kings have.
They’re a legitimate playoff team right now but 3rd place is fools gold. The Kings have had the luxury of being able to win against other playoff teams because their best player(s) have been out when we’ve matched up with them. Throw in beating up on teams they should beat up on and they have a good record but we can see how they get handled anytime they play a semi healthy playoff team. Can you name more than 2-3 real quality victories against Bonafied healthy playoff teams this year?
I maybe in the minority. But I am not sure Fox/Sabonis is the foundation for a championship level team. Playoffs sure. Next level. Not seeing it. We’ll see how they perform in the playoffs when Defense is at a premium.
I know Sabonis has been largely ineffective in the playoffs with Indiana. Different team I know. But, we’ll see.
Sabonis was also 19, 20, and 21 in his playoff appearances.
He was in the playoffs and a huge reason they got there . Geez
I agree. Building around Fox and Ox has a ceiling IMO. I doubt we get out the first round. Offensive juggernaut that doesn’t play a lick of D is cute in the regular season, not so much in the playoffs. Either way, going to be fun to see how the duo play in the playoffs, assuming we get in, play-in doesn’t count.
Before the season started everyone was praying to be in the playoffs and now if they don’t win first round it’s failure . First 2 of Adelman ‘s 8 year run started with first round defeats .
Thanks for the perspective!
https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1623728860301852672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Wow, the Nets are definitely trying to drop below the tax. Don’t blame them either.
LOL, 5 second rounders!!!
2 of those are headed to Indy along with Jordan Nwora. Indy also just waived Goga Bitazde. Bitazde might be a nice buy low piece.
My hunch is something is happening with Holmes and Mason Plumlee. Don’t know why, just a tingling spidey sense.
I’m still hoping for Thybulle, but both would be fantastic!
I’m not especially worried either way. I have a sense Holmes gets traded today because the price is so much lower to acquire him than Poeltl.
If you’re OKC, would you give up a couple pieces to make it work? I don’t know. They might. I don’t think OKC can make it work easily though.
That would be amazing if Monte can get value for Holmes, but I don’t think the Poeltl deals sets the market for Holmes.
Of course it doesn’t set the market for Holmes. It takes one less player off the board teams can acquire. Holmes can still play.
Thomas Bryant just got traded for fucks sake. Richaun Holmes is better than Thomas Bryant, he just makes more money.
Plus, Gregory, it only takes 1. You know that.
Gms see something different. A kings team with a below average frontcourt. A 12 million dollar player that can’t help?
If he couldn’t get minutes on the 3rd ranked team. How is it going to be any different here.
Plus. I don’t see his name mentioned at all on any team.
There are plenty of guys who don’t get a ton of minutes on good teams, but who can start for less-successful ones.
For example, Richaun Holmes after leaving Phoenix.
The Suns weren’t all that good when he was there, either.
I just hope that if Richaun is being shopped around (he most probably is), he’ll can go to a new place and have a fresh start. He can and should do better.
I have a feeling he will be bought out or still here.
cmon there are 15 bigs in the league just as productive at a fraction of the cost.
Gms see a player rotting away on the bench on a playoff team. That is weak in their frontline. He doesn’t get minutes. Kings killed any value he has whatsoever by not playing him.
Amick said the league has Zero interest in Holmes. Just now.
Amick also said that Lebron was irritated about some shit, and James publicly corrected him.
Bold Prediction: Kings do nothing. Monte is not the type to be spurred into hasty action, certainly not by the moves of other teams. Boring, but effective so far. A little something resembling defense would be nice, though!
Sometimes, as has been said, nothing is a real cool move. I am less concerned with no deals than I am about dumb ones, and not the least bit concerned that McNair will resort to the latter.
Well said Sims. Well said.
Agreed. I would rather him wait until summer and get a deal he loved rather than activity without accomplishment now.
That’s what I feel PDX did. They traded away Hart and got Thybulle back. Like…why?
“Activity without accomplishment.”
Beautifully put.
https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1623731345133301761?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
That’s a great move for Denver, Bryant looks like he’s got the talent to get much better.
Man, the entire Pacific Division is adding talent to catch the Kings.
https://twitter.com/JakeLFischer/status/1623734294005919746
I don’t understand why the Pistons want Wiseman. I really don’t.
There would have to be more to that deal than a straight swap.
Yep, I’m not getting that one…but there’s a long way to go.
Trying to get a team full of top 5 picks that is awful .
Same reason they wanted Bagley, take a flyer on a top 3 pick bust that may improve with a change of scenery, rarely works but you never know.
Obviously KG21, they want “James” to match up with Bagley or replace Bagley.
Being the second pick is not always good- lots of losers there.
TKHers have wanted Bey forever. Nice get for the W’s if it happens.
Well, fuck.
https://twitter.com/ChrisBHaynes/status/1623737180664524803
What is PDX doing? Are they in or out??
Honestly! This screams of “we must do something, and we’ll figure out what it means later on.”
Take Dame out of his misery and trade him and blow it up and build around Sharpe and Simons.
https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1623737940655370248
I hate to be over react guy, but the start to the year has been awesome but the Kings are just 5 games up on 12th with the Lakers in 13th, who have improved. I don’t want to give up the future but I feel like the Kings can just do nothing to try to improve. Whether it’s backup PG or backup C at the very least.
I don’t think Portland, Minny, or the Pels are solid bets for the playoffs/play-in. Lakers will likely supplant one of those three.
Thybulle to the Blazers. I guess the Hart trade makes sense a little more now.
https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1623737940655370248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Not sure what the Hornets are doing here. They get a few 2nd rounders for McDaniles.
https://twitter.com/KevinOConnorNBA/status/1623739817128501248
That is a great pick up by the Sixers. If they stay healthy. They are loaded
Yeah, there’s no question that they just got better.