The NBA trade deadline is at 3:00 p.m. and apparently NBA general managers don’t sleep because half the NBA already got traded between 9:00 p.m. and 2 a.m.
The Celtics made a small deal as part of the frenzy, acquiring Mike Muscala from the OKC Thunder in exchange for Justin Jackson and two second round picks.
I’ll be keeping track of the deals here, so refresh the page throughout the day to get the news and my takes.
CELTICS ACQUIRE MUSCALA
Boston gets: Muscala. OKC Gets: Jackson, two second round picks
Karalis’ take: Muscala is a proven stretch big who went 4-7 from deep in his last game (the one where LeBron James broke the scoring record). He’s making $3.5 million this season and has a team option for $3.5 million next season.
It’s a low-risk move for a guy who, at worst, provided situational rotation depth. At best, he supplants Luke Kornet as a more reliable stretch big.
As always, it will land somewhere in between. If they need a roller/rim protector without Robert Williams or Al Horford, it’ll be Kornet. If they need space, it’ll be Muscala. And all it cost them was second rounders and a guy not in the rotation. Good move.
KEVIN DURANT TO PHOENIX
Phoenix gets: Kevin Durant, TJ Warren. Brooklyn gets: Mikael Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, unprotected first round picks in 2023, 2025, 2027 and 2029 and a 2028 pick swap.
Karalis’ take: The Suns will have to fill out their roster, but at full strength, they will have one of the best duos in the league in Durant and Devin Booker. That will maximize everything Chris Paul has left in the tank and give the Suns a sudden advantage in a wide open Western Conference.
The Nets are flipping Crowder (more on that shortly), but they're putting together an interesting group as they try to rebuild after the disastrous Durant/Kyrie Irving experiment. We’ll have to see where Brooklyn lands when the dust clears. Will they keep Bridges? Johnson? We’ll see what they do.
MILWAUKEE BUCKS ACQUIRE JAE CROWDER
Milwaukee gets: Crowder. Brooklyn gets: Two second round picks. Indiana gets: George Hill, Serge Ibaka, Jordan Nwora, three second round picks
I've never seen a guy get moved for so many second rounders. Brooklyn doesn't need Crowder and he's certainly not worth a first, but he has the potential to help the Bucks. I'm really not sure how much Crowder has left, but even if his shot fails him, he might not be as big a glaring target as Grayson Allen has been late in games. At least Crowder has size and experience, and missing half a season could give him fresh legs -- call it the potential Al Horford effect. If he can be better than he has been, then the Bucks picked up a valuable piece. The Nets get some extra draft capital, which is important to them as they recover from everything, and the Pacers are just doing Milwaukee a favor.
TORONTO ACQUIRES JAKOB POELTL
Toronto gets: Poeltl. San Antonio gets: Khem Birch, protected 2024 first round pick, two second round picks
Karalis' take: Poeltl goes back to the Raptors after being traded to San Antonio in the Kawhi Leonard deal. The Spurs get a first rounder for him, which beat all other offers (including a Celtics offer, reportedly of Danilo Gallinari, Payton Pritchard, and second rounders). The Spurs got the first round pick they were asking for, and they probably weren't interested in keeping Gallinari around for next season. The Raptors continue to live in this weird middle ground of buying and selling, but they got the center they needed. They're not done yet, though.
D'ANGELO RUSSELL, JARRED VANDERBILT, MALIK BEASLEY TO THE LAKERS
Los Angeles gets: Russell, Vanderbilt, Besley. Utah gets: Russell Westbrook, 2027 first round pick. Minnesota gets Mike Conley, draft picks
Karalis' take: In Russell, the Lakers get a guy who can actually hit a 3-pointer when he's left open. Vanderbilt and Beasley are good complementary pieces that will help. They didn't get anyone of incredible consequence, though Russell might be able to thrive alongside a healthy LeBron and Anthony Davis. This has the potential to be a pretty good deal for the Lakers that only cost them one of their two firsts. That means they have the potential to add more as we get closer to the deadline.
Utah gets a lightly protected first round pick out of the deal but they're also clearing a bunch of cap space -- up to $60 million -- which they can use in the coming seasons as either a salary dumping ground to pick up more draft assets or to use their existing draft picks to acquire a star player without having to match salary.
Minnesota is hoping Conley can get Rudy Gobert, Karl Anthony-Towns, and Anthony Edwards organized by putting a better point guard around them. Conley can score, but he doesn't need to in order to be effective.
This could be the kind of deal where it's fine for everyone involved.
KNICKS ACQUIRE JOSH HART
Knicks get: Hart. Portland gets: Cam Reddish, Ryan Arcidiacono, Svi Mykhailiuk, 2023 first round pick.
Karalis' take: The Knicks get a quality role player without the star he's supposed to support. They didn't give anyting up, really, for him, so it's fine. I just want to see what the next move is. The first is reported lottery protected that turns into four future second-round picks if not conveyed this year.
MO BAMBA TO THE LAKERS
Los Angeles gets: Bamba. Orlando gets: Patrick Beverley
Karalis' take: The Celtics got their big man, so there's no reason to sweat Bamba going anywhere. Lakers add some center depth.
PAYTON II REUNION IN GOLDEN STATE
Golden State gets: Gary Payton II. Portland gets five second round picks
I think we're past 30 second round picks being traded today. This is ridiculous. The Warriors could have just paid Payton in the offseason, but he'll help.
SADDIQ BEY GOES TO ATLANTA
Atlanta gets: Bey. Detroit Pistons get: James Wiseman. Golden State gets: Kevin Knox, five second round picks
Karalis' take: Atlanta gets a role player looking for a role. Bey can be a good 3-and-D guy but he was miscast in Detroit. Playing a more specific role without being given as much freedom can lock him in to being pretty good. Wiseman is a tax move for the Warriors. Those five second round picks could be the picks flipped for Payton.
KENNARD TO MEMPHIS
Memphis gets: Luke Kennard. LA Clippers get: Eric Gordon, three first round picks. Rockets get: Danny Green
Karalis' take: The Grizzlies get shooting to help with their spacing. He's had some injury issues but if he can stay healthy, he'll be a sneaky good pickup. Gordon gives the Clippers the point guard they've been looking for.