The NBA trade deadline is officially just under 24 hours from closing as various teams around the league scramble to make moves that could make or break their season.
The Lakers have made a three-way trade to solve their Russell Westbrook headache.
But now a looming move for Kevin Durant has set the deadline alight.
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Thu, 09 Feb
Thursday February 9th
TRADE TRACKER: Every move as the 7am Friday deadline nears
Plus — an Australian is reportedly in high-demand and could be on a new team by Friday morning.
Follow along below for all the latest updates ahead of the deadline [7am AEDT Friday]!
Lakers lose despite Lebron milestone | 03:23
DURANT BOMBSHELL AS SUNS LAUNCH MEGA MOVE
The biggest piece on the board just moved.
The Phoenix Suns are trading for Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
He is being sent along with TJ Warren to the desert, in exchange for Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, four unprotected first-round picks (2023, 2025, 2027, 2029) and a 2028 pick swap.
The move will change the entire landscape of the league and turns the Suns back into a clear title contender out of the West, as he partners up with Chris Paul and Devin Booker.
Meanwhile Ben Simmons may end up being moved as well if Brooklyn is fully tearing it down, with Kyrie Irving already sent to Dallas.
The stunning super-mega-deal brings an end to the Nets’ second superstar era, after the initial failure of the Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce crew.
LAKERS’ THREE-TEAM SOLUTION TO WESTBROOK DILEMMA
The Los Angeles Lakers look to have finally found a solution to their Russell Westbrook headache.
Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Thursday afternoon that the Lakers, Timberwolves and Jazz have agreed to a three-way trade before Friday’s deadline.
The agreed trade sees the Lakers acquire D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt while the Jazz receive Westbrook, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Damian Jones and a lightly protected 2027 first-round pick.
The Wolves, meanwhile, get Mike Conley Jr., Nickeil Alexander-Walker and three second-round picks as part of the deal.
It is expected that a buyout would be the likely path for Westbrook, who has $16.2 million left on his $47 million contract for the season.
TNT and Bleacher Report insider Chris Haynes reported that the Clippers are said to have interest in Westbrook should a buyout be secured.
The Lakers have been trying to trade Westbrook since the offseason, failing in their attempt to package him with two first-round picks for Irving, who instead joined the Mavericks.
Westbrook was also reportedly included a deal with two first-round picks for Buddy Hield and Myles Turner in the offseason but the Lakers could not strike a trade.
Russell and Beasley both offer much-needed shooting options for the Lakers while Vanderbilt is a solid rebounding and defensive player to add yet another weapon for a playoffs push.
It will not be the first time Russell has suited up in the purple and gold, returning to the Lakers who took him with the second overall pick in the 2015 draft.
Meanwhile, the Timberwolves acquire a starting point guard in Conley who will add valuable experience around Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns while reuiniting with Rudy Gobert.
As for the Jazz, they continue to build towards the future and now have what Wojnarowski described as a “massive package of assets” that includes 15 unprotected or lightly protected first-round picks through 2029.
Utah also has over $60 million in potential cap space to build around an already exciting young core of Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kesslier, Collin Sexton and Ochai Agbaji.
The news comes after a report from Wojnarowski that Westbrook and coach Darvin Ham got into a “heated verbal exchange” in the locker room during halftime against Oklahoma City.
Though the tense exchange was reportedly brief, Ham was apparently annoyed with Westbrook’s lingering on the floor after getting subbed late in the second quarter.
Voices were raised, according to the report, with talk eventually turning back to the game at hand, one that the Lakers went on to lose, 133-130, to drop to 25-30 in what has been another woeful season in Los Angeles.
Simmons scores only 2 points in return | 01:14
Westbrook finished the game on the floor for the Lakers, tallying 14 fourth-quarter points — a season-high — and he and Ham apparently “dapped up” prior to each leaving the arena, per ESPN.
It has been an up-and-down season for the nine-time All-Star. Westbrook has been relegated to mostly a reserve role since early in the season. He’s averaging a career-low 28.7 minutes per game to go with 15.9 points per game, his lowest output since his rookie season in 2008-09 with the Thunder.
Westbrook finished Wednesday’s game with 27 points, eight assists and four rebounds.
— with New York Post
TORONTO STILL THE ONE MYSTERY TEAM TO WATCH
It has been a relatively underwhelming season so far in Toronto, with the Raptors sitting 11th in the Eastern Conference with a 25-30 record.
That saw plenty of intrigue as to whether the recent champions would blow it all up before the deadline – but for now, they’ve decided to add instead of subtract.
Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Raptors had re-gained Jakob Poeltl.
Meanwhile if they do make a move the other way, Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr. are the two more likely players to be available, although that has not stopped rivals from reportedly inquiring about Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby.
No one really knows at this point what Toronto will do.
Even NBA insider Marc Stein reported that the Raptors “continue to be difficult for rival teams to read”.
Stein wrote that he “struggles” to see the Raptors trading Siakam or Anunoby before the deadline, although he added they have “expressed confidence to inquiring teams” that they can get three future first-round picks for the latter.
HEARTWARMING REACTION TO KNICKS’ REUNION
Josh Hart is going to be reunited with former Villanova teammate Jalen Brunson with the Knicks.
Team president Leon Rose swung a significant trade before Thursday’s 3 p.m. deadline, acquiring the 6-foot-5 wing from the Trail Blazers in exchange for disfavored Cam Reddish and a lottery-protected first-round draft pick, ESPN reported.
Little-used forward Svi Mykhailiuk and guard Ryan Arcidiacono are also headed to Portland in the deal, according to the Athletic.
The 27-year-old Hart is a dependable two-way player averaging 9.5 points and 8.2 rebounds in 51 games (all starts) this season for Portland, although he is shooting a career-low 30.4 percent from 3-point range.
Brunson and Hart were teammates for two seasons at Villanova, winning one championship together in 2016. Brunson’s reaction to the news of the reunion was captured in a heartwarming video.
Portland players, meanwhile, also found out about Hart’s departure before the team’s game on Thursday, with their reaction captured by a photographer.
Reddish, who was acquired from Atlanta last season in exchange for Kevin Knox and a first-round pick, hadn’t appeared in a game for the Knicks since Dec. 3.
The former Kentucky star has played in just 35 games for the Knicks across two seasons, averaging 7.4 points and 1.5 rebounds per contest while playing just 18.7 minutes per game.
— New York Post
‘FOOLISH’ DURANT TRADE SUGGESTION ROASTED
Plenty has changed since Kevin Durant last requested a trade six months ago.
Coach Steve Nash and superstar teammate Irving are no longer on the team and now there is uncertainty surrounding Durant’s future once more ahead of Friday’s deadline.
ESPN’s NBA insider Wojnarowski reported on Wednesday that Durant and the Nets have been engaged in talks with owner Joe Tsai and general manager Sean Marks since Irving was traded to the Mavericks.
The focus of those talks, according to Wojnarowski, has been “the direction of the franchise and its ability to be a championship contender”.
Sources told Wojnarowski that Brooklyn is insisting to inquiring teams that it “has no intention” of moving Durant before the deadline.
Instead, having already acquired Dorian Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie as part of the Irving deal, the Nets could look to only build their roster further to put Durant in a position to succeed.
The recent emergence of Cam Thomas has certainly helped, although the Nets also created an additional roster spot and potentially freed up $8 million in salary and luxury tax on Wednesday by trading forward Kessler Edwards and cash to the Sacramento Kings.
Only complicating matters though is reporting from ESPN’s Brian Windhorst that rival teams have been strategically hesitant to negotiate with and help the Nets improve their roster.
“The Nets, I’m not sure teams really want to do business with them right now,” Windhorst said on a recent episode of his ‘The Hoop Collective’ podcast
“Because there’s at least some teams that are interested in seeing if they can get Durant. And why would I help the Nets do something to build around Durant when I’m just going to hold my assets for Durant.
“There may be other teams that are not even interested in doing business with the Nets right now that might also hold assets at this deadline, with the mind towards Durant, not that Durant would be available, but the Durant will be available again in the summer.”
‘No hard feelings towards Irving’ | 01:09
One team that has been linked to Durant ahead of the deadline is the Boston Celtics, with ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith claiming Jaylen Brown could be part of a possible deal.
That though is hard to believe given Brown is just 26 years old and squarely in the MVP discussion earlier in the season and Jalen Rose agreed it would be a “foolish” move.
“The Boston Celtics, they would be foolish to trade Jaylen Brown at this point of his career,” Rose said on ‘Get Up’.
“And (to) break up Jayson Tatum and that duo that a lot of people have been clamouring for them to do the last few years for some odd reason, for Kevin Durant at this point of his career.
“I know how dominant and great (Durant) is. But at his age, he’s dealt with some injuries over the last couple of years. You don’t trade Jaylen Brown for him if you’re the Celtics.”
AUSSIE THYBULLE ‘COULD BE MOVED’ AS TEAMS CIRCLE
Elsewhere, it is looking increasingly that Australian Matisse Thybulle will be traded before Friday’s deadline.
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, “nearly a third” of the teams in the NBA have “expressed exploratory interest” in trading for Thybulle during this season.
Now, whether all of those teams are still interested in trading for the 25-year-old is unclear at this stage but Scotto reported the Pacers, Blazers, Bucks, Mavericks, Hornets, Raptors, and Suns all made calls to inquire about Thybulle.
NBA insider Marc Stein, meanwhile, more recently reported that the Hawks and Kings had interest in Thybulle while Sixers beat reporter Keith Pompey heard similar about the Warriors.
“Determined to contend for a title, the Sixers are expected to keep their core group intact,” Pompey reported.
“But Thybulle, no longer viewed as an essential player, could be moved for a decent package.”
Pompey also reported that the Sixers are looking at a center and wing ahead of the deadline but that Thybulle’s trade value has been lowered by his lack of consistent offensive production.
“As a result,” Pompey reported, “Sixers president of basketball operation Daryl Morey could wait until moments before the deadline to see if offers increase”.
Thybulle has seen his average minutes plummet from 25.5 to 12.1 this season, averaging just 2.6 points per game, but the Australian is obviously still one of the league’s best defenders.
One option could also be including Furkan Korkmaz, who has requested a trade, into a potential package alongside Thybulle to increase the value.
NUGGETS GUARD FROZEN OUT IN ‘AWKWARD’ TRADE WAIT
Speaking of players who have seen their minutes shrink this season, Bones Hyland has been completely frozen out recently and appears certain to be traded by the Denver Nuggets.
The 38-17 Nuggets sit atop the Western Conference and while Hyland is an exciting prospect, it is quickly becoming clear the second-year guard is not part of Denver’s future plans.
The Nuggets are said to be looking for more defence in their bid for the championship this season and as much as Hyland brings energy and highlight-reel plays off the bench, he does not fit the franchise’s current timeline.
Nets undone in first Kyrie-less outing | 01:06
The young guard is a streaky shooter and the kind of player who still needs time to develop his game, particularly his playmaking and defence.
The Nuggets though, having made shrewd off-season moves to add Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Bruce Brown, are in a position to win right now.
Unfortunately for Hyland that makes him a valuable trade piece, with the 22-year-old not playing in Denver’s last four games.
“You know he’s such a talented player,” teammate Michael Porter Jr. said.
“Obviously he should be on the floor, everyone knows that. I don’t know what the futures gonna hold for him but I wish he was here. I wish he would stay here and it could be figured out.”
Nuggets veteran DeAndre Jordan knows a thing or two about being moved around, having been traded twice in his career.
“He’s been great during this awkward time for him for sure,” Jordan said of Hyland.
“But he’s been extremely supportive of guys. If he was a bad guy then he would not be shooting after practice with the guys and he would just leave, you know. But he’s being a pro.”
The Timberwolves are one team that has been linked to Hyland, where he would reunited with the man who drafted him, former Nuggets president of basketball operations Tim Connelly.
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