The NBA trade deadline has come and gone and while it started as a fairly quiet day, things picked up in a major way in the final lead-up to Thursday's 3 p.m. ET deadline. Teams are actively shopping big names like Kyle Lowry and Victor Oladipo so there could still be plenty of trades still to come.
There may not be a blockbuster trade like the one made for James Harden earlier this season, but with multiple All-Stars already changing teams on Thursday, there have been plenty of large and small moves that will impact the stretch run of the 2020-21 campaign as we move closer and closer to the playoff race.
Heat get Oladipo from Rockets for Olynyk, Bradley, pick swap
The Houston Rockets are trading Victor Oladipo to the Miami Heat, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, in exchange for Kelly Olynyk, Avery Bradley and a pick swap. The deal marks the end of Oladipo's brief tenure in Houston. Oladipo had previously spent the past three seasons and change with the Indiana Pacers, but was surprisingly dealt to the Rockets as part of the James Harden blockbuster. At that point, Houston appeared interested in remaining competitive after dealing Harden. However, those dreams were dashed when Christian Wood went down with an ankle injury and the Rockets lost 20 games in a row. Now Houston is shipping Oladipo out months before he becomes an unrestricted free agent.
Mavericks acquire JJ Redick, Melli from Pelicans for Johnson, Iwundu, cash, pick
JJ Redick was one of the best veteran shooters available on the market in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline and he will be moving on from the New Orleans Pelicans to the Dallas Mavericks after the two sides came to an agreement on a deal, per Shams Charania of The Athletic. Redick and Nicolo Melli will be joining Luka Doncic in Dallas while James Johnson, Wesley Iwundu cash considerations and a 2021 second-round pick will be heading to New Orleans.
Warriors send Marquese Chriss to Spurs for Cady Lalanne, cash
In an extremely rare move, the San Antonio Spurs have swung an in-season trade. While the franchise could not find a taker for veteran forward LaMarcus Aldridge, they were able to bolster their frontcourt by acquiring Marquese Chriss from the Warriors in exchange for the draft rights to Cady Lalanne and cash, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
Bulls acquire Daniel Theis from Celtics for Moe Wagner
The Chicago Bulls made another deal right before the 3 p.m. ET deadline after agreeing to acquire veteran big man Daniel Theis from the Boston Celtics in exchange for Moe Wagner, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Chicago had traded for Wagner in a separate deal with the Washington Wizards earlier in the day.
Hornets acquire Brad Wanamaker from Warriors for cash
The Charlotte Hornets needed to add some depth to their backcourt following LaMelo Ball's injury and they did so before Thursday's deadline by acquiring Brad Wanamaker from the Golden State Warriors in exchange for cash considerations, per Marcus Thompson of The Athletic.
Clippers get Rondo from Hawks for Lou Williams, picks and cash
The Los Angeles Clippers are acquiring Rajon Rondo from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Lou Williams, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania. The Hawks will also get cash and two second-round picks from the Clippers. The Clippers pursued Rondo this offseason, but could not make the money work once they used their non-taxpayer mid-level exception to sign Serge Ibaka. Williams, however, makes almost exactly the same amount of money as Rondo, so a trade became feasible from there.
Raptors trade Terence Davis to Kings for second-round pick
Another Raptors guard not named Kyle Lowry is on the move ahead of Thursday's 3 p.m. ET trade deadline as ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports that Terence Davis will be sent to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for a future second-round pick. Davis, a second-year guard out of Ole Miss, will provide the Kings with another scoring option off of the bench while Toronto adds future draft capital.
Jazz acquire Matt Thomas from Raptors for second-round pick
While it isn't the Raptors trade that the rest of the league is waiting on pins and needles for, Toronto has reportedly agreed to send reserve guard Matt Thomas to the Utah Jazz in exchange for a future second-round pick, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Thomas will provide the Jazz with another perimeter threat off of the bench as the second-year guard is shooting 47.5 percent from beyond the arc on 2.4 attempts per game this season. For Toronto, this move opens up a roster spot to take on an additional player in a potential Lowry trade.
76ers acquire George Hill in three-team deal with Knicks, Thunder
The Philadelphia 76ers have made a move to bolster their bench ahead of the upcoming playoff push. Before the trade deadline on Thursday, the Sixers traded backup center Tony Bradley, reserve wing Terrance Ferguson, and two future second-round picks to the Oklahoma City Thunder for veteran guard George Hill, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The trade is a three-way deal that also includes the New York Knicks. The Knicks will receive Ferguson and a second-round pick from Philadelphia and send forward Iggy Brazdeikis to Philadelphia. Additionally, Austin Rivers will be moved from the Knicks to the Thunder. The second-round picks that the Sixers are sending to the Thunder are in 2025 and 2026.
Raptors trade Norman Powell to Blazers for Trent Jr. and Hood
Norman Powell was considered to be one of the more under-the-radar players expected to be moved at the deadline that could have a real impact on a contender. Well, it appears as though he will be heading to Portland in hopes of taking the Trail Blazers to the next level as ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports Powell will join the Blazers in exchange for Gary Trent Jr. and Rodney Hood.
Kings trade Nemanja Bjelica to Heat for Moe Harkless, Chris Silva
While it wasn't as big of a deal as some of the others that we saw come down before the deadline, the Kings and Heat did come together to complete a trade that sends Nemanja Bjelica to South Beach while Moe Harkless and Chris Silva will be heading to Sacramento, per Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Magic send Aaron Gordon to Denver for Gary Harris, RJ Hampton
The Orlando Magic are trading forward Aaron Gordon to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Gary Harris, RJ Hampton and a 2025 first-round pick according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The pick heading to Orlando is top-five protected in 2025, 2026 and 2027. The move ends years of speculation about Gordon's status in Orlando. The Magic have largely been a lottery team ever since they drafted Gordon in 2014, and while he may have rescinded it, it's worth noting that he reportedly requested a trade in February. He went on to express his frustration at the situation after a loss Tuesday, and now, he'll continue his career on a new team.
Wizards trade Brown, Wagner to Bulls for Gafford, Hutchison
The Bulls aren't done yet today. After trading for All-Star big man Nikola Vucevic, Chicago traded Gafford and Hutchison for Brown and Wagner, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The Bulls get some bench depth, and the Wizards get some young forwards in Gafford and Hutchison, both of whom didn't receive a ton of playing time with the Bulls. Now on a Wizards team that has struggled to find consistent success this season, both of them will get ample opportunity to show what they can offer.
Magic trade Evan Fournier to Celtics for Jeff Teague, draft picks
After being involved in rumors all week about potential trade packages with the Orlando Magic, the Boston Celtics have indeed traded for Evan Fournier, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The Celtics are reportedly sending Jeff Teague and two second-round picks back to the Magic, per Josh Robbins and Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Teague will not report to Orlando and is expected to be waived. It's not the big package Celtics fans might've been hoping for. It doesn't include Aaron Gordon or Nikola Vucevic, the latter of whom was traded to Chicago earlier. But Fournier is a legit knock-down shooter who will support Boston's plethora of one-on-one creation with spacing while generating his own offense as well.
Magic trade Vucevic, Aminu to Bulls for Carter Jr., draft picks
The Orlando Magic are trading All-Star Nikola Vucevic and Al-Farouq Aminu to the Chicago Bulls for Otto Porter, Wendell Carter Jr. and two future first-round picks. After weeks of speculation, Orlando pulls off a trade sending its best player to Chicago in exchange for a young big man in Carter Jr.
Cavaliers trade JaVale McGee to Nuggets
The Cavaliers are trading JaVale McGee to the Denver Nuggets for third-year center Isaiah Hartenstein and two future protected second-round picks, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Trading for McGee gives the Nuggets some rim protection on defense, as he's averaging 1.2 blocks a game. Denver ranks 11th in the league in points allowed in the paint (48.8), and adding McGee could potentially help with that. In 33 games with Cleveland, McGee averaged eight points and 5.2 rebounds while coming off the bench for the Cavaliers. McGee wasn't getting a ton of consistent minutes with Cleveland, and being traded to Denver allows him to once again join a contending team.
Pistons trade Delon Wright to Kings for Cory Joseph, draft picks
To kick things off leading into the trade deadline, Detroit worked out a deal to send Wright to Sacramento in exchange for Joseph and two second round picks, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. This move was primarily made for financial reasons for the Pistons, as Wright is owed $8.5 million next season, while Joseph is only guaranteed $2.4 million of the $12.6 million he's expected to make next year. After trading away Derrick Rose and buying out Blake Griffin, the Pistons are fully focused on their younger players, and shipping off Wright, who they traded for prior to the start of this season, allows the younger guards on the team to get more opportunity.
Clippers trade Mfiondu Kabengele, cash to Kings
L.A. traded Kabengele, who was the 27th pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, to the Kings for a heavily protected second-round pick, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The Clippers don't get much in this trade, but for Kabengele, he'll likely get more playing opportunity in Sacramento for a team that is far outside the playoff picture this season. It gives the Kings a young player for a low price, one who could potentially play himself into the rotation.
