Physical Address
Suite 5, 181 High Street,
Willoughby North NSW 2068
Shams breaks down HUGE Butler trade | 00:47
One of the most dramatic NBA trade deadlines in history is over.
Average of 9 LIVE Regular Season games per week plus the best of the NBA Playoffs, including every game of the NBA Conference Finals & NBA Finals LIVE on ESPN, available via Kayo New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer.
The biggest moves on Friday (AEDT) saw Phoenix deal Jusuf Nurkic to Charlotte, Cleveland acquire De’Andre Hunter to help its championship push and the LA Clippers land Bogdan Bogdanovic.
Kevin Durant meanwhile stayed in Phoenix despite rumours swirling around his future and a potential Golden State reunion as rival teams aggressively pursued the 36-year old superstar.
THURSDAY LATEST: Lakers strike again, All-Star’s move raises eyebrows as more NBA trade dominoes fall
BUTLER DID IT: Ugly NBA feud finally over as mammoth FOUR-team trade jolts title race
GIANNIS GETS HELP: Bucks’ bumper trade move as key star’s 11-year stretch ends to recruit Wizards weapon
DURANT TO MAVS? Shock links as momentum builds for deadline deal
Durant’s future remains clouded given the unsettled state of Phoenix following a failed bid for Jimmy Butler, plus the potential of disharmony after Durant was put on the trade block.
Former Warriors general manager Bob Myers even let slip on ESPN’s live deadline day broadcast that Memphis inquired about Durant.
It follows a crazy pre-deadline day on Thursday that saw Butler move to Miami, Toronto acquire Brandon Ingram and the Lakers land Mark Williams. But the biggest move of all came last weekend with the shock Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade.
Nine All-Stars in total were traded since last weekend in what’ll go down as one of the craziest trade deadlines in NBA history.
With the trade period wrapped up, ESPN’s Bobby Marks named Ben Simmons, on an expiring $40 million deal as a key name to watch on the buyout market should the Aussie and the Nets agree to part ways.
Fellow ESPN reporter Brian Windhorst referenced Houston and Cleveland as two potential contenders for Simmons should a buyout happen, while Shams Charania added the Clippers as a name to watch.
“Here’s one name to keep an eye on — Ben Simmons in Brooklyn — on that $40 million expiring contract,” Marks said.
“The twist is though comes with these first and second apron teams won’t be allowed to sign him because his contract makes more than $12.8 million.”
Further to this, Nets beat writer Erik Slater reported that rival teams are monitoring Simmons, with the expectation that he could hit the buyout market.
Below is how all the key deadline deals on Friday morning went down.
6.45AM – SCHRODER REROUTED TO DETROIT, GRIZZLES DUMP SMART
Dennis Schroder is being rerouted to the Detroit Pistons after the Jimmy Butler deal, according to multiple reports, while the Memphis Grizzlies have salary dumped to the Washington Wizards.
Schroder, who only got moved to Golden State in December, was traded for the second time in season on Thursday, packaged with Andrew Wiggins and Kyle Anderson in a multi-team deal involving Miami and Utah.
The Pistons reportedly gave up KJ Martin, Josh Richardson and a second-round pick to the Jazz in the deal.
Memphis meanwhile traded Smart and a first-round pick to Washington as part of a three-team deal with Sacramento that saw the Grizzlies add two second rounders.
The Grizzlies also moved Jake LaRavia to Sacramento and got Marvin Bagley as part of the exchange.
6.20AM – CLIPPERS ACQUIRE BOGDANOVIC
The LA Clippers have acquired Bogdan Bogdanovic from Atlanta.
The deal reported by Shams Charania saw the Clippers give up Terrance Mann and Bones Hyland for Bogdanovic plus three second-round picks.
The West’s sixth-seeded Clippers, Patty Mills’ new team after the Aussie veteran was traded there earlier this month, add a nice piece to help with their playoff run.
It marks the Hawks’ second deadline move on Friday morning after they sent De’Andre Hunter to Cleveland.
5.45AM – CAVS ADD HUNTER
One of the championship favourites has taken a swing.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have acquired De’Andre Hunter from Atlanta for Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, three second-round picks and two swaps, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports.
The Cavs currently sit first in the Eastern Conference and have now made an upgrade on the wing in their pursuit of a championship.
5.30AM – SUNS DEAL NURKIC TO CHARLOTTE
Charlotte has replenished its big man stocks by adding Phoenix’s Jusuf Nurkic in a move that adds flexibility for the Suns.
Nurkic, who’d fallen out of Phoenix’s rotation, was traded to the Hornets as well as a 2026 first-round pick in exchange for Cody Martin and Vasilije Micic, according to reports.
The Suns get two players with non-guaranteed deals for next season and get off Nurkic’s $18 million contract, but pay the price to do that with a first-round pick in a bold move.
Kevin Durant remains on the Suns’ roster amid rumours swirling he could be traded two years on from landing in Phoenix.
Rookie Moussa Diabaté was the last big man standing in Charlotte after Williams and Nick Richards were both traded, but suddenly faces potential competition at centre in Nurkic.
3.30AM – HEAT, RAPTORS COMPLETE SWAP
The Raptors and Heat made the first trade in deadline day — albeit a small move.
Toronto traded Davion Mitchell to the Miami Heat for PJ Tucker, a second-round pick and cash, as first reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Separately, Milwaukee moved Patrick Baldwin Jr. and cash to San Antonio.
