Even after the 3 a.m. ET blockbuster Tobias Harris trade to the 76ers, the Wednesday before the trade deadline came in strong with seven different deals involving 19 players.
The 7 NBA trades you missed while you were sleeping, explained
Otto Porter Jr., Harrison Barnes, Jabari Parker, and 16 more guys were moved on Wednesday alone. Here’s what happened.
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The biggest trades were all salary cap-influenced decisions to free up future space, but big names were moved. The Wizards shipped Otto Porter Jr. to the Bulls for Jabari Parker and Bobby Portis, and the Mavericks sent Harrison Barnes to the Kings. A handful of teams also made lower-key moves that could make an impact in the playoffs.
In case you missed it, here’s a recap of all seven trades, in order of significance.
Wizards trade Otto Porter Jr. to the Bulls for Bobby Portis and Jabari Parker, and a 2023 second-round pick
The extended injury to John Wall, who fell in his house and turned a recovering heel injury into a ruptured Achilles, had the Wizards rethinking the future of its failing team. They aren’t going full rebuild, but they were, for the first time, willing to deal the bloated contract of Porter Jr to dodge the luxury tax.
The return was disappointingly minimal from a basketball sense. Portis is a one-sided player set to enter restricted free agency, and Parker’s shown the same defensive woes that plagued him in Milwaukee in his second stop.
The Bulls get a chance to make over the hellish season they’ve had with Porter, a 25-year-old who has played third-fiddle to Bradley Beal and Wall. Porter is something between an average starter and an all-star, and the hope is he reaches his ceiling with all the room he needs to operate in Chicago.
Mavericks trade Harrison Barnes to the Kings for Justin Jackson and Zach Randolph
Dallas hit the jackpot a week ago and knows where it wants to head in the future: championship runs with Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis. Barnes is no longer part of that equation, and to the Mavs, freeing up cap space is more valuable.
The deal was a bit awkward, with Barnes, knowing he was on the trade block, opting to play three quarters of the team’s game against the Hornets as reports of the trade swirled. But so goes the NBA.
Sacramento gets a run with a useful player who should push them closer to a playoff run. The Kings are 1.5 games out of the final playoff spot in the West, and with the Harris trade, the Clippers are signaling that they’re ready to throw this season away. Sacramento has a real chance with Barnes.
In return, Dallas can give 23-year-old Jackson a tryout, and see if he fits for the future. Randolph, however, is expected to have his contract bought out.
Three-team trade: Iman Shumpert, Nik Stauskas, Wade Baldwin to the Rockets, Alec Burks, and a Cavs future second-round pick to the Kings, Brandon Knight, Marquese Chriss, and Houston’s 2019 lottery protected first-round pick to the Cavaliers
The most intricate deal of the evening gave the Kings and Rockets pieces for a playoff run and the Cavaliers a pair of assets for their rebuild.
In Shumpert and Stauskas, Houston adds two capable shooters on the wing to boost a lackluster roster being dragged to the playoffs by James Harden. It comes at the cost of a late-first-round pick, but the Rockets are desperate at this point, and this move also saves them money.
The Kings get to pair Barnes with a good shooter in Burks, and the Cavs give Chriss another chance to prove his place in the league. If that fails, they have a shot at finding someone else late in June’s draft.
Pistons trade Stanley Johnson to the Bucks for Thon Maker
This is a change-of-place trade that gives two guys who weren’t a fit in their previous spots a chance to thrive elsewhere. Maker is 21, and Johnson is 22, so it’s too early to give up on either. Maker may have shown more promise than Johnson to this point, but he forced Milwaukee’s hand by requesting a trade.
This could work out great, or be a forgotten trade on both sides.
The Heat trade Tyler Johnson to the Suns for Wayne Ellington and Ryan Anderson
For Miami, this is a financial decision. Johnson has a $19 million player option next season that he will almost definitely pick up, so the Heat traded it for the partially guaranteed one of Anderson. Ellington is expected to be waived.
The Suns get a chance to find an actual point guard to put next to Devin Booker.
Wizards trade Markieff Morris and their 2023 second-round pick to the Pelicans for Wesley Johnson
This move gets the Wizards under the luxury tax and gives New Orleans an asset. That’s it.
The Raptors trade Malachi Richardson, a 2022 second-round pick and a 31-year-old Euro guy who will never play in the NBA to the Sixers for money
No need to overthink here. The Sixers got an asset and the Raptors got to clear a paycheck off the books while also creating an open roster spot for a future move.
Wednesday was fun, but was surely just an appetizer to whatever chaos the Grizzlies, Lakers, Pelicans or whoever else brings. Keep your Woj notifications on and ready.
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