NBA Rumors: Updates, Speculation for Week of Feb. 16
Has everyone caught their collective breath from Thursday's NBA trade deadline madness yet?
OK, perhaps it's a fair assumption to assume those who feverishly follow the league will need some time to fully get used to all the shaking up. An influx of deals at the last minute prior to the 3 p.m. ET deadline saw the likes of Goran Dragic, Michael Carter-Williams, Brandon Knight, Isaiah Thomas, Thaddeus Young, Kevin Garnett and more of the league's more notable names changing locations.
Just let this tweet from Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid tell the story:
The first Friday following the trade deadline offers a world of clarity for those keeping up with it all, as the biggest dominoes have fallen and the most important questions have been answered. But the rumors don't stop with the deadline, as teams explore buyout opportunities and suddenly available players get courted by suitors.
Here's a breakdown of the latest talk following the deadline.
Kevin Garnett
For all of the sour feelings harbored by players leading up to Thursday's deadline, Kevin Garnett's unlikely return to the Minnesota Timberwolves offered the feel-good story of the day.
The Timberwolves announced the deal Thursday that sent soon-to-be free agent Thaddeus Young to Brooklyn and brought KG back to his old stomping grounds. And although Garnett won't log the minutes Minnesota fans are used to seeing from him, the T-Wolves are trying to make it more than a short reunion, per The Associated Press' Jon Krawczynski:
You'd question why they would be so willing to give up Young if that wasn't the case—Garnett staying on for a final go-around in 2015-16.
But after all, Young was likely as good as gone in the offseason with early struggles to fit in Minnesota and unrestricted free agency looming. And while Garnett won't do anything to boost the team's fleeting chances of exiting the Western Conference cellar, his impact could be beyond huge.
Just being open to coming impressed head coach Flip Saunders, as the team's Twitter account noted:
The 19-year vet is only averaging 6.8 points and 6.8 rebounds in 20.3 minutes per game, but his presence in the locker room would be far-reaching. Young studs like Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine couldn't ask for a better player to help them become successful in Minnesota.
At the very least, KG will get the recognition he deserves to end his career.
JaVale McGee
It wouldn't be a properly wacky trade deadline without JaVale McGee being in the mix.
As part of the Denver Nuggets' continued effort as sellers, they dealt the athletic center to the Philadelphia 76ers Thursday afternoon. Of course, that last part—to the 76ers—sounds like a catch, due to their constant efforts to tank for draft picks and younger assets, often buying out decent players acquired in trades.
But wait, not so fast. Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski reported neither side has any plans to explore a contract buyout that would allow McGee to enter free agency. The plan on both sides is that he plays the rest of the season in Philadelphia.
In other words, get your popcorn ready.
The Sixers made another strong effort to diminish their on-court talent Thursday with the trading of Michael Carter-Williams, but the team has still inched closer to a defensive identity and athletic playing style that Brett Brown covets. In an ideal world, McGee's playing style would fit nicely into the system—if only the Sixers would actually hold onto other talented players.
Sean Highkin of ProBasketballTalk.com summed it up perfectly:
While fitting McGee into a long-term outlook that includes Joel Embiid and Nerlens Noel isn't realistic, his presence is undoubtedly needed in the frontcourt with Embiid not playing this season and Noel flourishing at the 4.
McGee is about to enter the final season of his four-year, $44 million deal, per Spotrac. That makes him a trade liability, but strong play with the Sixers could jolt his trade value. And if he doesn't perform, it's never too late to buy him out.
As for right now, the Sixers don't have much of a reason to buy out McGee other than to avoid paying him a hefty salary. And it's not like they have a wealth of big checks to write on their roster anyway.
Goran Dragic
Goran Dragic got one of his three wishes on deadline day, and it sounds like the Miami Heat will be getting their wish as well.
The former Phoenix Suns point guard's public trade request on the eve of the deadline was followed by Wojnarowski reporting his preferred destinations were the Heat, Los Angeles Lakers or New York Knicks. And once he landed in a deal that sent him to Miami for four players and two draft picks, a promising tidbit from ESPN's Ramona Shelburne suggests he'll be in South Beach for quite a while:
One could pretty much assume Dragic made his intentions of re-signing with the Heat clear prior to the deal, simply due to the wealth of assets they gave up to get the soon-to-be free agent. His pending offseason decision kept many teams away from offering up a king's ransom for Dragic, but not the Heat.
And now that he looks to be in the fold for the long-term, look out.
Miami may be lacking bench talent, but the Heat will now boast one of the most formidable starting lineups in all of basketball. With Dragic and Dwyane Wade up top, Chris Bosh and revelation Hassan Whiteside down low with Luol Deng on the wing, Eastern Conference foes will have their hands full.
With the Heat fighting for a playoff spot in the East, Dragic's arrival could not have come at a better time for a club struggling to find consistent guard play from Mario Chalmers and now-departed Norris Cole.
Kendrick Perkins
Kendrick Perkins' long-embattled tenure with the Oklahoma City Thunder is now history, and every indication is that his stay with the Utah Jazz will be a much shorter one.
His buyout with the Jazz is all but a foregone conclusion at this point, and contending teams have already lined up at his door, per Wojnarowski:
"The Chicago Bulls are a VERY significant contender for Kendrick Perkins too, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) February 19, 2015"
The 30-year-old center did little to turn his career around in Oklahoma City, where he regressed from an impact starting center to an afterthought in the Thunder rotation. He logged 19.2 minutes per game in 2014-15, but only averaged four points per contest on 44.1 percent shooting.
While he didn't thrive with the Thunder, his ability as a bench big man is without question for teams chasing a deep playoff run. The Mavericks are hoping to get in on the action as well, as Wojnarowski noted:
The last bit of Perkins' tenure in OKC left a lot to be desired in terms of his game, but the way he has impacted playoff series in the past with his defensive tenacity isn't lost on title contenders.
He will have to fight to make a rotation wherever he lands, though. But at this point in Perkins' career, proving himself in that sort of situation would do wonders for his reputation.
Kenyon Martin
The Milwaukee Bucks were one of the surprise teams over Thursday's deadline with the acquisition of Michael Carter-Williams, Tyler Ennis and Miles Plumlee after trading stud point guard Brandon Knight. But even though the deadline has passed, their moves won't end there.
To help cap it all off, the Bucks are expecting to waive veteran forward Kenyon Martin as the weekend approaches, per a report from Wojnarowski.
The 37-year-old was given a chance to prove himself in Milwaukee with a pair of 10-day contracts, after which the Bucks chose to sign him for the rest of the season. But an influx of young players, especially Plumlee, who will take most of Martin's minutes, makes holding onto him nonsensical.
The Bucks coveted Martin's veteran leadership and strong defensive play as they chase an unlikely Eastern Conference playoff spot, but the reward of that hasn't outshone the value of keeping Martin. Considering the new talent arriving in Milwaukee, that's probably for the best.
