NBA Trades 2020: Post-Deadline Roundup and Twitter Reaction

For most of the week leading up to the deadline, we were warned to expect a quiet trade period. There were too few sellers, and the buyers on the market didn't have the assets to make a notable deal happen.

Turns out that wasn't even close to correct.

D'Angelo Russell, Andrew Wiggins, Andre Iguodala, Andre Drummond and Marcus Morris highlighted a series of deals that could shift the futures of a number of franchises. Here is a look at all of the players who were on the move Thursday, along with reactions to each trade. 

Heat, Grizzlies, Timberwolves Complete 3-Team Swap

Heat Receive: Andre Iguodala, Solomon Hill, Jae Crowder

Grizzlies Receive: Justise Winslow, Dion Waiters, Gorgui Dieng

Timberwolves Receive: James Johnson

The Heat were nearing a deal to acquire Iguodala on Wednesday—the team and Iguodala even agreed to a contract extension—but the fine details were hammered out a day later. Miami's dream of landing an Iguodala-Danilo Gallinari combo was dashed, but Pat Riley still managed to land one of the market's most coveted veterans and get cap space moving forward.

Getting out from under the Waiters and Johnson contracts may have been a better maneuver than landing Iguodala. The Heat have gone from helplessly capped out to being under the cap this summer, and they should have max space in 2021—the summer most have targeted for the next free-agent bonanza.

Reaction to the trade was mixed with praise mostly on all sides, though the Grizzlies taking on so much 2020-21 salary did raise some eyebrows:

Wolves Finally Land D-Lo After Months-Long Pursuit

Warriors Receive: Andrew Wiggins, protected 2021 first-round pick, 2021 second-round pick

Timberwolves Receive: D'Angelo Russell

If at first you don't succeed, try again. Then try again. And again and again and again, and maybe you'll wind up with D'Angelo Russell. The Timberwolves' dogged pursuit of Russell, a friend of Karl-Anthony Towns who just so happens to be an All-Star guard in his own right, finally paid off Thursday in a surprising trade.

While the first-round pick the Warriors acquired may be in the lottery, their cost of doing business was taking back Andrew Wiggins' contract. Wiggins has cooled off greatly since a hot start to this season and has essentially settled in as the same player who has been the source of constant frustration in Minnesota for years. 

That said, the Warriors are now expected to come in under the luxury tax line, saving them plenty of cash, per The Athletic's Anthony Slater.

However, the snapshot reaction was a mix of befuddlement and memes. Lots and lots of memes:

Cavs Pull Off Drummond Shocker

Cavaliers Receive: Andre Drummond

Pistons Receive: Brandon Knight, John Henson, 2023 second-round pick

To put it mildly, this trade floored everyone when it was announced. It's not a surprise that Drummond was available. That he went to the Cavs? For a price so low that everyone thought they'd been fooled by a Fake Woj? 

Nothing less than the most perplexing deal of the day.

It's hard to figure out what exactly the Cavs are doing, but it's hard to fault adding Drummond for nothing essentially. Cleveland could lose him in free agency a few months from now, or he could wind up opting into his contract for next season, and either way the team isn't losing anything of value. Even if Drummond leaves, it's possible he agrees to a sign-and-trade that winds up netting the Cavs more than the cost of trading for him.

The Pistons, meanwhile...yikes. There may be something to say for increasing flexibility to avoid Drummond opting into his contract for next season, but this was a strange dump-off for a guy who made two All-Star teams in Detroit.

Here's a look at some of the understandably polarized reaction: 

Clippers Beat Out Lakers for Marcus Morris

Clippers Receive: Marcus Morris, Isaiah Thomas (will be waived, per NBCS Washington's Quinton Mayo)

Knicks Receive: Maurice Harkless, 2020 first-round pick

Wizards Receive: Jerome Robinson

After pursuing him last summer to no avail, the Clippers finally landed Marcus Morris in a trade from the New York Knicks. 

Even better: They outmaneuvered the Lakers to get it done.

The Clippers used their remaining asset capital, sending Maurice Harkless and their 2020 first-round pick to the Knicks for Morris. To make the deal work, they sent out 2018 first-round pick Jerome Robinson to the Wizards in exchange for Isaiah Thomas, who will be waived.

Most roundly praised the deal on all sides:

Sixers Add Robinson, Burks to Bench, Send Ennis to Magic

Sixers Receive: Alec Burks, Glenn Robinson III

Warriors Receive: 3 second-round picks

Sixers Receive: second-round pick

Magic Receive: James Ennis

The Sixers didn't have much maneuverability given the top-heavy nature of their roster, but they were able to add two solid bench pieces in Burks and Robinson for a trio of second-round picks. Burks and Robinson were both in the midst of career-best seasons while getting heavy minutes for a struggling Golden State team.

Other Deals

Rockets, Grizzlies Agree to Bell, Caboclo Trade

Rockets Receive: Bruno Caboclo, second-round pick

Grizzlies Receive: Jordan Bell, second-round pick

Hawks Add 2 Players, Cash

Hawks Receive: Skal Labisierre, cash

Trail Blazers Receive: TBD

Hawks Receive: Derrick Walton Jr., cash

Clippers Receive: TBD

Wizards, Nuggets Swap Guards

Wizards Receive: Shabazz Napier (per the Washington Post's Candace Buckner)

Nuggets Receive: Jordan McRae

All deals via ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski unless otherwise noted.