NBA trade deadline updates: Nets teardown continues after shipping Kevin Durant to Suns
LeBron James became the league’s all-time leading scorer on Tuesday night, teams have been shoring up for the stretch run before the NBA trade deadline.
And there’s still time for more wheeling and dealing.
There remains plenty of attention on the Phoenix Suns, Toronto Raptors, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans, Miami Heat, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Los Angeles Clippers and Utah Jazz.
Will the Jazz continue selling to accelerate their rebuild? Do the Raptors get a haul of first-round picks in return for OG Anunoby? Can the Lakers salvage their season?
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Kevin Durant deal, the Brooklyn Nets have made another deal involving the veteran forward. The Nets shipped Crowder to the Milwaukee Bucks for five second-round picks, a person familiar with the deal tells USA TODAY Sports.
The person requested anonymity because the trade had not yet been finalized. Â
Crowder hasn’t played at all this season as Phoenix had been attempting to trade him. In Milwaukee, he should bolster the Bucks bench with his defense and 3-point shooting.
What to watch for in the next few hours?
Will the Toronto Raptors make a deal that includes trading Fred VanVleet or OG Anunoby? The Raptors have financial decisions to make in the next two offseasons and may be compelled to address those issues now in a trade.
Brooklyn may not be finished making moves. It’s clear now they’re rebuilding, and smart teams will inquire about the availability of Mikal Bridges, who the Nets just acquired from Phoenix in the Kevin Durant deal. Denver and Memphis, the top two teams in the Western Conference, should be looking to strengthen their rosters after the moves Phoenix and Dallas (trading for Kyrie Irving) made.
The Los Angeles Lakers, who reached a deal to acquire D’Angelo Russell on Wednesday, Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors and New Orleans Pelicans are other teams searching for roster improvements.
Celtics get Mike Muscala from Thunder
The Boston Celtics have added some depth with the acquisition of center Mike Muscala from the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for forward Justin Jackson and two second-round picks, a person familiar with the deal tells USA TODAY Sports.
The person requested anonymity because the deal had not yet been finalized. Â
Muscala, 31, is in his 10th NBA season and is averaging 6.2 points and 2.4 rebounds for the Thunder. Muscala, who previously played for the Hawks, Lakers, 76ers, is shooting 39.4% on 3-pointers this season, giving Boston a stretch big off the bench.
Jackson, 27, is a six-year veteran, averaging 0.9 points and 0.7 rebounds for the Celtics.
Suns acquire Kevin Durant from Nets
The Nets, who traded guard Kyrie Irving to the Mavericks on Sunday, moved another one of their key players in the early hours Thursday morning.
Kevin Durant will be heading to the Suns along with forward T.J. Warren as Brooklyn pivots to an entirely new franchise paradigm.
Durant, a 13-time All-Star and two-time NBA Finals MVP, joins a Suns squad that’s barely over the .500 mark (30-26) and fifth in the Western Conference as All-Star Weekend approaches. Phoenix, however, has been a top-two seed in the conference each of the past two seasons, including No. 1 in the West last year.
with a sprained MCL.Â
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes recently reported that Durant would not return in time for the All-Star Game. It would be the third consecutive year that Durant would miss the annual event.
Nets coach Jacque Vaughn said on Tuesday that Durant received good news from his doctor but had not been cleared. His timetable is still to be determined.
“I won’t step on, cross that line a little bit, but what I’ll say (is) the days are adding up, and he has progressed,” Vaughn said.