NBA trade deadline live tracker: Basketball’s latest buzz, updates

abraham smithFebruary 9, 2023

0 0 5 minutes read

It may be Super Bowl week, but the NBA has refused to stay out of the spotlight.

While LeBron James finished as the league’s all-time leading scorer on Tuesday night, teams have been preparing for the stretch run ahead of the NBA trade deadline.

And there is still time for more profiteering.

Much attention remains for the Phoenix Suns, Toronto Raptors, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers and Utah Jazz.

Will the Jazz continue to be sold to speed up the rebuild? Will the Raptors get a lot of first-round picks in exchange for OG Anunoby? Can the Lakers save their season?

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Follow along for the latest updates and analysis as the deadline nears.

Table of Contents

When does the NBA trade deadline end?

Teams have until 3pm ET to approve deals.

Nuggets acquire backup center Thomas Bryant from Lakers

The Denver Nuggets brought in backup center Thomas Bryant from the Los Angeles Lakers for three second-round draft picks The Denver Post reports.

Bryant, 25, recently saw his playing time dip in Los Angeles with the return of starter Anthony Davis. However, he averages 12.1 points per game on 65.4% shots from the field.

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Nets turn Jae Crowder to Bucks

Less than 12 hours after acquiring Jae Crowder from Phoenix in the Kevin Durant deal, the Brooklyn Nets have inked another deal in the veteran forward. The Nets sent Crowder to the Milwaukee Bucks for five second-round picks in a deal also involving Indiana, a person familiar with the deal told USA TODAY Sports.

The person requested anonymity as the trade was ongoing.

Crowder hasn’t played at all this season as Phoenix tried to trade him. In Milwaukee, he should bolster the Bucks bench with his defense and 3-point shooting.

The Pacers will get Jordan Nwora and two second-round picks and will be without Goga Bitadze

Will the Toronto Raptors finalize a deal that includes trading Fred VanVleet or OG Anunoby? The Raptors will have financial decisions to make over the next two offseasons and may be forced to address those issues in a trade now.

Brooklyn may not be done making moves just yet. It’s clear now they’re rebuilding and savvy teams will be inquiring about the availability of Mikal Bridges, who the Nets just acquired in the Kevin Durant deal from Phoenix. Denver and Memphis, the top two teams in the Western Conference, should be looking to strengthen their rosters after Phoenix and Dallas (who traded to Kyrie Irving) made the switch.

The Los Angeles Lakers, who reached an agreement to acquire D’Angelo Russell on Wednesday, Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors and New Orleans Pelicans are other teams looking for roster improvements.

Celtics sign Mike Muscala from Thunder

The Boston Celtics gained 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 told USA TODAY Sports.

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The person requested anonymity as the deal was not yet finalized.

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% at 3-pointers this season, giving Boston a big lead off the bench.

Jackson, 27, is a six-year veteran averaging .9 points and .7 rebounds for the Celtics.

Suns acquire Kevin Durant from Nets

The nets who traded guard Kyrie Irving to the Mavericks on Sunday and made another of their key players in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Kevin Durant will join the Suns alongside forward TJ Warren while Brooklyn transitions to an entirely new franchise paradigm.

Durant, a 13-time All-Star and two-time NBA Finals MVP, joins a Suns roster just over the .500 mark (30-26) and fifth in the Western Conference while the All-Star -Weekend is approaching. However, Phoenix has been a top-two seed in the conference for each of the past two seasons, including No. 1 in the West last year.

Who did the Suns give up for Kevin Durant?

Returning to the nets for Durant and Warren will be Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder and four first-round picks. The Nets and Suns will also do a pick swap in 2028.

Kevin Durant injury update

Durant has been out since January 8th with a sprained MCL.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes recently reported that Durant would not be returning in time for the All-Star Game. It would be the third year in a row that Durant would miss the annual event.