NBA Trade Deadline Tracker; Grading Every Trade of the Day

The NBA Trade deadline is today at 3 PM Eastern time and we’ve already seen a surprising amount of moves early in the morning on the east coast.

After every deal is finalized, our staff will grade the trade for each team.

[This story will be updated throughout the day]

Buddy Hield traded to 76ers

Trade: Philadelphia 76ers acquire Buddy Hield from Indiana Pacers for Marcus Morris, Furkan Korkmaz, and three second-round picks

76ers Grade: A

Philadelphia finally freed the disgruntled Furkan Korkmaz after years of trade requests by flipping him, 3 mostly useless draft picks, and Marcus Morris (whom they received in the James Harden trade) for Buddy Hield and his burner account. The move gives Philly an immediate scoring threat, specifically on the perimeter to compliment star Joel Embiid.

Pacers Grade: B-

Indiana was trending towards letting Hield walk in free agency this summer, so getting some assets for him at the deadline should be seen as a win. It would have been a bad decision to keep Hield on an expiring contract.

Raptors acquire Kelly Olynyk, Ochai Agbaji

Trade: The Utah Jazz send Kelly Olynyk and Ochai Agbaji to the Raptors in exchange for Kira Lewis, Otto Porter Jr., and a first-round pick.

Jazz Grade: B+

This is a pile of nonsense to be honest. Utah somehow came away with a first-round pick among this mess, making them the clear winner of the deal.

Raptors Grade: D

Toronto has easily been the most active team in terms of trades this season. For the most part, all the moves they’ve made have set them up for the future by acquiring young talent and draft capital, which is why it makes negative sense to trade away a first-round pick for an aging backup center and a 23-year-old 11th man. The only thing keeping Toronto’s grade above an F is the fact they got rid of Otto Porter Jr.

Thunder acquire Gordon Hayward from Hornets

Trade: Hornets send Gordon Hayward to Thunder for Tre Mann and Davis Bertans.

Hornets Grade: B

Gordon Hayward signing a 4-year, $120 with the Charlotte Hornets in the summer of 2020 was a weird move from the beginning. That odd saga finally ended on Wednesday. For Charlotte, it starts yet another rebuild. They’ll probably buy out Bertans and see what young guard Tre Mann has in the tank for the remainder of the season.

Thunder Grade: A-

It’s hard to slight the Thunder for anything here. Tre Mann has shown promise and his timely shooting will be missed, but the veteran Hayward can instantly provide a talented but very young team with a calming, veteran, presence. The 33-year-old is still a solid player when healthy too.

Knicks snag Bojan Bogdanovic, Alec Burks

Trade: Knicks acquire Bojan Bogdanovic, Alec Burks from Pistons for Quentin Grimes, Evan Fournier, Malachi Flynn, Ryan Arcidiacono, two second-round picks

Knicks Grade: A+

The New York Knickerbockers are all in. The team has been on fire since trading for OG Anunoby from the Raptors a month ago and now New York has added two more reinforcements in veterans Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks. The former will make more of an impact than Burks, but both players should provide important minutes for a Knicks team with title aspirations.

Pistons Grade: C+

I would have liked Detroit to attempt a run at a first-round pick or two for Bojan, but this is about the best haul that dumpster fire of an organization could have gotten.

Nets and Raptors swap backup point guards

Trade: Raptors trade Dennis Schroeder and Thad Young to the Nets in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie

Raptors Grade: B–

I would say this seems like a trade a general manager makes just to get in on the fun, but the Raptors have been in the middle of things all year long. Maybe someone smarter than me can explain why this deal makes sense.

[Update: This grade improved from a C- after it was announced Thad Young’s contract would be leaving town as well.]

[Update 2: Spencer Dinwiddie has been waived by the Raports, saving them $1.5 Million in Cap Space. This move was essentially a salary dump. I’ve upgraded it to be B-.]

Nets Grade: C+

The Nets get the slight victory because the fan base doesn’t like Dinwiddie and “Dennis the Menace” is a cool nickname.

Mavericks add PJ Washington

Trade: Hornets send PJ Washington to Mavericks for Grant Williams, Seth Curry, and a first-round pick

Hornets Grade: B-

Charlotte gets praise here for going all-in on a rebuild and snagging a first-round pick for the 25-year-old Washington. The unfortunate truth is whoever they draft won’t be as nearly the player Washington is.

Mavericks Grade: A+

Dallas needs to build around Luka Doncic. Adding Kyrie Irving was simply not enough. The 25-year-old Washington gives the Mavericks a young star under team control that should make an immediate and long-lasting impact in Texas. Luka should be thrilled.

Patrick Beverley sent to Milwaukee

Trade: 76ers send Patrick Beverley to Bucks for Cam Payne and a second-round pick

76ers Grade: B

Philadelphia had one too many guards after acquiring Buddy Hield earlier in the day, and they decided the 35-year-old podcaster was the odd man out. Beverley brings heart, but the Sixers might enjoy the offensive upside of Cam Payne more.

Bucks Grade A-

The Bucks are a mess. Doc Rivers is not helping, so maybe the veteran Beverley can inspire the troops? It’s worth a flier, specifically for a team that struggles on the defensive end.

Pacers acquire Doug McDermott from Spurs

Trade: Spurs send Doug McDermott to Indiana for a second-round pick

Pacers Grade: B

There isn’t much to say here. Indiana gets their Buddy Hield replacement by giving up a weak pick in the NBA Draft. The Pacers get a “B” rather than a “C+” because of McDermott’s familiarity with the team.

Spurs Grade: A-

The Spurs need to rebuild around Victor Wembanyama. Any kind of assets San Antonio can get help them accomplish that. It’s a solid move.