Kyle Lowry stays in Toronto, but teammate Norman Powell, others packing bags after trade deadline.
Kyle Lowry wound up staying with Toronto after all. Victor Oladipo is finally in Miami, a destination he’s eyed in the past. And Rajon Rondo is headed back to Los Angeles, though not with the team he helped win the NBA title last season.
The trade deadline has come and gone. And now, playoff pushes can really begin.
The Lakers stood pat. Miami, Denver, the Clippers, Portland, Dallas, Boston and Atlanta were likely among the teams feeling convinced that they improved on deadline day after a flurry of moves Thursday, though the best player — at least this season — might have been landed by the Bulls. They got All-Star forward Nikola Vucevic from Orlando, a move that ushered in the start of a big-time rebuild by the Magic.
“Anytime you trade a player like Nikola, it is a tough decision to make,” Magic President Jeff Weltman said.
The Magic traded three of their four leading scorers; in addition to the Vucevic move, Evan Fournier was sent to Boston and Aaron Gordon is headed to Denver. Acquiring Gordon was part of a bold day for the Nuggets, who also got JaVale McGee — part of three of the last four NBA championship teams, two with Golden State and last year with the Lakers — through a trade with Cleveland.
The Clippers — who sought point guard help for weeks — got it in Rondo, who was part of the Lakers’ run to the title last season and now returns to L.A. The Clippers gave up Lou Williams in that deal with Atlanta, sending him back to his home state and the team with whom he spent two seasons from 2012 through 2014.
Toronto made one move of significance, sending Norman Powell (Lincoln High) to the Trail Blazers for Rodney Hood and Gary Trent Jr. But Lowry — a free-agent-to-be and considered perhaps the biggest prize on this year’s trade market — did not get traded, the Raptors apparently unable to find enough assets to their liking.
Miami was a major pursuer for Lowry, and now simply may try to add him again as a free agent later this year. But the reigning Eastern Conference champions pivoted in time to add Oladipo — a twotime All-Star, a 21-point-pergame scorer this season and someone only three years removed from All-NBA status — from Houston, in exchange for Kelly Olynyk, Avery Bradley and a pick swap in 2022.
“The actual day, there’s usually a lot more hype and then a lot less action than what is speculated,“Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.
Questions swirled around Lowry all the way to the noon PDT deadline, and there were signs that the Raptors were positioning themselves to make the move. Toronto traded Matt Thomas to Utah and Terence Davis to Sacramento for future draft picks, not long before the deadline to open up roster spots — necessary because anyone who obtained Lowry would have had to send multiple players to Toronto in order to make the salary ramifications work.
In the end, though, the Raptors couldn’t be swayed to part with Lowry. So, on his 35th birthday, Lowry woke up as a Raptor — and remained one.
Another veteran joined a Western Conference contender when New Orleans sent JJ Redick to the Mavericks, along with Nicolo Melli for Wes Iwundu, James Johnson and a second-round pick in this summer’s draft.
The deadline passed without moves getting made for San Antonio’s LaMarcus Aldridge and Cleveland’s Andre Drummond, a pair of veteran post players who have not been on the court for their current — and soon to be former — clubs in several weeks, after decisions were made in both cases for the sides to move on amicably.
Thursday’s games
Clippers 98, Spurs 85:
Reggie Jackson scored 28 points, Paul George had 24 points and 13 rebounds and short-handed Los Angeles beat host San Antonio for its fourth straight victory.
DeMar DeRozan had 23 points, and Dejounte Murray added 18 for San Antonio. The Spurs have lost four straight, including the first three of a nine-game homestand.
Los Angeles was without Kawhi Leonard, Marcus Morris, Serge Ibaka and Patrick Beverley due to injury. Leonard and Morris were ruled out less than two hours prior to tipoff.
76ers 109, Lakers 101:
Danny Green received his NBA championship ring on his return to Los Angeles and then he went out to lead Philadelphia with 28 points, including eight 3-pointers. Kyle Kuzma led the Lakers with 25 points.
Kings 141, Warriors 119:
De’Aaron Fox had a careerbest 44 points as Sacramento beat Golden State. Fox shot 16 of 22 and added seven assists, continuing his twoweek scoring surge.
Knicks 106, Wizards 102:
Alec Burks scored 15 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter and host New York beat Washington to sweep the twogame set.
Trail Blazers 125, Heat 122: Damian Lillard made three free throws with a second remaining for the final margin, and visiting Portland survived a wild finish to beat short-handed Miami.
Lillard was fouled by Miami’s Trevor Ariza on a 3point attempt, which the Heat argued to no avail. Miami didn’t have a timeout remaining and never got a desperation tying shot off, after its inbounds pass was deflected away.