NBA journeymen face similar circumstances at trade deadline
On their way to the locker rooms at Chesapeake Energy Arena, most players stroll through the hall and nod politely to the gathering press or don’t say anything at all.
Thunder forward Steve Novak has a pregame walk that looks a little different. It involves surprised smiles, long-timeno-see hugs and warm handshakes with out-oftowners from New York, Toronto and Houston.
It’s not just that Novak is a pleasant guy. When you’ve played for eight teams in 10 years, you get to know an abundance of coaches, trainers and staff across the league. Novak’s been traded four times, including each of the last three seasons, so he’s well-versed on the life that comes with being a NBA journeyman … and the anxiety of Thursday’s 2 p.m. trade deadline.
“Having the relationships I have with all the teams has an upside to it,” said Novak, whose $3.75 million contract with the Thunder will expire after this season. “… but I think the downside is … I think I’ve had a moving truck involved 16 times in my (NBA) life. It’s too much. “I think that’s where the anxiety comes from … is that you’re thinking about starting that process over in a new place.”
On Wednesday, the Thunder players were together for the first time following the All-Star break. Could it have been one of the final practices in Oklahoma City for Novak and D.J. Augustin, who also has an expiring contract ($3 million)?
Both Novak and Augustin were acquired a year ago in a three-team deal that sent Reggie Jackson and Kendrick Perkins out of Oklahoma City. Augustin, like Novak, has played for more than a handful of NBA teams (six).
Their friendship predates their Oklahoma City days. They played together in Toronto two seasons ago, where their wives became friends, and both families each have two children. “The kids change everything,” Novak said. “When you’re single — it’s just you and your wife or you even have very young kids — you don’t have to worry about the school year, you don’t have to worry about kind of uprooting them, putting them around new groups of people.
“I know if a trade ever happens, off I go, but the family’s kinda always left in the dust and that’s always tough.”
For all of the teams they’ve played for, Novak and Augustin have only been dealt once at the deadline — last season’s move to OKC. Novak’s played just 24 minutes for the Thunder this season. He has never been in the rotation like Augustin, who’s seen his minutes at backup point guard absorbed by rookie Cameron Payne.
Kevin Durant says both have handled the season professionally. With less than 24 hours before the deadline, Augustin was the last player on the court taking jump shots following practice Wednesday.
“D.J. went from three or four teams. Steve Novak’s played for every team in the NBA, I think,” Durant joked. “So he knows. They come in with a smile on their face, encouraging the rest of the team and you don’t see them getting upset because they aren’t playing.
“They’ve been great teammates, great brothers, and they’ve been great in the locker room.”