Oladipo, Vucevic among those dealt in flurry of trades
Kyle Lowry wound up staying with Toronto after all. Victor Oladipo is finally in Miami, a destination he’s eyed in the past.
The trade deadline has come and gone. And now, playoff pushes can really begin.
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 Chicago 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.
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.
And Toronto made one move of significance, sending Norman Powell to the Portland 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 two-time AllStar, a 21-point-per-game 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.
Questions swirled around Lowry all the way to the 3 p.m. EST 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 Dallas Mavericks, along with Nicolo Melli for Wes Iwundu, James Johnson and a second-round pick in this summer’s draft. Redick satisfies Dallas’ want for more shooting and provides a veteran voice to help younger players — just as JJ Barea did for Dallas in past seasons.
The Heat made another deal prior to the Oladipo one being struck, landing Nemanja Bjelica from Sacramento for little-used forwards Maurice Harkless and Chris Silva.
The deadline passed without moves getting made for San Antonio’s LaMarcus Aldridge and Cleveland’s Andre Drummond, a pair of veteranpostplayerswhohavenot beenonthecourtfortheircurrent clubs in several weeks, after decisions were made in both cases for the sides to move on amicably. Aldridge’s buyoutwasfinalizedThursday and the Cavaliers were working toward one with Drummond; those moves will make themfreetosignwiththeclub of their choosing.
LONGTIME COACH ALBECK DIES » Stan Albeck, the former San Antonio, Cleveland, New Jersey and Chicago head coach during a long NBA career, died Thursday in hospice care at son John’s home. He was 89.
John Albeck told the San Antonio Express-News his father entered hospice care Thursday after having a stroke March 14.
Albeck coached the ABA’s Denver Rockets in 1970-71, then directed Cleveland in 1979-80, San Antonio from 1980-83, New Jersey from 1983-85 and Chicago in 1985-86.
He took San Antonio to consecutive Western Conference Finals in 1982 and ’83.
Hegothisfirstheadcoaching job at Adrian College in Michigan in 1956, and spent 14 seasons as a college head coach at Adrian, Northern Michigan and the University of Denver before joining the Rockets’ staff.