January 31, 2021
by Arbe Jay Polancos
The National Basketball Association (NBA) has started the process of trading players from one team to another and in just the first month of the year 2021, a lot of good trades (and bad) happened. The NBA and the rest of the organization behind it do a trade with a deadline. This gives players the option to stay with their current team and have a contract deal with a much higher salary. Sometimes, players request to be traded because of many reasons. Be it the salary, their want to win a championship, and sometimes because of a frustrating organization (teammates included).
The trade started two months before 2020 ended. In the pre-COVID days, trades usually happen after the finals or the championship. Players cut deals with teams and sign contracts with their preferred organization. They could have one to five-year contracts. However, their organization reserves the right to terminate their contracts once they see that the player is found to be. Sometimes, it’s the player who really wants out even before the contract is over. They call this a ‘contract buyout’ where the player and the organization decide to terminate the contract mutually. This rarely happens though.
Here’s the NBA Trade categorized by month (via https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2020/11/2020-nba-offseason-trades.html): In November,
- Suns got Chris Paul and Abdel Nader.
- Thunder acquired Ricky Rubio, Kelly Oubre, Ty Jerome,and Jalen Lecque
- Lakers acquired Dennis Schröder.
- Thunder acquired Danny Green
- Thunder acquired Trevor Ariza, and Justin Jackson
- Pistons acquired Delon Wright.
- Mavericks acquired James Johnson.
- Cavaliers acquired Rayjon Tucker
- Knicks acquired Austin Rivers
- Thunder acquired T.J. Leaf
- Pacers acquired Jalen Lecque.
- Hawks acquired Danilo Gallinari (sign-and-trade) and cash ($750K).
- Timberwolves acquire Ed Davis.
- Knicks acquired Jacob Evans, and Omari Spellman
- Pistons acquired Trevor Ariza
- Rockets acquired Christian Wood (sign-and-trade)
- Bucks acquired Jrue Holiday
- Pelicans acquired Steven Adams, Eric Bledsoe
- Thunder acquired George Hill, Darius Miller, Kenrich Williams (sign-and-trade), Josh Gray (sign-and-trade), Zylan Cheatham (sign-and-trade)
- Cavaliers acquired JaVale McGee and the Lakers’ 2026 second-round pick.
- Lakers acquired Alfonzo McKinnie and Jordan Bell.
- Pistons acquired Zhaire Smith.
- Sixers acquired Tony Bradley.
- Knicks acquired Ed Davis
- Pistons acquired Jerami Grant (sign-and-trade)
- Pistons acquire Tony Bradley
- Warriors acquired Kelly Oubre.
- Trail Blazers acquired Robert Covington.
- Rockets acquire Trevor Ariza
- Trail Blazers acquired Enes Kanter
- Grizzlies acquired Mario Hezonja
- Timberwolves acquired Ricky Rubio
- Thunder acquired James Johnson
- Pistons acquired Dewayne Dedmon.
- Hawks acquired Tony Snell and Khyri Thomas.
- Nets acquired Landry Shamet and Bruce Brown
- Clippers acquired Luke Kennard, and Justin Patton
- Pistons acquired Dzanan Musa and Rodney McGruder
- Thunder acquired Vincent Poirier
- Thunder acquired Admiral Schofield
- Mavericks acquired Josh Richardson
That’s for November (without future picks and draft rights), this is for December 2020:
- Sixers acquired Danny Green, Terrance Ferguson, and Vincent Poirier.
- Thunder acquired Al Horford,
- Wizards acquired Russell Westbrook.
- Rockets acquired John Wall
If you think that’s crazy enough, in January, a blockbuster trade was made involving a KIA Former MVP, James Harden.
- Nets acquire former Kia MVP Harden (Jan. 14)
- Nets get:James Harden
- 2024 second-round pick
- Rockets get:Caris LeVert, Rodions Kurucs, and Dante Exum plus:
- Three first-round picks (2022, 2024, 2026) from Nets
- 2022 first-round pick from Cavaliers (via Milwaukee)
- Four first-round pick swaps (2021, 2023, 2025, 2027) from Nets
- Cavaliers get: Jarrett Allen, and Taurean Princ
- Cavaliers trade Porter Jr. to Rockets
- Rockets get: Kevin Porter Jr.
- Cavaliers get: Future second-round pick
These trades will prove that the game will have really unexpected results considering the possibilities that each player can contribute to each team. We will see about it in the coming games.