2023 NBA Draft: How the Memphis-Boston-Washington deal shifted the trade market
The last two days before Thursday night’s NBA Draft have been highlighted by almosts. Boston, Los Angeles and Washington agreed in principle to send Kristaps Porziņģis to the Celtics, Malcolm Brogdon to the Clippers, and Marcus Morris, Danilo Gallinari, Amir Coffey, plus draft capital including Los Angeles’ No. 30 pick, to the Wizards. But the medical evaluation for Brogdon ultimately led to the Clippers pulling out of the three-team trade, league sources confirmed to Yahoo Sports, forcing the Celtics and Wizards to find a different avenue to reroute Porziņģis to Boston.
The end result: A new three-team deal roping in the Memphis Grizzlies, who will send the No. 25 pick plus a 2024 first-rounder from Golden State to Boston in exchange for Celtics mainstay Marcus Smart. Grizzlies reserve point guard Tyus Jones is headed to Washington, with the No. 35 pick from Boston and Mike Muscala in addition to Gallinari.
Memphis had been searching to trade Jones into a starting job, as Yahoo Sports reported earlier this week, with the goal of adding defensive-minded wing depth. Smart, the 2021-22 Defensive Player of the Year, brings the Grizzlies that type of premium, lockdown pest on the perimeter, plus a spot starter for Ja Morant while Memphis’ All-Star guard serves a 25-game suspension. The Grizzlies have dangled multiple first-round picks in pursuit of various wing players such as Mikal Bridges dating back to the February trade deadline, sources said. Magic swingman Franz Wagner is believed to be another young player Memphis has targeted in recent months. Sending a pair of late first-rounders for Smart — the Warriors certainly aim to be among the best in the West next season — seems like a strong middle ground between marginal improvement and a home run swing for the Grizzlies, while Smart has three years left on a value contract with an average annual salary of $19 million.
Boston had been active in conversations around the league regarding both Brogdon and Smart, sources said, with the goal of clearing its logjam in the backcourt and adding reinforcements to a frontline that features oft-injured Robert Williams and aging Al Horford. The Celtics were laying groundwork for potential opportunities to deal the No. 35 pick plus Payton Pritchard for a later first-round pick, sources said, but Boston was clearly aggressive in prioritizing bigger moves to upgrade a contending roster, and you can’t get much bigger than a 7-foot-3 center who quietly regained All-Star form for much of the 2022-23 season. The Celtics ultimately netted the pick in the 20s they were eyeing as well. In conversations with league personnel, Brogdon seemed the most likely Celtic to be moved, and there he was in the original Porziņģis framework with the Clippers. It remains to be seen if the Celtics will continue exploring Brogdon trades after nearly dealing the veteran guard, or if his medical situation will prevent any movement there at all. Perhaps Boston can use one of the additional picks added from Memphis to help facilitate a subsequent move.
The Wizards have already begun contacting opposing teams about trading Monte Morris, league sources told Yahoo Sports. Morris started at point guard alongside Bradley Beal last season after arriving from Denver in the 2022 offseason deal that brought Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to the champion Nuggets. There’s also a chance this trade with Boston and Memphis, and any subsequent deal surrounding veteran ball-handler Chris Paul, could become included in the Beal blockbuster with Phoenix that was agreed to last weekend. Phoenix and Washington have planned for that trade call to take place and be completed Friday, sources said, with Beal, reserve guard Jordan Goodwin and former second-round pick Isaiah Todd expected to fly to Phoenix and conduct their physicals.
Could the Clippers not getting Brogdon lead Los Angeles back to conversations about Paul? The Wizards have informed teams they don’t want to incur long-term money in trade scenarios this offseason, sources said, and Marcus Morris’ expiring $17 million salary was already heading out the door in the first Porziņģis-to-Boston three-teamer. Morris plus Robert Covington and his own expiring contract still makes the math work for Paul.
For all the mounting noise about Paul George’s trade candidacy in Los Angeles, don’t expect the Clippers to part with the eight-time All-Star. Portland has indeed registered interest in creating a package around the No. 3 pick for George, sources said, but those talks did not gain any traction with Los Angeles. There has certainly been talk of New York’s interest in acquiring George should the Clippers truly make him available, but Los Angeles has the intention to continue bolstering its roster around George and Kawhi Leonard — as evidenced by the team’s attempt to bring Brogdon into the fold.
Another trade in the Eastern Conference seemed to derail as it approached the finish line Tuesday night. The Indiana Pacers and Atlanta Hawks were making headway on a deal that would have sent De'Andre Hunter to the Pacers, league sources told Yahoo Sports, but talks ultimately broke apart. Further details of the framework are still unknown, but as the Hawks have consistently looked at deals that could help Atlanta jump from No. 15 into the top 10 of this draft, the Pacers were not willing to swap the No. 7 pick in those discussions for Hunter, sources said. Indiana has been scouring the market for starting forwards, contacting the Warriors about acquiring Jonathan Kuminga, sources said, and it looms as a potential free-agent destination for several veterans such as Harrison Barnes, Kyle Kuzma and Grant Williams.
The Hawks continued to be described as one of the more active teams in trade dialogue around the NBA. Hunter, John Collins and All-Star guard Dejounte Murray, in addition to starting center Clint Capela, continue to be mentioned by team personnel as viable trade candidates, with Hunter appearing to be involved in most of the Hawks’ possibilities entering draft night. There remains the chance, sources said, that Dallas could send the No. 10 pick to Atlanta for that No. 15 selection depending on which players are available. The Mavericks, though, could defy expectations and stay at No. 10 if Villanova product Cam Whitmore or UCF forward Taylor Hendricks slips to that selection.
Atlanta has also maintained a pursuit of Raptors forward Pascal Siakam, according to league sources. The Hawks’ have attempted several creative packages to land the All-NBA talent from Toronto, including at least one three-team scenario. Opposing front offices still believe the Raptors’ high valuation of their players, such as Siakam and OG Anunoby, marks the biggest roadblock to any potential trade of either Raptor. Toronto also stands as one of several teams in the middle of the first round that could trade up or down in Thursday night’s draft order. Every year, teams consider maneuvering in both directions of the draft board, but this June seems to have an inordinate number of front offices preparing to move in either direction, depending on how the picks unfold. Toronto, for example, has held discussions with Orlando to jump from No. 13 to No. 11, sources said, while the Raptors have also called teams like Golden State at No. 19 and Brooklyn with picks Nos. 21 and 22 about sliding down the board.
Other notes from around the league
Put the Lakers in a similar category of trade variance. Los Angeles has held discussions about moving up into the lottery, with some rival personnel believing the target is Michigan guard Kobe Bufkin. The Lakers have also had preliminary conversations with several teams about trading No. 17 plus the salary of Malik Beasley and/or Mo Bamba in exchange for veteran talent and perhaps a later draft selection. A few names to keep an eye on: Toronto guard Gary Trent Jr., Pacers guard Buddy Hield and Brooklyn swingman Dorian Finney-Smith, sources said.
Brooklyn has discussed Finney-Smith and Royce O’Neale with various teams, sources said. The Nets are seeking a pick and a player for Finney-Smith, and a first-round pick for O’Neale, similar to how Brooklyn acquired him from the Jazz before last June’s draft.
Houston has made the No. 20 pick available in trade conversations, according to league sources, fielding various offers to move the selection. It’s unclear what direction the Rockets prefer in any return at this spot.
Portland is evaluating trade possibilities with pick No. 23 as well, with an ongoing eye toward improving the roster around Damian Lillard.
The Pacers still hold picks Nos. 26, 40 and 55 and will look for ways to move up in the first round, sources said. Indiana already struck a trade with Denver on Wednesday, sending Nos. 29 and 32 for a 2024 first-round pick and the 40th selection. Sending those picks to the Nuggets seems to have further distanced Indiana and Atlanta from a possible Hunter trade.
