The NBA transaction moratorium was lifted Monday at noon, leading to a bunch of trades and even more rumors.
What We Know:
- The biggest trade from day 1 is without a doubt the Chris Paul deal. The OKC Thunder sent the All-Star guard and Abdel Nader to the Phoenix Suns for Kelly Oubre, Ricky Rubio, Ty Jerome, Jalen Leque, and a 2022 first-round draft pick. Considering that Paul’s huge contract seemed untradeable just a year ago, Thunder GM Sam Presti brought back a haul of assets for him this offseason. Paul will join rising star Devin Booker in Phoenix and they are poised to be a fun and competitive team in the West this year.
- OKC didn’t just move CP3, but they also flipped Dennis Schroder for more assets. The Thunder are sending Schroder to the LA Lakers for Danny Green and a 2020 first-round pick. The Lakers are adding one of the best bench guards in the league to their already championship-winning roster and the Thunder are adding another pick to their huge stock of draft assets. This deal also has implications for Lakers guard Rajon Rondo, who many are expecting to leave the team in free agency. The Lakers seemingly have found his replacement in Schroder, paving the way for Rondo to sign with the Atlanta Hawks or the LA Clippers.
- Day 1 has also seen plenty of players opt in or out of their current contracts. The Lakers have three players who are opting out of their contracts to test free agency with Anthony Davis, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Rondo. Even though Rondo might leave for another team, no one really expects Davis or KCP to move. Other notable players opting out and entering free agency are the Denver Nuggets’ Jerami Grant and the Milwaukee Bucks’ Brook Lopez and Wesley Matthews.
- Several players are also opting in for the last year of their deals to secure some extra money. The big ones are Nicolas Batum, Mike Conley, DeMar Derozan, and Otto Porter, with each of them making well over $25 million next season. Derozan is worth keeping his eye on because he’s still an All-Star caliber player and some contending teams like the Lakers might try to trade for him.
- Perhaps the biggest name floated in Monday trade talks was former MVP James Harden. After his teammate Russell Westbrook demanded a trade, Harden let the Rockets know that he was committed to the team. However, it is now being reported that Harden is looking to be traded, with his preferred destinations being the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers. Brooklyn is Harden’s top choice because he loves the idea of reuniting with Kevin Durant, but Philadelphia might be more realistic because they have better players to include in a trade. For a player as good as Harden, it would require one of the most generous trade packages in NBA history to get a deal done.
This is a huge week for NBA player movement. Not only did the trade moratorium end on Monday, but the draft will be held Wednesday night and free agency opens up on Friday.
