The Memphis Grizzlies finally traded Andre Iguodala to the Miami Heat (the principle of the deal is done) for Justise Winslow, and the Heat are trying to pry Danilo Gallinari from the Oklahoma City Thunder. Hope that the Thunder lands Tyler Herro in any exchange.
If you think about it, you have to give Chris Wallace a ton of credit in the Memphis front office. He’s turned Mike Conley, Jevon Carter, and a 2024 second rounder for:
- Brandon Clarke
- De’Anthony Melton
- Jae Crowder
- Grayson Allen
- Josh Jackson
- Justise Winslow
- UTA 2021 1st (protected. 1-7, 15-30)
- GS 2024 1st (top 4 protected)
- PHX 2020 2nd
- PHX 2021 2nd (protected, 36-60)
Expect Jackson to be moved to the Heat and Waiters to be headed to Memphis. Hopefully, they have Gummy Grizzlies in Memphis. Wallace also signed Dillon Brooks to a three year, $35 million extension.
Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson III to the Philadelphia 76ers for three second round picks so that the Sixers get some depth in shooting. Philadelphia may not be done, as they have to create space to absorb Burks and Robinson; they may have to end up waiving two players to make room.
Dewayne Dedmon is headed back to the Atlanta Hawks for Alex Len and Jabari Parker. I’m scratching my head on Parker, because he was going through a bit of a resurrection in Atlanta this season. Hopefully that will continue in Sacramento for the young man out of Duke.
The pursuit of D’Angelo Russell has shifted from the Minnesota Timberwolves to the New York Knicks. Other names still out there are Marcus Morris (who would honestly be a nice fit for the Warriors now and down the road), Kevin Love and Andre Drummond, as well as my guy, Kyle Kuzma and apparently now, Dennis Schroder.
Eight hours remain until today’s 3 p.m. EST trade deadline – I expect it to be busy as all get out.
********************
Phoenix Suns 108
Detroit Pistons 116
Strong performances in the first and fourth quarters sealed the win for Detroit Pistons as they hosted the Phoenix Suns last night. Kelly Oubre Jr.’s name was bandied about in social media last night as being dangled for possible trade, and if any of that rings true, last night was a pretty good audition of what he can bring to the table for a team. He dropped 30 points in the loss, but was as aggressive as Detroit’s Andre Drummond, the subject of possible trade rumors for about the last two months. Drummond led all scorers with 31 and 19, while Reggie Jackson came back to life for the Pistons.
| SUNS (20-31) 12th in the West | PISTONS (19-34) 10th in the East |
| Kelly Oubre, Jr. 30 points – five rebounds – two assists | Andre Drummond 31 points – 19 rebounds – four assists – three steals |
| Deandre Ayton 26 points – 12 rebounds – four assists – four blocks | Reggie Jackson 25 points – five rebounds – nine assists – one steal |
| Devin Booker 22 points – four rebounds – seven assists | Christian Wood 21 points – eight rebounds – one assist – one steal |
NEXT GAMES
Detroit at Oklahoma City – Friday
Houston at Phoenix – Friday
********************
Indiana Pacers 118
Toronto Raptors 119
Two teams who don’t have much of a leg in the trade deadline race put on one of the best basketball games of the evening. But the championship mettle was with the Toronto Raptors as they edged the Indiana Pacers in Toronto with a one point win. They survived an 18 point second quarter in which Indiana scored 43, a 25 margin with a 19 point deficit, to come back and ice the game, the Raptors’ franchise record 12th straight win. Serge Ibaka, who’s been playing hungry of late, dropped 30 on the Pacers, who had a quiet triple double from Ibaka’s counterpart in Domantas Sabonis, and hit the game icing three with 30 seconds remaining. Sabonis finished fourth on his team with 15 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. These two teams go at it again in Indianapolis tomorrow night.
| PACERS (31-20) 5th in the East | RAPTORS (37-14) 2nd in the East |
| Malcolm Brogdon 24 points – six rebounds – six assists | Kyle Lowry 32 points – eight rebounds – 10 assists – two steals |
| Justin Holiday 22 points – five rebounds – three assists – three steals – one block | Serge Ibaka 30 points – seven rebounds – three assists – one steal |
| Doug McDermott 19 points – four rebounds | Pascal Siakam 25 points – nine rebounds – five assists – three steals |
NEXT GAMES
Toronto at Indiana – Friday
********************
Orlando Magic 100
Boston Celtics 116
If there’s one team that can take the Toronto Raptors out, it’s the Boston Celtics. The multi-headed green monster was at home against the Orlando Magic last night, however. They took care of them, too. Hard to have an MVP conversation without including Jayson Tatum. Though his name might not resonate with names like Giannis Antetokuonmpo, LeBron James or Luka Doncic, Tatum is a quiet leader whose Celtics should be one of the most feared teams in the NBA, not just the Eastern Conference. He led all scorers at TD Garden with a nice line of 33 points, eight rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks. The kid plays with consistency, something Orlando has lacked all season long.
| MAGIC (22-29) 8th in the East | CELTICS (35-15) 3rd in the East |
| Evan Fournier 26 points – four rebounds – one assist | Jayson Tatum 33 points – eight rebounds – five assists – three steals – two blocks |
| Aaron Gordon 23 points – 10 rebounds – four assists – two steals – one block | Gordon Hayward 23 points – seven rebounds – seven assists – two steals |
| Terrence Ross 18 points – two rebounds – one assist – two steals – one block | Jaylen Brown 18 points – five assists |
NEXT GAMES
Orlando at New York – Tonight
Atlanta at Boston – Friday
********************
Golden State Warriors 88
Brooklyn Nets 129
One of the teams in overnight trade news was the worst team in the league, the Golden State Warriors, who were more interested in shedding salary than scoring points – obviously, with a 41 point loss last night. They gave up their third and fifth highest scorers for three second round picks, or about 29 points, based on Alec Burks’ and Glenn Robinson III’s season averages. D’Angelo Russell, whose name was talked about more than anyone else’s on the team yesterday, has remained a Warrior thus far and led Golden State with a lethargic 17 points. Caris LeVert was the tops with 23 points, while Joe Harris and Garrett Temple combined for 33 without Kyrie Irving. Again.
| WARRIORS (12-40) 15th in the West | NETS (23-27) 7th in the East |
| D’Angelo Russell 17 points – three rebounds – three assists – two steals – one block | Caris LeVert 23 points – four rebounds – eight assists |
| Jordan Poole 16 points – two rebounds – four assists – three steals | Joe Harris 17 points – nine rebounds – one assist – one steal |
| Eric Paschall 15 points – five rebounds – two assists – one steal – one block | Garrett Temple 16 points – two rebounds – four assists – one steal – one block |
NEXT GAMES
Brooklyn at Toronto – Saturday
Los Angeles at Golden State – Saturday
********************
Atlanta Hawks 127
Minnesota Timberwolves 120
The Atlanta Hawks finally got off the basement floor of the Eastern Conference, thanks in part to former teammate Dennis Schroder and the Oklahoma City Thunder and themselves beating Minnesota in the cold wilds of Minnesota last night. And with Clint Capela on the way and the return of Dewayne Dedmon, the climb should arguably continue. Alex Len and Jabari Parker head to Sacramento in the acquisition of Dedmon, but it was Trae Young and John Collins who were the formidable duo in the Target Center last night instead of Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns. Young and Collins combined for 65 versus Wiggins and Towns, who only collected 48 in the loss, Minnesota’s 35th of the season through 50.
| HAWKS (14-38) 14th in the East | TIMBERWOLVES (15-35) 14th in the West |
| Trae Young 38 points – four rebounds – 11 assists – one steal | Andrew Wiggins 25 points – seven rebounds – three assists – two steals – one block |
| John Collins 27 points – 12 rebounds – two assists – one block | Josh Okogie 23 points – one assist – two steals – one block |
| Damian Jones 14 points – eight rebounds – two assists – two steals – one block | Karl-Anthony Towns 21 points – 11 rebounds – one assist – two steals – one block |
NEXT GAMES
Atlanta at Boston – Friday
Los Angeles at Minnesota – Saturday
********************
Cleveland Cavaliers 103
Oklahoma City Thunder 109
It’s easy to see why the Los Angeles Lakers want Dennis Schroder and why the Miami Heat want Danilo Gallinari. But I’m not giving Schroder up for cheap if I’m Sam Presti. It should be Kyle Kuzma plus, plus. And I’m not giving up Gallinari without getting Tyler Herro in return. But that’s just me. I’m no Sam Presti, who seems to be one of the best poker players in the NBA’s General Manager ranks. Schroder – who should be pronouncing it ‘shredder’ with his improvement in play this season – ground up the Cleveland Cavaliers last night in OKC, dropping Cleveland to the basement of the Eastern Conference with the loss. Gallinari added 15 and five in what may be his last game with the Thunder.
| CAVALIERS (13-39) 15th in the East | THUNDER (31-20) 6th in the West |
| Collin Sexton 23 points – three rebounds – two assists | Dennis Schroder 30 points – five rebounds – six assists – one steal – one block |
| Kevin Love 20 points – seven rebounds – five assists – one steal | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 23 points – 10 rebounds – three assists – two steals – two blocks |
| Larry Nance, Jr. 14 points – 10 rebounds – five assists – one steal | Danilo Gallinari 15 points – five rebounds – one assist – one steal |
NEXT GAMES
Detroit at Oklahoma City – Friday
Los Angeles at Cleveland – Saturday
********************
Memphis Grizzlies 121
Dallas Mavericks 107
The Memphis Grizzlies were likely viewed as the trade wars winner last night, moving Andre Iguodala to Miami for Justise Winslow and other considerations. They get a viable side of beef for someone who even refused to report to training camp with the Grizzlies, and could have been a viable part of their success. Instead, Iggy will be a great sidekick for Jimmy Butler and mesh well with the Heat. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies celebrated by beating the Dallas Mavericks in Dallas. The Mavericks fell below the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference as a result. Memphis also went a game above .500, meaning the West has all eight playoff bound teams above the .500 mark, while the East has two below it.
| GRIZZLIES (26-25) 8th in the West | MAVERICKS (31-20) 7th in the West |
| Ja Morant 21 points – one rebound – three assists | Kristaps Porzingis 32 points – 12 rebounds – two assists – two steals – one block |
| Jaren Jackson, Jr. 19 points – six rebounds – three assists – one steal – two blocks | Jalen Brunson 20 points – two rebounds – six assists |
| Brandon Clarke 18 points – six rebounds – three assists – one block | Tim Hardaway, Jr. 14 points – six rebounds – one assist – one steal |
NEXT GAMES
Memphis at Philadelphia – Friday
Dallas at Washington – Friday
********************
Denver Nuggets 98
Utah Jazz 95
With the season series at four games, so far, the Denver Nuggets have owned the Utah Jazz. Twice in the last week. They still have April 5th in Denver and April 14th in Salt Lake City to play. But this is a critical series, and one Utah will need to figure out before season’s end because these two teams have traded spots in the second place seed twice this season already, and remain about three games apart as of today, but that can change on any given day in the West. Utah made its move acquiring Jordan Clarkson; Denver gave up Malik Beasley and Juancho Hernangomez Wednesday night and will get Keita Bates-Diop, Gerald Green, Shabazz Napier, Noah Vonleh in return in the four team, 12 player deal. The next two months will tell who got the better of that deal, but Denver got the better of Utah last night on the Jazz’s home floor, thanks to a beautiful and strong triple double from Nikola Jokic.
| NUGGETS (36-16) 3rd in the West | JAZZ (32-18) 5th in the West |
| Jamal Murray 31 points – two rebounds – four assists – one block | Mike Conley 21 points – eight rebounds – five assists – one steal |
| Nikola Jokic 30 points – 21 rebounds – 10 assists – two steals | Donovan Mitchell 18 points – eight rebounds – one assist |
| Monte Morris 15 points – two rebounds – three assists – two steals – one block | Rudy Gobert 16 points – 14 rebounds – one block |
NEXT GAMES
Portland at Utah – Friday
Denver at Phoenix – Saturday
********************
Miami Heat 111
Los Angeles Clippers 128
The heat is on Pat Riley to assemble the Miami Heat for the stretch run, and last night’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers showed why he’s not satisfied with just adding Andre Iguodala. Riles wants the Miami Heat to look like the Clippers did last night – eight viable scorers, starting or coming off the bench – that can dismantle a team of Miami’s caliber. He knows that’s what it will take to get through the Bostons, the Philadelphias, the Torontos, and the Milwaukees of the Eastern Conference … and of course, either L.A. team in the Western Conference. I expect Riley’s phone to be as busy as all eight of those Clippers were last night … and just as fruitful.
| HEAT (34-16) 4th in the East | CLIPPERS (36-15) 2nd in the West |
| Derrick Jones, Jr. 25 points – nine rebounds – three assists – two steals – one block | Paul George 23 points – five rebounds – 10 assists – two steals – one block |
| Bam Adebayo 22 points – 11 rebounds – six assists – two steals | Landry Shamet 23 points – one rebound – six assists |
| Goran Dragic 13 points – four rebounds – five assists | Kawhi Leonard 14 points – seven rebounds – nine assists – two steals – one block |
NEXT GAMES
Miami at Sacramento – Friday
Los Angeles at Minnesota – Saturday
********************
THURSDAY’S GAMES
(All times Eastern Standard Time)
| 7:30 p.m. Orlando Magic New York Knicks Fox Sports Florida | 8 p.m. New Orleans Pelicans Chicago Bulls NBC Sports Chicago | 8 p.m. Philadelphia 76ers Milwaukee Bucks TNT |
| 10 p.m. San Antonio Spurs Portland Trailblazers Fox Sports Southwest | 10:30 p.m. Houston Rockets Los Angeles Lakers TNT |
********************
Tracy Graven is a Senior NBA Analyst for BackSportsPage.com.
He has written the NBA, and done NBA radio, for the last two decades for HoopsWorld, Swish Magazine, and HoopsHype, the Coach Scott Fields Show and NBARadioShow.com, and is also tackling the NFL, NCAA, and will be pinch-hitting on some Major League Baseball coverage for BackSportsPage.
He’s spent 20 years in locker rooms in
- Orlando
- Boise (G League)
- San Antonio
- Phoenix
- Denver
- Oklahoma City
- Atlanta
A corporate trainer by day, he currently resides in SEC Country near Knoxville, Tennessee.
Reach him on Twitter at @RealTMoneyMedia
Featured Articles
Featured Writers
