Kevin Durant: Destroyer of Playoff Hopes

In the words of Vladimir Lenin, "There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.“

Well Enjoyers, it has certainly been one of those weeks in the NBA. If you’re joining us from Kenny’s YouTube or Twitch, first of all, welcome! Second of all, you’ve certainly come at the right time–we have a LOT to talk about. Let’s go ahead and jump into the craziest few days the hoops world has seen in quite a while.

Today’s Lineup

The Balance of Power ⚖️: KD lands in The Valley after a massive deadline shakeup

Battle in the Crypt ⚰️: The Lakers go to war with the Bucks without LeBron

Uncle Drew's Debut 🏀: Kyrie dazzles in Dallas to headline Wednesday’s slate

Before we get into all the trade deadline happenings, feel free to take our survey so we can do fun things like give you a birthday shoutout and know which NBA team you ride with. We promise it only takes a minute and will enhance your reading experience!

Out Of Bounds

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Thursday’s Throwdowns

Nets shine in first game post-KD, beat Bulls 116-105

The Nets’ (33-22) future may be bright thanks to massive hauls from the KD, Kyrie, and Harden trades, but don't give up on the present just yet. Brooklyn looked like a team that had been playing together for years as they dominated Chicago 37-21 in the fourth quarter to put this game on ice. Dorian Finney-Smith started his Nets career off with a dunk for the ages, Yuta Watanabe and Joe Harris couldn't miss, and Spencer Dinwiddie was back like he never left Barclays Center, dropping 25 including a backbreaking three to put this one away.

For the Bulls (26-29), their decision to stay put at the deadline has to be weighing heavily on a lot of fans’ minds right now. Zach LaVine had one of his best games of the year, but Chicago struggled to get anything going from beyond the arc, hitting just five of their 26 three-point attempts.

Magic put the league on notice with 115-104 win over Nuggets

Orlando, could this playoff thing be happening? The Magic (23-33) are 17-13 over their last 30 games and only three games out of the final play-in spot in the East. And it’s not just their stars leading the charge either. This game was won entirely off of an incredible effort from the bench mob. Led by Cole Anthony and Bol Bol, the Magic bench outscored the Nuggets’ bench (38-18) by a whopping 46 points. A quick moment of appreciation for Aaron Gordon as well, who dropped an efficient 37 and 13 in his Orlando homecoming.

Trae Young’s big night powers Hawks over shorthanded Suns 116-107

The Hawks (28-28) took full advantage of being the last team to face the KD-less Suns (30-27), keeping Phoenix at a comfortable distance throughout the second half. Trae Young was back to his old ways, deep threes and all, and Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu dominated the boards to the tune of 28 combined rebounds. But it was John Collins proving the doubters wrong with a ferocious poster dunk that truly stole the show.

With KD set to arrive in 2-3 business days, Phoenix is chillin’ despite the loss. Quick shout-out to Josh Okogie for taking full advantage of him opportunity to get major minutes and dropping an efficient 25 points.

Lakers put up a fight without LeBron, but eventually fall short to Bucks 115-106

With newly crowned scoring king LeBron James out with an ankle injury, this was always going to be an uphill battle for the Lakers (25-31). Still, props to them for making it interesting! A strong first half led by Anthony Davis, Dennis Schröder, and Austin Reaves (who crossed up Giannis by the way) gave them an eight-point lead at the break.

But then the Bucks (38-17) machine kicked into gear. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday scored 32 of Milwaukee's 38 points in a dominating third quarter that swung the game in their favor. The rest of the NBA is certainly starting to Fear the Deer, as the Bucks are winners of nine straight.

Wednesday Night Notes

Kyrie Irving's Mavs debut went off without a hitch, as the new arrival showed off some dazzling finishes as he led Dallas over the Clippers. The Kings got the benefit of the doubt for once and secured a win in Houston, despite 41 from Jalen Green and a career-high 11 dimes from Alperen Şengün. Donte DiVincenzo threw down a dunk for the ages, Shaedon Sharpe showed off his new levitation skills, and Damian Lillard dropped his second career triple-double in the Blazers’ home win over the Warriors. And a well-rounded Celtics offense, led by a surprising big night from Blake Griffin, powered Boston to a statement win over Philly.

Elsewhere, Kristaps Porzingis dropped 38 on Charlotte in a double digit Wizards W. Minnesota's Jaylen Nowell torched the Jazz with a career-high 30 points. Miami had some home cooking from Bam Adebayo and rode it all the way to a victory over the Pacers. Spicy P lit up the Six to power the Raptors past the Spurs. And a double-double from Jarrett Allen was enough to help the Cavs fend off the Pistons.

Trade Deadline Central

These are chaotic times, people. Players are swapping left and right, superstars are moving across the country, second round picks are flying every which way. It might have been too much to keep up with.

Luckily, we’ve got you covered with a timeline covering the wild final 24 hours of trade season. Put on your GM hats–let’s dive in.

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Wednesday: 8:12 PM ET - Westbrook, Conley, DLo on the move in massive three team transaction

Los Angeles Receives: D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt

Minnesota Receives: Mike Conley, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, 2024, 2025, and 2026 SRP’s

Utah Receives: Russell Westbrook, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Damian Jones, 2027 FRP (via LAL)

Here we go! This year's deadline started off with a bang as the Lakers made a MAJOR upgrade to their rotation. DLo and Malik Beasley give the Lakers some much needed shooting, while Jarred Vanderbilt shores up the big man rotation behind Anthony Davis. Minnesota grabs a more defensive-minded PG in Mike Conley and adds NAW for some more depth. And Utah snags a highly-coveted first round pick from LA while getting the opportunity to cut some salary by buying out Russell Westbrook.

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Wednesday: 9:58 PM ET - Josh Hart joins college teammate Brunson in the Big Apple

New York Receives: Josh Hart

Portland Receives: Cam Reddish, Svi Mykhailiuk, Ryan Arcidiacano, 2023 NYK FRP (Lottery Protected)

Jalen Brunson is absolutely thrilled to have his former college teammate back on his side! Hart is the perfect role player for Tom Thibodeau’s system, and all signs point to the Knicks trying to sign him to a long-term deal this summer. In return, the Blazers take a flier on a former top ten pick in Reddish and a first round pick that could potentially be useful in future deals.

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Thursday: 12:51 AM ET - Raptors get their center, snag Poeltl from Spurs

Toronto Receives: Jakob Poeltl

San Antonio Receives: Khem Birch, 2024 TOR FRP (Top 6 Protected), 2023 SRP, 2025 SRP

Years after being a part of the trade that sent Kawhi Leonard to Toronto, Jakob Poeltl is a Raptor once again. The Raptors have been looking for a center for a while now, and Poeltl is a great defender who has experience working with Nick Nurse. And for San Antonio, the tank marches on. With the Raptors looking a bit shaky this year, that 2024 pick could be huge down the line.

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Thursday: 1:05 AM ET - Kevin Durant shatters the NBA landscape in blockbuster move to Suns

Phoenix Receives: Kevin Durant, T.J. Warren

Brooklyn Receives: Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, Jae Crowder, 2023, 2025, 2027, 2029 FRP’s, 2028 FRP swap

As many of us were going to bed last night, Woj decided to casually drop a league-altering nuke 💥. To the horror of teams throughout the Western Conference, Kevin Durant is headed to Phoenix. He’ll join Devin Booker, Chris Paul, and Deandre Ayton to form one of the most formidable cores in the league, immediately propelling the Suns into the upper echelon of title contention. Luckily for the Nets, it still cost a (not Sacramento) king's ransom. Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson, along with Nic Claxton, Cam Thomas, and an absolute boatload of picks, immediately form the core of a new era for Brooklyn hoops.

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Thursday: 1:53 PM, 2:12 PM, 2:39 PM ET - The Clippers rebuild their bench in an hour

Los Angeles Receives: Bones Hyland

Denver Receives: 2024, 2025 SRP (via LAC)

Los Angeles Receives: Eric Gordon, three SRP’s (via MEM)

Houston Receives: John Wall, Danny Green, 2023 FRP Swap (Best of LAC and MIL)

Memphis Receives: Luke Kennard

Los Angeles Receives: Mason Plumlee

Charlotte Receives: Reggie Jackson, 2028 2RP

With just a couple hours left on the clock, the Clippers made a flurry of trades that saw them completely revitalize a bench unit that has struggled to gel so far this season. Bones Hyland and Eric Gordon will provide the second unit with some much-needed offensive firepower, while Mason Plumlee is the backup big they’ve desperately needed since letting Isaiah Hartenstein walk last summer.

As for the other teams involved, Houston and Charlotte will both save some money after picking up likely buyout candidates John Wall (who is hilariously back in Houston) and Reggie Jackson, along with some draft pick sweeteners. And Memphis bolsters their 24th ranked three-point shooting with Luke Kennard, one of the best pure snipers in the league.

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Thursday 1:55, 2:57 PM ET - Saddiq Bey heads to Atlanta, GPII gets his Warriors reunion

Atlanta Receives: Saddiq Bey

Detroit Receives: James Wiseman

Golden State Receives: Gary Payton II

Portland Receives: Kevin Knox, five SRP’s (via ATL)

James Wiseman struggled for consistent playing time in the Bay, and will follow in Marvin Bagley’s footsteps as the next in a long line of Pistons big man restoration projects. Speaking of the Bay, how about Saddiq Bey? The young wing has shown flashes of incredible scoring talent in the Motor City, and now he’ll get the chance to prove his worth on a Hawks team pushing for the playoffs. And a few months (17 games played) later, it looks like Gary Payton II’s time in Portland was not much more than an extended-stay vacation. The versatile defensive guard is heading back to Golden State for Kevin Knox and a nice stack of second round picks.

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Thursday 2:19 PM ET - Mo Bamba switches coasts in trade to Lakers

Los Angeles Receives: Mo Bamba

Orlando Receives: Patrick Beverley, 2024 SRP (via DEN), cash considerations

The Lakers continued to cook by trading for one of the best backup centers on the market. Mo Bamba has his weaknesses, but nobody can deny his positive impact as a shot blocker and a floor stretcher. And don’t feel too bad for Patrick Beverley–rumor has it that the Magic will buy him out, leaving the oft-traded veteran free to find a new home.

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Other Notable Trades

• Portland snags Matisse Thybulle, Philly grabs Jalen McDaniels in three-team swap with Charlotte.

• Josh Richardson is headed to New Orleans for Devonte’ Graham and picks.

• Thunder legend Darius Bazley was moved to Phoenix for Dario Saric and a second rounder.

• Jae Crowder joins Milwaukee in exchange for Jordan Nwora, Serge Ibaka, and SEVEN (!!!) second round picks.

• Thomas Bryant is now a Nugget; Davon Reed and three second round picks will head to LA in exchange.

Frozen Moments

• This wholesome moment when Jalen Brunson found out former Villanova teammate Josh Hart was joining the Knicks.

• It looks like Cam Thomas could use a little more media training after his post-game interview with Spencer Dinwiddie 

• The Lakers honored LeBron James with a full #scoringking ceremony before last nights game.

Good Reads

Jamal Murray finding his groove makes the Denver Nuggets even more dangerous - Jackson Frank (SB Nation)

Exploring potential landing spots for Russell Westbrook after buyout - Nekias Duncan (Basketball News)

Kevin Durant deserved his Nets escape and a chance to run with the Suns - Sam Amick (The Athletic)

What We’re Enjoying

Blood in the Garden: It's been just over a year since Blood in the Garden, Chris Herring’s seminal book about the 90's Knicks, was published. If you love the drama of trade deadline season and want to learn more about the inner workings of one of the NBA's most iconic franchises, we highly recommend you give this one a read.

Signing Off

Man, that was a long one. Congrats on making it all the way to end! No matter how your team did at the deadline, we hope you have a great weekend doing whatever it is you love to do. 🙏

Until next time,

-Spencer Poole

Trivia Answer: A bit of a deep cut on this one. The answer to today’s trivia question is Bobby Jones! The forward out of Washington played for five different NBA teams–Denver, Memphis, Houston, Miami, and San Antonio–during the 2007-08 season.