Atlanta Hawks Receive: PF/C Mirza Teletovic (injured), SG/SF Rashad Vaughn, PF/C D.J. Wilson, 2020 second-round pick (via Milwaukee)Milwaukee Bucks Receive: SF/PF Michael Beasley, PG Jarrett Jack, C Enes Kanter, SG/SF Marco Belinelli
New York Knicks Receive: PG/SG Malcolm Brogdon, PG/SG Matthew Dellavedova, PF/C Ersan Ilyasova
Firing Jason Kidd may not be the last midseason shake-up the Milwaukee Bucks have in them. They continue to seek roster upgrades after plunging into fringe-playoff territory, according to Stein.
Orchestrating a conventional blockbuster is out of the question. The Bucks have long held DeAndre Jordan in high regard, but they're not prying him from the Clippers without surrendering some combination of Malcolm Brogdon, Thon Maker and Jabari Parker. And even if they can get away with sending out just one, they don't have the salary-matching tools to prevent Los Angeles from driving up the asking price.
Identical concerns and roadblocks will be part and parcel of any major move. Rounding out this year's depth chart while shaving off some long-term money is a more realistic goal.
Enes Kanter isn't the ideal acquisition at $20.6 million this year and $18.6 million in 2018-19, but he's piquing the attention of suitors surfing the market for size, per Begley. And the Bucks need size.
Milwaukee is 27th in rebounding rate; Kanter ranks fourth among all players in that department, just behind Jordan, Clint Capela and Drummond. He's shooting better than 50 percent on post-ups and a good-not-spectacular 58 percent out of the pick-and-roll. New York has shown he can be better than detrimental, if not close to average, guarding the basket when excused from multitasking.
Marco Belinelli's 37.6 percent clip from downtown is a no-brainer grab for an offense that needs to shoot more threes. Michael Beasley just plain gets buckets, at either the 3 or 4. Jarrett Jack is a must-have when giving up Brogdon.
Ah, yes, Brogdon. Last season's Rookie of the Year. Losing him hurts, but he's regressed as a one-on-one defender and is not worth making untouchable when the Bucks are jettisoning Matthew Dellavedova and Mirza Teletovic. Besides, Brogdon will need another contract after next season, at which time Parker will already be on his new deal and Eric Bledsoe is up for a raise.
Swallowing what's left of Teletovic's contract (expiring at $10.5 million next year) shouldn't scare off the Atlanta Hawks. They're basically in fire-sale mode, per Wojnarowski. The acquisition of D.J. Wilson and a second-rounder is adequate compensation for two players, in Belinelli and the expiring Ersan Ilyasova, who don't align with their big picture.
Accepting this deal should be similarly easy for the Knicks. Dellavedova's contract spans one year longer than Kanter's pact, but they trim more than $7 million off next season's payroll while opening the door for a super-intriguing backcourt alliance between Brogdon and Frank Ntilikina.
Golden State Warriors Receive: C Kyle O'QuinnNew York Knicks Receive: SG/SF Nick Young, 2018 first-round pick
Sources told ESPN.com's Ian Begley the Golden State Warriors are among the teams who have shown interest in Kyle O'Quinn. And with so many centers already in their employ, the New York Knicks should be open to a deal.
Breaking bread with the Warriors is, admittedly, more difficult than not. They shouldn't blink at giving up their first-round pick. They have a comfortable lead on the NBA's best record, so that selection will end up being No. 30—a borderline second-rounder.
Matching salaries (O'Quinn is making $4.1 million this season) is the headache.
Zaza Pachulia must give his consent in any trade, which he has zero incentive to do. Combining minimum-salaried players doesn't fly either. The Warriors need to send out three to make the money work. They don't have that many expendables, even at that afterthought cost, while the Knicks lack extra roster spots.
Forking over Nick Young won't sit well with Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Draymond Green; they all recruited him over the summer. But Swaggy P hasn't been great for the Warriors. Only Patrick McCaw has a lower net rating among teammates to appear in more than 10 games, and Young is averaging fewer points per catch-and-shoot possession than both Shaun Livingston and David West.
O'Quinn would help the Warriors. He has three-point range the Knicks don't utilize, is a reliable rim protector and owns a higher defensive rebounding rate than any of Golden State's players.
And don't underestimate the value of O'Quinn's Bird rights. The Warriors sure won't. They'll have the inside track on keeping him this summer (player option) or next, which allows them to navigate West's retirement and move on from a soon-to-be 34-year-old Pachulia without saddling Jordan Bell with overburdening expectations.
