Fadeaway Friday: NBA Trade Deadline Roundup

Fadeaway Friday usually focuses on the NBA D-League, but given that the NBA trade deadline was on Thursday, "Fadeaway Friday" this week will be a quick recap of all the deals that happened at the NBA trade deadline. Also, there was no Wednesday Windmill this week due to all the uncertainty that comes with the next day being the trade deadline. So just a quick heads up on that. Anyways, without further ado, below is a recap of all the deals that happened with proper citation. *Note: Deals announced by Shams Charania and Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical are cited as "The Vertical" for simplicity.

#1.  ICYMI: The Kings traded DeMarcus Cousins to the Pelicans. I wrote more about that here.

#2.  ICYMI: The Magic traded Serge Ibaka to the Raptors. I wrote more about that here.

#3. Per The Vertical, the Nets traded forward Bojan Bogdanovic and forward Chris McCullough to the Wizards for a 2017 lottery protected first-round draft pick, forward Andrew Nicholson, and guard Marcus Thornton. The Vertical also adds that the Nets intend to waive Marcus Thornton.

#4.  Per The Vertical, the Lakers traded guard Lou Williams to the Rockets for a 2017 first round pick and forward Corey Brewer.

#5. 76ers president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo confirmed that the 76ers traded Ersan Illyasova to the Hawks for Tiago Splitter, a second-round pick, and the option to swap a second round pick.

#6. The Grizzlies decided to sign Toney Douglas for the remainder of the season according to Real GM.

#7. The Pelicans signed Hollis Thompson to a 10-day contract. Marc Stein of ESPN reported this.

#8. Per The Vertical and Marc Stein, the 76ers traded Nerlens Noel to the Mavericks for Andrew Bogut, Justin Anderson, and a 1-18 protected 1st Round pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. Zach Lowe adds that the 76ers will get two second round draft picks (one in 2017 and one in 2018) if the 1st Round pick remains protected. Keith Pompey of Philly.com adds that the 76ers waived Chasson Randle to help facilitate the trade.

#9. Per The Vertical, the Rockets traded K.J. McDaniels to the Nets for cash considerations.

#10. Per The Vertical, the Thunder traded Cameron Payne, Joffrey Lauvergne, and Anthony Morrow to the Bulls for Doug McDermott, Taj Gibson, and a 2018 2nd Round pick.

#11. Per The Vertical, the Bucks traded Roy Hibbert to the Nuggets for a heavily protected 2019 2nd Round pick.

#12. Per The Vertical, the Hawks traded Mike Scott to the Suns for cash considerations.

InsideHoops.com posted an update to the deal: The Hawks traded Mike Scott, the draft rights to Cenk Akyol, and cash considerations to the Suns for a top-55 protected 2017 2nd round pick.

#13. Per The Vertical, the Raptors traded Jared Sullinger and two future second round picks to the Suns for P.J. Tucker, whose contract expires in the summer. Doug Haller of the Arizona Republic adds that the Suns will waive Jared Sullinger and Mike Scott and sign Ronnie Price for the remainder of the season.

#14. Per The Vertical, the Rockets traded Tyler Ennis to the Lakers for Marcelinho Huertas. The Rockets are expected to waive Huertas.

InsideHoops.com posted an update to the deal: The Rockets traded the draft rights to AEK Athens small forward Brad Newley and Tyler Ennis to the Lakers for Marcelinho Huertas, who is expected to be waived.

#15. Per Justin Verrier of ESPN, the Pelicans waived forward Terrence Jones as a byproduct of the DeMarcus Cousins deal.

#16. Per the Vertical, the Mavericks are expected to waive Deron Williams. David Aldridge reports that the Cavaliers are the front runners to land him.

#17. Per Marc Stein, the 76ers are expected to buy out Andrew Bogut's contract. The Rockets are expected to go after him. The Vertical, however, has learned that a loophole in the NBA's collective bargaining agreement allows the Warriors to sign Bogut since the "last trade" rule only applies to the previous team that had him.

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Wednesday Windmill: The Brooklyn Nets are a disaster

The Brooklyn Nets, to put it simply, are a disaster. While moving to Brooklyn was supposed to give the Nets franchise a much needed boost, it is has so far only given them a boost in the hip-hop world, which values their Brooklyn image and ties to Jay-Z. While becoming more relevant in the hip-hop world isn't a bad thing for an NBA team, at the end of the day, all that matters in the NBA is whether you win or lose games. As of right now, the Nets are doing a lot more losing than they are winning and that's a problem.

The Nets currently stand at 6-17, having lost 8 of their last 10 games while going an absolutely putrid 1-10 on the road. The only real bright spot on this Nets team besides Brook Lopez (20.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game), is Sean Kilpatrick who is having a very nice season for himself averaging 16.1 points per game on 43.6% shooting from the field and 35.2% shooting from beyond the arc. I remember when Sean Kilpatrick was an undrafted rookie playing for the Golden State Warriors in 2014. The fact that he has gone from being an undrafted rookie to a guy averaging 16.1 points per game in the NBA is certainly worth applauding. So, when I speak ill of the Brooklyn Nets, I by no means want to diminish the great story that is Sean Kilpatrick.

Sadly, outside of Sean Kilpatrick, the Nets have nothing to be excited about. Brook Lopez is a quality centerpiece, but he's been there for a while and watched them deteriorate into the mountain of rubble that they are now. This was a team that once had Joe Johnson and Deron Williams to go along with Brook Lopez. Back then, the Nets were a respectable team that had some people thinking they might reach the Eastern Conference Finals. Now, they are a bottom feeder of the Eastern Conference with no light to guide them out of the dark and gloomy tunnel that they now are dwelling in.

The bottom line for the Brooklyn Nets is that moronic Russian oligarch Mikhail Prokhorov has driven them into the ground and crippled them for seasons to come due to a series of idiotic moves. Trading Derrick Favors for Deron Williams was just the first of several silly moves that set this team back and prevented them from becoming a quality team for the future. Prokhorov rolled the dice and got greedy, hoping to get winning results right away, but all it did was come back to bite him in the rear. Now, he has virtually nobody on his roster to be excited about outside of Sean Kilpatrick and while he's a nice player, he's not a guy who you can build a contending team around. At this point, the only thing that Brooklyn Nets fans can be excited about is the offseason so that they can officially have this abortion of a season put in the rear view mirror. It's a rough season in Brooklyn and what's sad is that it's not going to get any better.

Daily Dunks: 10/12-10/18/15

                                                   (Credit: Andy Melton. Click here for source) 

Here is my Daily Dunks page for Monday, October 12 through Sunday, October 18, 2015. Throughout the week, this page will be updated with news from across the NBA until a new Daily Dunks page is created for the following week.

Monday's NBA Daily Dunks: 

#1. Nets forward Andrea Bargnani hopes to play in the team's final three preseason games (Click here for details).

#2. Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson has a new agent (Click here for details).

#3. Magic forward Aaron Gordon has participated in a full contact practice (Click here for details).

#4. The NBA rookie extension deadline has been moved to November 2 (Click here for details).

#5. The Warriors have officially purchased land for their arena in San Francisco (Click here for details).

#6. Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis has suffered a minor quad injury. He should be ok (Click here for details).

#7. Pistons' Andre Drummond and Warriors' Harrison Barnes are expected to get extensions (Click here for details).

#8. The NBA has a new ad campaign called "This is why we play" (Click here to see it).

#9. Lance Stephenson speaks out on his experience in Charlotte (Click here for details).

#10. The Mavericks may be interested in Larry Sanders  (Click here for details).

#11. Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum got ejected for a flagrant foul on Gordon Hayward (Click here for details).

#12. A Sacramento Kings documentary airing has been delayed over Kevin Johnson sexual assault allegations stemming from 1996 (Click here for details).

#13. UNLV, Kentucky, and LSU are doing a combine for NBA scouts (Click here for details).

#14. The Lakers want Julius Randle to push the ball in transition (Click here for details).

#15. The Wizards expect Nenê to come off the bench this season (Click here for details).

#16. The Rockets claimed Arsalan Kazemi off waivers from the Hawks (Click here for details).

#17. Bulls point guard Derrick Rose could be back doing basketball activity within a week (Click here for details).

#18. Wizards point guard John Wall will play assistant coach Howard Eisley $100 for every game in which he has more than 2 turnovers (Click here for details).

#19. The Warriors waived forward Tony Mitchell (Click here for details).

#20. Pelicans point guard Norris Cole is out indefinitely with a high left ankle sprain (Click here for details).

Monday's NBA preseason scores: 

Grizzlies 91 Cavaliers 81. Knicks 94 76ers 88. Raptors 112 Timberwolves 105. Heat 97 Spurs 94. Pelicans 123 Bulls 115. Trail Blazers 88 Jazz 81.

Tuesday's NBA Daily Dunks: 

#1. Lamar Odom has been hospitalized due to a drug overdose (Click here for details).

#2. Kings guard Rajon Rondo said his relationship with George Karl isn't very good, but then George Karl said it's fine. It's also possible Rondo was just joking (Click here and here for details).

#3. Thunder small forward Kevin Durant is tired of talking about his foot (Click here for details).

#4. Danilo Gallinari crossed up Stephen Curry (Click here to watch).

#5. Warriors point guard Stephen Curry apologizes for all the good fortune his team had (Click here for details).

#6. Clippers point guard Chris Paul has returned from his finger injury (Click here for details).

#7. Click here for an update on the Celtics' rotation.

#8. Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard says his relationship with LaMarcus Aldridge was always fine (Click here for details).

#9. The Trail Blazers consulted Damian Lillard about their rebuilding process (Click here for details).

#10. Byron Scott hopes the Lakers shoot more three-point shots (Click here for details).

Tuesday's NBA preseason scores: 

Magic 95 Heat 92. Bucks 110 Cavaliers 101. Pacers 101 Pistons 97. Thunder 100 Mavericks 88. Rockets 135 Suns 129 (OT). Kings 107 Lakers 100. Nuggets 114 Warriors 103.

Wednesday's NBA Daily Dunks 

#1. Pops Mensah-Bonsu is retiring (Click here for details).

#2. Lakers head coach Byron Scott thinks the four-point line is a good idea (Click here for details).

#3. Hawks forward Thabo Sefolosha wants to move on from what happened with the NYPD (Click here for details).

#4. Click here for an update on the health of 76ers rookie Jahlil Okafor

#5. LeBron James is the betting favorite to win MVP (Click here for details).

#6. Marko Milic has retired at the age of 38 (Click here for details).

#7. The Bulls waived  guards Stefhon Hannah and Jake Anderson (Click here for details).

#8. Wizards forward Alan Anderson is out indefinitely following a procedure on his left ankle (Click here for details).

#9. The Jazz waived forward Jack Cooley and forward J.J. O'Brien (Click here for details).

#10. Warriors forward Harrison Barnes is day-to-day with a sprained right knee (Click here for details).

#11. Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant is dealing with a bruised calf. It's nothing serious (Click here for details).

#12. Bulls point guard Derrick Rose is questionable for opening night (Click here for details).

#13. The Warriors waived guard Ben Gordon (Click here for details).

#14. The Pelicans signed center Mirza Begic (Click here for details).

#15. Carmelo Anthony wants the Knicks coaching staff to hold him more accountable (Click here for details).

#16. The Mavericks signed point guard Tu Holloway for training camp (Click here for details).

WNBA Finals Game 5: Lynx 69 Fever 52. Lynx win series 3-2 and win the 2015 WNBA Championship.

Wednesday's NBA preseason scores: 

Hornets 113 Clippers 71. Timberwolves 89 Raptors 87. Celtics 109 Nets 105. Pistons 114 Bulls 91. Hawks 100 Spurs 86.

Thursday's NBA Daily Dunks: 

#1. The Kings waived guard Marshall Henderson and forward Vince Hunter (Click here for details).

#2. The Pelicans signed guard Bo McCalebb (Click here for details).

#3. Thabo Sefolosha has returned to action for the Hawks (Click here for details).

#4. The Jazz waived forward Grant Jerrett (Click here for details).

#5. The Pelicans waived guard Corey Webster (Click here for details).

#6. The Spurs have revealed some new black alternate uniforms (Click here for details).

#7. Nets guard Jarrett Jack was ejected for a flagrant foul on Celtics forward Jonas Jerebko (Click here for details).

#8. Pelicans head coach Frank Vogel is confident that Paul George will have a career year (Click here for details).

#9. The Thunder and Dion Waiters are discussing an extension (Click here for details).

#10. Bulls point guard Derrick Rose says he gets double-vision (Click here for details).

#11. Michele Roberts says the NBA Players Union will support Thabo Sefolosha if he sues the NYPD (Click here for details).

#12. Click here to see Jeremy Lin's cameo from "Fresh off the Boat."

#13. Nuggets rookie guard Emmanuel Mudiay believes watching film will help him improve a lot (Click here for details).

#14. Hawks forward Tiago Splitter says getting traded from the Spurs to the Hawks was the best option for a trade (Click here for details).

#15. The Suns waived guard Terrico White and forward Kyle Casey (Click here for details).

#16. Joel Embiid reportedly acted hostile to the 76ers' strength coach last season. 76ers head coach Brett Brown denies this report (Click here for details).

Thursday's NBA preseason results: 

Pacers 107 Cavaliers 85. Warriors 123 Rockets 121.

Friday's NBA Daily Dunks: 

#1. Jazz forward Gordon Hayward is day-to-day with a lower back contusion (Click here for details).

#2. Nets center Willie Reed is out 6-8 weeks after undergoing thumb surgery (Click here for details).

#3. The Pelicans waived center Jerome Jordan (Click here for details).

#4. The Lakers have hired Tracy Murray as a shooting coach (Click here for details).

#5. The Lakers exercised their 2016-17 team option on power forward Julius Randle (Click here for details).

#6. The Warriors waived guard Juwan Staten (Click here for details).

#7. The Pelicans signed guard Nate Robinson to a one-year deal for the veteran's minimum (Click here for details).

#8. Click here for an update on the Heat's starting lineup, which now appears to be healthy.

#9. The Pelicans waived center Mirza Begic (Click here for details).

#10. The Hornets have signed small forward Damien Wilkins (Click here for details).

#11. Pelicans forward Luke Babbitt is out indefinitely with a hamstring strain (Click here for details).

#12. Click here for an update on Lamar Odom.

#13. Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard says "I'm not going to be the hero" of this team (Click here for details).

#14. The 76ers are reportedly unhappy with Joel Embiid. 76ers head coach Brett Brown denies this report (Click here for details).

#15. Mark Cuban is offering former Mavericks players free heart exams (Click here for details).

#16. Knicks head coach Derek Fisher doesn't like to think of his team as rebuilding (Click here for details).

#17. Cavaliers power forward Kevin Love will play in Sunday's preseason game (Click here for details).

#18. The Cavaliers have pulled their 5 year, $80M offer to Tristan Thompson (Click here for details).

#19. Warriors center Andrew Bogut is out indefinitely with a broken nose (Click here for details).

#20. Report: 76ers' head coach Brett Brown and team president Scott O'Neil were unhappy with GM Sam Hinke's decision to trade Michael Carter-Williams (Click here for details).

#21. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is nearing a return (Click here for details).

#22. LeBron James received an injection in his back that will cause him to miss the final two weeks of the preseason (Click here for details).

#23. 76ers executives belive Joel Embiid was sloppy with his rehab and thus led him to his 2nd foot surgery (Click here for details).

#24. NBA teams could have $1.07B in 2016 Cap Space (Click here for details).

#25. Damian Lillard hopes Terry Stotts stays as his head coach in Portland (Click here for details).

#26. The Warriors signed forward Chris Udofia (Click here for details).

#27. James Harden says he wants to retire with the Rockets (Click here for details).

#28. Heat center Hassan Whiteside has returned from his calf injury (Click here for details).

Friday's NBA preseason results: 

Wizards 127 76ers 118. Knicks 101 Celtics 95. Grizzlies 94 Thunder 78. Hawks 91 Mavericks 84. Nuggets 106 Suns 81.

Euroleague Scores from Week 1: Click here to view scores from Regular Season (Round 1) of Euroleague.

Saturday's NBA Daily Dunks: 

#1. There are no talks between Tristan Thompson and the Cavaliers (Click here for details).

#2. Pelicans power forward Anthony Davis feels great about his team (Click here for details).

#3. Mark Cuban likes the Mavericks' chances to be better than last season if they stay healthy (Click here for details).

#4. Craig Sager will work opening night on TNT (Click here for details).

#5. The Pistons hope Brandon Jennings will be back by Christmas (Click here for details).

#6. Jeremy Lin says he was open to a Knicks return this summer, but the Knicks weren't (Click here for details).

#7. Click here for an update on Lamar Odom

#8. Dirk Nowitzki has made his preseason debut (Click here for details).

#9. The Utah Jazz exercised their options for Trey Burke, Dante Exum, Rodney Hood, and Rudy Gobert (Click here for details).

#10. The Cavaliers waived center Chris Johnson and signed forward Jack Cooley (Click here for details).


Saturday's NBA preseason scores: 

Magic 90 Rio De Janeiro Flamengo 73. Hornets 97 Knicks 93. Kings 107 Pelicans 98. Heat 105 Rockets 100. Wizards 105 Bucks 101. Lakers 85 Warriors 70.

Sunday's NBA Daily Dunks: 

#1. Derek Fisher says the Knicks are trying to win "right now" (Click here for details).

#2. Lakers forward Julius Randle says Warriors forward Draymond Green can't guard him (Click here for details).

#3. Michael Jordan says Jeremy Lin will be the Hornets' biggest acquisition of the offseason (Click here for details).

#4. Mavericks rookie Maurice Ndour is out indefinitely with a stress reaction in his left leg. This might cost him a roster spot (Click here for details).

#5. Mavericks point guard Deron Williams will miss the entire preseason and is questionable for opening night (Click here for details).

Sunday's NBA preseason scores: 

Nets 92 76ers 91. Spurs 96 Pistons 92. Grizzlies 90 Timberwolves 68. Raptors 87 Cavaliers 81. Thunder 111 Nuggets 98. Heat 101 Hawks 92. Trail Blazers 116 Jazz 111 (OT).



---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord for my NBA updates. Also, like my Facebook page NBA Lord Nation and follow my NBA Lord Google Plus page for NBA updates. 

Are The Brooklyn Nets Contenders Out East?

                                                 image from dukaspr.com

The Brooklyn Nets pulled off one of the biggest trades of the off-season which netted in them getting Paul Pierce, Jason Terry, and Kevin Garnett from the Boston Celtics. The Nets starting five now has Deron Williams at point guard, Joe Johnson at shooting guard, Paul Pierce at small forward, Kevin Garnett at power forward, and Brook Lopez at center. Jason Terry will come off the bench.  Gerald Wallace, who started for the team last season at small forward was traded to the Celtics as part of the deal (note: to see complete details of the trade, click here).

The Nets certainly seem to have a team that can do some serious damage in the Eastern Conference. Deron Williams is one of the best point guards in the NBA despite having a down season last year and we all know that Joe Johnson and Brook Lopez are both one of the better players at their positions. But obviously, the Nets realized that they were lacking something last season that Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Jason Terry can bring to the table. The focus of my article is to identify what the Nets think that something is, and whether or not Pierce, Garnett, and Terry can do enough to get the Nets over the hump. 

Last season, the Nets appeared to be one of the better teams in the NBA, and everybody figured that they would easily beat the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the playoffs due to all the injuries on the Bulls. However, things didn't exactly go according to plan, and before they knew it, the Nets found themselves eliminated from the playoffs at the hands of a Chicago Bulls team that was plagued with injury. 

While everybody was praising the Chicago Bulls for playing with so much heart and soul, the Brooklyn Nets at the same time found themselves to be the subject of much deserved ridicule and utter embarrassment. This was a team that was supposed to contend for a title and there they were instead eliminated from the playoffs at the hands of a sickly team hit with a plague similar to the Bubonic plague that swept across Europe in the middle ages. The Nets were rightfully being called soft as a result.

What the addition of Garnett, Pierce, and Terry does for the Nets is potentially fix their softness by adding gritty veteran toughness. Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Jason Terry all have championship rings, and all three are guys who wouldn't back down to a rabid hyena if it was snarling in their face. Kevin Garnett is the toughest of them all and it shows on the court. Brook Lopez may be a good offensive center, but he protects the rim worse than my 16 year old golden retriever protects my house. A burglar with a flame thrower could walk into my house and my dog wouldn't utter a peep. Likewise, Brook Lopez couldn't protect the rim if his life depended on it.  Bulls point guard Nate Robinson had no fear flying at the rim with reckless abandon against the Nets in the playoffs, and he is a little squirt standing at 5'9. Kevin Garnett will take care of the rim protecting problem, and players of all sizes will think twice about going inside with Garnett prowling the paint. 

As for Paul Pierce and Jason Terry, their scoring will certainly be of assistance to the Nets, but it's more their intangible veteran presence that will help this team. They will help give their teammates confidence in crunch time and help them stay mentally strong in tough situations. They will have a strong presence in the locker room and command respect. They won't let their teammates deflect their problems on others, and will instead teach them to own their own mistakes. This is an effect similar to what Doc Rivers will bring to the Clippers as head coach. 

While these three guys may serve as guides similar to Virgil in Dante's Inferno, they won't be able to completely mold their teammates into winners. Deron Williams still has to be the leader of this team if they want to win a championship, and whether or not he can be a great leader is yet to be seen. In addition, Joe Johnson and Brook Lopez will have to toughen up as well and learn to buckle down in crunch time. If the Nets rely too much on Garnett, Pierce, and Terry to carry the load, they will fail miserably. But if they open themselves up to improvement under their wise council, then they just might have what it takes to dethrone the Heat. 

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord