National Basketball Association

NBA Trade Tracker: 76ers acquire James Harden for Ben Simmons

Updated Feb. 10, 2022 5:24 p.m. ET

The NBA's busiest time of the year has come to a close.

The phone lines were furiously pinging this week, as various squads made their final ploys to acquire championship assets before the annual trade deadline on Thursday.

Here's how the transaction registry played out, with analysis from FOX Sports NBA Writer Yaron Weitzman.

THURSDAY, FEB. 10

Sixers acquire Harden in blockbuster

Philadelphia has gotten its man, parting ways with Ben Simmons in the process. In the deal, James Harden and Paul Millsap are going to Philly in exchange for Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and two first-round draft picks.

Brooklyn will receive Philadelphia's unprotected first-round pick in the upcoming draft, with the right to defer it to 2023. The Nets also get a top-eight-protected first-rounder in 2027. It would remain top-eight-protected in 2028 and turn into a second-rounder plus $2 million in cash if it doesn't happen in either season.

Both teams move on from unhappy stars in the deal, and Yaron Weitzman says that means an A+ grade for both teams.

Weitzman wrote: "When was the last time we saw a deal between two teams that made both those teams immediately better? Neither the Nets nor the Sixers are building for the future or amassing draft picks or clearing cap space. They both want to win — not just games but titles. So does this deal push either of these teams closer to accomplishing that? The answer is yes for both."

Mavericks ship Porzingis to Wizards

The Dallas Mavericks are moving on from Kristaps Porzingis, dealing the big man and a second-round draft pick to the Wizards for Spencer Dinwiddie and David Bertans.

Porzingis averaged 20.0 points and 8.8 rebounds across two-plus seasons in Dallas but hasn't been an All-Star since the 2017-18 season with the Knicks.

Celtics dealing Schroder

Dennis Schroder is on the move again, as the well-traveled point guard is being dealt by Boston to Houston in a package for Daniel Theis, according to Shams Charania.

This will be the guard's fifth team overall and fourth since the 2018-19 season. He is averaging 14.4 points and 4.2 assists for the Celtics this season. Theis is averaging 8.4 points and 5.0 rebounds in 26 games for the Rockets.

Bucks get Ibaka, deal DiVincenzo

The Milwaukee Bucks are battening down their championship hatches. They acquired a veteran presence to help man their paint, as they unloaded Donte DiVincenzo in a four-team deal that netted them Serge Ibaka.

The additional teams involved in the transaction were Sacramento, Detroit and the L.A. Clippers.

The Kings received DiVincenzo, Trey Lyles and Josh Jackson, while the Clippers acquired Rodney Hood and Semi Ojeleye. The Pistons picked up Marvin Bagley III. Milwaukee added two future second-round picks.

Bucks trade grade: B+

DiVincenzo has struggled this season, and the stellar play of Pat Connaughton and Grayson Allen (when he's not clotheslining people) made DiVincenzo expendable and the perfect player to flip for someone to fill Brook Lopez's role. Lopez's back injury has left the Bucks paper-thin at center (remember, this is a team that gave DeMarcus Cousins a try), and Ibaka, while past his prime, should be able to help provide some much-needed size and interior defense. – Weitzman

Kings trade grade: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

At this point, I don't even know what to make of all the Kings' shuffling. It's obvious that the front office feels pressure to nab a play-in spot and is going all-in on its current roster, which is a very Kings-ey choice. That said, they weren't playing Bagley, and DiVincenzo is better than he has looked this season and could fit nicely alongside new centerpiece Domas Sabonis and De'Aaron Fox. But also, it's very clear the Kings aren't finished making moves. We can judge them all once we see the final picture. – Weitzman

Pistons trade grade: B+

Bagley is not good. But he is a former No. 2 pick and still just 22 years old. For a team like the Pistons bereft of talent, betting that a change-of-scenery flips some sort of switch for Bagley is a smart move. – Weitzman

Clippers trade grade: $

I'm making up my own grade for this one because this trade is all about the $$$. After taking in Norman Powell and his large contract last week, the Clippers save about $30 million in luxury-tax payments by moving Ibaka. – Weitzman

Spurs make move for Dragic

In an expected move, San Antonio dealt Thaddeus Young out of town, acquiring Goran Dragic from the Raptors in a move that's expected to result in a buyout for San Antonio. The Raptors, on the other side, receive a complimentary vet who can man the paint and knock down shots from a variety of spots on the floor. They also receive Drew Eubanks and a 2022 Pistons second-rounder in the deal, while San Antonio gets a protected first-round pick.

Raptors trade grade: B+

Dragic was just a contract at this point — he hadn't suited up since Nov. 13 — and the Raptors did a good job here of flipping that expiring deal for a player who can add some much-needed depth to their primary rotation. Nick Nurse has basically been rolling out a seven-man roster (the Raptors have five players averaging 35 minutes per game!). Young is a solid backup big with a skillet — good passer, mobile on defense — that should blend well with how the Raptors play. Giving up a pick isn't great, but it's protected enough (1-14 in 2022; 1-13 in 2023 and would turn into two seconds beyond that) that it shouldn't make a huge difference. – Weitzman

Spurs trade grade: A-

This is pretty standard stuff. The Spurs took a veteran they didn't need and flipped him to a playoff hopeful for an expiring contract (i.e. future cap space) and a future pick. Well done.

As for Dragic, expect him to be bought out and find his way back to a contender in need of some ball-handling. He has been linked to the Mavs for a while now and would fill a need there. – Weitzman

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 9

Jazz trade Joe Ingles

After he served as a key part of their playoff core the past four seasons, the Utah Jazz traded away veteran forward Joe Ingles as part of a three-team deal with the Portland Trailblazers and San Antonio Spurs.

The Jazz will receive Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who was just traded from the Pelicans to the Blazers in the deal for CJ McCollum on Tuesday, and Juancho Hernangomez from the Spurs.

Ingles will be sent to Portland, while the Spurs will acquire Tomas Satoransky and a second-round pick.

Jazz trade grade: C

The theoretical version of Alexander-Walker is a player the Jazz could use. A young, 6-foot-6 wing who can guard and shoot a bit (though he has connected on only 31.1% of his 3s this season). Hernangomez is more of a finished product but brings some of those same skills to the table. But for the Jazz, this deal is about money. It saves about $11 million in luxury taxes and creates a nearly $10 million trade exception (too complicated a thing to explain here, but the basics: You can absorb a player into that salary space via a trade). Which is all good. But we're not giving out As here to teams that figure out how to save their owners some money. – Weitzman

Blazers trade grade: B-

The rebuild/teardown continues. This is pretty boring as far as trades go. Ingles' contract is expiring, but so was Satoransky's, so it's a wash there. Alexander-Walker, whom the team just acquired in Tuesday's trade, is the sort of young project whom you think this rebuilding team would like, but clearly they preferred a second-round pick. – Weitzman

Spurs trade: A-

Again, all about the contracts. They get to flip Hernangomez, who had two years left on his deal, for Satoransky, who has just one. To get a second-round pick out of the exchange is a nice piece of deal-making. – Weitzman

TUESDAY, FEB. 8

Sabonis becomes a King

Two-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis, Jeremy Lamb and Justin Holiday are on their way to Sacramento after Indiana parted ways with the high-scoring trio in exchange for Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield and Tristan Thompson.

Sabonis immediately provides Sacramento with a substantial front-line boost. With 35 double-doubles thus far, he ranks third in the association in that metric. The trade comes just a few days after the Pacers sent Caris Levert to Cleveland in exchange for Ricky Rubio.

Pacers trade grade: A+

These days, it's rare to see two teams swap players of this caliber (usually one is sending the other draft picks or a bad contract), and for the Pacers, this is a home run. Sabonis is really good, but it was time to break up the pairing of him and Myles Turner and try a new direction. Not only are the Pacers doing that, but in Tyrese Haliburton, they were also able to get a 21-year-old guard with All-Star potential. – Weitzman

Kings trade grade: B

There are two ways to look at this deal. On the one hand, you can understand the Kings' desire to break up their De'Aaron Fox-Haliburton backcourt for a player who would be a better fit. Also, Sabonis is very good and a better running mate to Fox than Haliburton. This is clearly what the Kings thought. They no doubt viewed it as a bonus that they could clear Hield's salary (three years and about $70 million left).

On the other hand, the guard the Kings should have been trying to keep was Haliburton, not Fox. Maybe the market for Fox wasn't great, but I think I would have preferred parting with Fox for the highest offer and building around the wonderful Haliburton. This feels like the Kings taking another step toward mediocrity. – Weitzman

Portland unloads CJ McCollum

The 2016 Most Improved Player's nine-year run with Portland has officially come to an end. The Blazers have been bartering loads of valuable assets ahead of Thursday's deadline, and McCollum's departure officially marks the start of their rebuild.

McCollum heads to New Orleans in exchange for Josh Hart, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Tomas Satoransky and Didi Louzada. The Pels will also send Portland a first-round pick and two second-rounders. They'll acquire Larry Nance Jr. and Tony Snell from the Blazers as well.

Pelicans trade grade: A-

This is probably the best move David Griffin has made since trading Anthony Davis. McCollum gives the Pelicans some much-needed shot creation in the backcourt. The trio of him, Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson (assuming he maybe one day possibly returns to the court???) would be impossible for opponents to slow down. Of course, they wouldn't be able to slow anyone down themselves, but that's what Nance and rookie defensive sensation Herb Jones are around for. Besides, for the Pelicans the goal is to take baby steps and remind Zion that he can be part of something special in New Orleans. The Pelicans right now are 10th in the West. This deal should help them solidify a spot in the play-in tournament. – Weitzman

Blazers trade grade: A-

A rare win-win deal! Alexander-Walker is an intriguing prospect. Hart is a solid role player on a good contract, and the Blazers, if they want, could probably flip him before the deadline or in the offseason. More importantly, though, this trade allows Portland to clear even more cap space and add additional picks to its war chest. The Blazers will enter the offseason with what could be $60 million in cap space and a bunch of draft picks — all of which should allow them to retool what had been a stale roster and build around Damian Lillard. – Weitzman

MONDAY, FEB. 7

LeVert comes home

Caris LeVert hasn't been readily available for the entire ‘21-22 campaign, but when healthy, his scoring prowess is in the upper echelon of guards across the league. He’ll bring that deft touch to his home state of Ohio, as he prepares to join the Cavaliers following Indy's recent deal with their divisional foe.

The Pacers sent LeVert and a 2022 second-rounder via Miami to Cleveland in exchange for Ricky Rubio (who's currently sidelined with a torn ACL), a 2022 first-round pick, a 2022 second-round pick via Houston and a 2027 second-round pick via Utah.

Cavaliers trade grade: B+

LeVert gives the Cavs something they desperately needed: ball handling. Injuries to Colin Sexton and Rubio have robbed the Cavaliers of two backup point guards. As a result, the offense craters every time Darius Garland steps off the court. LeVert will help here, just not as much as Cavs fans might hope. He can create his own but doesn't do much creating for others and is an iffy shooter. Still, the deal makes the Cavs better, and considering that they're just 1.5 games out of first place, every little bit can make a difference. – Weitzman

Pacers trade grade: B+

The market for LeVert was not great, and the Pacers did a good job of getting something for a player who is not part of their long-term plans. Rubio comes off the books in the offseason, which will give the Pacers some cap flexibility. And the Picks should be useful, too. – Weitzman

Clippers load up

LA's sights are clearly set on the playoffs, and it brought in a pair of readymade vets in Norman Powell and Robert Covington to fortify the wing slots as the team awaits the returns of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

To acquire the pair, the Clippers dealt Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow, Keon Johnson and a 2025 second-round pick via Detroit to the Blazers.

Clippers trade grade: A-

For the Clippers, the rationale here was obvious. They add a pair of wings who can fit nicely next to Paul George and — once he finally returns — Kawhi Leonard. Powell is a knockdown shooter (40.6% from 3) in his prime. He's got a big contract (he signed a five-year, $90 million deal in the offseason), but the Clippers are rich and don't mind. Covington is a great off-ball defender who can thrive in that role with Kawhi and PG taking on-ball duties (assuming the Clippers re-sign him this offseason). – Weitzman

Blazers trade grade: B-

For the Blazers, this was step No. 1 of their post-Neil Olshey reset, and you have to look at this move in concert with the one they made later with the Pelicans. This season is a wash. The Lillard-CJ McCollum pairing had run its course. This move allowed Portland to clear Powell's salary, which gives it more flexibility moving forward. But it does feel like the Blazers should have been able to get a better pick for a player of Powell's caliber. – Weitzman

Stay tuned for more updates.

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