Three Things To Know is NBC’s five-days-a-week wrap-up of the night before in the NBA. Check out NBCSports.com every weekday morning to catch up on what you missed the night before plus the rumors, drama, and dunks that make the NBA must-watch.
1) Warriors go ahead with Gary Payton II after all
In the end, the Warriors want Gary Payton II and want to move on from James Wiseman, so they went ahead with a four-team trade made at the deadline despite Payton not passing his physical with the team.
However, at the urging of the Warriors, the NBA league office will review the trade to see if the Trail Blazers misled the Warriors on the health of Payton prior to the trade.
Payton had abdominal surgery during the summer and, despite an initial timeline that had him back for the regular season, missed the season’s first 35 games, hinting after his return that he still didn’t feel right. After their post-trade physical, the Warriors said Payton could be out most of the rest of the season, still recovering from the surgery. Because all this was discovered after the trade deadline, the trade cannot be amended — either the Warriors just ignored the physical and allowed the trade to go through, or everyone went back to their original teams. The Warriors chose to let the trade happen.
Here’s how the trade shakes out:
• Warriors receive: Gary Payton II
• Pistons receive: James Wiseman
• Trail Blazers receive: Kevin Knox, five future second-round picks
• Hawks receive: Saddiq Bey
Now the focus turns to the NBA’s review of the situation, with the Trail Blazers denying wrongdoing.
2) Buyout market update: Jackson, Green, Ross find new homes
The NBA post trade deadline buyout market is heating up, and while these transactions rarely have the impact fans hope they will, it can get teams some depth to help them weather the rest of the regular season. Here’s a quick buyout market update:
• Danny Green has agreed to a buyout with the Houston Rockets and has chosen to sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
• Reggie Jackson — the point guard the Clippers traded to Charlotte at the deadline — has agreed to a buyout with the Hornets and will sign with the Nuggets.
• Terrence Ross is finally out of Orlando (he has been on the trade block for more than a year) and has surprised some by spurning the Mavericks to sign with the Suns and join Kevin Durant in Phoenix.
• Russell Westbrook is expected to take his time deciding on a new team after a likely buyout in Houston. The Bulls are considered the frontrunner, but others are in the mix, including the Clippers.
3) Derrick White leads shorthanded Celtics past Grizzlies
Good teams find a way to win even when shorthanded.
The Celtics were without three of their top six rotations players on Sunday due to injuries — Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and Malcolm Brogdon — yet pulled off a win against the Grizzlies behind 23 points from Derrick White.
Derrick White scored 23 points to help a shorthanded Boston team hold off Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies 119-109 on Sunday.
Sam Hauser had a career-high 20 points, knocking down six 3-pointers, and Al Horford added 16 points. That’s four straight wins for the Celtics.
Meanwhile, the Grizzlies fell to 11-17 on the road this season — they continue to struggle outside the FedEx Forum. Morant led the Grizzlies with 25 points, and seven assists.
Three things to Know: Warriors go ahead with Gary Payton II trade after all originally appeared on NBCSports.com
