NBA players you didn't know were traded

Yesterday at 02:00 PM

Let’s be honest — this was an absolutely bonkers NBA trade deadline. From Luka Dončić to the Lakers, to Jimmy Butler to the Warriors, to Mark Williams to the Lakers, then back to the Hornets, then to… whatever weird limbo he’s in now… you’d be forgiven if you missed some of the other smaller trades that went down over the past few weeks.

Any other year, these names would have made headlines of their own, but unfortunately, there were so many blockbuster deals right at the deadline, they seemed to have gotten lost in the shuffle.

For instance, did you know that Marcus Smart is now a Washington Wizard? Smart was dealt as part of a three-team deal between the Wizards, Kings, and Grizzlies.

Smart is only a few seasons removed from his standout Defensive Player of the Year campaign with the Celtics. He brought that same skillset to the resurgent Memphis Grizzlies, but they badly needed to clear up some cap space this season — so this was largely a financial move by the club.

And he wasn’t the only big name in that trade. Former number two overall draft pick Marvin Bagley III also went from the Wizards to the Grizzlies as part of the deal. Bagley’s numbers are way down this year, and he’s missed a bunch of games with injuries, but maybe a change of scenery to a contender will turn things around for him.

Meanwhile, Bones Hyland — a household name at least in some NBA circles (both for his play and because his name is fun to say) — was a fan-favorite for the Clippers until his recent trade to the Atlanta Hawks, who then promptly asked for waivers on Hyland. Where he’ll land now is anyone’s guess.

The Hawks made another surprising move at the deadline as well, landing journeyman shooting guard Caris LeVert from the Cleveland Cavaliers. LeVert has been a solid scorer wherever he has played — especially during his two season stint with the Indiana Pacers — yet this trade too largely fell under the radar. LeVert has already gotten off to a fast start in his first two games with the Hawks.

So while you continue to struggle to process all the major trades that went down at the NBA deadline, rest assured that there are still plenty more modest trades to wrap your heads around once you’re finally ready to move on from the big ones.

The post NBA players you didn’t know were traded appeared first on ClutchPoints.