Los Angeles (AFP)
Full-back Victor Oladipo who leaves Houston for Miami, pivot Nikola Vucevic and full-back Evan Fournier who leave Orlando for Chicago and Boston, point guard Rajon Rondo who moves from Atlanta to the Clippers: review of the main transfers concluded Thursday in the NBA.
In the final hours of the end of the North American Basketball League transfer window, one of the very good picks was made by the Heat, last season's finalist, who picked up Oladipo, in exchange for fullback Avery Bradley and of pivot Kelly Olynyk.
The full-back arrived in January at the Rockets, as part of an exchange that sent star James Harden to Brooklyn, is therefore packing his bags, but to play the leading roles for the play-offs that are announced in the Eastern Conference.
Orlando, the neighboring franchise of Miami, has decided to change era, knowing that his season is almost already forgotten, with a 14th place far from the play-offs.
So the Magic parted ways with their top three players.
Montenegrin interior Nikola Vucevic (24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds per game) was sent to the Chicago Bulls against pivot Wendell Carter Jr. and winger Otto Porter.
The French back Evan Fournier (19.7 pts) will leave for Boston against two 2nd rounds of draft.
Winger Aaron Gordon was transferred to Denver, in exchange for Gary Harris, RJ Hampton and a first round draft.
The Nuggets also recovered the pivot JaVale McGee, NBA champion last year with the Lakers, from Cleveland.
Another sacred player last year, the experienced Rajon Rondo leaves Atlanta after four months, to return to Los Angeles, but within the Clippers who send in return their sixth man, Lou Williams.
A good operation rather for the Hawks a priori.
The Philadelphia Sixers, leaders in the East, have also opted for a man broken in the play-offs, in the person of the back George Hill who leaves Oklahoma City, as part of a three-team trade involving several players.
Winger Ignas Brazdeikis joined him from the Knicks where Terrance Ferguson landed, the Thunder recovering Austin Rivers, Tony Bradley and two future second round of draft from NY.
Several stars have not been transferred to the home stretch, but should still quickly find a point of fall, such as the pivots LaMarcus Aldridge and Andre Drummond, respectively released from their contract with San Antonio and Cleveland.
On the other hand, contrary to forecasts, the leader of Toronto Kyle Lowry finally remains with the Raptors of which he is one of the emblematic figures of the title gleaned in 2019.
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