Late-Summer NBA Blockbusters Are Common

Around the NBA, the frustration is palpable. We are closing in on the end of July and not much has happened by way of blockbuster trades, not since the Celtics acquired Malcolm Brogdon in a six-player trade and the Jazz sent off Rudy Gobert to Minnesota on the same day, in a trade involving four veterans, the Wolves’ 2022 first-round pick (Walker Kessler), four future first-rounders and a pick swap, plus Gobert.

In the interim, we’ve waited eagerly to see what happens with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving of the Nets, as well as Donovan Mitchell of the Jazz, all who went into mid-July looking like sure bets to be dealt.

Mitchell still looks like certain trade bait. Irving, though, does not, as indications are that he will remain in Brooklyn for next season, the final year of his contract. Durant is still a mystery—the Nets can’t get traction on an offer for a player who is one of the three best in the NBA, but whose situation is complicated by age (34 when next season starts), health and the shocking trade request he lodged on June 30, just ahead of the start of free agency.

The impatience around these non-deals is not much warranted—not yet, at least. The pace of developments has been snail-ish, certainly, but that is not unusual for these kinds of trades. Once the first surge of free agency has passed in early July, it is typical for subsequent blockbusters to drag into the end of July and August.

“No one is in a hurry because there is not much reason for them to rush,” one league executive told me. “You have two months before training camp. You want to exhaust every avenue if you’re talking about a huge trade like this. What’s the difference if it happens on July 10 or August 20? None, really.”

There are very significant examples of late-summer trades over the last 15 years:

2007, Kevin Garnett traded from Minnesota to Boston. After Garnett rumors had been heavy on the night of the NBA draft, with offers from the Lakers and Celtics rebuffed and a three-team deal in place that would have sent him to Phoenix (and Amare Stoudemire to Atlanta), Garnett entered the meat of the NBA summer still a member of the Wolves. A trade to the Celtics seemed impossible, because Garnett’s agent had already said publicly that Garnett had no interest in playing for Boston. On July 31, though, that all shifted—Garnett relented on his objection to playing for the Celtics and a six-player, two-pick trade came to fruition.

2012, Dwight Howard traded from Orlando to the Lakers. The entire post-lockout 2012 season had been overshadowed by Howard’s demand to be traded from the Magic, who had turned down offers from the Lakers and Nets during the year. When the summer rolled around, Howard again pushed the team to trade him, with Brooklyn being the only destination he wanted. But, as the calendar pressed on, Howard reconsidered a trade to the Lakers, and on August 10 (with most NBA eyes focused on Team USA’s efforts in the London Olympics), a mammoth trade finally came down involving four teams, 12 players and four draft picks.

2014, Kevin Love traded from Minnesota to Cleveland. This trade was truly one of attrition, as Love possibilities—the Celtics, the Nuggets, the Warriors, the Bulls—all seemed tantalizingly close throughout the spring only to fizzle once the summer came around. At one point, Love with the Warriors seemed inevitable, but coach Steve Kerr implored the team not to trade away Klay Thompson, and that deal died. Finally, once LeBron James’ return to Cleveland from his stint with the Heat was in place, a trade to the Cavaliers gained momentum, though even with that, the final three-team deal that sent the previous two No. 1 overall picks (Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett) to Minnesota did not land on an agreement until August 7. The trade could not go through until August 23, the first day Wiggins was eligible to be traded.

2017, Kyrie Irving traded from Cleveland to Boston. This was a complicated situation because the trade request from Irving did not come until the middle of July, after he’d learned (according to an ESPN report) that the Cavs had internal discussions about his future, including potential trades, just ahead of that year’s NBA draft. His initial list of preferred destinations was the Spurs, Heat, Knicks or Timberwolves, but only the Spurs made a credible offer, which the Cavs rejected. Denver and Detroit were also in the mix, but Phoenix (for Eric Bledsoe and Josh Jackson) appeared to be the main contender. The Suns’ refusal to part with Jackson, though, squelched that, and a late addition to the list of suitors—the Celtics—ultimately, er, won the Irving sweepstakes. The deal was agreed to on August 22, and was finally enacted on August 31, with the Celtics sending three players (including star guard Isaiah Thomas) and two picks for Irving.

There are other late-summer trades in NBA history, and one—the 2018 Jimmy Butler saga—that dragged painfully into November. But recent history is clear. Yes, it’s late July and the lack of activity is frustrating for all involved. It’s nothing new, though.