MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Kevin Garnett is coming back to the place it all began.
A person with knowledge of the deal says the Minnesota Timberwolves are sending forward Thaddeus Young to the Brooklyn Nets for Garnett. The person spoke Thursday on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been officially announced.
Garnett spent his first 12 seasons in Minnesota. He guided the Timberwolves to the only eight playoff appearances in franchise history and won the MVP while leading them to the Western Conference finals in 2004.
After winning a title in Boston, Garnett is nearing the end of a brilliant career and now could finish it in front of a crowd that continues to adore him.
Garnett had to waive a no-trade clause to allow the deal to go through.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – The Oklahoma City Thunder have traded guard Reggie Jackson to the Detroit Pistons.
Jackson’s agent, Aaron Mintz, confirmed the move Thursday. It was not immediately clear who the Thunder would get in return.
Jackson helped the Thunder keep it together last season while Russell Westbrook was injured and his value skyrocketed. This season, Jackson averaged 20.2 points and 7.7 assists per game in 13 starts while Westbrook and Kevin Durant were out with injuries.
Jackson garnered national attention during last year’s playoffs, when he scored 32 points in a first-round playoff win over Memphis. He has said for months that he wants to be a starter, something that wouldn’t happen in Oklahoma City with Westbrook, the MVP of the All-Star Game, playing the same position.
DENVER (AP) – The Denver Nuggets have dealt often-injured center JaVale McGee, a protected 2015 first-round pick and the draft rights for Chukwudiebere Maduabum to the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday.
In return, the Nuggets received the rights to Cenk Akyol, a 6-foot-6 guard from Turkey who plays in the Turkish Basketball League, along with financial relief from McGee’s salary.
The 27-year-old Akyol was originally drafted by Atlanta in 2005.
McGee has been hobbled by a left tibia stress fracture, which has limited his production the past two seasons. He’s played in 17 games for Denver this season, averaging 5.2 points.
Maduabum was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2011, only to have Denver later pick up his rights. He recently played in four games for Fort Wayne of the NBA Development League.
MILWAUKEE (AP) – A person familiar with the deal tells The Associated Press that the Bucks have traded guard Brandon Knight to Phoenix in a three-team deal that also sends Michael Carter-Williams from Philadelphia to Milwaukee.
The person spoke Thursday on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been officially announced.
The Bucks also get guard Tyler Ennis and forward Miles Plumlee from Phoenix.
MIAMI (AP) – A person with knowledge of the trade says Goran Dragic has been sent to the Miami Heat by the Phoenix Suns in a deal that also involves the New Orleans Pelicans.
The person says Dragic and his brother Zoran Dragic have both been dealt to Miami in a deal that was struck not long before Thursday’s 3 p.m. league-wide trade deadline. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the transaction had yet to be approved by NBA officials.
Goran Dragic, who’s averaging 16.2 points and 4.1 assists this season, had asked the Suns for a trade in recent days.
Miami sent Norris Cole, Justin Hamilton, Danny Granger and Shawne Williams to the Suns, the person says, adding that Phoenix was moving at least some of those players elsewhere quickly.
NEW YORK (AP) – A person with knowledge of the deal says the New York Knicks have traded guard Pablo Prigioni to the Houston Rockets for guard Alexey Shved and two second-round picks.
The person says the Knicks will get one of the picks in 2017 and the other in 2019. The person spoke to The Associated Press Thursday on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been announced.
Prigioni averaged 4.7 points in 43 games this season, sitting out some as the Knicks turned to younger players. His departure leaves Carmelo Anthony as the only player left from New York’s 2013 Atlantic Division championship team.
The deal helps the Knicks continue shedding future salary, as Prigioni’s $1.7 million for next season is partially guaranteed. Shved’s contract expires after this season.
The Sacramento Kings have traded guard Ramon Sessions to the Washington Wizards for Andre Miller.
The teams announced the deal Thursday, hours after the NBA’s trade deadline. The move gives everybody involved exactly what they’ve wanted.
Miller will be reunited with new Kings coach George Karl. The two had a close relationship in Denver, where Miller enjoyed some of his best seasons.
The Wizards receive a viable, veteran backup they hope can rediscover his past form for the playoff push.
The 28-year-old Sessions is averaging 5.4 points and 2.7 assists in 17.8 minutes per game. He averaged 12.3 points and 4.1 assists in 26.7 minutes with Charlotte and Milwaukee last season.
