NBA Trade News: Warriors Make Silent Move, While Lakers Express Interest in NBA Star With $1.5 Million Reward Tag

With the trade deadline now behind us, both players and fans can breathe a sigh of relief. While this year’s deadline didn’t feature any blockbuster deals akin to Kevin Durant’s move to the Suns last season, numerous teams managed to address their needs and finalize their trades. One sneaky trade that might have gone under the radar, amidst the chaos of the trade deadline, is Cory Joseph being dealt to the Indiana Pacers by the Golden State Warriors.

According to The Athletics’ Shams Charania, “Pacers sent a second-round pick to Warriors for Joseph and cash.” The 32-year-old veteran point guard only played 26 games for the Warriors and averaged 2.4 points, 1.6 assists, and 1.2 rebounds in 11.4 minutes of playing time. While his stats are anything but eye-catching, Cory Joseph could prove to be a solid backup point guard.

During an interview, Warriors’ GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. said, “He’s a guy that’s going to be willing to come in and do it what it takes each and every day.” Joseph’s professionalism and experience of winning an NBA title (with the Spurs in 2014) would come in handy for an Indiana Pacers side which is led by 23-year-old Tyrese Haliburton.

Furthermore, Joseph is on an expiring contract, essentially making his tenure with the team a short-term arrangement lasting about five months. Meanwhile, the Warriors get Joseph’s $2,019,706 worth of contract off their books. Joseph leaving would only have a small impact on their payroll but is also a step in the right direction for the Warriors.

The Los Angeles Lakers, who were expected to make moves during the trade deadline, ultimately ended the day without any new acquisitions. Their aggressive pursuit of Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray fell flat, but they do have an alternative in mind.

Lakers’ interest in Spencer Dinwiddie

The Brooklyn Nets orchestrated a for Dennis Schroder, with Spencer Dinwiddie going the other way to the Toronto Raptors. However, recent reports suggest that the Raptors are considering waiving Dinwiddie in order to avoid paying him a contract bonus of approximately $1.5 million for games played. This means that Dinwiddie would be available on the NBA’s buyout market.

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The Lakers are actively looking at the buyout market to bolster their squad, with Dinwiddie being near the top of their wishlist. According to L.A. Times’ Dan Woike, “Sources say they’ll be aggressive on buyout market. I’d expect them to have interest in L.A. native Spencer Dinwiddie.” However, Dinwiddie’s addition won’t be the needle-moving trade most of the Lakers’ fans were expecting. But could it benefit the Lakers in the short term? Let us know in the comments below!

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