Danny Green reportedly traded to 76ers, Klay Thompson injures leg in workout
Philadelphia sending Al Horford, picks to Thunder in exchange for former Raptor
The Philadelphia 76ers are moving on from Al Horford and will trade him and a protected future first-round pick to Oklahoma City in a major draft-night trade.
A person with direct knowledge of the trade told The Associated Press on Wednesday the Sixers will receive Danny Green and Terrance Ferguson from the Thunder. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal was not yet announced.
The Sixers also sent a 2025 first-round protected from 1-6 overall. The Sixers also sent the 34th pick in Wednesday's draft to the Thunder and the rights to European point guard Vasilije Micic.
The Thunder are the on hook for Horford's $27.5 million this season. He averaged 11.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in his lone season with the Sixers. He never fit in playing alongside franchise centre Joel Embiid and was the biggest disappointment in a season that cost coach Brett Brown his job.
This was the first major move under the new regime of team president Daryl Morey and coach Doc Rivers and shed the salary that appeared to hinder the Sixers from making any other major moves.
Horford lost his starting spot late in the season and didn't appear to fit in with the franchise moving forward under Rivers. The Sixers get major cap flexibility by taking Green with just $15 million and one more season left on his deal.
The Sixers still have the 21st pick of the NBA draft and three more in the second round.
The Thunder flipped Green to Philly after acquiring him from the Lakers.
Thompson injured
Golden State guard Klay Thompson injured his leg Wednesday during a workout on his own in Southern California.
The team announced the injury without providing further details about the severity or any timeline for his availability with training camp starting Dec. 1 and the season beginning Dec. 22. Thompson was scheduled to be evaluated in the coming days, Golden State said.
It was unclear how this might affect Golden State's draft decisions Wednesday, when the Warriors held the No. 2 overall selection.
This could be a severe blow for the Warriors, who finished worst in the NBA last season. Thompson didn't play at all during the coronavirus-shortened season as he worked back from surgery for a torn ACL in his left knee. He suffered that injury in the deciding Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors.
Rubio headed to Wolves
Minnesota reached an agreement with Oklahoma City, according to a person with knowledge of the negotiations, to send the 17th pick to the Thunder for the 25th and 28th overall selections and Rubio. The person confirmed the deal to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the trade had not yet been announced. Deals involving players can't be finalized until free agency officially begins on Sunday for salary cap purposes.
The Timberwolves obtained the 17th pick, which originally belonged to Brooklyn, from Atlanta in a four-team, 12-player, three-pick trade in February. The Thunder added the 28th pick and Green in a yet-to-be-finalized agreement that will send Dennis Schroder to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The 30-year-old Rubio spent his first six NBA seasons with Minnesota.
The New York Knicks moved up a few spots with their second pick of the first round by completing a trade with the Utah Jazz.
The Knicks acquired the No. 23 selection from Utah, sending the Nos. 27 and 38 picks to the Jazz.
New York also received the draft rights to Croatian centre Ante Tomic, who was taken by the Jazz in the second round in 2008 but has spent his entire career in Europe.
