Yardbarker
Yardbarker
x
Pelicans, Wizards Complete Trade Featuring Marvin Bagley III
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The NBA trade deadline is weeks away, but NBA teams actively seek opportunities to make roster changes well in advance. The first deal to go down involved the Toronto Raptors sending OG Anunoby to the New York Knicks. There was a new trade to go down on Sunday.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Detroit Pistons will send Marvin Bagley III, Isaiah Livers, and two second-round picks to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala.

“The Pistons and Wizards are finalizing a deal to trade Marvin Bagley, Isaiah Livers, and two second-round picks for forwards Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala, sources tell ESPN,” Wojnarowski wrote.

The motivation behind the trade is clear: the Pistons wanted to dump Bagley’s salary ahead of having to pay him $12.5 million during the 2024-25 season. While neither Ganillari nor Muscala consistently earns minutes, both players are on expiring contracts.

Bagley has averaged 10.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in 18.4 minutes per game over the course of 26 appearances. With Daniel Gafford as the main center option in Washington, there should be plenty of opportunity for Bagley to earn playing time after being involved in a frontcourt logjam in Detroit featuring Jalen Duren, James Wiseman, and Isaiah Stewart.

Among the various NBA teams linked in trade rumors to Pascal Siakam, the Pistons will now only have $74.4 million in committed salary for the 2024-25 season, barring any additional trades or roster moves. Detroit has the financial flexibility to make no shortage of moves with nearly $64 million in projected cap space.

It remains to be seen how the Pistons will utilize that financial flexibility. Regardless, the team must make strides in putting winning pieces around Cade Cunningham and the rest of the core, considering they have gone 3-36 through 39 games as the NBA’s worst team.

This article first appeared on NBA Analysis Network and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

TODAY'S BEST

Report: Celtics 'invite trade discussion' for recently acquired Anfernee Simons
NBA

Report: Celtics 'invite trade discussion' for recently acquired Anfernee Simons

If reports are any indication, guard Anfernee Simons might not be long for the Boston Celtics. According to The Stein Line, Boston is looking to move the 26-year-old Simons -- though the front office is not rushing to get a deal done. The Celtics "will continue to invite trade discussion" for Simons, whom Boston acquired last month in exchange for two-time All-Star guard Jrue Holiday. Per The Stein Line, the Celtics will keep the window open through the 2025-26 trade deadline. The 24th overall pick in 2018, Simons spent the first seven years of his career with the Portland Trail Blazers, averaging 15 points on 43.1 percent shooting that featured a 38.1 percent clip from 3-point range. He scored 20.7 points per game over the past three seasons in Portland while hitting 583 3-pointers. Simons joined the Celtics on an expiring contract, with his acquisition saving Boston $40 million in luxury tax payments next season.

Eagles get big injury scare at practice regarding key starter
NFL

Eagles get big injury scare at practice regarding key starter

The Philadelphia Eagles got a major injury scare during Sunday's open practice at Lincoln Financial Field when Pro Bowl guard Landon Dickerson went down with a leg injury and had to be carted off to the locker room. Dickerson was reportedly unable to put any weight on his leg. Dickerson, a second-round pick (No. 37 overall) by the team in 2021 has been a starter for the Eagles over the first four years of his career and developed into one of the best offensive linemen in football. He has been named to the Pro Bowl team in each of the past three seasons and is a key cog on the Eagles' line. The Eagles' O-line is one of the team's biggest strengths and a big part of its identity, and Dickerson has taken over as one of the top leaders on that group. The Eagles are already dealing with some depth issues on the interior of their line after backup Kenyon Green had to be carted off the field in their opening preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals. If Dickerson has to miss any significant time that would be a huge blow to the Eagles' offense and their running game. But it's still very early in the process and the Eagles will almost certainly know more by Monday. The Eagles were the second-leading rushing team in the NFL during the 2024 season, averaging 179 yards per game. Running back Saquon Barkley ran for over 2,000 yards as part of their season, with the offensive line playing a huge role in both of those achievements.

Rasmus Andersson Turns Down Huge Long-Term Offer from an NHL Team
NHL

Rasmus Andersson Turns Down Huge Long-Term Offer from an NHL Team

Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson is entering the final year of his six-year, $4.55 million AAV contract, and uncertainty surrounds his future. Speaking with Sweden’s Expressen, Andersson shot down false rumors about where he’s willing to go, and revealed he turned down a lucrative long-term offer from another NHL team. All of this took place roughly six weeks ago, says the blueliner. He cited family reasons as to why he’s being particular about his next move. Still, as picky as he might be, rumors he’s only willing to go to Vegas are not true. “But I have not given Calgary a team, that I only want to play with one team,” he said. “That is not true…” He did get an offer from another team, likely not the Golden Knights. “I wasn’t keen on moving my family there and signing a long-term contract,” Andersson explained, adding that he provided the Flames with a list of teams he’d consider signing with if traded. However, the team that offered him a deal wasn’t on that list. He explained, “I communicated that decision to Calgary. I said if you want to trade me, this is the number of teams I can think of signing for. But this wasn’t one of them.” The Flames and Andersson Aren’t Talking Any Longer Talks with Calgary have since gone silent. Speculation is that he’s not heard about a trade option or extension in over a month. Whether the Flames have stopped looking for now, or teams haven’t lined up with trade offers, it sounds like nothing is imminent. All that said, Andersson is expected to draw significant trade interest before the 2026 deadline if an extension isn’t reached. His situation will be one of Calgary’s most closely watched storylines this season.

Green Bay Packers Veteran WR In Danger Of Being Cut After Poor Showing Against Jets
NFL

Green Bay Packers Veteran WR In Danger Of Being Cut After Poor Showing Against Jets

A veteran Green Bay Packers wide receiver didn’t leave a good impression on head coach Matt LaFleur’s coaching staff on Saturday when he took on his old team in front of 71,501 fans at Lambeau Field on Saturday night. Mecole Hardman, who has had flashes of being a strong contributor to the Packers during training camp, struggled in the Packers’ 30-10 loss to the New York Jets. The 2019 second-round pick by the Kansas City Chiefs dropped his only target of the night and made a poor decision as a punt returner on special teams before muffing a punt on his second punt return opportunity. The Green Bay Packers coaching staff has a decision to make Matt Schneidman of The Athletic suggested that Hardman’s performance will prompt the Packers’ coaching staff to reevaluate the receiver depth chart. “Hardman, too, seemed penciled into the 53-man roster before Saturday night,” Schneidman wrote. “For a player who probably wasn’t slated to contribute much as a wide receiver come the regular season but still provided value because of his return experience, the preseason opener was a disaster. “Hardman fielded a punt on the fly at his 5-yard line (that’s a no-no) with a Jet and two Packers nearby and was tackled immediately for no gain by the Jets’ Qwan’tez Stiggers after he beat Packers rookie seventh-round cornerback Micah Robinson.” “I made two bad decisions, so that’s on me,” Hardman told reporters after the game. Hardman wasn’t the only Packers receiver to have issues against the Jets, as an issue from 2024, dropped passes, continued to plague the offense in their first preseason game of 2025. It’s an issue Hardman and the team will want to show improvement on when they play the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday.

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!