Trade Notes: Spurs, Forbes, McDermott, Nuggets, Celtics

The three-team trade that will send Spurs guard Bryn Forbes to the Nuggets had yet to be official as of Tuesday afternoon, though it seems as if that’s just a formality.

Still, Spurs players were unable to comment at shootaround since the deal had yet to be finalized.

“My best is advice is control what you can control,” Spurs small forward Doug McDermott said, via Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News. “I have been in my fair share of trades. It’s just part of the businesses. … At the end of the day, we are still getting paid to play basketball, the game we love.”

The Spurs will receive Celtics forward Juancho Hernangomez and the Nuggets’ 2028 second-round pick as part of the deal.

Per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the pick from Denver is protected from Nos. 31-33. San Antonio will also receive $2.35 million in the trade — $2.15 million of which is coming from Boston, Wojnarowski added.

More on the Trade

• Forbes’ outside shooting should be a welcome relief for the Nuggets and reigning MVP Nikola Jokic, wrote Mike Singer of the Denver Post. The fact Forbes will be a free agent at the end of the season, and may be nothing more than a rental, shows the Nuggets are in win-now mode, Singer added.
• Considering the Nuggets only gave up center Bol Bol and injured guard PJ Dozier, there was no downside to the trade, Singer noted. “Neither Bol nor P.J. were going to help fix the shooting woes. Bryn does,” he wrote.
• Hernangomez was acquired by the Celtics in an offseason trade, but was hardly a factor, appearing in just 18 games and averaging 1.1 points. But he did average 7.2 points and 3.9 rebounds in 52 games with the Timberwolves season. So perhaps he will receive an increased opportunity with the Spurs.
• There has been little coverage of the trade out of Boston, a first under Celtics president/GM and former coach Brad Stevens. Bol was traded to the Pistons last week, but failed his physical and the deal was rescinded. He is expected to miss 8-12 weeks after foot surgery. Meanwhile, Dozier is out for the year with a torn ACL.
• Interestingly, Dozier will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, so it’s quite feasible he never suits up for the Celtics. Bol will be a restricted free agent.
• The Celtics are saving about $3 million in salary on the trade, presumably allowing them to avoid luxury tax, per Wojnarowski.