The Nets acquired Sekou Doumbouya from the Pistons in a trade that was primarily about salary-dumping DeAndre Jordan. Pacers guard Edmond Sumner tore his Achilles.
That left Doumbouya and Sumner to be traded and waived in salary dumps, one including the Rockets.
Shams Charania of The Athletic:
The Brooklyn Nets are trading forward Sekou Doumbouya and a second-round pick to the Houston Rockets, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 6, 2021
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN:
Indiana is trading Edmund Sumner and a 2025 second-round pick via Miami to the Brooklyn Nets, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 6, 2021
The Nets will waive Sumner, who is out for the season with a knee injury, source tells ESPN. https://t.co/ChehEAGqVQ
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 6, 2021
Free agent guard Brad Wanamaker is signing a training camp deal with the Pacers, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 6, 2021
Tim MacMahon of ESPN:
Rockets intend to waive Sekou Doumbouya after acquiring him along with a second-round pick in a trade with the Nets, sources tell ESPN. Rockets sent Nets $110,000. The pick is unprotected in 2024.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) October 6, 2021
Michael Scotto of HoopsHype:
The Brooklyn Nets are trading the draft rights of Juan Pablo Vaulet to the Indiana Pacers, a league source told @hoopshype. https://t.co/qp5BGBSS1p
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) October 6, 2021
If making only the Houston trade, the Nets would have projected to save about $22 million between luxury-tax liability, Doumbouya’s salary and the cash from Houston.
Making the Indiana trade cuts Brooklyn’s projected savings to just about $8 million.
By making both deals, the Nets break even on second-rounders rather than losing one. But $14 million is a huge sum to effectively pay for a second-round pick. It’s shocking Brooklyn – deep into the luxury tax – would be a dumping ground for Sumner’s $2,130,023 salary. Teams below the luxury-tax line could have absorbed that cap hit at far lower cost.
Still, if Nets owner Joe Tsai is willing to spend like this, more power to him. It helps the team.
The Pacers relinquished a second-rounder to increase wiggle room below the luxury-tax line and open a roster spot. Brad Wanamaker slides in as third point guard behind Malcolm Brogdon and T.J. McConnell with Aaron Holiday dealt to the Wizards earlier in the offseason.
Houston gets an extra second-rounder for eating Doumbouya’s $3,613,680 salary. The rebuilding Rockets waiving Doumbouya rather than taking a flier on him shows just how quickly the 2019 No. 15 pick has fallen.