The NBA called this season’s trade deadline the busiest in the last 35 years, with 46 players from 23 teams involved in 16 different deals. What’s unclear is how many of those deals will have an impact on this season. Face it: Some will not register much of a blip. Brad Wanamaker getting moved to Charlotte by Golden State for a draft pick that will probably never change hands, that’s not exactly swinging a balance of power. Same goes for the Warriors sending Marquese Chriss to San Antonio, and Toronto trading Matt Thomas to Utah and Terence Davis to Sacramento — getting second-round picks back in both cases. Those Raptors moves were almost certainly made to clear roster spots for a Kyle Lowry trade that never happened. And it says something about the busiest trade deadline in 35 years when the biggest news of the day was a trade that didn’t happen, in Lowry’s case. That said, there were some moves that have potential to affect the postseason races. Here are some of the teams that benefited... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Charlotte Hornets have acquired guard Brad Wanamaker from the Golden State Warriors, a person familiar with the situation said Thursday. The two teams exchanged heavily protected future second-round picks, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal was still pending NBA approval. The 6-foot-3 Wanamaker has played in 39 games this season and averaged 4.7 points and 2.5 assists. This will be his fifth team in four seasons. Wanamaker's best season came in 2019, when he averaged 6.9 points and 2.5 assists per game for the Celtics. The 31-year-old could help fill some of the void left by the injury to rookie LaMelo Ball, who will miss the remainder of the season with fractured right wrist. The Hornets (22-21) currently are in fourth place in the Eastern Conference. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Free agent guard Brad Wanamaker has signed with the Golden State Warriors, giving the team additional depth in the wake of Klay Thompson's Achilles injury that will sideline him all season. The Warriors announced the deal Tuesday, two days after acquiring guard Kelly Oubre from the Oklahoma City Thunder in a trade for draft picks. Thompson will miss the season after tearing his right Achilles tendon while playing a pickup game in Southern California last Wednesday. He already sat out the coronavirus-shortened season recovering from surgery for a torn ACL in his left knee that he injured during Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals. Wanamaker spent the past two seasons with Boston. He averaged 6.9 points, 2.5 assists and 2.0 rebounds while playing 19.3 minutes in 71 games with one start for the Celtics during 2019-20. He shot an NBA-best 92.6% from the free-throw line, making 126 of 136 shots. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

BOSTON (AP) — Enes Kanter took a playful swipe at him.Kemba Walker will try to replace him.Kyrie Irving is no longer with the Celtics, but his brief flameout in Boston is still on the minds of fans in the city and even, apparently, players who have yet to play a minute for the team.On the day that the Celtics introduced Walker as their point guard of the future, Kanter said he chose the No. 11 last worn in Boston by Irving in part because it was his number in Oklahoma City in 2016-17. But he also quoted a commercial in which Irving aspired to have the number retired in his honor."I want to be the reason no one else wears it," Kanter said, cracking up himself and the media at the introductory news conference he shared with Walker. "I had to say it."Irving was the Celtics' big free agency splash two summers ago, when he asked the Cleveland Cavaliers to trade him and they shipped him to Boston for the immensely popular Isaiah Thomas. The Celtics, who had just lost to Cleveland in the conference... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Enes Kanter took a playful swipe at him.Kemba Walker will try to replace him.Kyrie Irving is no longer with the Celtics, but his brief flameout in Boston is still on the minds of fans in the city and even, apparently, players who have yet to play a minute for the team.On the day that the Celtics introduced Walker as their point guard of the future, Kanter said he chose the No. 11 last worn in Boston by Irving in part because it was his number in Oklahoma City in 2016-17. But he also quoted a commercial in which Irving aspired to have the number retired in his honor."I want to be the reason no one else wears it," Kanter said, cracking up himself and the media at the introductory news conference he shared with Walker. "I had to say it."Irving was the Celtics' big free agency splash two summers ago, when he asked the Cleveland Cavaliers to trade him and they shipped him to Boston for the immensely popular Isaiah Thomas. The Celtics, who had just lost to Cleveland in the conference... [More]