Earlier in January, the Denver Nuggets agreed to a deal to send Bol Bol to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Rodney McGruder and a second-round pick. However, that deal was flummoxed a few days later when word broke that Bol failed a physical with Detroit, voiding the transaction. Since then, reporting emerged that Bol needs surgery on his foot that will sideline him for several weeks, but that didn’t stop another deal from transpiring on Tuesday, with the Nuggets, Boston Celtics, and San Antonio Spurs reportedly making a three-team agreement involving Bol, PJ Dozier, Juancho Hernangomez, and Bryn Forbes.
Denver, Boston and San Antonio are making a three-way trade that includes Juancho Hernangomez to Spurs, Bryn Forbes to Denver, Bol Bol and PJ Dozier to Celtics, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 19, 2022
With Bol and Dozier both injured — Dozier has a torn ACL — Boston has financial incentive to pull the trigger on a deal to send Hernangomez elsewhere.
This move gets Boston very close to ducking out of the luxury tax completely. Celtics have an open roster spot after cutting Jabari Parker earlier this month. https://t.co/GzZkUyWMDv
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) January 19, 2022
As for Denver, the Nuggets add a veteran shooter in the backcourt with Forbes. After a short stint with the Bucks that ended with a championship ring, Forbes returned to San Antonio, but this move clears the way for more playing time for young players like Lonnie Walker and Devin Vassell.
San Antonio adds a potentially intriguing 26-year-old forward in Juancho Hernangomez, but he is making more than $6 million for this season with a non-guaranteed salary for 2021-22. The Spurs could use depth in the frontcourt, particularly if they elect to move Thaddeus Young at the trade deadline, but the wild news is that San Antonio rarely makes in-season transactions, making this a landmark occasion.
On the whole, this is a deck-shuffling move that only die-hards can appreciate. Still, it is a three-team trade a few weeks before the deadline and a reminder that there is a great deal of maneuvering on the horizon across the league.