NBA Trade Deadline: Live Trade Tracker

A year ago, a record 39 players were traded on Feb. 19, which was the NBA trade deadline in 2015. Follow all the moves in the HoopsHabit Trade Tracker.

Updated 3:22 p.m. Eastern

The dealing in advance of the 3 p.m. Eastern NBA trade deadline began to pick up in earnest with a couple of hours remaining, with a total of 18 players–far off last year’s record 39–being moved.

Grizzlies, Clippers beat the buzzer

The Memphis Grizzlies continued to add to their sudden stockpile of … colorful personalities … on Thursday, acquiring swingman Lance Stephenson and a future first-round pick from the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for forward Jeff Green, according to reports.

For Stephenson, the Grizzlies will be his fourth team in three seasons, as he has now run through Charlotte and L.A. after leaving the Indiana Pacers following his breakout 2013-14 campaign, one that looks more and more like the outlier all the time.

The Clippers get Green, ostensibly to strengthen the bench, and have now punted on two of their offseason acquisitions in Stephenson and Josh Smith, traded back to the Houston Rockets last month.

Hinrich back to Atlanta

The Chicago Bulls did make a trade on Thursday, but it did not involve Pau Gasol.

Instead, per ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the Bulls sent veteran guard Kirk Hinrich to the Atlanta Hawks for a second-round pick.

Hinrich, who was in his second stint with Chicago, will now return to the Hawks for his second term there. He was in Atlanta for parts of two seasons from 2011-12.

Phoenix officially Morris-free

The Phoenix Suns ended one of the longest-running disgruntled player storylines in the NBA when they dealt forward Markieff Morris to the Washington Wizards in exchange for a protected first-round pick.

Phoenix also gets forwards DeJuan Blair and Kris Humphries as part of the deal.

Morris had wanted out of Phoenix since last summer, when the Suns traded his twin brother, Marcus Morris, to the Detroit Pistons as part of a move to free up salary cap space to make a run at free agent LaMarcus Aldridge, who eventually signed with the San Antonio Spurs.

Morris told the Philadelphia Inquirer in August that he wanted out of the Valley of the Sun and it’s been a tumultuous season for Morris and the Suns thus far.

He’s played poorly, threw a towel at now-fired coach Jeff Hornacek (earning a two-game suspension) and most recently appeared to choke teammate Archie Goodwin during a timeout.

Roberts on the move again, dealt to Portland

Brian Roberts wasn’t a member of the Miami Heat long enough to officially wear their uniform; he was traded with a second-round pick to the Portland Trail Blazers for cash considerations just two days after being sent to the Heat by the Charlotte Hornets.

Roberts had just completed his first practice with the Heat.

Roberts goes to a Portland team that also added Anderson Varejao’s contract in an effort to get to the NBA salary floor.

Thunder acquire Foye for Augustin, Novak, picks

The Oklahoma City Thunder picked up some help at the off-guard position, acquiring veteran Randy Foye from the Denver Nuggets.

The deal wasn’t cheap, as the Nuggets get another veteran point guard in D.J. Augustin. As for Steve Novak, the Nuggets will reportedly look to move him.

Cavaliers get Frye in 3-team deal

According to Sam Amick of USA Today, the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Los Angeles Clippers to the punch, acquiring stretch big man Channing Frye from the Orlando Magic.

As part of the deal, Anderson Varejao will go from the Cavs to the Portland Trail Blazers and Cleveland will send Jared Cunningham to the Magic.

While Orlando frees up more cap space after also moving Tobias Harris on Tuesday, the Cavaliers make room for Frye’s deal by jettisoning Varejao to Portland, a team with loads of space.

Varejao, a 33-year-old Brazilian, was once a key contributor during LeBron James‘ first stint in Cleveland, but has had trouble staying healthy and had fallen out of the Cavs’ rotation, averaging just 10 minutes per game in the 31 games he played this season.

Since 2010-11, Varejao has played in just 203 of a possible 446 games. Originally drafted by the Magic in 2004, Varejao’s rights were dealt to the Cavaliers a little less than a month after he was drafted 30th overall.

He is likely to be waived by the Blazers, however.

If waived, Varejao could not return to the Cavaliers. The NBA prohibits teams from signing players they traded that are waived (call it the Gary Payton rule).

Dave McMenamin of ESPN reports the Cavaliers will send a conditional first-round pick to Portland as well as the second-rounder to the Magic.

Wojnarowski reported the first-round pick to Portland would be a 2018 selection. Cleveland’s first-rounder in 2016 is already committed to the Phoenix Suns and teams are prohibited from dealing first-rounders in back-to-back years.

Jazz grab Mack from Hawks

The Utah Jazz reportedly picked up a backup guard, acquiring Shelvin Mack from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for a second-round pick, per Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical.

In Utah, Mack reunited with former Butler University teammate Gordon Hayward.

Pistons-Rockets swap three players, protected pick

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, the Detroit Pistons will send veteran center Joel Anthony and a protected 2016 first-round pick to the Houston Rockets in exchange for power forward Donatas Motiejunas and journeyman guard Marcus Thornton.

According to Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post, the pick Detroit is sending to Houston is top-eight protected.

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst further clarified the pick protection:

Detroit is currently ninth in the Eastern Conference, making it likely the pick will convey to Houston this year.

The Philadelphia 76ers got in on the fun later in the day, acquiring Anthony along with a second-round pick from the Rockets to complete the deal.

Miami saves tax money, sends Stokes to New Orleans

The deal for Jarnell Stokes goes to his third team this season and being traded from the Miami Heat to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for a protected second-round pick.

He was part of a November trade earlier this season that sent him from Memphis to Miami along with Beno Udrih in exchange for Mario Chalmers and James Ennis.

The return on the deal was a heavily protected second-round pick that Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported the Heat will likely never see.

The buildup

In the final hours before the 3 p.m. Eastern NBA trade deadline, with buzz still surrounding Atlanta Hawks All-Star big man Al Horford, a free-agent-to-be this summer, and Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard, a former All-Star who has reportedly fallen out of favor in Texas.

However, a report from Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical made it appear less likely Horford–or any other member of the Hawks–would be moved prior to the deadline.

Wojnarowski had earlier reported that the Boston Celtics–thought to be a possible suitor of Horford and Howard–were not willing to meet the necessary price for either big man.

There were two trades made on Tuesday, bringing the total number of trades since the regular season began to six.

The first move on Tuesday came when the Orlando Magic sent young forward Tobias Harris to the Detroit Pistons for point guard Brandon Jennings and forward Ersan Ilyasova.

Later Tuesday, the Charlotte Hornets, Memphis Grizzlies and Miami Heat pulled off a three-team trade.

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Charlotte sent second-year wing P.J. Hairston and second-round picks in 2018 and 2019 to the Grizzlies in exchange for veteran wing Courtney Lee, while Miami picked up point guard Brian Roberts from the Hornets, while sending veteran big man Chris Andersen to Memphis along with a top-40 protected second-round pick in 2017 and a top-55 protected 2019 second-rounder the Heat had previously acquired from the Boston Celtics.

Heading into the final hours before the deadline, there were reports the Milwaukee Bucks and New Orleans Pelicans had discussed a deal for center Greg Monroe, according to ESPN.com’s Zach Lowe. Gery Woelfel of the Racine (Wis.) Journal-Times also reported on Milwaukee’s interest in Atlanta point guard Jeff Teague.

However, it appears Michael Carter-Williams–acquired by the Bucks at last year’s deadline–won’t be part of any deals.

ESPN’s Chris Broussard is reporting the Sacramento Kings are interested in Atlanta wing Thabo Sefolosha.

Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reported there is interest from the Los Angeles Clippers in Orlando center Channing Frye, with Lance Stephenson being the player who would go to Orlando. However, David Aldridge of TNT reports that Stephenson likely would not remain in the Magic Kingdom for long.

The Pistons, having moved Jennings to Orlando, are reportedly interested in a reunion with point guard D.J. Augustin, according to Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.

Another player that could be moved is Indiana Pacers forward Chase Budinger, who according to the Indianapolis Star, is being shopped.

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The earlier deals included:

Jan. 22: Los Angeles Clippers traded Josh Smith and Sergei Lishchuk to the Houston Rockets for Maarty Leunen, with the Clippers also sending cash to the Rockets to cover Smith’s salary.

Jan. 12: Cleveland Cavaliers traded Joe Harris, cash considerations and the Sacramento Kings’ 2017 second-round pick to the Magic in exchange for a protected 2020 second-rounder that originally belonged to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Dec. 24: New Orleans Pelicans traded Ish Smith to the Philadelphia 76ers for the Denver Nuggets’ second-round pick in 2016 and a 2017 second-round selection.

Nov. 10: Miami traded Mario Chalmers and James Ennis to the Grizzlies in exchange for Jarnell Stokes and Beno Udrih.

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So stick with HoopsHabit throughout the day; we’ll be updating this as things continue to develop right up until the deadline at 3 p.m. Eastern.