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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Point guards lead the way in flurry of NBA trades

The Phoenix Suns traded Goran Dragic to Miami before Thursday’s deadline. (Associated Press)
Ap

Point guards moving quickly made this trade deadline a transition game.

Goran Dragic, Michael Carter-Williams, Reggie Jackson and Brandon Knight all were dealt Thursday in the final hours that trades were allowed, as a number of teams handed their keys to different drivers.

Kevin Garnett also has a new address – his original NBA one. The Timberwolves brought him back to Minnesota by sending Thaddeus Young to Brooklyn.

There were so many players on the move in deals agreed to shortly before the 3 p.m. EST deadline that most of the transactions were still awaiting NBA approval hours later.

Dragic and Jackson were two players to watch on deadline day, because neither was expected to remain with his team after this season. Both their teams opted to move them rather than risk losing them for nothing.

Phoenix sent Dragic to Miami, getting two first-round picks and a package of players for the Slovenian, a third-team All-NBA selection last season. The Suns filled his spot by acquiring Knight from Milwaukee in a three-team deal with Philadelphia, which sent Carter-Williams to the Bucks.

“I did feel it was time to find a better fit,” Dragic wrote on Twitter, adding “NOW it’s (hash)heatnation time and I’m excited to bring the Dragon’s fire to Miami!!”

Zoran Dragic, Goran’s brother, also went from Phoenix to Miami.

Jackson, who began the season replacing an injured Russell Westbrook, now will step in for the sidelined Brandon Jennings. The Oklahoma City Thunder sent Jackson to Detroit in a three-way trade that included Utah.

Even backup point guards seemed in demand, with players such as Isaiah Thomas (Boston), Ramon Sessions (Washington), Andre Miller (Sacramento), D.J. Augustin (Oklahoma City), Norris Cole (New Orleans) and Pablo Prigioni (Houston) getting new homes.

Some big guys got in on the little guys’ fun, with Enes Kanter getting his wish to leave Utah when he ended up in Oklahoma City as Kendrick Perkins’ replacement.

The flurry of moves ended a busy season of swaps in which contenders such as Cleveland, Memphis and Dallas refused to wait for the last minute to get their dealing done, having upgraded long ago.

Other teams had their chance. Portland may have done it with the first completed deal of the day when it acquired Arron Afflalo from Denver.

“Arron is a proven winner with playoff experience who will be easily integrated into our culture,” Blazers general manager Neil Olshey said. “He possesses a skill set that complements our style of play on both ends of the floor and will make an immediate impact as we continue our playoff push.