Just one day after the 2022 NBA Media Days, the league has a trade on the books.
Oklahoma City is sending Vit Krejci to the Atlanta Hawks for Moe Harkless and a second-round pick, per NBA insider Shams Charania.
Sources: Oklahoma City is trading Vit Krejci to Atlanta for Moe Harkless and a second-round pick.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 27, 2022
The NBA world took to Twitter to react to this trade.
“Buy Moe out so he can sign back in Portland,” one fan wrote.
“Moe Harkless is still in the LEAGUE??? How???????” another said.
“I actually thought Harkless might be somewhat useful to Atlanta since they’re gonna be *rough* defensively but oh well,” another added.
In the night I hear ’em talk
The coldest story ever told
Somewhere far along this road
He lost his soul to a woman so HarklessHow could you be Moe Harkless? https://t.co/UUxMhJqJpa
— Payton J. Havermann (@paytonisnotroll) September 27, 2022
Tax avoiding move for Atlanta, taking them from $1.7M over to $1.3M below.
Vit Krejci doesn’t match for Mo Harkless even if his $1.6M salary gets fully guaranteed. Perhaps the Thunder are expecting to receive a DPE for Chet Holmgren worth $4.9M that could absorb Harkless. https://t.co/SsPQAVf3iG
— Yossi Gozlan (@YossiGozlan) September 27, 2022
The Hawks acquired Harkless in a trade with the Sacramento Kings earlier this summer. The early-July trade sent Harkless, guard Justin Holiday and a future first-round pick to Atlanta in exchange for Kevin Huerter.
Harkless, 29, is entering his 13th NBA season. The Thunder will be his seventh different team, not including the Hawks. The veteran small forward averaged 4.6 points and 2.4 rebounds per game with the Kings this past season.
The Thunder selected Vit Krejci with a second-round pick in the 2020 draft. The Czech point guard underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee earlier this year, but is expected to be ready for the start of the 2022-23 season.
This additional second-round draft pick adds to a ridiculous wealth of early-round draft picks for the Thunder over the next few years.