Josh Hart and Larry Nance Jr. became friends when Lakers teammates to begin their careers.
Just before this year’s trade deadline, they got dealt for each other – Hart from the New Orleans Pelicans to the Portland Trail Blazers and Nance vice versa – in the C.J. McCollum trade.
Andrew Lopez of ESPN:That’s when the idea to swap homes -- at least temporarily -- materialized. When Hart made it to Portland, he checked out Nance’s digs and reported back that he liked what he saw.
“Yeah, I know it’s nice, I’m living there, man,” Nance joked.
Nance sent movers to pack up some of the essential items in the house -- he left the couches and TVs -- so Hart could make room for some of his belongings.
“I’m gonna be honest with you, I have no idea what they took out of the house [in New Orleans],” Nance said. “I guess just the immediate essentials. There’s a lot of their stuff still in there. We tried to be a little more courteous and take most of our stuff outta there.”
Of all the aspects of being an NBA player, getting traded – especially during the season – might be one of the least relatable. Regular jobs just don’t include anything like that.
It’s cool how Hart and Nance found a way to ease their transitions.
I wonder whether either player will stick in his new house. The Trail Blazers have called Hart a keeper despite his contract being unguaranteed beyond this season. Though he has a fully guaranteed salary for next season, Nance has played only one game for New Orleans after arriving injured, and the Pelicans payroll is fairly high. They could flip him in the offseason.
Maybe even somewhere else he knows a player departing and leaving a house behind.
