This had to be the biggest trade deadline in NBA history. None of the NBA teams shied away from making huge moves today as there were over 15 official trades, with half the Western Conference bolstering up for a competitive playoff run.
Like I said in the title, this has to be the very best trade deadline in NBA history.
There were the classic small accounting moves, the sneaky moves that the best and most well-run organizations always make to get that much better, the complete headscratchers that make no sense no matter how much you look at it (cough…Pistons…cough), and there were the almighty blockbusters that shattered the market. And it mostly happened in the Western Conference.
The Lakers, Clippers, Suns, Warriors, Trail Blazers, Nuggets, and Pelicans all made moves that improved their starting rotations, with the Suns, Lakers, Clippers, and Warriors really making some massive moves to improve their teams.
I mean, the Lakers essentially recreated their roster by trading away Russell Westbrook, Thomas Bryant, and Patrick Beverely for D’Angelo Russell, Jared Vanderbilt, Malik Beasley, Mo Bamba, and Davon Reed in various moves, while their crosstown rival Clippers got rid of their point guard core of John Wall and Reggie Jackson in order to beef up their frontcourt with trades for Eric Gordon, Mason Plumlee, and Bones Hyland (who can fill in at PG).
And the Suns blockbuster move for Kevin Durant needs no introduction.
Though, what was a sneaky good move in the West was the Warriors reacquiring Gary Payton II from the Portland Trail Blazers. Payton II was a monumental piece in the Warriors championship winning run as he came up with clutch free throws and defensive stops against the Celtics best scorers in the Finals, which is something this Warriors team has lacked this year.
Moreover, the Warriors being able to move on from almost bust (he’s not there just yet) James Wiseman by getting the lowly Detroit Pistons to take on his expiring contract was work of art by GM Bob Myers.
Yeah, the Pistons management is rather stupid as they gave up Saddiq Key (he went to Atlanta) and Kevin Knox (he went to Portland) for James Wiseman, but it still takes skill to move on from such an unattractive piece and getting a valuable, championship-winning veteran in return (Payton II was also a part of that deal).
As for some Eastern Conference moves, the Bucks picking up Jae Crowder from the Nets in exchange for Serge Ibanka, George Hill, and some picks (which went to the Pacers) may very well put them over the edge in the East. Picking up more defensive help for Giannis is always a good move, while Jae Crowder has also proven his value on the offensive side of the court with some huge shots made during his teams runs to the Finals over the last three seasons.
Being a Celtics fan, I’m still picking Boston to win the East, but it’s going to come down to a Celtics-Bucks matchup in the Eastern Conference Finals to determine who will represent the East in the Finals. No doubt about it given how quiet the 76ers were today and the utter disintegration of the Brooklyn Nets.
Another big deal was the Knicks getting Josh Hart from the Portland Trail Blazers for Cam Reddish, a protected 1st round pick, and two depth players. I’m not really sure how I feel about this move as I can see a case for either one of these teams claiming to come out on top, so I guess we’ll just have to wait and see how this plays out.
There were a few other small moves, such as Mike Muscala heading to the Celtics from OKC, Thomas Bryant leaving the Lakers for the Nuggets, and Toronto picking up Jackob Poeltl from the San Antonio Spurs, but that was pretty much it for today.
And thank goodness for that as I was really starting to lose track of all the deals being made, which is a good problem to have as someone writing about the NBA.
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