Now that the All-Star Game has passed and the NBA trade deadline has been three weeks away, we have enough time and perspective to evaluate the choices each team made earlier this month.
Did the Milwaukee Bucks truly come through for their needs? Were the Dallas Mavericks using excessive leverage? Was there more that the Los Angeles Lakers could have done?
After examining all 30 teams, we divided them into three groups:
1. Winners: Indeed, their choices and actions were correct. They have improved.
2. Losers: Poor choices and movements.
3. Unknown: It’s still too early to know.
Jump to a team:
ATL | BOS | BKN | CHA | CHI | CLE
DAL | DEN | DET | GS | HOU | IND
LAC | LAL | MEM | MIA | MIL | MIN
NO | NY | OKC | ORL | PHI | PHX
POR | SAC | SA | TOR | UTA | WAS
Yes, they made the right call(s)
- The Knicks made their first move before the deadline had passed. Rather, they traded OG Anunoby and Precious Achiuwa for RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley five weeks prior, which completely changed New York’s offence and strengthened the defence. And until Anunoby was forced out of the lineup due to injury a few weeks later, the Knicks were the hottest team in the NBA.
So, to take that action and sign Detroit’s Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks as bench players? And all without giving up a single first-round pick in either trade?
Even if Bogdanovic and Burks still need to adjust to life as a second unit player as the Knicks rebuild their roster (and after the two played for a pitiful Pistons club), it’s difficult to see the negative. The Knicks are shorthanded and have struggled recently; when Bogdanovic and Burks are on the court, the opposition outscores them by an average of minus-8.7 and minus-5.7 points per game, respectively. However, the addition of Burks and Bogdanovic provides the New York team more punch, which is beneficial for a team that occasionally depends too much on All-Star Jalen Brunson’s minutes and scoring, especially while Randle is still rehabbing from a dislocated shoulder. And that ought to be really beneficial in the long run.
Celtics of Boston
Boston’s league-best record and strong starting five—which is outscoring opponents by 13.8 points per 100 possessions in roughly 500 minutes—show that they didn’t really need anything. In light of it, the Celtics decided to make cosmetic changes only.
Freshman Though Xavier Tillman isn’t the best offensive player, he is a great defensive backup, especially if you can get him for a few second-round picks, in case Al Horford or Kristaps Porzingis get hurt. The Celtics should not even require Tillman that much. Along with wing Jaden Springer, he has played just three minutes since the trade to Boston. Despite Springer’s lacklustre shooting ability, his defence is unquestionably there, as evidenced by his individual efforts for Philadelphia againstStephen Curry and Lucas Doncic right before the deadline
Raptors of Toronto
This time around, the Raptors made the proper decision following a perplexing deadline the previous season, when an underwhelming Toronto team chose to hang onto soon-to-be free agent Fred VanVleet while also acquiring Jakob Poeltl. And in doing so, they (at last) determined on a course of action: constructing around Scottie Barnes, 22.
The first step was acquiring the three first-round picks in exchange for Pascal Siakam. Identifying young players who can develop with Barnes is step number two. Additionally, Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett complement the All-Star wing admirably and should continue to do so for years to come. It would have been nice to have received a first-round pick for a game-changer like OG Anunoby, but let’s not get too picky. Since joining the team, Barrett in particular has been incredibly effective, averaging 20.3 points per game.
Los Angeles Clippers
Likewise, the Clippers, who arranged a trade for a potential Hall of Famer in October, had a successful trade deadline. Since those initial five games with James Harden, LA has been playing like a title contender for months. One may argue that strengthening the bonds between Harden and the other Clippers would be more advantageous for the club than making additional changes.
They already boast an offence ranked in the top five and a defence that is competitive with the top ten in the league. Before the deadline, they were the best. Since then, they have been outstanding. It didn’t require anything.
Hornets of Charlotte
Grant Williams, Tre Mann, and Seth Curry are examples of talent that Charlotte quietly acquired well. They also acquired a few other pieces of valuable property, including two second-round picks and a first-round pick from Dallas in 2027.
More significantly, though, the Hornets may have struck gold with this post-deadline group. Since the trade deadline, Charlotte has ranked second in defence. The Hornets are worth watching because of this as well as the improved scoring from No. 2 pick Brandon Miller after injured star LaMelo Ball exited the lineup in late January. Considering that Charlotte had only won 10 games all season before stringing together five wins in a six-game span, we may consider this period of time to be a turning moment.
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