For once, the NBA trade deadline was explosive. The teams that were rumoured to be heavily linked to trades actually traded players. The Twitter-sphere received a heavyweight showdown between Shams Charania and Adrian Wojnarowski, the two greatest NBA transaction reporters of all-time. The general consensus has Woj as top-dog because of his “Woj-Bombs,” but in an upset, Shams broke eleven trades to Woj’s eight, including the biggest one of the day. But enough with Twitter: Let’s get down to these moves and see who came out on top.
James Harden and Morey reunited in Philly & the Ben Simmons saga ends
Where there is smoke, there is fire. Rumours had swirled that the Beard was unhappy with the Brooklyn Nets. Apparently, having a part-time co-star who is focused on his own spiritual awakening and a strict locker room culture were boiling points for Harden. The Sixers gave up Simmons, Drummond, and Seth Curry in return for Harden and Millsap. Simmons was maligned for his playoff performance in the Hawks-Sixers series, and as a result of perceived slights by the organisation, had stepped away from basketball due to mental health reasons. It is somewhat problematic that he is now apparently completely fine after the trade, but I digress. Harden brings to Philly the superstar guard to pair with superstar centre Joel Embiid, but considering the Nets got an elite defender in Simmons, an elite rebounder in Drummond, and an elite shooter in Seth Curry, the unanimous winner in the deal is the Nets. Oh, and the Philadelphia strip clubs.
A befuddling Blazers front-office
The Blazers were a team rumoured to be in a sell-off mode, and they clearly were. Norman Powell and Robert Covington were traded to the Clippers for Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow, and Keon Johnson. In my opinion, the Blazers were fleeced since they did not receive a single first round pick for two great players. The Blazers then traded backcourt stalwart CJ McCollum, Larry Nance Jr, and Tony Snell to the Pelicans for Josh Hart, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Tomáš Satoranský, Didi Louzada and a 2022 protected first round pick. CJ had overstayed his welcome as he was unable to complement Damien Lillard well enough to actually win anything, and his albatross contract had to go. However, NAW was then traded for Joe Ingles who is out for the season with a torn ACL. As a result, the Blazers front office did not receive nearly enough for Norm and RoCo, and then traded arguably the best young player they received for CJ for a washed Ingles who is out for the season. What is going on? The Blazers clearly lost on both trades.
The Kings ‘King’d’
The league knew that the Kings were interested in making a marquee move to bolster their franchise after decades of ineptitude. In the shocker of the day, the Kings traded budding star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, three-point specialist Buddy Hield, and Tristian Thompson to the Pacers for two-time All Star Domantas Sabonis, Justin Holliday and Raptor-killer Jeremy Lamb. Now you may point out that the Kings received an All Star in return, and thus have to win the trade, but I say sit down. Haliburton is much more than his counting stats—he was the future of the franchise and only in his second year. His vision for the game, defensive tenacity, and demeanour has led to comparisons to Chris Paul. The Kings made this move to try to get into the play-in game, which was an irrelevant endeavour. There is a reason why Kings fans wear paper bags over their heads when attending games. Management has broken their hearts once again, just like how Tyrese cried when he found out he had been traded. It turns out no one knew Tyrese was even on the trading block, and so the Pacers automatically won the trade. Let’s delete this disgraceful franchise.
An irrelevant big fish
Kristaps Porziņģis was once called a unicorn by Kevin Durant. At 7’3’’, Porziņģis can shoot the three, offer elite rim protection and knock down free throws as a big, but the injuries have limited his career significantly. It is likely that Porziņģis can never play a full season in his NBA career. The Mavericks gave him a five-year max contract in hopes of pairing him with superstar Luka Dončić, but the Mavs saw enough after half of the five-year deal had eclipsed. Porziņģis was traded to the Washington Wizards for Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans. Dinwiddie was supposed to be the point guard of the future for the Wizards but injuries have slowed him down. It also doesn’t help when the locker room hates you. Bertans can only shoot threes, turning that one skill into a five-year $80 million deal. Maybe Porziņģis can revive his career in Washington. He probably won’t. Maybe Dinwiddie will be able to shake off the injuries and avoid being the scapegoat for the Mavs. He probably won’t. Maybe Bertans will want to play basketball again. He probably won’t. Looks like both teams lose in this deal.
Did Masai and Bobby fleece someone?
Unfortunately, NBA front offices have learned that there is one golden rule in trading between teams: If the Raptors call and are asking about players, either send the call to voicemail or make ludicrous demands to make them give up. The league is weary when dealing with the Raptors because Toronto keeps coming out on top. Kawhi Leonard’s arrival meant a championship. Norman Powell was acquired for Greivis Vasquez. Terrence Ross for Serge Ibaka. The modus operandi is to not trade with Masai Ujiri and his Raptors. However, the Raps did make one move, sending Goran Dragić and a 2022 first-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs for Thaddeus Young, Drew Eubanks, and a 2022 second-round pick via the Detroit Pistons. Dragić had been deadweight for the entire season, a remnant of the Lowry trade to Miami. Fans were initially shocked at Toronto for including the first-round pick, but considering the Pistons are the worst team in the league, it is more akin to just moving back a few spots in the draft order. Eubanks was waived, and I can confirm he did not waive back. Young is a seasoned vet who should hopefully elevate the dreadful Raptors bench while also providing mentorship for the younger players. Overall, both teams win as the Spurs get a first-round pick for their rebuild, and the Raps gain Young and still hold a decent pick.