Trade Deadline Winners and Losers!

Trade Deadline Winners and Losers!

The deadline happened, and many players went full-on aggressive. Some teams were missing pieces to win a title. Now, they've made moves that could put them on the edge of making a title run. Other teams looked to rebuild their roster in the hopes of having a better future. Regardless, there will always be teams that are going to be sellers and buyers. It is how the NBA works. In this post, I will highlight which teams I view as winners.

Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks have the top 10 players in the world. Luka Doncic is a generational player, along with one of the best point guards in the world, Kyrie Irving. But the team had many weaknesses. Like in the wing position, Grant Williams wasn't playing to his pay and didn't get along with his teammates. And they didn't have a center who could run to the basket and protect the rim. Dallas did one hell of a job filling out these spots. With new ownership in Dallas, that means more money for Mark Cuban and Nico Harrison to play with. PJ Washington is a great power forward. He fits well next to the other two players. The team also made the perfect decision to get center Daniel Gafford. Washington's incredible skills as a defender got overlooked because he played in Charlotte. The same goes for Gafford, who was underrated because he played in Washington. Now, both players get to play with a generational superstar in Luka, which will lead to more eyes.

Hornets

The Charlotte Hornets were sellers this mid-season. They were able to sell their veterans who were at the end of their contract. They traded for the Oklahoma City Thunder. In exchange, they got Tree Mann, veteran Davis Bertans, and Euro star Vasilije Micić. The Hornets also made a move for Grant Williams, who can be a locker room leader, which they were desperate for. And made moves for veteran hometown kid Seth Curry. The Hornets did one hell of a job with the reconstruction of the roster. surrounding Brandon Miller and LaMelo Ball with good veterans and young players. With new ownership, it seems like the Hornets have taken a greener direction. This was a huge win for Charlotte.

Jazz

The Utah Jazz have done great this mid-season. They got an asset, which seemed difficult for many teams to get. Danny Ainge got what he loves, which is a first-round pick. Trading away Kelly Olynyk and young player Ochai Agbaji in exchange for a first-round pick. The future of the Jazz is bright, and they have a great coach in Will Hardy. They traded away a player that wasn't their future in exchange for a bright future.

Celtics

Brad Stevens has a bad habit of collecting wins. He has killed this tradeline by trading for Xavier Tillman, who is a talented rim protector. Kristaps Porzingis injury record. It's good that Boston traded for a center. It is crazy how deep the Celtics are, and they continue to be one of the deepest teams in the league. There are huge possibilities for Boston to win a title.

Grizzlies

Memphis made a lot of underrated moves this deadline. The team traded away players to make room to sign more players. This will help acquire assets that can benefit the franchise's future. With the cap room now open, they extended 19-year-old GC Jackson, who is a long-term player for the Grizzlies. While right now, these moves mean nothing, in the future, they can pay off. This is a great reconstruction of the roster, especially with Ja Morant out.

Knicks

What a savior Leon Rose and World Wide Wes have been for the Knicks! They have achieved the necessary depth to contend. Trading for Alec Burke and Bojan Bogdanovic adds to their bench and sparks more offense. New York has done an awesome job of surrounding talent around Jalen Brunson. Now, there is a chance for the Knicks to make the Eastern Conference Finals.

Thunder

The Thunder have been one of the best young teams in the NBA. They have the most talented young core in the NBA. It includes Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. OKC has been weak in regards to the wing spot, and they went out shopping. Getting the Hornets forward on an expiring deal with Gordon Hayward was great. A player who can shoot the ball and pass is what the team needed. A good rotational player, along with an expiring deal, is perfect for the Thunder.

Pacers

The Indiana Pacers have had wins this midseason. They have added another shooter in Doug Mcdermott, whom they got by trading Buddy Hield. They were able to trade away a player who they knew would walk for free. Also, it gives free reign to Benedict Mathurin, who will lead the offense off the bench. The Indiana Pacers front office continues to be one of the most consistent. This is another addition to their resume.

This deadline, we saw a lot of aggressive moves. Some made it for their future; others made it to contend. The Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics made trades to help them make a run. Meanwhile, the Jazz and Grizzlies made deals for their future. This list highlights what the team impressed me with on the deadline. Teams were able to change the direction of their franchise, which can pay off big.

Trade Deadline Losers!

The trade deadline was huge for NBA fans. They watched their favorite teams, wondering if they would become buyers or sellers. Many teams were hoping those teams would sell players. It would be great to see certain players play at a high level for those teams. Or teams that are god awful and look to become sellers to get more assets. These are the teams, which I view as having missed this deadline.

Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers did nothing. This pisses me off. Are the Lakers competent at this point? Every trade deadline and off-season, the Lakers have to restructure their roster. It is a joke because they have two superstars. LeBron is at the bottom of his career, and if you're LA, you try to surround him with better talent. The rotation and line-up by Ham are horrible. Guys like Taurean Prince and Cam Reddish have to take on bigger roles. All the Lakers needed was to shop for offensive players who could shoot and play. The Lakers will have to make the play-in again, which shouldn't happen. Rob Palinka and Jeanie Buss prove to be incompetent.

Pistons

In my past articles, I talked about some of the decent moves the Pistons made to reshape their roster. In the past two games, the Pistons have been able to get some wins as they learned from past mistakes. Though one of the reasons why this deadline was a loss for the Pistons was because of the waiving of Killian Hayes, Hayes not reaching expectations is without a doubt. Yet, the fact remains that they released a lottery pick. It shows that player development stinks, as Killian has not improved since his rookie year. Combine that with injuries, and it is a big loss. Now, the Pistons have accepted their loss and are moving on. Troy even admits that Killian does everything well, except shooting. This skill is important in today's NBA. It is best for both parties to part ways, and we can hope that Killian can find himself again in the NBA or Euro League.

 Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks stink. Trae Young is putting up generational numbers on the Hawks. This should make him one of the best guards in the Eastern Conference. Along with Jalen Johnson, who is an underrated young player and a great wing for the Hawks, But the problem is the lack of Atlanta's scoring options. outside of Trae Young. Bogdan Bogdanović and Jalen Johnson haven't shown any talent. We all expected the franchise to trade for Siakam, but they failed to do so. Then there were rumors about Kyle Kuzma and Jerami Grant being on the Hawks wishlist, but we saw nothing out of them. All their young assets that they have, but they did flip them for a 20-point per game forward. Because of the franchise's lack of moves since 2021, it could lead to Trae demanding a trade.

Warriors

Steph Curry is at the tail end of his career. He has put up an All-NBA season this season, but the Warriors are awful. They have a lot of money tied to four players. Klay Thompson stinks this season, as he is on the decline of his career. He has struggled to live up to his past glory. And Andrew Wiggins has completely forgotten how to play basketball. Though Warriors young players have lived up to expectations, The older ones have become a struggle to watch. Mike Dunleavy didn't make any moves to improve their current roster. This is a lose-lose situation for the franchise. They'll have to give up their own assets to get rid of bad contracts. GSW is in a period of struggle and has to find a way to get out.

 Bulls

The Chicago Bulls are the definition of stuck. They are delusional, thinking they can win with their core three. Vucevic and DeRozan are on the decline of their careers. Zach Lavine has shown he isn't someone you can build around. The management believes that the Bulls can win a title with this team, along with Vucevic. This has to be a way to fool ownership rather than fans who know what's real. The Chicago Bulls have been sellers instead of keeping this roster. Teams would have traded for Vucevic and DeRozan, who can be a good third option for any contender. Bulls fans are stuck with another shitty season with no upside. What a shame!

Nets

The Nets what is there to say. When you look up the definition of stuck, the nets come up as a synonym. They have to try winning because they do not have their picks. Instead of trading Mikal Bridges for assets, they are hoping he can be their franchise player. Brooklyn is a super team of role players that teams would die for. Before the season, offers were made for trade, which the Nets ignored. Now, they are in hopes of being good enough because the Rockets have their picks. This is such a stuck place to be, as they do not have a real direction going forward. They also traded for Dennis Schroder, who can win them useless games. The Nets can't suck, but they have no wiggle room to be good either.

 Trail Blazers

The Blazers are going through a rebuild. It was ideal for them to trade veteran players to contenders in the hope of getting assets. Malcom Brogdon, the former six-man of the year, should have been delegated to another contender. He is someone that teams would die for, as he's a huge offensive spark. Along with Jeremi Grant, who's a high-end role player. Someone a team would want to get their hands on. He is a great two-way player and has shown himself to be a good playoff player. These players are at the peak of their careers. It would have been best for Portland to have traded with other teams to rebuild. The Joe Cronin rebuild has been questionable along the way, which has led the fans to be pissed.

 The deadline has been a huge win for certain teams, like the Mavericks, but we saw many losers, like the Lakers or Nets. Many mid-season trades have helped contenders become championship teams. The team I highlighted had expectations of being sellers or buyers, but all failed to do anything.