The trade deadline has come and gone and there is a lot to talk about. Usually I write about every trade and break down each deal. However, this year I want to talk about what a few teams did.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers needed to upgrade their roster and with how untenable the Russell Westbrook situation had become, a big trade was likely on its way. As a result, they made a huge 3-team-trade with the Jazz and Timberwolves in which they sent out Westbrook, Damion Jones, Juan Toscano-Anderson, a 2027 first round pick, and second round picks while acquiring D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, and Jarred Vanderbilt. It certainly upgrades their team and gives them a real chance to at least make the playoffs this season, and maybe win a round. However, I do not believe it makes them a title contender. Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt are good players, who will help them with defense and shooting, and Russell will also help in the shooting department. However, is D’Angelo Russell really the kind of player you want to commit big money on a long term deal too as he heads for free agency this summer? Magic Johnson couldn’t get Russell out of Los Angeles fast enough, the Warriors couldn’t get him off of their team fast enough, and the Wolves just traded him for a 35-year-old Mike Conley as Russell’s field goal, three point, two point, and free throw percentages are all at career highs. Russell’s three point shooting will help the Lakers but the defensive effort is a massive issue and, though he has done a better job this year, he has not been the type of player who typically likes to defer. The team also completed two other trades sending out Thomas Bryant and Patrick Beverly while bringing back Mo Bamba, Devon Reed, and 2 second round picks. Bryant reportedly asked for a trade so essentially replacing him with Bamba and netting 2 seconds is a good thing, especially since they weren’t going to re-sign Bryant. Overall, I think it was a good deadline for the Lakers, but not enough to make them contenders this season.
Minnesota Timberwolves
I have seen a lot of people wondering what the Wolves were doing trading D’Angelo Russell for Mike Conley. However, I think it is a good trade for them. First off there's another year left in Conley’s contract, thus not forcing them to hand a big contract to a point guard this summer, the way they would have had to with Russell (Conley’s contract also expires as Anthony Edwards rookie max extension will be set to kick in). Conley is a better distributor of the basketball than Russell is and has good chemistry with Rudy Gobert from their days in Utah. He has also been more efficient than Russell has been throughout his career, and though Russell has had an efficient season to this point, I would rather bet on Conley. Neither guy defends at all either, though Conley’s lack of defense is not due to effort and Russell’s is at times. Overall, I think the Wolves made their team better in a season that they have to make the playoffs.
Los Angeles Clippers
While I would have liked the Clippers to get a point guard, once Kyrie Irving and Mike Conley were off the market, the options left were limited. Fred VanVleet was too expensive, ESPN’s Zach Lowe said on the Lowe Post podcast (a great podcast) that it would have cost Terrence Mann and the 2028 first round pick, which is not a price I would have paid, and Kyle Lowry has taken a massive step back and has $30 million on the books for next season. Thus the Clippers had to go in a different direction. They started by trading 2 second round picks for Bones Hyland. Hyland is a microwave scorer, who the Nuggets were desperate to get rid of. I think he has a chance to become a good player but I have questions about him in a playoff series and in the locker room, why did Denver want to trade him so badly? Then they were in a 3-team-trade with the Rockets and Grizzlies where they acquired Eric Gordon and three second round picks for Luke Kennard, John Wall, and a pick swap. I like this move for the Clippers. Gordon, while not the player he once was, is a good scorer and can guard bigger players because of how strong he is and it gets John Wall off of the team. Lastly they acquired Mason Plumlee from the Hornets for Reggie Jackson and a second round pick. This is a home run move. Jackson has not been good for the Clippers this season and needed to go and bringing in Plumlee gives the Clips the backup center they desperately needed. Plumlee is also a very good passer and can play the role Isaiah Hartenstein played for them last season, something they have missed to this point. I really liked what the Clippers did at the deadline, sending out bad players and bringing in good ones is always smart business. (Please note: I think Luke Kennard is a good player and will help Memphis).
Portland Trail Blazers
I didn’t hate Portland’s deadline. Out went Josh Hart and Gary Payton II, in came Matisse Thybulle, Cam Reddish, Kevin Knox, a lottery protected first round pick, and future second round picks. The team has not been very good this season and since Hart can opt out of his contract and become a free agent and Payton becoming expendable with Thybulle coming in, Portland moved off of a couple of players and added a few young players and draft picks. The Blazers are in the middle, a competitive team that probably won’t even get out of the play-in, if they make it, so selling off a few pieces is not a bad thing. Thybulle and Reddish are interesting, talented players. Reddish had fallen out of Tom Thibodeau’s rotation in New York but is still a talented player, who has shown flashes of good scoring ability. Thybulle had fallen out of Doc Rivers rotation in Philadelphia due to a lack of shooting but is an elite defender and since Portland has Damian Lillard and Anfernee Simons, Portland felt comfortable to take the flier on a 2-time All-Defensive player who is bad at offense. (Both players will be restricted free agents this summer). The Dame Lillard trade conversation is one I’m sure people will have but I don’t want to do that so I am not going too. What I will say about Lillard: he is having one of his best season’s, such a great player.
Top of the Eastern Conference
All 3 teams at the top of the east all made small moves so I wanted to bunch them up into one section. Let’s start in Boston where the Celtics added Mike Muscala for Justin Jackson and 2 second rounders. It makes them better, Muscala is a stretch big who can really shoot it and will provide depth in the playoffs. However, I do not believe he is a part of their playoff rotation but will be someone who provides good depth down the stretch. The Bucks traded Jordan Nwora, George Hill, Serge Ibaka, and 5 second round picks in a 3 team trade with the Pacers and Nets to acquire Jae Crowder. Crowder is going to be in Milwaukee’s playoff rotation and clearly someone the Bucks think can slow down the likes of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, James Harden, and Donovan Mitchell, even though he was really bad in the playoffs last season. Finally the Sixers swapped out Matisse Thybulle for Jalen McDaniels. This is an upgrade, in my opinion, because McDaniels has a willingness to shoot 3’s, unlike Thybulle, and with better passing from James Harden and Joel Embiid, the Sixers hope his 32% 3 point percentage will rise. These are the 3 best teams in the conference and will likely be 3 of the 4 in the Conference Semi-Finals in May. I think all 3 teams got better, with Crowder as the most meaningful pick up, but I don’t think any were needle moving deals.
Other deals
Lastly, I wanted to write a sentence or two about other trades. I liked the Knicks move to get Josh Hart, he is a good proven 3 and D wing who will help them as the Knicks look to get back to the playoffs for the 2nd time in 3 years. I don’t understand why the Pistons traded for James Wiseman. The talent is undeniable and they are in a talent collecting stage but they already have so many centers, including a very young and very talented one in Jalen Duren, I didn’t understand the deal. I really liked the Hawks acquiring Saddiq Bey and frankly did not understand why the Warriors flipped him to Atlanta in the 4 team trade that featured Golden State, Atlanta, Detroit, and Portland. Bey is a solid defensive player and a really good 3 point shooter, who should help the Hawks. I hated the Raptors buying and the Bulls standing pat. Those are 2 teams that stink and have stunk all season, while a real center will help Toronto, trading a 1st round pick for Jakob Poeltl was a head scratcher without trading OG Anunoby for me, because then they would have added future one’s to make up for the one going out. I have no further comment on the Bulls besides that they stink. The Pelicans traded 4 second round picks to get off of Devonte’ Graham's contract and too many people were talking about Josh Richardson being traded for 4 seconds and it was frustrating. Thomas Bryant will be the backup center the Nuggets have needed all season so even if 3 second round picks is a hefty price, I liked the move. Lastly, I liked the Suns acquiring a big wing in Darius Bazley to give them more options and the Rockets trading for John Wall was very funny.
The trade deadline has come and gone and now we focus on basketball as we head towards the end of the regular season and the playoffs.
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