Now that all players involved have settled into their new teams, a look at which teams and players benefited from the trades in the NBA before the deadline:
Mavericks-Wizards
Mavericks got:
Caron Butler
Brendan Haywood
DeShawn Stevenson
Cash Considerations
Wizards got:
Josh Howard
Drew Gooden (traded to LA Clippers)
James Singleton
Quinton Ross
With the turmoil that followed the Arenas gun scandal, this trade unfortunately needed to be done. As a Wizards fan, I am sad to see Caron Butler, a player who has given his all during his stint in D.C. (and who supposedly wanted to retire there) leave because of the mistakes this franchise has made over the years. It is also frustrating to see Haywood, finally a legitimate NBA center, leave for Dallas. Despite struggling with the concept of simple post moves (culminating in those God-awful left handed hooks) for his six or seven seasons, Haywood was Washington's center; he anchored the middle for the Wizards through thick and thin (and there was a lot of thin). I can't say I will miss Deshawn’s horrid shooting and Abe Lincoln neck tattoo.
But like I said, it needed to be done, and I don't think the Wizards could have gotten a better deal. It certainly served its primary purpose: creating cap space. Josh Howard is an able wing (this season is NO indication) and while he can't do a lot of the things Butler does, he can thrive away from the conflicts he had in Dallas. Quinton Ross essentially replaces Stevenson on the roster, and will probably be more efficient. An unexpected benefit may come from Singleton. He has played well in Dallas, he rebounds well and can be a valuable role player, and, if he makes more plays like this one, an exciting one as well.
While this trade doesn't make the Mavericks a shoe-in for the Western Conference finals, it makes them a lot more competitive. Butler will spread the floor well for Dirk Nowitzki, and if he attacks the basket more than he has been this season, he can be really dangerous down the stretch. Haywood gives the Mavs the post presence they have been wanting on for years, and if Jason Kidd likes dishing lobs to Eric Dampier, I'd love to see what he'll do with a younger, more athletic big man.
Blazers-Clippers
Blazers got: Marcus Camby
Clippers got: Steve Blake Travis Outlaw
Cash Considerations
Portland needed this one. They lost two big men already, and they really did not have any other sustainable alternatives (Juwan Howard, while he put in a valiant effort, is 153 years old and not anyone’s first choice at center). There are several issues Nate McMillan needs to work out. First, is the issue that Camby did not want to be traded. The Blazers coach will want to make Camby happy for the sake of team chemistry, but this shouldn’t be too hard. Camby is a professional on and off the court, and I doubt we'll see any Ron Artest/Stephon Marbury-like tantrums. The second, and more important, aspect is fitting Camby into the offense. They could use him like they did Joel Przybilla, as a rebounder who was fed the occasional dunk. But Camby's offense is better than that, even at his age. He can still score from the block, his mid-range is better than Przybilla's, and he can see the floor better than most centers in the league. If they put his talents to good use, the Blazers can be the sleeper team in the Western Conference playoffs.
The Clippers got what they wanted: they dumped a big contract and absorbed two expiring ones and even got some extra cash on the side. Steve Blake is the best point guard the Clippers have now besidesBaron Davis, but I doubt they will be able to use him in a beneficial way once BD is healthy and takes up all the minutes at that spot. Outlaw can jump the gym, but he's injured, and will probably not be playing for them next year.
Knicks-Timberwolves
Knicks got:
Brian Cardinal
T’Wolves got:
Darko Milicic
This trade is rife with irony, as it deals with two players who have very limited/questionable talent, yet have been horrendously overpaid, and two teams who have a history of horrendously overpaying for limited/questionable talent. The Knicks win out on this one because they save $1 million, but it's highly unlikely either player will get any substantial playing time.
Wizards-Cavaliers (part of 3-way deal)
Wizards got: Zydrunas Ilgauskas
2010 first-round pick
Draft rights to Emir Preldzic
Cavs got: Antawn Jamison
Another inevitable trade for the Wizards. They dumped Jamison’s $28 million contract in a bid to become key players in the 2010 summer free agent bonanza. In the process, they traded away another piece of the former Big Three, whose heyday now seems so long ago. Jamison was the true leader of the Wizards from the first moment he stepped foot in Washington. He made Wizards fans proud, whether the team was winning 45 games or 19 games in a season. After so many years of mediocrity, he deserves to be on a title contender. What the Wizards will do with this extra cap space (and with the cap space from a potential voiding of Arenas' contract) will be crucial, as they're not getting much else in this trade. Big Z will get bought out. The Cavs' pick will be very late in the first, so it won't bring in anyone of value, if at all. Of course, the real prize here is Emir Preldzic's draft rights. He's from Bosnia. Woo-hoo.
Some people thought the Cavs should have gone for Amare Stoudamire. While the potential for a James-Stoudamire alliance is tantalizing, it's not necessarily the safest way to go. The Cavaliers needed to become more competitive in their drive to win this year, and convince Lebron James to stay in Cleveland. They will do so more effectively by bringing in Jamison. Jamison will complement James much better than Stoudamire. He spreads the floor, gets rebounds, works well in the post and will get open for a dish from King James. Amare is effective in the paint, but the Cavs can't risk the type of fallout the Suns had when trying to put Shaq and Amare in the same lineup.
Wizards-Clippers (part of a three-player deal)
Wizards got: Al Thornton
Clippers got: Drew Gooden
While people may not agree with me, I think the Wizards got the better deal. Al Thornton has received the reputation (and deservedly so) of hogging the ball and tossing up really bad shots en route to a bunch of points and not much else for the Clippers. That last preposition is so important I will write it again in italics: for the Clippers. I don't know any player who had his best season(s) as a Clipper, except maybe Steve Novak. But there have been several players that have gotten better when they moved away from the horrid franchise (e.g. Lamar Odom). Thornton could definitely benefit from leaving the turmoil in L.A., the problem is he's moving to a whole different type of turmoil in D.C. He has a couple of things going for him though: 1. ample playing time (He'll be coming off the bench at both forward spots) and 2. a better coach in Flip Saunders. It will, be interesting to see how Thornton develops in the nation's capital.
Meanwhile, the Clippers got a big man to replace Marcus Camby, but I don't know how long Drew Gooden will be happy with leaving a title contender for a (perennial) lottery contender.
Clippers-Cavaliers (part of three-player deal)
Cavaliers got: Sebastian Telfair
Clippers got:
extra cap space
Barring another Delonte West debacle, Telfair shouldn't be getting much playing time for the Cavs. However, I think watching Lebron dominate every night from the front row beats watching Baron Davis jack 6+ threes a game for the rest of the season, so Telfair definitely got the better deal.
Bobcats-Bulls
Bobcats got: Tyrus Thomas
Bulls got: Acie Law Flip Murray
Future 1st round pick
The Bulls needed to do two things: get rid of Thomas, who was becoming a big hassle, and get someone who could spark a inconsistent at sometimes stagnant offense. They certainly achieved the first goal, but didn’t really do much for the second. Murray can put up points, sometimes, and is a very streaky shooter. Acie Law isn’t worth mensitioning.
Tyrus Thomas is essentially getting a second chance to prove he is a respectable NBA player and not another of Chicago's lottery busts. However, he is not getting a sweet deal: Thomas will be playing for Larry Brown, who has no patience for pampering young players (if Thomas doesn't believe that, he can talk to D.J. Augustin, who should be somewhere near the end of the Charlotte bench). In order to thrive (or get playing time for that matter), Thomas needs to prove he can be consistent on both ends of the floor. If he can play to his potential, Charlotte could build one of the best defenses in the league.
Bulls-Bucks
Bulls got: Joe Alexander Hakim Warrick
Bucks got: John Salmons
Flip 2010 1st round picks
2011, ’12 second round picks
The Bucks have one goal in mind: get into the playoffs. Salmons can certainly help them do that, replacing Michael Redd as the two-guard. But is it worth it? Will getting a couple million dollars in extra ticket revenue so Milwaukee fans can see their team get downed by either Cleveland or Orlando be worth the trouble of Salmons in the ensuing year? Is he in Milwaukee’s long-term future? The guy has not contributed to a winning franchise since his early days in Philadelphia, but is a versatile guard who can pass and shoot (sometimes) so this endeavor has its risks and rewards.
Meanwhile, the Bulls get Hakim Warrick, who I feel sorry for. The guy can play (at least offensively), and deserves to contribute on a good team. But alas, such is not his fate this season. Joe Alexander needs to get back on the court before any assessment can be made of his potencial.
Bucks-Sixers
Bucks got: Royal Ivey Primoz Brezec
2010 second round pick
Sixers got: Jodie Meeks Francisco Elson
I don’t know how the salaries play out in this one, but looking at it from Milwaukee’s standpoint, this trade sucks. Jodie Meeks is a rookie who was a good shooter in college. Lots of times, good shooters in college become good shooters in the NBA; us-NBA nerds have a fancy word for it, it’s called potential. And who did the Bucks trade this potential for? Royal Ivey, someone who has had the “potential” to be a third-string point guard for mediocre teams. Nice one Milwaukee, hope you at least saved some dough from this one.
Rockets-Kings (part of three team deal)
Rockets got: Hilton Armstrong Kevin Martin
Kings got: Carl Landry Joey Dorsey
I think each team feels like they suckered the other one on this deal. I think they mutually suckered each other. The Rockets wanted to get rid of Mcgrady, the oft-injured shooting guard, and got Martin, who is a great scorer, but is, uh-oh, an oft-injured shooting guard. While Martin may not necessarily keep his injury-prone reputation (and the Rockets are praying to the injury gods that he doesn’t) this trade may not work for a different reason. Yes Martin can score, but he doesn’t fit in with the overall style of play the Rockets have built upon this season: the scrappy, defensive, hustle play they have needed to eke out wins without their two main stars. Kevin Martin has never been known to be scrappy or defensive. You know who was? Carl Landry, the potential Sixth-Man of the Year.
The same Landry is now being shipped off to Sacramento. Why? Why does Sacramento need Landry? Why did they give up on the Tyreke Evans-Kevin Martin backcourt experiment so quickly? The Kings aren’t going anywhere this season, so it would have made sense for them to see how things go with Martin and Evans. Evans is a talented point guard with a world of potential; does he really not need a player of Martin’s caliber? Will it have been so difficult for Martin to learn to play off the ball more? And what about Landry? The thing is, the Kings already have a hybrid forward in Jason Thompson, and so now Kings coach Reggie Theus has to juggle rotations to get the best out all his frontcourt players. With so many young players involved, this could be a recipe for disaster for the Kings.
Kings-Knicks (part of a three-player deal)
Kings got: Larry Hughes
Knicks got: Sergio Rodriguez
This Knicks got something else besides yet another removal of an overpaid player from its ranks. Rodriguez is a quick point guard who can score given the chance and dish out assists too. Given the fact that the Knicks’ present point guard does the first never and the second only sometimes, it would behoove D’Antoni to give Rodriguez a chance. Hughes will probably get bought out.
Knicks-Rockets
Knicks got: Tracy McGrady
Rockets got: Jordan Hill Jared Jeffries
Flip 2011 1st round picks
Protected 2012 1st round pick
Knicks general manager Donnie Walsh is stuck between the proverbial rock and hard place right now. Not all of it is his fault. He inherited the post-Isaiah Thomas cesspool, after all. But he didn’t do much to change it, instead looking toward this year’s free agency to bring in a messiah to the Garden, one in the form of King James, D-Wade, or Chris Bosh, or any combination of two such players. In this trade deadline, he needed to give the Knicks a lot of cap space while at the same time making this dreadful team look like a place a superstar (or two) will want to play for. Behold, the Walsh bailout plan.
Walsh succeeded in dumping Jeffries, the butt of jokes involving paying for something and not getting anything close to the return for your money, and Jordan Hill, i.e. the guy the Knicks picked instead ofBrandon Jennings. In return, he got McGrady, a guy who is supposedly recovered from multiple knee suregeries, who can put fans back in the seats at the Garden, and make it a respectable basketball venue again. Sounds good right? Sure, until you figure in those picks the Knicks gave away like juju beads. Those picks matter, because in order to build a powerful franchise, you need to cultivate talent, not throw money around for it. The Knicks have never gotten that, and no matter what happens this summer, they won’t ever have a strong franchise until they do. Kudos to the Rockets for giving themselves a chance to build a good team the right way.
Knicks-Celtics
Knicks got: Eddie House Bill Walker J.R. Giddens
2nd round pick
Celtics got: Nate Robinson Marcus Landry
The Celtics made the right move. They needed a spark off the bench because their offense, even when the team is healthy, looks a little tired sometimes. And that’s something Boston can’t afford heading into the playoffs. It was a tough call giving up Eddie House, who has been a great role player for them, but that’s the way of this league. Robinson is a bit of a head case, but who can blame him, playing for the Knicks. His antics won’t be tolerated by Doc Rivers or Celtics’ Big Three
The Knicks again stumbled onto a valuable player in House, whom they should keep past the summer, if they can.
Jazz-Grizzlies
Jazz got:
2011 1st round pick
Grizzlies got: Ronnie Bewer
Great move by Memphis. They will benefit from Brewer’s length and athleticism on the wing. This move benefits the Jazz too. While they lose a valuable player, the Jazz need all the cap flexibility they can get. Boozer will most likely be out of Utah in the summer, and while the Jazz have their insurance policy in Paul Milsap, they will still need to add some pieces down the road to remain competitive.
Wizards-Kings
Wizards got:
Conditional second-round pick
Kings got: Dominic McGuire
Another salary-dumping move for the Wizards. The Kings get a bench warmer and hustle player.
Spurs-Bobcats
Spurs got:
Conditional second-round pick
Bobcats got: Theo Ratliff
The Spurs have had a frustrating season and are looking for cap flexibility for the summer. The Bobcats continue to build on defense.
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