The NBA trade deadline has come and gone, with more than 20 teams swinging deals and more than 20 draft picks changing hands in the…
The NBA trade deadline has come and gone, with more than 20 teams swinging deals and more than 20 draft picks changing hands in the days leading up to the closing of the window at 3 p.m. Thursday.
Some of those draft picks extend until 2024.
And that means there are players perhaps in eighth or ninth grade, right now, who essentially have gotten traded in the last couple days — because the draft slots they’ll fill five years from now have changed hands already. So nobody will know with absolute certainly what the full impact of Trade Deadline 2019 will have on the NBA, but in the short term, there’s some clear teams that did really well and others who didn’t come away happy from trade season.
The breakdown:
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SALARY-CAP WINNERS
— Dallas Mavericks
The way the Harrison Barnes trade went down was awkward and unforgettable — Dirk Nowitzki will be the answer to the trivia question — « who replaced Barnes when the Mavs had to take him out of a game because they agreed to trade him during play? » — but Dallas transformed itself during trade season. They now have a ton of cap space for this summer, and the additions of Kristaps Porzingis and Tim Hardaway Jr. to play alongside Luka Doncic suggest that Dallas is ready for the long haul.
— Los Angeles Clippers
Their trade where they sent Tobias Harris to Philadelphia was truly smart for both sides. Getting a pair of future first-round picks is huge for the Clippers, who are well-positioned financially (and in terms of roster flexibility) to be in the mix for Kawhi Leonard this summer. The whole week was a series of good moves for the Clippers.
— New York Knicks
Though it wasn’t a true trade-deadline move, the trade last week that sent Kristaps Porzingis to Dallas means the Knicks will have room for two max free agents this summer.
ON-COURT WIINERS
— Philadelphia 76ers
The Harris trade from the Clippers says the 76ers are all-in, right now, on trying to win the Eastern Conference. Best starting five in the East, arguably.
— Washington Wizards
John Wall’s Achilles tear changes everything for Washington, which managed to deal Markieff Morris and Otto Porter Jr. to escape the luxury tax.
— Milwaukee Bucks
Team with NBA’s best record adds Nikola Mirotic, who gives Mike Budenholzer so many new options with the big-man lineup.
