Trading players, first and second round picks and other dealings are all apart of what NBA players mean when they say, “It’s a business.” Sports franchises of all types have many intentions and one of them is their profit motive or their “bottom line.” Most times, when these trades are enacted, it is usually for the betterment of the franchise and isn’t meant to be a personal jab at any one player, even though critics like to conjure them up as such. But as many of us know, the front offices of these teams have a lot of responsibility weighing on their shoulders when they make these business decisions. Deciding to trade away a team’s whole starting lineup or just a few key players for draft picks has its benefits and its hindrances. Ryan and I and will be evaluating the biggest trades that took place and will decide which teams fared the best when the deadline hit.
For starters, the trades that made the most headlines was the renovation in Cleveland. The Cavaliers were struggling to say the least and general manager Koby Altman knew that changes had to be made. Although Cleveland fans might have known that alterations were imminent, I don’t think anyone expected this transformation to be this drastic. After the trades were confirmed and complete, you could put both of the Cleveland starting lineups side-by-side, and it seemed as if they were two totally different teams.
There was one constant, of course, that being Lebron James. To add insult to injury, there have been a lot of rumors made about where Lebron will go this upcoming season because he will be an unrestricted free agent in 2019. Most of the rumors are arbitrary, one of them being that Lebron would up and leave Cleveland for the second time and join forces with the dominant Golden State Warriors. However, there are some interesting possibilities that may work out in James’ favor. Realistically speaking, James will probably resign with Cleveland and see what heights are possible with these “new look Cavs”. One thing for sure was that you didn’t need to be a Cavalier fan to see the frustration Lebron and the rest of the team were going through. A lack of communication, solidarity, defense, and a vast array of other issues surfaced and it was a clear sign that something had to be done.
As we neared the trade deadline, the news broke that former teammate of Lebron and Miami Heat legend, Dwyane Wade, was to be traded to South Beach for a lightly protected future second-round pick. Not long after mentioning that he was tired of being moved around from team to team, former Celtic Isaiah Thomas was sent to join the Lakers along with Channing Frye and a 2018 first round pick in exchange for Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. But that wasn’t all. The Cavs also acquired Rodney Hood from the Utah Jazz and George Hill from the Sacramento Kings in exchange for Jae Crowder, Derrick Rose, Iman Shumpert, Joe Johnson, and a 2020 second-round pick. I think it’s safe to assume that Cleveland’s front office had the, “by any means necessary” mentality, to secure another playoff berth and possibly another go-around in the Finals for Lebron.
At this point, after seeing the potential shine through some of these new additions, I think not only did Cleveland come out on the better end of these trades by building an overall better team, but they also came to the realization that their old lineup wasn’t going to cut it. Currently seeded at third in the Eastern Conference, the Cavaliers still have some way to go. Toronto and Boston got a better start early in the season which has given them the advantage in the latter half of the season. I think that Cleveland will definitely make the playoffs and even the Eastern Conference Finals, but it may be too late to develop the necessary chemistry between Lebron and his new teammates to move past any of their opponents.
While we’re on the topic of struggling teams in need of fresh talent, the Phoenix Suns and the Orlando Magic engaged in a trade deal. Both teams, arguably two of the worst in the Western and Eastern Conferences, were in dire need of a change. Orlando traded rookie Elfrid Payton to the Suns for a 2018 second-round pick in hopes of rebuilding their franchise. In this situation, I think that both teams benefited from this trade. Phoenix has a new rookie that could very well fit in if he is used effectively, and Orlando can look forward to enhancing their roster next year with their newly acquired draft pick.
One of the very first trades that ignited the free agent chaos was the unexpected deal between the Detroit Pistons and the Los Angeles Clippers. After seeing their All-Star point guard in Chris Paul leaving to Houston, Clippers fans were assured that they’re, “Clipper for life” Blake Griffin would step up along with longtime teammate DeAndre Jordan and pave a way to the playoffs. However, this wasn’t the case. In an unforeseen turn of events, Blake Griffin was moved up to the Motor City and became a Detroit Piston. The Clippers also sent Willie Reed and Brice Johnson in return for Tobias Harris, Boban Marjanovic, Avery Bradley a 2018 protected first-round pick and a 2019 second-round pick. Not soon after that, Johnson would be moved out to Memphis in exchange for James Ennis for a future second-round pick.
The Chicago Bulls then traded Jameer Nelson for Willie Reed along with future second-round picks. Ever since Chris Paul left LA, the hopes of a playoff berth were pinned on Blake Griffin. Once he was traded to the Pistons, things looked bleak, but there might still be hope for this team. Sitting at 9th in the Western Conference, a strong effort and a streak of wins might take them off the bubble and into a playoff spot. The general manager of the Clippers franchise Steve Ballmer said that the Griffin trade was a “very difficult decision”, but was made nonetheless. But even after losing one of their franchise players and one of their best scorers, the Clippers are 6-3 since the trade despite the recent changes. The Clippers are notorious for making the playoffs making it the past 6 seasons and having a positive winning percentage since 2013. With these playmakers out of the picture, I find it hard to see the Clippers on the winning end of this trade.
I think that they won’t know what they had until it was too late. The Pistons were smart about this trade and added a tremendous talent to their frontcourt, making theirs one of the best in the East. If I was on the hardwood knowing that I would be facing a duo made up of Andre Drummond and Blake Griffin, I would be a little less confident attempting shots in the paint and blocking shots put up by those two.
The Denver Nuggets were involved in a three-team trade with the Dallas Mavericks and the New York Knicks that saw Denver’s rising star from two seasons ago in Emmanuel Mudiay shipped to New York. The Nuggets in return received Devin Harris from the Mavs and the Knicks’ second-round pick (from the Clippers). The Mavericks received Doug McDermott and the Nuggets’ second-round pick.
Mudiay needed a fresh start after the Nuggets went all in on their diamond-in-the-rough discovery last season with Nikola Jokic as the new leader of the team. Dallas is looking for something positive to look forward to in the offseason, while Denver receives sage insight if they can make the playoffs with Harris on the team, on top of being a solid bench producer. 
New York has the opportunity now to form Mudiay into what Denver never could, a starting point guard. The potential is there, but the hard part is forging Muiday into the NBA mold of stars.
Overall this trade deadline was active and features a lot of new looks and additions to teams that weren’t expected to move players. Onto the playoffs.
Editors Note: Photos are by Michael Tipton featured on flikr for the NBA (licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0).
