The NBA trade deadline has passed. There were plenty of deals made by teams. Some were win-now moves, while others were simply small maneuvers for a plan to be played out in the future. The Lakers and Knicks came up empty as they were unable to find suitable trade partners. The Nets and 76ers shook up the landscape of the NBA with a massive deal. Teams like the Kings, Pacers, and Cavaliers all made big moves. The following deals are the most impactful.
The Blockbuster
Nets and 76ers swap Harden and Simmons
Trade Details
Brooklyn Receives
- Ben Simmons
- Seth Curry
- Andre Drummond
- 2022 first-round pick
- 2027 first-round pick (top 8 protected)
Philadelphia Receives
- James Harden
- Paul Millsap
This was by far the biggest deal at the deadline. Two elite players swapping teams, ending what was probably the biggest storyline of the NBA season to this point. The Ben Simmons saga is over.
Nets Outlook:
All the talk about how the big three of Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving wouldn’t work out was spot on. Last season was their best chance at winning a title, but Irving and Harden were injured too often and at the wrong times. This year has been more of a reality TV show than a basketball season for Brooklyn. Kyrie Irving had to sit out for the first half of the season because he refused to get vaccinated. Eventually, they decided to let him play in away games, but only because Harden couldn’t stay healthy. Once he started playing, Durant went down with a serious injury, Harden got hurt, and the Nets have fallen into play-in territory.
Enough was enough for Harden who essentially demanded a trade to Philly by sitting out games with an injury and playing horribly when he was on the court. He forced Brooklyn’s hand. Harden was clearly going to leave this offseason and they needed to get something back while they still had leverage.
The return looks great for Harden, who might be the most frequently traded superstar in NBA history. Ben Simmons has received a ton of criticism since his “collapse” against the Hawks in the playoffs last season. With that being said, he’s an elite defender, playmaker, and freak athlete. Doc Rivers used him incorrectly. It’s that simple. Embiid was the priority in that offense, and rightfully so, but Simmons wasn’t put in positions to succeed. He should be a great fit alongside Durant and Kyrie who can take all the shots down the stretch and allow for Simmons to roam freely and play as a screener, where he is lethal.
The Nets also received Seth Curry who should provide another elite shooter and floor spacer alongside Patty Mills and Joe Harris if he is ever able to come back. Andre Drummond should provide the size and rebounding that the Nets were desperately searching for. The two first round picks are a nice added bonus as well.
76ers Outlook:
The Ben Simmons saga is over. Finally. No more rumors. No more guessing games. Ben Simmons is no longer a sixer. Philly never lowered their asking price and it paid off. They got the top 25 player they were looking for. Harden should be the guard Philly has been looking to pair with Embiid for years. He can score as well as anyone in the league. He can also create for his teammates as well as anyone. Harden and Embiid is a dangerous duo for years to come assuming Philly can sign Harden to a big extension this coming offseason.
They got their guy, but the price wasn’t cheap. They hurt their depth a lot by giving up Curry and Drummond who were key rotation players. There’s no question it was worth the large package because, with a player as injury-prone as Embiid, you have to try and win when you can. You can’t rely on the fact that he can play at this level for much longer.
Big Time Deals
Pacers and Kings Shake Things Up
Trade Details
Sacramento Receives
- Domantas Sabonis
- Justin Holiday
- Jeremy Lamb
- 2027 second-round pick
Indiana Receives
- Tyrese Haliburton
- Buddy Hield
- Tristan Thompson
These two teams have both been stuck in borderline playoff territory for years. That’s the worst place to be in the NBA. You never get a top-five pick in the draft and you never lure in any free agents because the team stinks. Both teams thought maybe they could help each other. This deal probably won’t help either team contend for the postseason this year, but each team restructured their core for the future.
Kings Outlook:
There has been a ton of backlash on this deal already for Sacramento. Why would they trade away their youngest star, who happens to be on an extremely team-friendly contract? It doesn’t make a lot of sense in a vacuum, but if we look at the makeup of the Kings roster, this deal makes a lot of sense. They have way too many guards to build around. De’Aaron Fox and Haliburton essentially play the exact same position, and so does rookie Davion Mitchell who has shown some promise. They needed to trade away one of them and Haliburton was the most valuable in a trade. The Kings are sticking with Fox, who has shown he is capable of playing at an all-star level.
The return for Haliburton can’t be ignored. Sabonis isn’t the most flashy pickup, but he is a great player. He’s been an all-star the past two seasons and for good reason. He’s a tremendous post scorer and passer. His elite inside scoring should add a dimension to the Sacramento offense.
Pacers Outlook:
This trade was certainly a win for Indiana. They already dealt away Caris LeVert to Cleveland (trade details below), and they acquired an extremely talented young guard to build around for the future. Haliburton has been electric this season. He has shown elite playmaking abilities and has taken a step defensively as well.
Unloading Sabonis was more of a “let’s move on from our stagnant situation move” more than anything else. He is the best player in the deal, which you usually don’t want to give up, but the Pacers got younger and more exciting, without losing too much talent.
Buddy Hield was a nice addition to this trade for Indiana. He’s an elite shooter who should play well alongside the dynamic backcourt of Haliburton and Malcolm Brogdon.
Blazers Blow it Up
Trade Details
New Orleans Receives
- CJ McCollum
- Larry Nance Jr.
- Tony Snell
Portland Receives
- Josh Hart
- Tomas Satoransky
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker
- Didi Louzada
- 2022 first-round pick (protected)
- Two second-round picks
The Trail Blazers decided to blow it up and try to restructure this roster around Damian Lillard to make another push at a title. New Orleans shakes things up by adding a veteran perimeter scorer to play with Zion and Ingram.
Pelicans Outlook:
This trade isn’t going to make the Pelicans title contenders overnight, but it does show an urgency to make the playoffs. Brandon Ingram has been playing great and has sneakily led this team into play-in contention after a horrible start to the season without him. CJ provides scoring help for Ingram and they should continue to play good basketball and earn a chance to play their way into the playoffs at the end of the season.
Is this enough to keep Zion happy? Probably not. It’s the league’s worst-kept secret that both the NBA and Zion himself want him to end up in a Knicks jersey. It’s just good for the game. CJ McCollum won’t be enough to make him like New Orleans and stay after his contract is up. The Pelicans better hope that this off-brand big three plays out of their minds over the next two seasons in order to get Williamson to stay.
They also gave up two of their key young products in Josh Hart and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Neither of them have played up to their potential yet, but Hart has shown some promise this year as a secondary playmaker and energy guy.
Trail Blazers Outlook:
Rebuild. Well… not quite. The Blazers are in a tricky situation. They don’t want to rebuild completely, but they want to rebuild this year to come back stronger next season. Damian Lillard seems motivated to stick it out in Portland, but it’s only a matter of time before he decides to give up. The key time for the Blazers will be this summer.
Dallas Dumps Porzingis for Nothing
Trade Details
Washington Receives
- Kristaps Porzingis
- Future second-round pick
Dallas Receives
- Spencer Dinwiddie
- Davis Bertans
The Mavericks dump some salary in this deal but don’t get much value in return. The Wizards make a risk-free move to get Porzingis to play alongside Beal over the next couple of years and show him they are trying to compete.
Wizards Outlook:
Why not make this trade? Dinwiddie hasn’t been the player they thought he was going to be and Bertans gets zero minutes, which is crazy considering how much they signed him for. Porzingis hasn’t played up to his potential either, but he’s definitely an upgrade for Washington.
Mavericks Outlook:
This deal is a bit of a head-scratcher for Dallas. They clearly just wanted to dump some salary to try and restructure their roster. Luka Doncic is still super young and they have plenty of time to rebuild the pieces around him and create a championship-caliber roster, but Porzingis was the second-best player on this team. Hard to give up for pretty much nothing.
With that being said, expect Bertans and Dinwiddie to be better than they were in Washington. Doncic makes everyone around him better, especially shooters. Bertans should play a solid role for them down the stretch of the season.
Impactful Deals
Cleveland Adds to Young Core
Trade Details
Cleveland Receives
- Caris LeVert
- 2022 second-round pick (via Miami)
Indiana Receives
- Ricky Rubio
- 2022 first-round pick (lottery protected)
- 2022 second-round pick (via Houston)
- 2027 second-round pick (via Utah)
The Cavaliers have been the biggest surprise this season, but they struggle to put the ball in the basket. LeVert is a very talented young wing scorer and should fit in perfectly with this young squad in Cleveland. The Pacers pick up Rubio who is on a team-friendly expiring contract and they also pick up a first round pick.
Cavaliers Outlook:
This was a no-brainer for Cleveland. Once Ricky Rubio went down with a season-ending injury, it was clear that the big weakness for the Cavs was their ability to create offense from the wing position. When Darius Garland is off the court, they struggle to put up points. LeVert should come in and be impactful right away for the playoff-hopeful Cavaliers.
Pacers Outlook:
Save salary. Pick up some picks. Shake things up for this team that has struggled heavily this year.
Clippers Make Surprise Move
Trade Details
Los Angeles Receives
- Norman Powell
- Robert Covington
Portland Receives
- Eric Bledsoe
- Justise Winslow
- Keon Johnson
- Future second-round pick
The Clippers make a surprising move to add win-now players. No one saw this coming. With Kawhi Leonard and Paul George both likely out for the remainder of the season, the Clippers add pieces who can help win a title next season.
Clippers Outlook:
Norman Powell is the shooting guard of the future for the Clippers. He should fit in well as a wing scorer and defender alongside Kawhi and George. The Clippers are trying to win a championship in the next couple of seasons and these two guys they acquired should help a ton.
Trail Blazers Outlook:
It’s clear from this deal and the McCollum deal that they are trying to shake things up around Damian Lillard. They are doing everything they can to try and put a winning team around him and this is the first step of their mini rebuild.
Charlotte Acquires Montrezl Harrell
Trade Details
Charlotte Receives
- Montrezl Harrell
Washington Receives
- Ish Smith
- Vernon Carey Jr.
Hornets pick up a better center than Mason Plumlee to make a push for the play-in. They have been struggling and Harrell should provide an energy boost. Washington dumps an expiring contract and pick up a nice young center in Vernon Carey Jr.
Hornets Outlook:
The Hornets are all in on offense. They are the second highest-scoring offense in the league this season and Harrell contributes to that mindset. The problem is they stink on defense. Harrell won’t help. He can’t switch well and he is not a rim protector either. Interesting move to pick up an expiring contract like Harrell for Charlotte.
Washington Outlook:
The Wizards unloaded Harrell to make room for newly acquired Kristaps Porzingis in the rotation. Big win for the Wizards at the deadline.
Celtics Pick up Derrick White
Trade Details
Boston Receives
- Derrick White
San Antonio Receives
- Josh Richardson
- Romeo Langford
- 2022 first-round pick (top 4 protected)
- 2028 first-round swap rights
The Celtics add a much-needed playmaking guard in Derrick White. He has taken a step up this season as a facilitator and will give the Celtics a nice core piece moving forward. San Antonio dumps White, who isn’t quite on their rebuilding timeline, in return for picks.
Celtics Outlook:
This is a great acquisition for Boston. White provides scoring, playmaking, and defense. He should prove to be a great piece for them down the stretch of this season as they look to make a push into the playoffs. Giving up Richardson is tough for their defense, but they got a more complete player in return.
Spurs Outlook:
Pick up as many picks as possible and continue the rebuild around Dejounte Murray.
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