A week after the National Basketball Association (NBA) trade deadline, the hype surrounding the big trades has subsided, and we move forward to analyze a few large transactions. Several moves were made prior to last week’s trade deadline; some were planned for weeks while others occurred unexpectedly Thursday morning. What teams walked away from the Feb. 24 deadline a winner and who were the losers? Ahead, I’ll break down the trades with the greatest implications.
First and foremost, the blockbuster trade sending Carmelo Anthony to the New York Knicks was speculated about for months, finally becoming a reality weeks before the trade deadline. The finalized trade included fourteen players and three teams, the Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves. The Knicks received Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Shelden Williams, Anthony Carter, Renaldo Balkman and Corey Brewer. The Nuggets received Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov and Kosta Koufos. The Timberwolves received Anthony Randolph and Eddy Curry.
The Knicks not only added a prolific scorer in Randolph, but a seasoned veteran in Chauncey Billups. A proven point guard with an NBA Finals ring, Billups is known around the league for his late-game heroics (he’s nicknamed Mr. Big Shot). Unfortunately, the Knicks sacrificed a lot of depth to pursue the trade. A load of young talent was shipped off to Denver, including New York’s 22-year-old 2008 first-round pick Danilo Gallinari. On the upside, New York has the presence of two established superstars in their starting lineup with Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire. On the contrary, the Knicks lack the defensive ability and the depth coming off of the bench to prove that they can truly contend with the top teams in the Eastern Conference. Only time will tell whether the players can mesh with one another and whether the trade will work out positively for the Knicks.
On the other side of the trade, Denver added a lot of young talent and balance to their roster. The Nuggets are a team that has the potential to be a force in the Western Conference. Currently the fifth-seeded team, Denver now has a very deep bench with players Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler, JR Smith and Al Harrington, two of whom were starters in their tenure with the Knicks. The ex-starters will see decent minutes coming off the bench, and allow current Nuggets starters to receive some much-needed rest. Overall, the two teams come away from the trade satisfying their individual needs and improving their chances of competing come playoff time. As for the Minnesota Timberwolves, the struggling team has won just 14 games this year and is dead last in the Western Conference. Clearly the loser of the trade, Minnesota is looking for any spark to inspire a season turnaround, adding two big men who have only played a combined 127 minutes this season.
Moving down the east coast to New Jersey, the Nets did not land Carmelo Anthony, but managed to grab a superstar of their own at the trade deadline. The Utah Jazz agreed to send Deron Williams to the New Jersey Nets for Devin Harris, Derrick Favors and two future first round draft picks.
The Nets and Jazz both seem to walk away from the trade as winners. New Jersey added a top five NBA point guard in Williams, currently averaging twenty points and ten assists per game. Williams is the type of player who makes everyone around him better, drawing the attention of the defense while quarterbacking his offense and giving his teammates open opportunities. The Nets did give up their 2010 first round pick in Derrick Favors and a solid point guard in Devin Harris, but they finally gained a true superstar to build a team around. New Jersey only has 17 wins this season and the trade may not have a great impact on how the team finishes the year, but it will have a great impact in years to come. On the opposite side of the deal, Utah is also in a rebuilding process. In a Western Conference that is too powerful for the tenth-seeded Jazz, Utah is looking to add young pieces. Harris will try to reestablish himself as a premier NBA player in Utah and Favors should eventually emerge as a capable role player. Both teams attempted to patch the holes in their rosters, and the deal should pay off well for both sides.
The final trade we’ll discuss is the Boston Celtics dealing Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Jeff Green and Nenad Kristic. This trade is baffling, and makes no sense on the side of the Celtics. Boston missed Perkins heavily in the NBA Finals last year, saying that his size and rebounding against the Lakers front line would have propelled the Celtics through the championship. If this was the case, why trade him for two underachieving players who will see very limited minutes in Boston? The trade was remarked as being “idiotic” by ESPN’s Bill Simmons (known for his personality as “The Sports Guy”), who went on to say he would rather lose the 2011 title with Perkins than try to win it without him. Many believe the Celtics may have kissed their championship hopes goodbye with the stupidity of the trade.
The Thunder on the other hand are ecstatic. The trade allows them to finally compete with the strength and size of other top teams out west, and having a proven seven-footer standing underneath the rim will provide a post presence on both sides of the ball. The fourth-seeded Thunder will look to be a prominent contender for the title come playoff time.
Overall there was a lot of action over the past week. Some teams were building for the future, others believe that the time to win is right now. Multiple teams filled their respective needs while others gave up pivotal pieces needed for a championship run. Other teams, like the Chicago Bulls or the Miami Heat, didn’t make any moves at all — instead looking to continue the formula that they’ve established.
Routinely, the moves made at the trade deadline take time for the effects to become noticeable. New components are integrated into the playing style of different coaches. Players are still learning to play with their new teammates and get comfortable living in new cities. As the NBA season heads into the final six weeks before the playoffs, we will see how effective it is for teams to give players a change of scenery at the deadline.
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