Part 1: Trail Blazers, Bucks, Lakers, Knicks, Jazz, Rockets
Part 2: Hawks, Thunder, Wizards, Pelicans, Raptors, Magic
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ATLANTA HAWKS: C+
They got rid of Cam Reddish for good value but didn't make another move... I guess we're waiting for a play-in exit? Is this already officially a bust season for them? I'm already calling a play-in exit because I know for a fact they won't beat the Raptors, Nets or Celtics in a knockout game who are more complete teams than the Hawks. The supporting cast around Trae seems good! I am not sure why this team is/was failing! I am not sure either on if there are realistic targets out there that are better than who they currently have. They have 2 draft picks next year that they could use to get another trustworthy shot creator and/or a 2-way guard. I hope they don't pick another guy that will rot in the G-League. I'm looking forward to what the Hawks will do in the offseason.
Overall, the lack of realistic targets hurt this team's trade deadline.
The Pelicans expressed interest in Kevin Huerter and them not trading him deserves credit because I am 1000% the Pelicans only offered Graham and a couple of second-round picks which only makes their defense worse.
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OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER: A
Not making any significant moves due to them not needing to was the right call. They already have the draft capital to acquire frontcourt depth and the cap space to acquire bench players that will fill needs. Shai has been great as the franchise player, their own draft picks are nothing but improving, the veterans have helped fill needs for the team and the locker room vibe has been good. There is no pressure on OKC at all, especially on a tank, to make a move now and kudos to them for not trying to rush this rebuild (coughs at a team that has the longest playoff drought in the NBA). They have a scarily bright future.
Also, $23.9M is going to be distributed to the players! Good job on them for making them happy.
Watch this video for fun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bz5-hNMSoNQ
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WASHINGTON WIZARDS: C
I think we can all agree with this season already being a wash for them. The Wizards are officially stuck in NBA purgatory. Adding Porzingis is definitely gonna help them... carry the team to a play-in exit at best. We don't even know if he's going to play! Is he even good enough to start? How is he even going to fit? Is this another Bagley situation wherein a supposed-to-be-starter is benched just because his attendance is so inconsistent? If he's so inconsistently healthy then will there even be time to develop chemistry? There's just so many unanswered questions with the acquisition of Porzingis. Don't get me wrong, it raises their ceiling and that they got him for less than they should but he is NOT THE CURE. They traded for an untradeable contract so it basically eliminates their ways of getting another big name to attempt to contend. The roster just seems so weak if this will be what they are labelling as a 'contender' next season. They're not achieving anything with this. Just don't pay Beal and blow it up!
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NEW ORLEANS PELICANS: A-
3-point shooting was an enormous concern for this team ahead of the deadline. Before the deadline, these were the percentages the Pelicans were recording from deep in each game: 27%, 25%, 41.4%, 32%, 29%, 20%, 25%, 15%, 41%, 20%. You do not win modern NBA games when you're shooting that horrible from deep, especially when you're wanting Zion to come back sooner than later. Herb Jones deserves a 30 minutes a game any day of the week but he is not very proficient from deep. Devonte' has been on a giant slump since the start of the year and Valanciunas is starting to get dared to shoot a 3 again. The acquirement of CJ McCollum has not only help the team's 3-point shooting woes but also has helped decrease Brandon's load on offense thanks to his ability to run an offense. But who else knows how to run an offense? Josh Hart, who they traded away for McCollum too. Has the 3-point shooting improved? Yes, drastically. Has the offense without Brandon improved? Yes. Is the sacrifice on defense noticeable? Also, yes. McCollum is trying, don't get me wrong. But oftentimes he is just too small to make an impact. Do I think it is worth a lottery pick? Uhh- ehh- maybe no. I think the Pelicans could've found a way to trade for McCollum for less than what they gave up as a McCollum trade was near inevitable. The McCollum trade was nothing to regret as it is just the start of where the Pelicans build a near-flawless offense with every person on the floor being a threat to score but we cannot clone Herb Jones. I think the next step for the Pelicans is to trade for a guard that has high defensive IQ and a minimum average shooter to try compensate for the defense they sacrificed. Delon Wright is a name that rings the bell.
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TORONTO RAPTORS: A+
It cannot be emphasized enough how excellent of a work the Raptors did in this year's trade deadline. Going all-in for versatile, high IQ forwards is a great decision by Masai as they could technically already run Pascal at backup point guard and Thad Young is a great fit on what the Raptors are trying to build. Thad not only can defend, rebound, cut and spot up at rare occasions, but also make the whole bench unit he'll play with better with his playmaking and ability to make an impact without the ball. You could just plug him in and you know he’ll make the correct plays! Basketball is better when everyone on the floor has a great feel for the game! It never hurts to have more of those archetype of players and I cannot think of another player who could fit into the system faster than Thad Young will. This trade also cuts some minutes for OG/Barnes/Siakam too since their bench was pretty shallow before the deadline. They didn't give up that much either, only climbing down 12 spots in a draft that does not have a very large gap of talent outside the lottery (Maybe they also saw a prospect that is projected to go to the second-round worthy of their 18th/19th pick and that they really don't worry about trading down to 31st, Blake Wesley??👀👀). Not to mention, they also ducked the tax which gives them a better shot at acquiring players via the buyout market and they add a good mentor for some of the young guys going forward while doing this. Upgrade at E-V-E-R-Y category here for the Raptors. People are sleeping on this deal and are forgetting that Thad Young is good when utilized properly.
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ORLANDO MAGIC: A+
Welcome to the O, Bol Bol and Cash Considerations! Bol Bol's restricted rights for free? Why not?!
The Magic also seem to significantly value veteran presence with reports saying that they would only trade Harris, Ross and Lopez for a first-round pick, a move that not a lot of fans could agree on but could make sense. Harris, Ross and Lopez have never been players who take ball touches away from their young core. Harris is a shooter and a cutter. Lopez is a third string center who only plays when one of Cater/Bamba are out. Ross, although does play as the main ball handler, only runs a few lineups with Cole and Jalen, who are the only other trustworthy guard shot creators on the team. The three veterans fill a role more than taking a role out of a young player, and they're doing so by giving them more options on offense.
The market value for Harris and Lopez also probably consists of only a bad expiring contract and a second-round pick with that bad expiring contract player having fat chances of leaving the team in free agency or not being good enough to even be in the league after contract expiration and the player they'll draft from that second round-pick having extremely small chances of even cracking out of the rotation with their already established young core along with the other second-round picks they already have (2 in 2022, 31st and 35th). Trading Harris and Lopez could just be a move to trade for high chances of nothing as well. Keeping them, however, could provide useful guidance to the youth, trustworthy substitutes given a bad game from any of the youth, and a more healthy/stable locker room. It would be a huge bonus if they re-sign both, or at least Harris, which is definitely more likely of happening than re-signing whoever they get in return. Ross does have significant trade value, but not significant enough to get them a fitting role player or a first-round pick. The best player they could've gotten in return was Talen Horton-Tucker, who looks more of a Walmart Markelle Fultz than a player who will fit because of the significant poor shooting the team already has. If the Magic would like second-round picks, they could just take on bad contracts, like how they did so with Dozier and Bol.
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Part 3: Timberwolves, Kings, Mavericks, Spurs, Clippers