The NBA Trade Deadline: What Now?

The NBA Trade Deadline is arguably the most exciting day in an NBA season outside of the playoffs. Expectations, excitement, and hope are words that come to mind when thinking about the trade deadline. The 2015 NBA Trade Deadline was filled with unexpected trades and there were six deals that got completed that have significant value.

Goran Dragic, the ex point guard for the Phoenix Suns, was the most likely to be dealt at the trade deadline. Dragic, who is averaging 16.2 points per game, 4.1 assists per game, and 3.6 rebounds per game, did not like the situation he was in Phoenix with the abundance of point guards that he had to split playing time with. Dragic told the Suns he would not resign with them after the season so the Suns traded Goran Dragic, along with his brother Zoran Dragic, to the Miami Heat as apart of a three-team trade with the New Orleans Pelicans. The Suns received Danny Granger and two future first round draft picks, and the Pelicans received Norris Cole, Justin Hamilton, and Shawne Williams from the Heat. Who won the trade? All three teams did very well given their circumstances. The Miami Heat were sliding down the standings in the Eastern Conference so adding a top 15 point guard to a team that had many issues at the point guard position is a very big addition. Although it looks like Chris Bosh will be out for the season with a blood clot in his lungs, the Miami Heat have significantly upgraded their lineup with the addition of Dragic and immediately become a threat in the Eastern Conference. The Suns biggest acquisition from this trade is the two future first round picks they received which is a significant return for a player that was going to leave their team after the season regardless. Lastly, the Pelicans made the trade in order to receive Norris Cole who will serve as a nice backup to Jrue Holiday.

The Suns did not stop there as they shocked the world with another three-team trade, but this time it involved the Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers. The Suns traded Miles Plumlee (to the Bucks), Tyler Ennis (to the Bucks), and the protected 2015 1^st Round Pick from the Lakers (to the 76ers), which the Suns received in the Steve Nash trade. The Bucks traded Brandon Knight and Kendall Marshall to the Suns, and the 76ers traded Michael Carter-Williams to the Milwaukee Bucks. The Suns made this trade to get a replacement for Goran Dragic and they did a great job of this by getting Brandon Knight, a 23 year old guard who is averaging 17.8 points, 5.4 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game. The Suns got younger, and although Brandon Knight is a restricted free agent this summer, the Suns will be able to match any offer that Knight receives in free agency. The Bucks traded away their 23-year-old guard in Brandon Knight to receive another 23-year-old point guard in Michael Carter-Williams. Carter-Williams won the rookie of the year award last year and is averaging 15 points, 7.4 assists, and 6.2 rebounds a game this year. The biggest reason that the Bucks completed this trade is because they get two more years of team control with MCW than they do with Knight, but they also completed this trade because they wanted a true pass-first point guard who can get the ball to their future stars, Jabari Parker and Giannis Antetokounmpo. The 76ers continue to stock up on draft picks while giving away all the talent that they have in an attempt to getting a higher draft pick, by losing. Of course they will not say they are “tanking”, but they are tanking by trading away all of the talent that they have in order to lose games and build for the future.

The three team trades did not stop as the Thunder, the Pistons, and the Jazz all agreed to a deal. The Thunder dealt Reggie Jackson (to the Pistons), Kendrick Perkins (to the Jazz), and a future first round pick (to the Jazz). The Pistons traded away DJ Augustin and Kyle Singler to the Thunder, and lastly the Jazz traded Enes Kanter and Steve Novak to the Thunder. The Thunder finally upgraded at the center position and they did really well. Enes Kanter, 22, was losing playing time to Rudy Gobert in Utah and needed a change. The former 3^rd overall pick in the 2011 draft is averaging 13.8 points and 7.8 rebounds per game this season. Although he is a restricted free agent this summer, the Thunder should be able to sign him long term after trading away Kendrick Perkins and his nine million price tag. Reggie Jackson was starting to become annoyed with his lack of playing time in Oklahoma City and finally requested a trade. He got his wish and was traded to the Detroit Pistons who had a big need at the point guard position with Brandon Jennings out for the year with a ruptured left Achilles tendon. Although the Pistons record is not good, the addition of Reggie Jackson to go along with how weak the Eastern Conference is could result in a playoff spot. Lastly, the Utah Jazz did this trade because Kanter was unhappy and they found their center of the future in Rudy Gobert. They added a first round pick as they continue their rebuild and saved some money as they are finalized a contract buyout with Kendrick Perkins.

Guess what? The three team trades did not stop there! The Celtics, Suns, and Pistons agreed to a deal. The Celtics received Isaiah Thomas (from the Suns), Jonas Jerebko and Luigi Datome (from the Pistons). The Suns received Marcus Thornton and a 2016 first round pick from the Celtics, and the Pistons acquired Tayshaun Prince from the Celtics. Although this is a smaller deal, the Celtics addition of Isaiah Thomas is going to really help their point guard play and add a scorer to a team that has defensive minded guards in Marcus Smart and Avery Bradley. The Suns continue their rebuild and pick up another first round pick, and lastly the Pistons get to have a reunion with Tayshaun Prince and get their starting small forward.

The first trade of the day was between the Portland Trailblazers and the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets traded Aaron Afflalo along with Alonzo Gee in return for Thomas Robinson, Will Barton, Victor Claver, and a 2016 first round pick. The Nuggets only reason for making this trade was for the future first round pick as they are also in a rebuilding stage. The Trailblazers added Afflalo, who is averaging 14.5 points and 3.4 rebounds a game. He provides incredible value on the defensive end and can also do a lot of damage from behind the arc. He will be the sixth man in Portland and will add depth to a team that is currently 3^rd in the Western Conference.

The last significant trade that occurred during the deadline was between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets traded Kevin Garnett in return for Thaddeus Young. You might be thinking why would the Timberwolves want the 38-year-old Kevin Garnett if they are rebuilding. Kevin Garnett’s value lies in his leadership and mentoring ability rather than the production that he is going to put forth on the court. He will bring the attitude of a championship team and the Timberwolves will benefit extremely from this. The Brooklyn Nets completed this trade because they understood that Kevin Garnett’s production was down and his time playing basketball was coming to an end quickly. So they got Thaddeus Young, who is underperforming this year, but is still averaging 14.1 points, 2.8 assists, and 5.1 rebounds per game. He is only 26 and could have a future in Brooklyn. He will slide into the starting power forward position, as the Nets are one game out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

The 2015 Trade Deadline was very exciting and every team that got involved did a very good job of assessing their needs and executing on those needs. There are a little under 30 games left to be played, but a lot can change in those 30 games. These trades could have a big affect on what teams make the playoffs or not. Will chemistry be an issue? Time will tell as we wait until the playoffs.

What does the absence of Kobe Bryant mean for #24 and the Lakers?

Lakers fans went into the preseason with high hopes and this hope came from the revival of Kobe Bryant, the selection of Julius Randle in the 2014 Draft, and the additions of Jeremy Lin and Carlos Boozer. Going into the season one might have said that this Laker team could end up with a record close to .500 basketball if everything went as planned. Well everything did not go as planned.

The Lakers started off their season with an embarrassing loss to the Rockets. Although the argument between Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard got a lot of attention during the blowout defeat, the Lakers suffered a bigger loss than just the one game that showed in the standings. They lost their future star Julius Randle, to a broken right tibia. Randle was supposed to get big minutes this year and was already projected to be a threat for the Rookie of the Year award. This injury was devastating for Laker fans and many started to lose hope.

Now, 49 games into the season, the Lakers stand at 13-36 with both Jeremy Lin and Carlos Boozer out of the starting lineup due to lack of production from both. To add onto the Lakers’ troubles, Kobe Bryant just suffered a torn rotator cuff and will be out for the season. Now although Lakers fans are suffering, the combination of these three things could be a blessing in disguise and here is why.

The Lakers have traded their 2015 draft pick to the Phoenix Suns, but the draft pick is top 5 protected. This means that if the Lakers finish in the bottom five of the NBA standings at the end of the year they get to keep that selection and instead give the Suns their 2016 first round pick. Picks are protected all the time in the NBA, but this clause needs to be agreed upon during trade negotiations. One might ask why would it make a difference what year that Lakers give the pick if they have to give the Suns the pick no matter what? Although the Lakers will have to give their 2016 First Round Pick to the Suns if they stay in the bottom five of the standings, it will still allow the Lakers to build a competitive team for next year. Kobe Bryant is not getting any younger and adding talent from the draft will help the Lakers build the best team possible for the 2015-2016 season, which is potentially Kobe Bryant’s last year.

There are five players to keep an eye out for potential Laker draft picks if the Lakers retain their pick. Jahlil Okafor, the 6’11” 270 pound center out of Duke has shown the country why he should be the number one pick in the draft. He brings value on both ends of the court as to someone who you can build around on offense, but he also serves as a very solid rim protector in the paint.

Another option is Emmanuel Mudiay, a 6’5” 196 pound point guard who is playing professionally in China. Mudiay provides great size for his position and has showed scouts his quickness, ball handling, and his ability to get to the rim.

Next up is Karl-Anthony Towns, a 6’11” 250 pound center out of Kentucky. Towns is a much more offensive player than he is defensively with the ability to post up and shoot jumpers.

Stanley Johnson, a 6’7” 237 pound small forward is another option for the Lakers. He brings excellent defense, toughness, and a very high motor to the court and would be a great addition for the Lakers.

The last most realistic option is D’Angelo Russell. Russell, a 6’5” 176 pound point guard out of Ohio States has impressed with his ability to shoot the basketball, attack the rim, and pass the rock. He can do it all, but he has a long ways to go in order to become the future point guard that the Lakers are looking for.

Any five of these selections would be a tremendous addition for the Lakers. Now adding on to this the Lakers also have another first round pick that was traded to them from the Houston Rockets. If the season were to end today that pick would be the 26^th pick in the draft, and although that selection is probably going to be in the 20-30 range, the Lakers are still adding a young player with potential to have an impact in the NBA.

Looking forward to a 2015 lineup of a 37 year old Kobe Bryant, who is coming off a torn rotator cuff, a 20 year old Julius Randle with no NBA experience, coming off a torn tibia, and a couple of rookies with a abundant amount of question marks does not seem like much hope for the future. Many things are definitely going to have to come together for the Lakers in order for them to contend next year and another one of those areas is Free Agency.

There are only four guys that the Lakers have in guaranteed money for next year and although that might look bad, it also means that the Lakers will have a lot of money freed up in which they can spend on free agents. The 2015 Free Agent class does not have a Lebron James or a Kevin Durant, but it has many a couple of very solid players such as: Lamarcus Aldridge, Marc Gasol and Rajon Rondo.

Lamarcus Aldridge, a 6’11” 240 pound power forward, would bring a huge presence to the Lakers. He has averaged 19.2 points and 8.3 rebounds throughout his career and he would immediately become the number one option in Los Angeles. He has played in Portland all of his life, would he be interested in Hollywood?

Marc Gasol, a 7’1” 265 pound center on the Grizzlies, was actually traded from the Lakers to Memphis in a deal that netted the Lakers Pau Gasol. Pau loved his time in Los Angeles and Laker fans are hoping Marc saw that and takes his talents to LA. Marc has averaged 14 points to go along with 8 rebounds throughout his career. Those offensive numbers to go along with his defensive presence in the paint would help the Lakers become a team to watch for in the West immediately.

Rajon Rondo, a 6’1” 186 pound point guard on the Mavericks, provides a desire to win that Kobe has recognized. Kobe has made it public that he is going to recruit Rondo this offseason. Rondo has averaged 10.9 points, 8.4 assists, and 4.7 rebounds a game throughout his career and beyond the stats he would add a leader and a type of resiliency that the Lakers need to build in order to get themselves back to the top.

The Lakers need to be pushing hard for one of these three players as the addition of any one of these three would immediately make the Los Angeles Lakers a threat to make the playoffs.

Now again there is definitely a lot that has to go right if the Lakers want to be contenders again, but it sure is possible. A realistic scenario is the Lakers finish in 3^rd to last and draft Emmanuel Mudiay as their future star, regain a healthy Kobe Bryant and Julius Randle from injuries, and lastly snatch up Marc Gasol in free agency. There are going to be a lot more players that the Lakers are going to need to fill the roster in order for them to be competitive, so keep an eye out for Wesley Matthews as he will provide the three point shooting and defense that the Lakers are going to need.

Although there sure are a lot of pieces to undone puzzle right now, a future lineup of Mudiay, Kobe, Matthews, Randle, and Gasol is not too bad given the situation that the Lakers are currently in. Call me far-fetched, but hope is in the air for Laker fans.