TRADE DEADLINE GRADES

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TRADE DEADLINE GRADES:

This was quite an active trade deadline. Several teams were trying to will themselves under the luxury tax, other teams were trying to create roster flexibility for this summer and beyond, and some were going all in for the prize. As I do every year with these is to create an objective reality for the team. The grades are not rigid, but they really give me a way to rank how these teams did. Several factors are considered in these grades - value received versus value given, does this make my team better, does this trade increase my lottery odds, did I shorten my timeline, did I achieve chemistry goals, etc. Sometimes I rate a team in a winning high for not doing anything. Here is my team-by-team analysis.

ATLANTA HAWKS - (26-29) - Right now the Hawks are in the 10-seed. This technically is good enough to make the play-in tournament, but this team was close to being a Conference Title winner and going to the NBA Final a year ago. What's crazy is their roster was basically the same. COVID-related absences affected each team differently, and this team never really captured the chemistry of last season. They've gone on a couple of runs this year to keep them in the mix, and Trae Young is putting up All-NBA production. Collins is sort of #2, but the rest of the team is not consistent enough for them to have a reliably good team. Reddish for Knox was the only major move this trade deadline, and I don't think they really moved the needle at all in their trades. Maybe it helps them payroll-wise, but from a basketball standpoint their team really didn't gain. Trae is in the first year of his new contract, so between him and Collins being locked in long-term, it might be easier to improve in the Summer. Overall, it's somewhat disappointing. Many people that were excited for this team last year feel that season was a mirage, hopefully the Grizzlies don't experience this same regression next year. GRADE: C-

BOSTON CELTICS - (32-25) - With all-due respect to them, I hadn't realized they've won 9 out of their last 10 games. They currently sit on a 7-game win streak, only second to Toronto at 8. At this record they would be a playoff lock in the West. They have a better win-margin than Chicago and Philly. They're straight balling right now and it's at the right time. They also drastically increased their back court talent. A Derrick White / Marcus Smart backcourt is a defensive nightmare for teams. It's almost reminiscent to Lowry / VanVleet from last year. Both guards are long and have the ability to run up the score when pressed. The Theis acquisition was nice as it gives Robert Williams III the ability to rest longer and stay healthy. If there is a loser to their trades, it's Josh Richardson. At one point, he was thought to be a focal point of developing Miami team. He was flat in Philly, flamed out in Dallas, and played himself out of the rotation in Boston. He now enters a situation in San Antonio where they're super guard heavy and pushed to the back of the depth chart. He went from being an important role player, often starting, to a literal salary dump. As for Boston, they might start making some serious noise down the stretch. GRADE: B+

BROOKLYN NETS (29-26) - They kind of wanted to trade Harden, but they also didn't want to, but they also weren't sure if they wanted to pay him an extension, but they also didn't know if he'd walk in the summer... so they traded him. I will still give them a grade, but they'd be an excellent candidate to get an Incomplete. We have yet to see Simmons play, so we don't know what shape he's in. If we ride the assumption that he is ready to play full games, like Kyrie, then I think it was an okay move for this season, but a solid move long-term. They gave themselves a lot of flexibility, additional depth, and draft picks to add inexpensive role players to surround KD. Even with Simmons and Kyrie, this is KD's team, and the hope was that the team can stay in a position to give them a chance when Durant returns. People clown on Simmons, but he gives your a team a Defensive Player of the Year type player, excellent perimeter player, excellent ballhandler and passer, has the size to switch onto bigs, he's LeBron lite. Brooklyn also got a legit big in Andre Drummond. He was averaging 17.5 PPG and 10.2 RPG in Cleveland last year before he got traded. He's averaging 17.3 rebounds per-36 right now. They were starting Nic Claxton and Day'Ron Sharpe - this is a huge upgrade. Seth Curry is shooting 40% from beyond the arc. He has a career-high in assists this year. He's a career 48% field goal shooter and 85% free throw shooter. Simmons didn't just come with scrubs, he came with two starting-caliber players and draft equity. As a package, you can make the argument win, but I will leave you on this topic until we get to the Philly section. The Nets didn't really do any other notable transaction I am aware. GRADE: B+

CHARLOTTE HORNETS (29-28) - They needed to do something at the trade deadline. They were starting to spiral and their current rotation of Plumlee and Washington has been met with mixed results. Gordon Hayward has been hurt a couple of times this season as well. Charlotte's trade did improve their team, but was sort of a washed down version of what they want. Fans and analysts expected Myles Turner and got Montrezl Harrell. Harrell will be an improvement from an offensive standpoint, he is fun to watch, he's got the perfect point guard to deliver him the rock. He is limited though, both from a shooting standpoint and his lack of defensive aggression. Turner is a bruiser and while his offense comes and go, this team really needed the defense. Now, while I don't think Harrell drastically moves the needle for this team, it's a super low-risk, high-reward trade. Your hope, always, when acquiring a slumping star is just the situation was the problem, and your hubris takes over that you, and only you, have the ability to unlocked their true potential. Now, if Charlotte gets Lou Williams' Clippers version of Harrell, this trade was an absolute win. But even if they don't, they traded a 33-year old back-up guard that was hardly in the a rotation, and a young center prospect that didn't capitalize on his limited opportunities and was buried in the roster. To get a player they could start or give starter minutes right away for two back-end rotation players does give them the better value in the trade. GRADE: C+

CHICAGO BULLS (35-21) - It's not hard for me to stay this team not doing anything is better for this team long-term. They've had major health issues all year and them trading young assets to get players that might not fit long-term seems like it would only increase your chances of LaVine walking this summer. The Bulls best acquisitions they could've made with the touchable assets are still not as good as just getting their injured players back. Lonzo won't be back until mid-March, Caruso around the same time, and many in the organization think that Patrick Williams might return at some point as well. Even with these guys out, this team is deep enough to still be 6-4 in their last 10. Their big acquisition last year, Nikola Vucevic, is having his best month of the season, averaging 23.0 PPG, 13.8 RPG, 3.8 APG, 3.8 3PG, and 1.7 BPG. They will need that level of production in the playoffs against Embiid, Allen, and Adebayo. They were being mainly attached to Jerami Grant, and while he's an excellent player, I think they already have the pieces they need and they can achieve their goals without having to throw in picks to get lateral upside. They are 1 game back of first, they made the right choice based on their current roster configuration. GRADE: B

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (35-21) - If you told me entering the year that Cleveland would be the same position as the Chicago Bulls, I wouldn't have believed you. They might have already eclipsed their better prediction for the season, with 26 games to go. They have one of the most dominant front courts in the league. Had Ja Morant not been doing what he has all year, Darius Garland would likely be the front runner for Most Improved Player. They lost a crucial piece early in the season in Collin Sexton, and hasn't missed a beat. In addition to all of their successes, they pulled off one of the greatest trade heists in a while. Caris LeVert has been anything but reliably efficient this year, but the day before he got traded he dropped 42 points. He fills the exact position they need to complete their roster, and still maintain the flexibility to negotiate with Sexton this Summer. They have gotten excellent production from their backend role players, but the Kevin Love Renaissance is probably one of the more interesting story lines of this team. While, they are far from his shaved head, elite Timberwolves games, he's become probably one of the most important bench players in the league. He's showcasing what he hopes Dallas received in Bertans. I'm not totally convinced they will advance far in the playoffs, but they are really fun to watch, their core is remaining together into next year, and they get Sexton back to improve their team with production or with trade value. It's probably safe to say the Cleveland rebuild is over. GRADE: B+

DALLAS MAVERICKS (33-23) - I've probably spent too much time talking and thinking about their trade moves. My constant diving into the Mavs Nation pool has probably clouded what I think might be possible for this team. THJ going down probably forced the Mavs to have to shift their strategy. What was probably your likely contract matching piece, now becomes a salary anchor, and while Cleveland pulled it off, THJ still has two years left on his contract. There were two simultaneous narratives going on with this trade. On one side, you have the roster-construction reasoning for this trade. Two smaller contracts are easier to move than one max, give yourself a back-up plan for Brunson, go small ball and worry about major changes in the summer. The other narrative is the more heavily disputed one, and it's that we either improved with these players in a vacuum or we got fleeced by losing the best player in the transaction. I get both sides. You improve in the sense that availability is half the battle. While both players are recovering from recent ACL injuries, it was only little while ago where one was averaging 20-points per game and the other hit 200 3's in 54 games and finished 4th despite missing over a third of the season. This is the side I was referencing earlier of teams that have the hubris to believe they can solely unlock these hidden abilities that we've seen in the past. The other side of this narrative is that KP, when healthy, is the best player in this trade. He had an All-Star season in New York, he went off in the bubble, and scoring and defensively, he was having a solid year. The flaw with their logic is that KP was not consistent. He was not having a particularly great shooting season, hitting less than 29% of his 3's, he had already missed a lot of time in different occasions and the Mavs were already winning without him. His albatross contract, combined with his inability to stay on the court were the clear motivators in this this, at least to those on the outside. There might have been inner dispute, but at the end of the day, an injured player can't help your team, so even though Mavs fans, myself included, didn't get that other star to play alongside Luka, time will tell if these were the fit pieces needed to unlock MVP-Luka. His 51-point response to the trade might just be the tip of the iceberg. Or, I might just be the meme with the troll wearing a smiling mask, while secretly sobbing profusely. GRADE: C-

DENVER NUGGETS (30-25) - They have a solid record, but without Murray and Michael Porter Jr, they almost feel like a worse version of the Clippers. You know they're going to win, but not really enjoy how they get there. Joker is a true, future HOF star. His skill set is one of a kind, and I think he will ultimately be what a lot of rising big men model their game around to get an edge in the draft. That being said, they were one of the teams that probably needed to make a move, but ultimately did not. I think that was a mistake. Porter Jr has a chance to return this year, but it's very unlikely Murray will see the court. This Denver team has been together for a while now and they're starting to get in that rut that I feel the Jazz are in. They keep resigning the same pieces, but keep hitting a wall. Denver has tried, they brought in Eric Gordon, they brought in Bryn Forbes, they drafted Bones Hyland, but their team just feels average. They are objectively good, don't let me confuse you, but you see them play against really good teams, and you just get the sense that they're beatable. Some teams, you see them have just overwhelming performances time and time again - the Warriors, the Suns, the Bucks, there was not a trade to help get them to this tier, nor did I feel like there was one available to them. The Nuggets have a really good roster, and while it's probably better for their 3-5 year plan to not make any major core changes at this time, you get the feeling that in the summer or next tradeline, make a major change to help position Joker into title contention. Something about this roster just doesn't work and I think they're just no rushing the timeline. Stars can only be so patient though. GRADE: C-

DETROIT PISTONS (12-44) - They're doing a great job... at tanking. Not only are they losing, they have the worst point differential, so they're also getting blown out. Having Cade miss extended time did not help the cause, as they continue to give their bust of last year, Killian Hayes, minutes. I bought into the hype, but he's just not good, and they need to see if they can scam someone out of a low first just to get value for him before he bottoms out. We saw what happened to Fultz's trade value. They only had one trade, and I'm okay with it. Trey Lyles and Josh Jackson with two second round picks to get Marvin Bagley is a pretty high-floor, high-ceiling move. Bagley is young enough that he might not be considered a bust at this point - he has a prototype body for an NBA forward, he's show spurts of offensive prowess, and he's only 22. Both teams have value and gives both teams what they probably need - no spoilers for Kings section. The concerning thing was more the trades they didn't do. A lot of playoff caliber teams, had limited cap space, and yet, did not engage in trades. This leaves quality value players like Grant, Joseph, and Olynyk still on the roster. All are great players, but all have a prospect that's development is being stunted by them getting minutes. Olynyk is still locked in long-term if they want to wait until the summer to move him, and Cory Joseph could be a sign and trade situation for them as well. At this point, with them trying to be as bad as possible, they seem to have a winning formula in that regard, so they get a young, upside player for expendable players, while still tanking for lottery pole.

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (41-15) - The only way they could've gotten better is consolidating their elite prospects for a super star. With Curry about to turn 34, however, they might be looking at the future of the franchise. Wiseman has yet to make his debut this year, but he's got franchise altering upside. Kuminga has really started developing into a two-way weapon in the absence of Draymond, and Moses has had explosive games when given ample time. Everything becomes easier when you have a player as talented as Curry on your roster, but their young guys give them depth, roster flexibility, and balance. The Warriors are championship caliber as-is, so moving or two core pieces to just slightly move the needle seemed fooling in this scenario. Once Sabonis was off the table, I was not expecting them to make any moves. Beal is out of the year, Sabonis is on the wrong California team, and Ben Simmons would've been a terrible fit. Much like Chicago, them just getting healthy is the best way for this team to improve. They might make a play during buy-out season, but their inactivity during the trade frenzy was probably the wise path. GRADE: B

HOUSTON ROCKETS (15-40) - I, like many, have not paid particularly close attention to the Rockets this season. How you look at their trade deadline is sort of the opposite line of thought to my paragraph before regarding the Warriors. While the Rockets made trades, they failed to improve their long-term outlook, which should be your priority when you're in a tank race to get a top-3 pick. My argument is not that they got better, but rather the failed to move players to winning teams to get prospects that will ultimately improve the roster. Theis for Schroder was a salary dump, Schroder probably won't make the floor. Christian Wood is an excellent player, but you traded up to get Sengun, and you also brought in another young center in Bruno Fernando that you will want to give a look. Eric Gordon got no interest. He's a salary bloat that doesn't fit your timeline that is likely only still on your roster because you overvalue him as a positive asset instead of a dump asset. Finally, the totally botched the John Wall situation. While you want to be in a position to lose games, you spent no effort trying to showcase his contract value. You took on a bad contract, but you have desperate teams like the Lakers and the Knicks that have fanbases in panic mode, almost wanting to make a move just to make a move. I understand the other side, they might not have been prepared to take on a long-term contract from any inbound player when there's only one year left on the Wall contract, so they probably in the summer, they might have more takers for him, but having a player not play for an entire year doesn't help his value. No team to this point has had a perfect trade deadline, but the Rockets just felt like they went through the motions and just took the easy deals. GRADE: C

INDIANA PACERS (19-38) - Amazing that the team with the lowest fan attendance subjectively had the most exciting deadline. Both the Pacers and the Kings were very active. Sabonis leaving was a huge deal, but honestly, as time goes by, I like their trades. They dumb a lot of salary next year, moved on from LeVert who had been shooting poorly, Brought in a 21 year old guard entering stardom, one of the best shooters in the league, and finally have a roster designed to give Turner a larger role. In a separate trade, they also got a young, solid 4, that just went top 10 in the draft less than 2 years ago. They now enter the race to the bottom, but will go into the summer with several developing young players a likely top-5 pick, and a mid-20s pick via Cleveland. Warren and Rubio coming off the books also opens a spot for team to bring in a player they hope is of or beyond the talent level they traded away. While I think their trades set the team back one full year, I think by the end of next season, you start to see a clear vision of where this team is going. GRADE: B

LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS (27-30) - They are one of the teams that did their biggest deals well before the deadline. They shipped out Bledsoe and Keon Johnson for Norman Powell and Robert Covington essentially. Keon Johnson will eventually be a solid player, but right now he's a project and they are trying to stay in a winning position until Paul George and Kawhi Leonard are healthy enough to play. Robert Covington is another one of those 3-and-D wings this team tends to gravitate toward, but I'm not convinced this team achieved their goals. I like the contract length of Powell's contract, it makes sense if they have to shut down Kawhi and George, but he adds a 3rd scorer. The Clippers probably still need to address their defense in the paint, but they have the perimeter secure. They don't give off vibes that they are a major threat in this top heavy Western Conference, but if they can find away to get completely healthy by the playoffs, they could be an interesting team to upset a top tier team based on seeding. I think for all intents and purposes, the management accomplished all of their goals, but I don't know if this trade will give fans confidence in the team's success this year. GRADE: B-

LOS ANGELES LAKERS (26-30) - The Lakers have drastically disappointed at every phase of this season. I completely understand the intent in bringing Russell Westbrook in, but they made this trade knowing it was a risk. They depleted their depth, thinking that all of the top veterans would flock there title chasing, and they have not seen that necessarily materialize. They were banking on Horton-Tucker's development and he's been shoddy at best. As expected, Davis has been in an out of the rotation all year, and LeBron has done his best to shield this team from this. Unfortunately the lack of success will most likely fall on Frank Vogel, but this team's only play is to hit the buy-out market hard, maybe get Schroder or Dragic to bolster their playmaking, or Tristan Thompson down low. There are a lot of players that have played in a LeBron system that could be available in the coming weeks, but this team just doesn't look like they fit. When LeBron and AD are healthy, it could be enough to get you out of the first round, but I'm not convinced they have any bullets left in the chamber to become a championship team this season. Aside from that, they have to continue to make Westbrook part of the rotation and he just doesn't work. GRADE: D

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES (39-18) - They were quiet at the deadline but there were not a ton of moves they could have made. McCollum already got traded, Beal got shut down, there were not a ton of players that could have moved the needle for this team. There are players on this team like Kyle Anderson and Tyus Jones that are on expiring deals that could have been flipped to upgrade, but who do they honestly get. This team is in a good position both short term and long-term. Ja Morant has drastically accelerated their timeline and Jaren Jackson has been extended. I am okay with them not making a move. Some teams fall into that trap where they make a move to make a move, "shuffle the deck chairs," but this Grizzlies team has an identity, team chemistry, and solidified roles for all players involved. If things fall flat in playoffs, they have most of the same moves available to them in the summer. GRADE: C+

MIAMI HEAT (36-20) - They are the #1 seed, so who am I to critique their lack of deadline moves. Even without acquiring any new players at the deadline, if they can get Oladipo and Morris by the playoffs, their team gets better on both sides of the court. Herro has developed into arguably the best sixth man in the league, role players like Strus and Vincent have really stepped up, and Duncan Robinson is trending upward, moving past a lot of his early season struggles. I'm sure Heat fans would have liked another player brought in to solidify their position, but them not doing anything isn't a big deal for them. They have good chemistry, several two-way players, and one of the best young bigs in the league. I don't need to spend much time talking about how talented Butler is and how clutch he is in pressure moments, but I think the Heat will continue to be a top-3 team in the East the rest of the way, even without any new acquisitions. Like the Lakers, I expect them to be competing in the buy-out market as the narrowing championship-caliber tier of teams starts their arms race. GRADE: C

MILWAUKEE BUCKS (35-22) - The Bucks did not do a lot, but they did enough. They moved on from Dante DiVencenzo to ultimately acquire Serge Ibaka. While Ibaka is not the same player he was in years past, he was showcased prior to the deadline and in his last two games averaged 13.5 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 1.5 BPG, with 60% shooting. Obviously, this cannot be to expect going forward, but with how much this team has relied on Bobby Portis all year from the absence of Brook Lopez, this allows them to give him rest and keep him fresh. After acquiring Grayson Allen, DiVencenzo became slightly more expendable. This won't be a home run trade, but they gave up little to fill a team need. GRADE: C

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES (29-27) - After being showered by jokes early in the season, suspicions about blowing up the team, they are in a position where they could possibly make the playoffs outright. The make-up of this team does not scream championship caliber, but after years of interchanging pieces around KAT, this could be their best chance at success since they had Jimmy Butler. They have a lot of long, fast wings, gritty defenders, and D-Lo continuing to produce even with the higher usage of Anthony Edwards. Many expected them to possibly trade Malik Beasley and Taurean Prince to try to get back an upgrade at the 4 - either Grant, or Collins, but ultimately, held the line. They might be peaking at the right time, but I think they ultimately fall short of what they expect their ceiling to be. GRADE: C

NEW ORLEANS PELICANS (22-33) - The big acquisition for this team was obviously CJ McCollum. We will get to Portland here in a bit, but the perplexing thing about this trade is the timing. The Pelicans just completed a run, they're 6-4 in their last 10, they are sitting on the fringe of the final play-in seat, and they have a lot invested in team payroll to not be very good. This trade only makes sense if you think you're going to get Zion back soon. They gave up a lottery pick to acquire CJ and will be paying him handsomely for the next two years. If you're the Pelicans, you have to do something, and they pushed in all of their chips to try to appease Zion. I have sort of written this team off this season, but they have a lot of moves they can do this summer. They need to find a way to get off of Graham's contract now that they have McCollum, they need Trey Murphy to start getting minutes and producing, and they'll need Larry Nance to get healthy. Their big 3 is good, but I don't think this improves their roster enough and I don't know if Zion ultimately forces his way out, much like AD. The Pelicans probably should have just paid Lonzo, who fit well with the team, is a better defender than CJ, and costs you 2/3rds of the price. GRADE: C+

NEW YORK KNICKS (25-31) - This team is spiraling out of control and the fact that the only roster moves they made was Cam Reddish for Kevin Knox is really disappointing for their fans. Their two acquisitions in the summer, Fournier and Walker, have failed to really make an impact, Randle has regressed, their center rotation can't stay healthy, RJ Barrett has been hot and cold, Obi Toppin has not had a meaningful role, despite being drafted very high last year, Immanuel Quickley has failed to carve out a large role after being a solid producer at the end of last season, and they made no meaningful moves. They have several draft picks in the queue, they have decent contracts that could be moved, and it just feels like a franchise of this caliber could be doing more to win games. Stephen A Smith is probably punching the air. The Knicks are one of those teams, much like the Pacers, where you need to either go all-in or blow it up, and they sat on their hands and chose stagnation. We'll see if long-term Reddish ends up being an ultimate improvement, but he's not even getting the minutes he was in Atlanta, so I don't see their vision. They seem lost. GRADE: D

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER (17-38) - They made no real moves. There was some roster relief move between them and Miami for a pick in a half decade from now, but aside from that, they stayed the course. They continue to tank toward a top-5 pick as they hope to address their big-man issue, likely targeting a guy like Chet Holgrem or Jalen Duren. Their roster has an excellent backcourt that they will build around, but basically everyone else on the roster was available. Depending on who they draft, it's possible they bring in another max guy, but next year and going forward, this roster isn't super impressive outside of Giddey and SGA. There are obvious interesting players like Bazley, Poku, and Dort that might find themselves as important role players for this team when they are in a winning position, or could find themselves packaged together to bring in another guy. This team has a lot of flexibility and their management kept that going into a summer where they have a high draft pick, they have two additional firsts this season, and they have a ton of cap space - they will be busy during the summer. GRADE: C

ORLANDO MAGIC (13-44) - Being really bad was sort of the plan when they traded away Nikola Vucevic. Their two rookies look like they were both solid selections, Chuma Okeke has found himself to be a defensive specialist, and they seem optimistic about the development of their front court. That being said, they still lack a clear cut #1 player. Suggs and Wagner have both shown spurts, Anthony looked strong early in the season, Carter has had a bunch of really good games, but none of them have clearly shown to be the guy to build around. They will have to figure out how and if they want to integrate Jonathan Isaac and Markelle Fultz, they have several aged players that could have been traded to free up minutes for the young players, and we're nearing the conclusion of the season and I don't think they really have a plan. Maybe they're hoping they will get Chet or Jabari, maybe they go elite 2-guard in Ivey, I'm not super convinced their scouting department will make there right selection. Overall, their team is more of a fun team to manipulate on NBA 2K than a team many care to watch. GRADE: C-

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS (33-22) - When you look up the term "All-In" in the dictionary, you find a picture of Morey and James Harden. The trade made was the epitome of all-in and when you look at the roster before and after, it was absolutely a no-brainer for them to make this move. They traded a shooter that doesn't defend, a bench big, and a guy that quit on the team, for a player that was a top-5 producer two years ago, a former MVP, and if things don't work out, you only have his opt-in year left on his contract. You just signed your superstar center to a max extension, you have to give him help. The development of Tyrese Maxey essentially made Simmons expendable, and if you look at your starting 5, you just upgraded Seth Curry to James Harden. You didn't have to give up Harris, your first round picks are super late in the first round, you didn't have to give up your younger role players like Thybulle, or Milton, or Springer, or Joe, or Reed, or Korkmaz. This trade was a home run and they obviously won this trade. The Sixers were sort of a question mark going into this deadline and they've reinserted themselves in the Championship conversation. Harden is having probably his worst season in terms of his percentages and counting stats, but the hope is that he becomes engaged in the new system, he won't be so heavily relied on with the constant absences of Durant and Kyrie, and he can lean on his new teammates to be able to do James Harden things. Both sides of the Harden trade won, but the Sixers REALLY won. GRADE: A+

PHOENIX SUNS (45-10) - Honestly, I probably would have preferred they do nothing than the trade they did do. Essentially, they moved on from their #10 selection of 2020 in Jalen Smith to get re-acquire a guy they could have just paid a year ago. With Cam Johnson, another high pick, already on the roster, I don't really see where he will fit in. I would have much rather seen this team move Dario Saric or Frank Kaminsky, to bring in a better option. Their core remains unchanged as expected, but for a team trying to return to the Finals, I don't think bringing back old players at the expense of your youth was a particularly effective strategy. They also got Aaron Holiday for basically nothing, but I'm not sure if he'll actually play much. They did not really separate themselves from the pack at the top of the West, but they didn't get worse. Smith was sort of rotting on their depth chart, but you include him in a package to get better, not straight up for a 31-year old role player. GRADE: C-

PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS (22-34) - I kind of like what they did to be honest. The CJ-Lillard divorce probably came 2 years too late, but with the development of Anfernee Simons, it needed to happen. Even with them gutting their roster in an effort to create long-term flexibility to improve this summer, they are still not completely out of the play-in, nor has Lillard officially been ruled out. They brought in some dead money, a young guy in Keon Johnson, solid wing players in Josh Hart and Justice Winslow, and created a path for the young guys to get heavy minutes toward the end of the year. They'll have two probable lottery picks in this draft. The gamification of trade scenarios makes me think they should have probably tried to move Nurkic as well, but they have very little guaranteed money going out next season and could still bring in another guy. They got obviously worse, moving on from a young, long-term contract in Norman Powell, and a fringe All-Star in CJ McCollum, but ultimately, the short-term sting, will probably end up producing more successful product heading into next season. GRADE: B-

SACRAMENTO KINGS (21-36) - In a vacuum, I'm not a huge fans of the trades they made. On an individual basis, I don't think they were successful in that regard. Now, I think overall, their team probably improved. They finally accepted some of their past woes and committed to a new chapter in the team. It was a huge bummer to see Haliburton leave this team, especially with the level of success he has seen, but the writing was on the walls when they drafted Davion Mitchell - that one of Fox or Haliburton was going to be moved. They're all too good and all do too many of the same things to be able to play them 30 minutes plus each. They brought in DiVencenzo who will be a solid upgrade defensively over Haliburton, they brought in Sabonis, who is to many people's surprise only 25, and already producing gaudy double-doubles on a nightly basis and finally, they moved on from Marvin Bagley, who just couldn't find a consistent role on this team, and they still have their pick in this draft, which as of typing this, is projected to be top-6. They are in a good position to make moves in the summer should they see this as their chance to go for it. GRADE: B+

SAN ANTONIO SPURS (21-35) - They were one of the teams I least thought would be active during this trade deadline, but I like what they did. Derrick White has regressed from when they extended them, and Devin Vessell had been knocking on the door to a starting spot. Bringing in Dragic and Josh Richardson makes less sense to me, but I think they're looking at long-term, who are the pieces they want to go with, and Satoransky and Dragic are expiring, Richardson only has one year left, and they still have all of their young guys, sans Murray, in their rookie deals. They have room for a max slot this summer, and a projected mid-range lottery pick. They are not in an ideal situation with Pop likely to retire this season to win games, but their roster long-term looks like something workable for the next regime. The team will continue to build around Keldon and Murray and see where things go from there. GRADE: C+

TORONTO RAPTORS (31-23) - I get that they have a lot of guys that play the same position, but I'm glad they did not trade Siakam. He makes the most sense on their team out of the guys that were rumored to be brought in. The Raptors, if the season ended today, are a playoff lock, they're 4 games back of the #1 seed, they hit gold with their Barnes pick, they have OG, Trent, and now All-Star VanVleet is affordable contracts, and they got a quality player in Thad Young to ease some burden off of Siakam. For their troubles, it did cost them their first round pick in this upcoming draft, but at the end of the day, if they can make a deep playoff run, it will have been worth it. They have this core locked in long-term, so they will continue to build around an already deep roster. GRADE: B

UTAH JAZZ (35-21) - There only real move of note was flipping an expiring injured player for a 23-year guard/forward. It was good trade, as Ingles was already an older player and they would be without his services for a year. They did not have to give up much for this trade, but they get a guy in Nickeil that plays both ends of the court well, has solid passing acumen, and up until this year, was basically a 35% 3-point shooter. His efficiency should improve in his new situation and the additional bench help alongside Jordan Clarkson should help the Jazz during the playoffs. The big deal with this team is the chemistry. The rapport between Rudy and Donovan is what this team is intent to build around, and unless they completely flame out in the playoffs, will likely to be the course for the foreseeable future. Much in the same way as Portland, if things don't work for them this playoffs, they might look to drastically shift the role players surrounding their stars. GRADE: C+

WASHINGTON WIZARDS (25-29) - Honestly, they were harder to grade than expected. Aside from the Kristaps trade, where they clearly got the best player in that deal, they basically traded half their bench for bupkis - Harrell for Ish Smith and Vernon Carey, Aaron Holiday for cash relief. Their roster looks really bad. When healthy next season, they will have Beal, Kristaps, and Kuzma as their core, and a bunch of failed forward prospects to round out the roster. Ish Smith is their best point guard on their roster and they are already into the luxury tax next season with no clear path to win. There were several better trades they could have done. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope could have been traded easily - he has a non-guaranteed contract next year, is a young 3-and-D guy that has played with several All-Stars, they have Thomas Bryant, who just got back from injury and is on an affordable expiring deal, and they ultimately traded their starting point guard and highest-upside shooter for a guy that could end up sitting more games for you than play for you due to injuries. I get the rest of the noise - the two players sent back are both recovering from ACLs injuries themselves, both shooting poorly, but beyond the trades in a vacuum, you look at the final product after the deadline, they're in a bad spot. They've won too many games to be a high lottery pick, they're not good enough to try for the play-in, they don't have space to bring in another guy, and they did little to appease Beal coming into a player-option season. There is nothing to give Beal confidence in this franchise, and had he not been shut down for the season, would probably have asked for a trade. GRADE: D+

- Adam Safianow - NBA Analyst - Upsyde Sports [Copyright 2022]