We won’t waste your time with an intro. We know that you know the drill by now, so here’s The MVP Blog’s NBA Trade Deadline Recap.

Rui Hachimura Heads to Hollywood

Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Rui Hachimura
Washington Wizards Receive: Kendrick Nunn and two second round picks (one of them being conditional, both of them from the Lakers)

The Lakers’ roster around LeBron and AD was so incredibly bad before the deadline. If you were to take LeBron and AD off that team, they wouldn’t even win 10 games. Rui adds additional scoring to a team which badly needs it. Hachimura just turned 25 and is a restricted free agent after the season, so one would assume that the Lakers are going to try and keep him this offseason. They gave up virtually nothing to get a fairly promising young player.

In today’s ultra-expensive NBA trade landscape, that’s the best deal the Wizards could get for Rui? Big win for LA.

Kyrie Irving on the Move (again)

Dallas Mavericks Receive: Kyrie Irving and Markieff Morris
Brooklyn Nets Receive: Dorian Finney-Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie, a 2029 first-round pick, and two second-round picks (all from Dallas)

Kyrie wanted out of Cleveland. Then, he wanted out of Boston. A couple of weeks ago, he wanted out of Brooklyn. He got his wish on all three occasions. Will he make the Mavericks better? Absolutely. However, as we all know, Kyrie brings a hefty dose of drama, and he is also a free agent following the season, meaning that there’s still no shortage of Kyrie-to-LA rumors. Last year, following Dorian Finney-Smith’s contract extension, Luka stated that he wanted to play with DFS for the remainder of his career. Instead of granting their superstar his wish, the Mavs chose to trade DFS, Dinwiddie, and 3 draft picks for a rental, albeit a rental that makes them significantly better. For the first time in his 5 year career, Luka is playing alongside another superstar, which takes a lot of pressure off of his shoulders offensively. Luka, Kyrie, Christian Wood, and the emergence of Josh Green is a great core which could be enough to contend. However, contending alone isn’t good enough when you take on a rental player like Kyrie.

The Dallas Mavericks better win the NBA championship this season, or this team could fall apart just as dramatically as it’s come together.

Jakob Poeltl Reunites with the Raptors

Toronto Raptors Receive: Jakob Poeltl
San Antonio Spurs Receive: Khem Birch, a 2024 first-round pick and two second-round picks (all from Toronto)

Everyone and their mother thought that the Raptors would be sellers at the deadline. OG Anunoby was surely getting traded, and maybe Pascal Siakam too. BUT NO! To the amazement of all, Raptors GM Masai Ujiri decided that the Raptors would be buyers at the deadline, trading for 27-year-old center Jakob Poeltl and opting to keep their strong core of Fred VanVleet, Gary Trent Jr., OG Anunoby, Scottie Barnes, and Pascal Siakam intact. Jakob Poeltl is a great player and fills the team’s biggest positional need, but he is also an unrestricted free agent following the season. One would assume that Toronto fully intends on resigning Poeltl and going into 2023-24 with him as their starting 5, or else this trade makes absolutely zero sense.

Poeltl will likely overtake Achiuwa as the starting 5, and when fully healthy, it’s expected that Gary Trent Jr. will also come off the bench. VanVleet, Anunoby, Barnes, Siakam, and Poeltl with Trent Jr. and Achiuwa off the bench is a very solid squad, but they still need a backup ball handler.

3-Team Blockbuster Trade Sends DLo back to LA and Reunites Conley and Gobert in Minnesota

Los Angeles Lakers Receive: D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, and Jarred Vanderbilt
Minnesota Timberwolves Receive: Mike Conley, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, two second-round picks (via Jazz), and a 2024 second-round pick swap (via Lakers)
Utah Jazz Receive: Russell Westbrook, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Damian Jones, and the Lakers 2027 first-round pick (top-4 protected)

The Minnesota Timberwolves were the big winners of this trade. D’Angelo Russell is incredibly overrated. He can score the ball and has the ability to get hot and take over a game, but he turns the ball over a lot, he is an awful defender, and apparently, he is a terrible teammate. Just look at what Jon Krawczynski, a Timberwolves writer for the Athletic, had to say about D’Angelo Russell on a radio appearance.

He went on to say that media members would routinely enter the locker room after games and Russell would be openly trash talking Rudy, making it an uncomfortable situation for all. With all of these locker room issues coupled with Russell becoming an unrestricted free agent this coming offseason, the Wolves were forced to move him at the deadline, and they became a better team by doing so.

Mike Conley has been one of the most underrated players in the league for many years, and he is the perfect fit to run a strong backcourt alongside Anthony Edwards. Conley is a much better defender than Russell and is also more of a true point guard, which is what this team sorely needs. For years, the Wolves were at their best with Tyus Jones on the court. More recently, the Wolves have played their best with Jordan McLaughlin on the court. Both of those guys are true point guards who don’t turn the ball over and spend their time looking to set guys up. That’s exactly what Mike Conley will do for this Wolves team, but at a higher level than either Jones or McLaughlin is capable of. On top of Conley, the Wolves get Nickeil Alexander-Walker, a promising young scorer who is only 24, and 3 second round picks for a guy who is on an expiring deal that they probably weren’t resigning anyways. Additionally, Conley is now reunited with Rudy Gobert, who has struggled mightily in a Wolves uniform thus far. Perhaps bringing in a familiar face in the lineup can get Rudy back on track.

The Lakers did well here. They get out of the Westbrook contract by shipping him to Utah. Russell gives them a third scoring option alongside LeBron and AD. As many holes as there are in Russell’s game, LA is a much better fit for him. He’s definitely better as an “off the ball” scorer. With LeBron serving as the primary ball handler when the going gets tough, Russell serves as a much better third scoring option than Westbrook. The Lakers also get Beasley, a very good bench scorer, and Jarred Vanderbilt, a 23-year-old on a team friendly two year contract who is an exceptional defender, a fantastic rebounder, and a guy who will do all the dirty work without making a fuss. It’s a little confusing as to why the Jazz were so adamant on moving him at the deadline.

Russell Westbrook will be bought out by the Jazz. Juan Toscano-Anderson and Damian Jones are non-factors. Essentially, Utah traded Mike Conley, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, and two second-round picks for the Lakers’ 2027 first-round pick. For Danny Ainge, the incredible GM who took over the Jazz in December of 2021, this wasn’t his finest performance. While Conley leaving opens up the door for Collin Sexton to take the reigns at point guard and clears cap space to be spent in the offseason, it’s not like big name free agents want to go to Utah. It’s not undue criticism to believe that Danny Ainge could’ve gotten a better return out of this deal.

Suns land Kevin Durant in Massive 4-Team Deal

Phoenix Suns Receive: Kevin Durant and T.J. Warren
Brooklyn Nets Receive: Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, Juan Pablo Vaulet, four first-round picks (via Suns), two second-round picks (via Bucks), and a 2028 pick swap (via Suns)
Milwaukee Bucks Receive: Jae Crowder
Indiana Pacers Receive: George Hill, Serge Ibaka, Jordan Nwora, three second-round picks (via Bucks), and cash considerations (via Nets)

As the Suns sat, they were not good enough to win a title. And with CP3’s career winding down, this team was very much in “win now” mode. With this trade, Phoenix instantly vaults themselves into championship contention. A starting 5 of CP3, Devin Booker, Torrey Craig, KD, and Deandre Ayton is very good, but this team still lacks depth. They have 4 great players, but role players are the guys who put you over the top and win you championships. For the most part, the stars are always going to shine in the playoffs. The Suns may very well win the West, but what happens when they run into the Celtics in the Finals? Tatum and Brown are every bit as good as KD and Booker, but the Celtics are so much better top to bottom given their immense depth, especially on the defensive side of the basketball. The Suns defense got much worse in this deal, as they gave up the glue to their defense and one of the best defenders in the league, Mikal Bridges. KD is 34 years old, has missed significant time each of the last 4 seasons (including all of 2019-2020), and is owed $47.6M, $51.2M, and $54.7M over the next 3 seasons. Again. KD is 34 years old with major injury concerns. The Suns are going to be paying him $55 million at the age of 37. KD is one of the all-time greats, but it still adds an element of risk to this deal on Phoenix’s end.

It’s hard not to be impressed with what the Nets got in return for Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.

• A quality ballhandler in Spencer Dinwiddie who is under contract through next season.
• An underrated, exceptional role player in Dorian Finney-Smith, who signed a reasonably priced 4-year extension last year.
• A very good shooting specialist in Cameron Johnson.
• One of the top defensive players in the NBA – who has also been steadily improving his offensive game each and every year – in Mikal Bridges.
• On top of the 4 high quality players, the Nets also got 5 first-round picks, an additional first-round pick swap, and 4 second-round picks

The Nets should remain relatively competitive. They’re a very good defensive team with phenomenal depth. Are they winning a championship? No. Are they going to make the playoffs? Yes, and don’t be surprised if they win a series. This is a rebuild, but a quick rebuild in which they are set up brilliantly for the future, apart from not owning their picks for the next few years due to the Harden trade with Houston.

The Bucks adding Jae Crowder is a phenomenal pickup. In terms of the role players that win you championships, Jae Crowder is a prime example. He’s a very solid “3-and-D” guy who does the dirty work and will defend his teammates. Milwaukee gave up next to nothing to improve their team. Holiday, Middleton, Crowder, Giannis, and Lopez is a tremendous starting unit, with guys like Connaughton, Portis, and Ingles coming off the bench as well. This team was a real contender beforehand, but now they might just be the true favorites to win the Eastern Conference, assuming Crowder can shake off the rust of not playing for half a season.

As far as the Pacers side of this deal goes, if George Hill or Serge Ibaka ever play a minute for this team, everyone in that organization should be fired. It’s assumed that both will be bought out ASAP. Getting Jordan Nwora, three seconds, and cash for a 26-year-old Argentinian who was initially drafted in 2015 (and may very well never make an NBA appearance) is pretty neat. Highway robbery for the Pacers here.

Nuggets and Lakers each Acquire a Backup Center, Clippers Get a Lead Guard for their Bench in 4-Team Deal

Denver Nuggets Receive: Thomas Bryant
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Davon Reed, Mo Bamba, and a second-round pick
Los Angeles Clippers Receive: Bones Hyland
Orlando Magic Receive: Patrick Beverley, a 2024 second-round pick (via Nuggets), and cash considerations (via Lakers)

The Lakers and the Magic portion of this trade is pretty irrelevant. In all honesty, Mo Bamba isn’t any better than Thomas Bryant as the backup center behind Anthony Davis, and Patrick Beverley has already been bought out by the Magic. Both teams got a second-round pick. Woohoo!

The Nuggets badly needed a backup big man. With all due respect to DeAndre Jordan and Zeke Nnaji, Thomas Bryant is quite the vast improvement as that position. Offensively speaking, Bryant was spectacular, albeit inconsistent, as he filled in for the injured Anthony Davis multiple times over the course of this season. This trade will allow the Nuggets to give Nikola Jokic some additional rest down the stretch, as the star big man has been dealing with a nagging hamstring injury. Although that injury hasn’t affected his play thus far, the Nuggets will want to assure that their MVP is at full strength come playoff time.

Speaking of playoffs, it makes no sense as to why the Nuggets so willingly handed Bones Hyland to the Los Angeles Clippers, a team which could be their biggest threat come playoff time. Perhaps the biggest weakness of the Clippers is their shortage of lead guards. Although Bones may not be a prototypical lead guard, he is a very capable ball handler, a fantastic scorer, and an above average three-point shooter. Bones makes the Clippers significantly more threatening, and that’s bad news for the rest of the West.

Josh Hart Headed to New York in 4-Team Deal

New York Knicks Receive: Josh Hart
Portland Trail Blazers Receive: Cam Reddish, Ryan Arcidiacono, Matisse Thybulle, and a 2023 first-round pick (via Knicks)
Philadelphia 76ers Receive: Jalen McDaniels, a 2024 second-round pick (via Hornets), and a 2029 second-round pick (via Trail Blazers)
Charlotte Hornets Receive: Svi Mykhailiuk, a 2023 second-round pick (via 76ers), and a 2027 second-round pick (via Trail Blazers)

Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson reunite. Even if you don’t root for Villanova, it’s hard not to enjoy watching Jay Wright’s Wildcats. They always play a great brand of basketball, and Wright’s players are so well-coached and fundamentally sound. They never beat themselves, and there is a reason why Villanova guys are often so successful in the NBA, particularly as role players. With all that being said, it’s easy to get excited for this reunion, but it’s also likely that Coach Thibs will find a way to mess it up. Hart should start over Grimes immediately. They do similar things offensively, but Hart does almost everything better than Grimes does and more. Hart is a great defender, a fantastic rebounder, and a very underrated scorer and playmaker. He absolutely improves this feisty Knicks team, and although they are still a ways off from contention, they could get hot and win a playoff series.

Many people are just as excited about Cam Reddish going to Portland as they were confident that he would be an instant star when he was drafted out of Duke with the 10th overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft. However, there’s a reason why his minutes dwindled down to zero in Atlanta. There’s a reason why his minutes dwindled down to zero in New York. Cam has always flashed immense potential, but there is clearly an issue with him fulfilling it consistently. In terms of Portland’s other addition, Matisse Thybulle is a phenomenal defender, but he provides absolutely nothing else. Josh Hart is so much better than anything the Blazers got back, and with 32-year-old superstar guard Damian Lillard not getting any younger, this seems like a bad move on paper, especially given that Hart is under contract for 2023-24.

The Sixers did phenomenal here. Giving up just Thybulle and a second for Jalen McDaniels is spectacular. Although not on Thybulle’s level, McDaniels can provide very solid perimeter defense. He’s an athletic, versatile wing who has shown the ability to score it this season. He immediately improves the Sixers bench, and don’t be surprised to see him finishing games over PJ Tucker, who has struggled mightily this seaosn. Harden, Maxey, Harris, McDaniels, and Embiid is probably the Sixers’ best lineup.

For the Charlotte Hornets, the less said about their complete debacle of a trade deadline, the better.

2020’s Second Overall Draft Pick heads to Detroit

Detroit Pistons Receive: James Wiseman
Golden State Warriors Receive: Gary Payton II and three second round picks (via Hawks)
Atlanta Hawks Receive: Saddiq Bey
Portland Trail Blazers Receive: Kevin Knox and 5 second-round picks

This mostly meaningless trade got exciting because it almost fell through at the last minute thanks to Gary Payton II failing his physical.

For the Blazers, not much to be excited about here. Kevin Knox stinks, although giving up just GP2 and getting back 5 seconds is kind of neat. It’s strange to see NBA teams throwing around second-round picks at the trade deadline like they grow on trees. For the Hawks, 23-year-old Saddiq Bey is a quality young player, having scored 51 points last March, but the Hawks still aren’t going anywhere as long as Trae Young is in town. His atrocious defensive ability holds the Hawks back from being anything more than mediocre. James Wiseman hasn’t been given many opportunities with the Warriors due to a combination of injuries and Steve Kerr’s tendency to favor small-ball lineups, but when he has played, he hasn’t looked good. However, with the obvious potential that made him the 2nd overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, it makes sense that the Pistons were willing to take a chance on him at the trade deadline. The Pistons already have Jalen Duren, their 19-year-old rookie center who has been excellent thus far in his young career, so Wiseman will be expected to play as his backup. Worst case scenario, he flounders and the Pistons decline his team option to let him walk as a free agent. They barely gave up anything to get him, and they’re one of the worst teams in the NBA this season as it is, so it’s a buy low move which has very little risk for Detroit.

The Warriors “win” this wacky minor trade. GP2 played an instrumental role on the Warriors championship team a season ago, and if he is healthy (which is a big if), he will immediately improve their bench and the team as a whole. He’s a tremendous defender, and his minutes are always hard-fought and physical. Sitting at .500 after winning the NBA title in June of 2022, it’s clear that the Dubs have missed “the Mitten” dearly this season, but now he makes his return to the Bay. On top of this, the Warriors also picked up 3 second-round picks, and it’s always better to have more picks than less picks.

Clippers and Grizzlies Bolster their Benches in 3-Team Deal

Los Angeles Clippers Receive: Eric Gordon and 3 second-round picks
Houston Rockets Receive: John Wall, Danny Green, and a pick swap (via Clippers)
Memphis Grizzlies Receive: Luke Kennard

The Clippers already had solid depth. With the moves that they made at the deadline, including acquiring Eric Gordon in this trade, they now possess what could very well be the best bench in the entire league. Gordon gives them yet another veteran with loads of playoff experience. He also gives them yet another very good scoring option.

Choosing to share the wealth at the trade deadline, the Clippers were nice enough to send Luke Kennard to the Grizzlies, which immediately improves Memphis’ bench. The Grizzlies desperately needed some perimeter scoring in that second unit, and Kennard can provide that in bunches, as he’s shooting 44.8% from three this season on nearly 4 three-point attempts per game.

The Clippers trading John Wall back to Houston is hysterical irony. After sitting out all of last season and being very vocal about hating being on the Rockets, the Clippers sent him back. Yes, Wall was immediately bought out, but the fact that this trade happened must have made for one awkward phone call between John Wall and whoever broke the news to him.

Clippers Add a Quality Big Man

Los Angeles Clippers Receive: Mason Plumlee
Charlotte Hornets Receive: Reggie Jackson and a 2028 second-round pick

The Clippers gave up Reggie Jackson, John Wall, and Luke Kennard to get Bones Hyland, Eric Gordon, and Mason Plumlee in return. This was an all-time great performance by the Los Angeles Clippers’ front office at the trade deadline. Round of applause for GM Michael Winger. The Clips won the deadline, and it wasn’t particularly close.

The Clippers will now start Terance Mann, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Marcus Morris Sr., and Ivica Zubac. Their stacked bench consists of Bones Hyland, Eric Gordon, Norman Powell, Nic Batum, and with this trade being put through, Mason Plumlee as well. That bench unit alone is more talented than the starting lineup of a few NBA teams. You can make the argument that the Clippers are now the deepest, most complete team in the league, and one of the odds-on favorites to come out of the Western Conference.

Which trade was your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!

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Authors: Ben Pawlak and Ryan Macdonald

Published: 2/13/23 at 5pm EST

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Sources/Works Cited:

Dunks & Threes, https://dunksandthrees.com/epm.

Google Images, Google, https://images.google.com/imghp?hl=en.

Sports Reference LLC. Basketball-Reference.com – Basketball Statistics and History. https://www.basketball-reference.com/. 24 January 2023.

StatMuse, https://www.statmuse.com/.