The NBA has one of the most intense trade deadlines in all of sports. With a player movement system that caters to big moves and the increasing value of draft picks, this year had the makings to be an exciting deadline. Leading up to the Feb. 19 deadline, there were rumors of some big moves to be made, but no one foresaw the magnitude of what actually happened.
The first was when the Portland Trailblazers gave up three players off their bench in order to land Denver Nuggets swingman Aaron Afflalo. This move gives Portland an elite bench player to back up Wes Matthews and captain their second unit of players. But the action was far from over as plenty of pieces still needed to be moved.
The Phoenix Suns learned what having too much of a good thing was like; they had three starting-caliber point guards, and it was clear one needed to go. Goran Dragic increasingly seemed to be the odd man out and had stated his desire to leave the desert, so it was no surprise when Dragic was shipped with his little brother, Zoran, to the Heat as they reloaded for a playoff run. What surprised people was that the Suns also swapped their second point guard, Isaiah Thomas, in another deal and landed the Bucks’ Brandon Knight.
The Suns were only able to pull this off because the Milwaukee Bucks were able to pick up reigning rookie of the year Michael Carter-Williams from the 76ers. No one really knows what is going on in Philly, as they also got rid of rookie K.J. McDaniels and traded for overpaid and highly erratic center JaVale McGee.
Disgruntled Oklahoma City guard Reggie Jackson set off another string of trades later in the day. Jackson had been a role player in the shadow of superstars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook and was itching for a bigger role. Jackson ended up getting sent up north to Detroit, a team that is looking to ease the blow of losing Brandon Jennings to a season ending achilles injury earlier this season. In return, the Thunder picked up offensive-minded big man Enes Canter from Utah.
The move gives the Thunder another inside scorer and potential for the ability to have a strong frontcourt when paired with Steven Adams.
The biggest story of the entire deadline might have been the interesting decision by two teams to take a trip down memory lane, seemingly in exchange for immediate results.
The Minnesota Timberwolves drafted Kevin Garnett all the way back in 1995 when this year’s rookies were barely starting their lives. Garnett played with them until 2007 when he was moved to the Boston Celtics. Garnett has stated in the past how he intends to buy the team at some point, and his involvement with the organization appears to have started sooner rather than later. The Wolves have brought KG back to help mature their bevy of young talent. Garnett has always been known as a highly aggressive, fiery player, and Minnesota is hoping some of that energy brings a culture of winning.
The second big story was the Pistons decision to bring back Tayshaun Prince, who was a key piece to their early 2000s Championship teams. The move seems more like a symbolic attempt to try and return a winning attitude to the Pistons, who have struggled recently.
Whether teams were loading up for the playoffs, dumping salary and talent for picks, building for the future or making good on previous promises, this was one of the most exciting trade deadlines in recent memory. It’s a shame it only comes around once a year.
