Is the NBA Trade Deadline Over?
The NBA trade deadline has come and gone, and while there were a few big moves, it wasn’t the frenzy that some had expected. So what happened?
Introduction
It’s that time of year again: the NBA trade deadline is upon us. As always, there are a number of rumors swirling around about which teams might be making a move, and who might be on the move. So what’s the latest? Here’s a look at the most recent rumors and reports.
The NBA Trade Deadline
The NBA trade deadline is the last day that NBA teams can make trades with each other for the season. It typically falls on the last Thursday in February, but it can be moved up to a week earlier or later depending on the day of the week it falls on. This season, the deadline is Thursday, February 21st.
Trades made after the deadline are still possible, but they are much harder to do because players have to clear waivers first. Waivers are when a player is put up for auction and any team can claim them within a certain time period. If no team claims them, then they become a free agent and can sign with any team that they want.
Over?
The NBA’s trade deadline is today, Thursday, February 8th, at 3 PM EST. That means that any trade that is agreed upon and finalized must be completed by this afternoon. As of right now, it does not appear that any major trades will be happening before the deadline.
What Happened?
The NBA trade deadline has come and gone, and there were a few big trades that went down. The biggest trade of the day was the Los Angeles Lakers sending Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, and three first-round draft picks to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for superstar Anthony Davis. This is a huge move for both teams, and it will have a big impact on the NBA landscape going forward.
Who Won?
Now that the NBA trade deadline has passed, we can take a look at who won and who lost.
Some of the big winners include the Houston Rockets, who acquired two-way star forwardChris Paul from the Los Angeles Clippers. The Rockets also picked up shooting guard PJ Tucker from the Phoenix Suns. These two additions will make the Rockets a force to be reckoned with in the Western Conference.
The Boston Celtics also made out well at the deadline, picking up All-Star forward Jimmy Butler from the Chicago Bulls. The Celtics gave up some valuable pieces to get Butler, but they didn’t have to part with any of their young core players. This move makes the Celtics one of the favorites to win the Eastern Conference.
The Cleveland Cavaliers were also active at the deadline, as they acquired shooting guard Rodney Hood from the Utah Jazz and point guard George Hill from the Sacramento Kings. The Cavaliers gave up some depth to get these two players, but they didn’t have to give up any future assets.
Some of the teams that didn’t do well at the deadline include the Chicago Bulls, who traded away All-Star forward Jimmy Butler without getting much in return. The Bulls are in full rebuild mode now and they didn’t do anything to help expedite that process.
The Detroit Pistons also had a bad deadline, as they traded away small forward Tobias Harris without getting much in return. The Pistons are clearly not contenders in the Eastern Conference and they didn’t do anything at the deadline to change that fact.
The Minnesota Timberwolves also had a disappointing deadline, as they weren’t able to trade away disgruntled superstar forward Jimmy Butler. Butler is still on the team and he’s not happy about it. This could be a situation that explodes later on down the road.
Who Lost?
At the end of every NBA season, there is a trade deadline where teams can negotiate trades with one another in order to improve their rosters for the upcoming season. This year, the trade deadline was on February 6th at 3pm ET.
The most notable trade that happened was the Houston Rockets sending small forward Iman Shumpert and center Nik Stauskas to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for shooting guard Alec Burks and power forward Wendell Carter Jr.. The Rockets made this move in order to clear up some salary cap space, as well as get some young players that they can develop.
The Kings are happy to add some veteran experience to their young core, as well as two players that can help them space the floor with their shooting. It will be interesting to see how these two teams fare after making these trades.
Conclusion
The answer to the question “is the NBA trade deadline over?” is that it depends on who you ask. If you ask the players, they will say that it is not over. If you ask the front office personnel, they will say that it is not over. However, if you ask the commissioner, he will say that it is over. The reason why the commissioner says it is over is because the deadline has passed and no more trades can be made.
