Trade Deadline Reactions

These will be my reaction to this years deadline. It was definetely a more eventful deadline then most people expected and I think that there are a lot of underated moves that can end up making a difference.

Timberwolves receive: D’Angelo Russell, Jacob Evans, Omari Spellman

Warriors receive: Andrew Wiggins, 2021 first-round pick (protected Nos. 1-3), 2021 second-round pick

I was extremely shocked to see the Warriors rush into dealing Dloading. I had thought that they were going to wait for the offseason. This is a huge dub for the Timberwolves in my opinion because now they have a very young team with 2 all-stars for the years to come. Towns didn’t make it this year because he has missed many games for injury and so did Russell and both of their teams are not good this year so it is hard to build a case but they are both having career years so far. Towns is shooting the ball unbelievabley at 40% from 3 on over 8 attempts a game. Russell is scoring more this year and shooting more efficent. Interesting that the number 1 and number 2 overall pick of the 2015 draft end up on the same team. They are best friends on and off the court, and with the Timberwolves great youg pieces like Culver, Okogie, Naz Reid, Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik beasely, their future could be bright, especially if they have a lottery pick this year. On the Warriors side, yes Wiggins is a better fit, but I don’t think that he was the missing piece they needed. I said the Warriors rushed because I thought they were going to wait until the offseason, see what lottery pick they had, and package that with Dlo to try to get an upgrade rather than downgrading for fit. However, if they got the 1st overall pick, I would have taken James Weismen and you get the position you have not had on any of your championship teams in a Center, and you have your buildig block for the post Steph, Klay and Draymond era

Heat receive: Andre Iguodala, Jae Crowder, Solomon Hill

Grizzlies receive: Justise Winslow, James Johnson, Dion Waiters

I like this trade for both team a lot. Iggy was never going to play for Memphis, and this gives him an opportunity on a Heat team that can make a deep playoff run. Jae Crowder and Solomon Hill give them some great spot up shooting and still leaves them with flexibility in 2021 free agency like they said their goal was. This will be a stacked free agency class that could include Lebron, Kawhi, Paul George, Giannis, Anthony Davis, Demar Derozan, Victor Oladipo, Blake Griffin and even more big names. Iggy brings playoff expirience with his 3 rings and Finals MVP with the Warriors. The only player who has been to a Finals on their roster is Udonis Haslem. There great young core highlighted by Adebayo, Nunn and Herro can grow with the great players and basketball minds of Jimmy Butler and Iggy around them. The Grizzlies picked up a great young player in Justice Winslow who can play point guard or on the wing. He is a great defensive player and only improves Memphis’s young core. Memphis already looks to have a bright future as they are sitting in the playoffs in the West due to Rookie of the Year front runner Ja Morant.

Rockets receive: Robert Covington, Jordan Bell (Grizzlies), 2024 second-round pick

Hawks receive: Clint Capela, Nene

Timberwolves receive: Malik Beasley, Juan Hernangomez, Evan Turner, Jarred Vanderbilt, 2020 first-round pick (lottery protected)

Nuggets receive: Gerald Green, Keita Bates-Diop, Shabazz Napier, Noah Vonleh, 2020 first-round pick

The Rockets picking up Covington really fits their system but they are forced to play very small with 6’5 PJ Tucker at center. James Harden has recently been taking jump balls because they traded away Capela. The system is interesting, but Covington fits perfectly into the 3 & D player they needed. Interested to see how it works. Harden needs to get hot at the right time for this team to be successful. The Hawks pick up a much needed center in Capela but the trade confuses me. They are very early in their rebuild and not winning games this season. They have one of the better young cores in the league and should be patient and let everything play its course for now. They could also be a team who is a canidate for James Weisman this season, but this makes it less likely. The Timberwolves got great value in this deal. Covington is 29 and under contract for 3 more years but they got younger with Malik beasely and Jarred Vanderbilt we’ll also snagging a 1st in the process. The Nuggets got a pretty good return too without giving up much. Bates-Diop is promising out of Ohio State and Vonleh played well for the Knicks last year but has dealt with injuries this season and a first round pick is always a dub. It might be a hot take, but I think the 2 teams that won this deal, didn’t even get the most valuable pieces in the Nuggets and Timberwolves.

Cavaliers receive: Andre Drummond

Pistons receive: John Henson, Brandon Knight, 2023 second-round pick

This trade is not as signifigant as people think it was. All players in this deal are set to be free agents this offseason, but if the Cavs can get Drummond on a cheap deal and he doesn’t demand the max, than this is a huge dub for the Cavs with Drummond only being 26.

Clippers receive: Marcus Morris, Isaiah Thomas

Knicks receive: Maurice Harkless, 2020 first-round pick

Wizards receive: Jerome Robinson

Morris was having a career year for the Knicks but only signed a one year deal and the Knicks got good value for him. Harkless is also an expiring deal and that first round pick will be late but still valuable. Really happy the Clips said they would not give up Shamet. Isiah Thomas will bring good scoring off the bench if he doesn’t get waived and the Wizards get a young sharpshooter who has had a tough time finding minutes with the Clippers deep team. All teams win this deal.

76ers receive: Alec Burks, Glenn Robinson III

Warriors receive: Three second-round picks (2020, 2021, 2022)

This is also a win for both teams. The Sixers get much needed veteran shooting to help their floor spacing with Ben Simmons. Alec Burks’s season is being extremely overlooked this year and will provide scoring the sixers need. They gave up 3 seconds that all did not belong to them in the first place. The picks were previously acquired from Dallas, Denver and Toronto. The Warriors have proven to have a good eye for second round talent with players like Draymond Green.

Hawks receive: Dewayne Dedmon, two second-round picks (2020, 2021)

Kings receive: Jabari Parker, Alex Len

I think this is a big dub for the Hawks. They pick up a center that has barely been getting playing time with the Kings and has asked out multiple times in Dewayne Dedmon. He now gets a chance to play and he has something to prove. He is still relatively young and will be a great bench center who can rebound and shoot the 3s. The 2 seconds only make the deal sweeter considering that Alex Len or Jabari Parker have not played signifigant roles for the Hawks.

Nuggets receive: Jordan McRae

Wizards receive: Shabazz Napier

This is one of the overlooked trades in my opinion. I think Jordan McRae is a great addition as a scorer off the Nuggets bench. Napier did not hold much value for them as they just got him from the Timberwolves but McRae can come in and have some high scoring nights for you off the bench.

These were the trades that I found most impactful. Feel free to share your opinions in the comments.