The 2022 NBA trade deadline delivered the blockbuster trade many were anticipating, with the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers striking a deal to swap malcontent stars in Ben Simmons and James Harden.
Meanwhile, there were a host of other interesting trades around the league that caught the eye. Although, the Lakers were noticeably not one of the teams that made a move despite their struggles.
Read on below as SBOTOP summarises all the winners and losers after another wild NBA trade deadline.
Winner: Unhappy stars, Ben Simmons and James Harden
The long and painful Ben Simmons saga is finally over in Philadelphia. The young All-Star guard, who had refused to play for the entire season to force his way out of Philly, finally got his wish as the 76ers sent him, Seth Curry, and Andre Drummond to the Brooklyn Nets for James Harden in one of, if not the biggest trade deadline deal ever.
Despite Nets coach Steve Nash’s proclamations, Harden also got his wish out of Brooklyn after he quickly soured on his Nets experience.
And aside from getting their wish for a new start on new teams, the two All-Stars will also get the chance to play pivotal parts in top Eastern Conference title contenders.
Harden is a much better fit with Joel Embiid because of his superior offensive skill set. And while Simmons is far from a seamless fit with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving offensively, he is a versatile and capable defender who can improve their defence, especially in the playoffs.
So the lesson – as always – is that unhappy NBA stars win and they get what they want in the end.
Loser: Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers are also quite used to getting their way and winning trades, but this wasn’t the case in this trade deadline. Despite their ongoing struggles, the Lakers stood pat and did nothing to alter their dysfunctional roster.
Their blockbuster trade for Russell Westbrook this offseason has backfired horribly, with the former MVP failing to fit in with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. And with their already limited resources, they were either unable or unwilling to make another move to try and improve their roster.
The Lakers’ NBA 2022 odds of winning the title now look remote as a result, and it would take a massive turnaround to make them contenders once again.
Winner: Indiana Pacers
The Pacers have had a disastrous season by all accounts. Injuries have severely affected their NBA 2022 results, and they look set to have one of the worst records in the league.
It was clear that they needed a roster refresh, and that’s exactly what they did during this trade deadline. They traded away Caris LeVert to the Cavs and All-Star Domantas Sabonis to the Kings, while getting back future draft assets as well as a promising young player in Tyrese Haliburton.
Their outlook for the future now looks much better as a result of those moves, which makes them big winners.
Loser: Sacramento Kings
On the flipside, the Kings’ acquisition of Sabonis is another addition to their long list of confounding, short-sighted moves. While Sabonis is a fine player who will make them a better team in the present and help them contend for a spot in the play-in tournament, giving up a fine young player in Haliburton is a steep price to pay for a low-level All-Star who will only push their ceiling that much higher toward mediocrity.
Winner: Washington Wizards
Speaking of mediocrity, the Wizards have been stuck in it for the last few years. But they made a couple of shrewd moves to help shake things up. First, they traded guard Spencer Dinwiddie, who has been a disappointment since his arrival this offseason, to the Dallas Mavericks for Kristaps Porzingis. They also unloaded incoming free agent forward Montrezl Harrell.
Porzingis has his own set of injury risks, which is a big reason why he failed in Dallas. But for the low price they paid to get him, it was well worth the risk to see whether he can become the second star they need alongside Bradley Beal.
Loser: Dallas Mavericks
The Mavs finally pulled the plug on the Porzingis experiment after two and a half underwhelming seasons. They were clearly frustrated by his constant injuries that limited his time on the court, which is likely why so low on ‘The Unicorn’.
In exchange for Porzingis, the Mavs got Dinwiddie, who struggled in without the ball in his hands in Washington, and Davis Bertans, a shooting specialist who has struggled to shoot over the last couple of years. It remains to be seen if either can actually make the Mavs any better.
So the Mavs’ quest to find Doncic’s sidekick continues, and it remains to be seen how they can fill that sizable void in their roster.
Winner/Loser: Portland Trail Blazers
The Blazers were one of the busiest teams in this trade deadline as they finally began the process of rebuilding their team. Norman Powell and Robert Covington went to the Clippers, while CJ McCollum and Larry Nance Jr were shipped off to the Pelicans.
Portland didn’t receive any overwhelmingly promising pieces in either of those moves, though, and they still have the not-so-small matter of Damian Lillard’s future to take care of.
So while the Blazers deserve credit for doing what they needed to do, the overall direction of the franchise moving forward is still unclear.
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