Dull NBA Trade Deadline, But Useful for a Few Teams

The NBA trade deadline officially passed at 3 p.m. Thursday. Don't be surprised if you didn't hear anything about it.

Despite all the hype mounting up to it, all the expectations fell through.

The day was filled with a lot of speculation circulating around big names like Richard Jefferson, Nate Robinson, and even Shaq, but none of the pieces could fall into place.

Among the "big" names to be traded on Thursday were Rafer Alston, who moved from the Rockets to Orlando, and Larry Hughes, who is now headed to the Knicks. 

New York was very active, completing two deals. Along with Hughes being traded for Tim Thomas, Jerome James, and Anthony Robertson, the Knicks also reeled in Chris Wilcox from Oklahoma City for Malik Rose and cash. 

The Sacramento Kings have been the most aggressive of all teams. In a quiet deal, Sacramento received Will Solomon from the Raptors, who in turn get Patrick O'Bryant from Boston, who receives a second round pick from the Kings. Also, early Thursday morning, the Kings traded Bobby Brown and Shelden Williams to Minnesota for Rashard McCants and Calvin Booth.

This, a day after the Kings traded Brad Miller and John Salmons to the Bulls for Drew Gooden and Andres Nocioni. 

The Bulls also did some restructuring this week. They lose Larry Hughes, Drew Gooden, Andres Nocioni, and Thabo Sefolosha. Chicago has three new faces now, the most notable being Tim Thomas. Thomas will be a good addition, along with some good things to look forward to with the first round pick they acquired from the Thunder for Sefolosha.

So the day wasn't without a few good swaps here and there, but NBA fans hoping to see a superstar name like Amar'e or Vince Carter being traded were disappointed. Overall, it was a very uneventful Thursday that gave no room for excitement.