NBA Deadline Rundown: Stars Stay Put

Jason Manasse — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 16:16:14 -0500

The NBA trade deadline came and went last Thursday, and though there was a flurry of movement, all of the big names stayed put.

Multiple star-level players were rumored to be on the move, including Amare Stoudemire, Shaquille O'Neal, Vince Carter, Richard Jefferson, Caron Butler, and Gerald Wallace. Attractive expiring deals like Wally Sczerbiak and Raef Lafrentz stayed put as well.

There were, however, multiple trades that should help a handful of teams down the stretch. On the other hand, the inactivity of other teams could come back to haunt them. Here’s a breakdown of several of the moves made at the deadline.

Completed Deals

Houston sends Rafer Alston to Orlando
Memphis sends Kyle Lowry to Houston first-round pick (from Magic)
Orlando sends Brian Cook to Houston and sends Adonal Foyle, Mike Wilks and a first-round pick and cash to Memphis

This was probably the biggest and most important deal made Thursday. The Magic were likely locked into the third place slot in the East after losing Jameer Nelson, and looked incapable of beating either the Celtics or Cavs in a second-round playoff series. Alston gives Orlando a big upgrade over Anthony Johnson at point and amounts to an extra playmaker and another three-point shooter.

I say the trade improves the Magic by one win over the final 29 games of the season, and more importantly gives them a chance to beat either of the two teams ahead of them.

The move is also a good one for Houston. The Rockets will likely hand the reins to Aaron Brooks, who is a solid scorer and playmaker, but his size will probably limit his effectiveness the more he plays.

Lowry though is a tough-nosed player and a good defender, and is 10 years younger than Alston. The Rockets improved their projected record by nearly one win over the remainder of the season.

Memphis' only real gain here is the first-round pick.

Chicago trades Andres Nocioni and Drew Gooden to Sacramento and Michael Ruffin to Portland
Portland trades Ike Diogu to Sacramento
Sacramento trades Brad Miller and John Salmons to Chicago

Chicago sends Thabo Sefolosha to Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City sends a 2009 first-round pick to Chicago

Chicago made the biggest splash at the deadline, acquiring Salmons and Miller for their playoff push while shedding a redundant player (Sefolosha) for another asset (a first-round pick). The deals push the Bulls into serious postseason contention.

Miller fills the gaping hole at center and gives the team a legitimate scorer in the frontcourt. Salmons gives the Bulls a bigger guard to offset Gordon and Hinrich's lack of size. In the meantime, they rid themselves of the disgruntled Hughes.

The Bulls' new projected record is 38-44, which would give them about a 50-50 chance for the Playoffs. Still, Bulls fans are probably still wondering why they didn’t trade for Gasol or Garnett in the past or push harder to acquire Amare Stoudemire.

In regards to Sacramento's acquistions, Drew Gooden will be a buyout candidate, and could definitely help a contender down the stretch.

This was the only deal Portland made, as it failed to capitalize on the market. They chose to keep Raef LaFrentz’s contract and realize the cap savings for themselves.

Oklahoma had five stockpiled first-round picks, so this was a good move. It gives the Thunder a bigger guard with the potential to pair with Westbrook and mercifully sends Kyle Weaver to the bench.

New York sends Malik Rose and cash to Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City sends Chris Wilcox to New York

New York sends Jerome James, Tim Thomas, and Anthony Roberson to Chicago
Chicago sends Larry Hughes to New York

The Knicks get a (basically) free player in Wilcox to help up front. He has long been a D’Antoni favorite, and in theory he fits the up-tempo style as an athletic big that can finish. Tim Thomas was made redundant with the earlier acquisition of Al Harrington. Larry Hughes is a good match for New York in that he can play the two and is also athletic and likes to run.

The problem here is that neither Hughes nor Wilcox is a perimeter threat. The moves are fine because the Knicks received two players that will improve their depth without hurting their cap situation for 2010. But the trades help this season only marginally at best. New York might think it can make a late run at the Playoffs in the weak East, but it only improved its chances by one percentage point, to 18 percent.

Boston sends Patrick O’Bryant to Toronto and cash to Sacramento
Toronto sends Will Solomon to Sacramento
Sacramento sends a conditional second-round pick to Boston

Boston trades Sam Cassell to Sacramento
Sacramento trades conditional second-round draft pick in 2015 to Boston

Believe it or not, these deals could help decide who wins the NBA title. The Celtics basically freed up two roster spots, and can now look to add a big and a perimeter player after buyouts are made to strengthen the bench. Cassell and O’Bryant were complete non-contributors, and the two second-rounders are negible. The important thing was creating roster space.

This could also lead to the buyout of Mikki Moore, as the Kings need to create room for Solomon. Moore, ironically, could end up in Boston, or on another contender like Cleveland. He should be in fairly high demand.

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NBA Deadline Rundown: Stars Stay Put