NBA Trade Deadline: Ranking Influential Deadline Deals in the Last Decade

With the trade deadline fast approaching, it's time to reminisce upon the most influential deadline deals in recent memory.

Now, before the fun begins, we must develop a working definition of what is meant by a "deadline deal."

A deadline deal isn't limited to a trade made within hours of when the deadline alarm sounds, nor is it even limited to being within a couple days prior to the deadline.

If we limited its definition to this, we'd be stuck reminiscing upon deals whose headline players were Bonzi Wells, Wally Szczerbiak and a washed up Jamal Mashburn.

Therefore, our working definition of a "deadline deal" is much broader, as this slideshow features numerous trades that were struck weeks or even a month or so prior to the actual deadline.

Enough of the defining. Let's proceed to the fun.

10. Chris Webber Traded to the 76ers

In late February of 2005, the Sacramento Kings and Philadelphia 76ers reached a blockbuster, six-player deal.

The Kings sent Chris Webber, one of the game's elite forwards at the timr, and reserves Matt Barnes and Michael Bradley to Philadelphia. The 76ers packaged forwards Brian Skinner, Kenny Thomas and Corliss Williamson to Sacramento.

At the time, this deal appeared to strike gold for the 76ers, who had Allen Iverson and desperately needed a quality big man to pair with him.

Webber, while a little past his prime at this point, was surely a productive big man.

He was averaging 21.5 points per game, 9.7 rebounds per game and 5.5 assists per game when Philly acquired him.

While the trade did yield a playoff berth for the 76ers, it didn't fulfill their greater hopes of making a deep playoff push. 

Despite this, it remains a deal of magnitude in the past ten years, but it could've been a deal of much greater magnitude had Iverson and Webber produced more in the city of Brotherly Love.

9. Shaquille O'Neal Traded to the Suns

When this move went down in 2008, the eyes of NBA fans widened.

Shaquille O'Neal and Amar'e Stoudemire sharing a front court with two-time MVP Steve Nash dishing them the rock?

This undoubtedly sounded like a scary team.

In the previous season, the Suns lost a gruesome playoff series to the San Antonio Spurs, a series which featured a controversial scenario in which Stoudemire was suspended for a pivotal game.

The following season, the Suns were determined to get over the hump and reach the NBA pinnacle. Landing the "Shaq-tus" appeared to be the final piece to the championship puzzle.

However, the mesh of Shaq and Stoudemire didn't culminate in championship glory.

If so, this deal could potentially reign at the top of this list, and former Suns general manager Steve Kerr would look like a genius.

Unfortunately for the Suns, the impact of this deal is more of a negative one.

The Suns lost in the first round in 2008, certainly not what this group anticipated. Kerr would have been wiser to not pull the trigger, because while this deal looked great on paper, its influence turned out to be negative on the hardwood.

8. Baron Davis Traded to the Warriors

In February of 2005, the New Orleans Hornets shipped point guard Baron Davis to the Golden State Warriors for guard Speedy Claxton and big man Dale Davis.

While this trade didn't initially bring anticipated results for the Warriors, it certainly did in 2007—Golden State's lone playoff appearance since 1994.

That year, the Warriors, led by Davis, sneaked into the playoffs as the eighth seed and upset the reigning Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks in the first round.

That epic series will be forever remembered by the Golden State faithful and by all avid NBA fans.

At the center of that Warriors bunch was Davis, and this video of him dunking on Andrei Kirilenko in the 2007 second round of the playoffs will never get old.

7. Sonics and Bucks Swap Gary Payton and Ray Allen

This trade was made on the brink of the 2003 trade deadline, and it featured the Bucks sending sharpshooter Ray Allen, guards Kevin Ollie and Ronald Murray, as well as a draft pick to Seattle for Gary Payton and Desmond Mason.

This deal was certainly significant, as two marquee players exchanged places. 

Years later, it's quite apparent the Sonics garnered the better end of this deal, namely because Payton's stint in Milwaukee was a short one.

Payton effectively contributed for the rest of the 2003 season and even helped the Bucks make the playoffs, but he bolted for the Los Angeles Lakers in the '03 offseason.

On the other hand, Allen remained with the Sonics through the 2006-2007 season, and he put up lofty scoring numbers in each of his seasons in Seattle, including 26.4 points per game in '06-07.

Further, he led them to 52 wins in the 2004-2005 season and they made it to the Western Conference semi-finals.

While this trade did not generate a championship-level impact, it was still a blockbuster deal and a swap of superstars.

Allen's longer tenure with the Sonics reveals they received the better end of this deal, as the city of Seattle enjoyed Allen's shooting abilities during some of his prime years.

6. Celtics and Thunder Swap Kendrick Perkins and Jeff Green

A little over a year ago, the Boston Celtics shocked many by trading beloved big man Kendrick Perkins and guard Nate Robinson to the Oklahoma City Thunder for forward Jeff Green and center Nenad Krstic.

The Celtics did receive the versatile Green in return, but many were perplexed by Boston general manager Danny Ainge's bold move.

Perkins never put up impressive numbers in Boston, but he didn't need to with Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo sharing the starting lineup with him. Perkins did the dirty work and was a reliable low post defender.

Moreover, he was close with his teammates on the Celtics, particularly Rondo.

This trade was questioned a year ago and it's questioned all the more now, as Green has been sidelined for the whole 2011-2012 season. He had to undergo surgery after a heart ailment was found.

Green could still contribute as a quality player in the future, but the Celtics would've been better served to have had Perkins during last year's stretch run, as well as this year.

For Perkins, though, there's no reason to complain.

He's now a core member of the Western Conference-leading Thunder, and figures to be their "man in the middle" for years to come.

5. Carmelo Anthony Traded to the Knicks

This deal, also made around a year ago, is the definition of a blockbuster trade.

Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Shelden Williams, Anthony Carter and Renaldo Balkman were shipped from Denver to New York for Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Danillo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov and three draft picks.

The impact of this trade will be analyzed for years to come, but as of now, it appears the Nuggets have benefited more than the Knicks.

In Anthony's stint in New York, he's been often criticized for his lack of defense and inability to lead a team.

He's a scorer, no doubt, but there are concerns if he possesses the ability to lead the Knicks into the league's upper echelon.

On the other hand, the Nuggets were wise to part ways with Anthony, as they received numerous quality young players in return, particularly Gallinari. Their young bunch of players have quickly helped Denver fans move on from the Anthony era. 

No matter what, this is a deal and will continue to be a deal of impact.

Will its impact remain questionable for the Knicks, or will Melo develop into a championship caliber player and justify why the Knicks coveted his presence?

4. Mavs and Nets Swap Devin Harris and Jason Kidd

Around four years ago, the Mavs and Nets completed a deal that received loads of critical analysis.

The Mavericks packaged 25-year-old blossoming point guard Devin Harris, as well as Trenton Hassell, DeSagana Diop, Keith Van Horn, two first round picks and cash to the Nets for 35-year-old Jason Kidd, Antoine Wright and Malik Allen.

The reason for the analysis was obvious.

Why would the Mavs trade their young point guard for an aging one? And why would they also give up two first round picks?

Now the trade doesn't look so foolish.

While Kidd didn't spark a championship run in his first few years in Dallas, he was an instrumental member of their epic title run last season. For that reason alone, this trade turned out to be one of positive impact for Dallas.

The influence of this deal was also positive for the Nets, as Harris went onto to be a key component in the deal that landed them All-Star point guard Deron Williams, which is where we now turn.

3. Deron Williams Traded to the Nets

The Nets had hoped to strike big in the summer of 2010, as their ultimate hope was to land Lebron James via free agency. After they came up empty that summer, they responded by making this daring move during the season.

New Jersey packaged Devin Harris, young big man Derrick Favors and two first-round picks to Utah for All-Star point guard Deron Williams.

This was, and continues to be, a scrutinized deal, but similar to the Carmelo Anthony trade, the analysis of this deal will continue to unfold in the near future.

The Nets are a primary rumored destination for Dwight Howard, and a central reason for this is the potential dynamic duo of Williams and Howard.

If Williams attracts Howard, then the trade for D-Will struck gold for the Nets.

But, and this is a big "but," if Howard doesn't join the Nets, there's a strong chance Williams leaves the team this summer when he's a free agent.

If that's the case, the Nets will not only bid farewell to Williams, but they also lose great hope for the future because they cast off Favors and two first-round picks a little over a year ago to land Williams.

It will be interesting to see what the review of this deal looks like a year from now.

2. Rasheed Wallace Traded to the Pistons

Rasheed Wallace was a member of three different teams in February of 2004.

Wallace originally started the season with the Portland Trail Blazers before he was traded to the Atlanta Hawks, where he played one game before being dealt to the Detroit Pistons.

Detroit's acquisition of Sheed proved to be pivotal.

During that season, the Pistons developed a chemistry that shocked the NBA world, as they steamrolled through the playoffs and won the NBA title. They even defeated the loaded Lakers, who boasted Shaq, Kobe Bryant, Karl Malone and Gary Payton.

This was a series that very few figured the Pistons had a chance in, but they defied the odds and hoisted the Larry O'Brien trophy.

In that 2004 title run, Sheed was a crucial contributor and the Pistons surely couldn't have won that championship without him.

In the years following, he remained a core member of some very competitive Piston teams, as they returned to the Finals in 2005 before losing to the Spurs in seven games.

Overall, this was a very fruitful deal for Detroit, as it yielded a championship and Sheed meshed perfectly with the players assembled in Mo-town.

1. Pau Gasol Traded to the Lakers

After Shaq departed from the Lakers in 2004, the Lakers clearly lacked an All-Star to situate next to Kobe Bryant.

Kobe impressed many with his individual exploits after Shaq left, but it was clear that another piece was needed if he was going to pursue another championship.

That piece came when the Lakers landed Pau Gasol in 2008.

In early February, the Lakers acquired Gasol for his brother Marc, Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, Aaron McKie and two first round picks.

Bryant and Gasol instantly ventured all the way to the NBA Finals in 2008, where they were defeated by the Boston Celtics.

Then, the following two years featured the Lakers reaching the NBA pinnacle, and the acquisition of Gasol proved to be foundational. While Gasol was no Shaq, he was still a savvy force in the middle and gave the Lakers a legitimate second option.

Because this deal produced two championships for the Lakers, it reigns as the most influential deadline deal in the last decade.

However, it could certainly be surpassed soon if either of Carmelo Anthony or Deron Williams exclaim their value and soon lead their respective teams to the NBA mountaintop.