NBA Trades: Which Teams Improved the Most and Which Sunk to the Bottom?

The trade deadline has now passed and like many trade deadlines, there was not loads of noise.

Dwight Howard's decision to not exercise his opt-out clause after this year was the biggest news of the day.

There were plenty of rumors of Howard leaving prior to the deadline, but he'll remain in Orlando and is now under contract through next season.

In regards to other marquee players, there was much silence. Paul Gasol, Rajon Rondo, Josh Smith, Deron Williams and Carmelo Anthony, were all rumored in potential deals but none of them were dealt.

With that said, there were still some deals made that will have impact.

What's more, some teams decided to remain inactive at the deadline, which could prove to be a foolish decision.

Here's a slideshow of various teams and if they made major improvements, or if they're now a sinking ship.

Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers were the busiest team on deadline day. They landed two quality players in point guard Ramon Sessions and big man Jordan Hill, and they hardly gave up anything in the process.

The deal for Sessions involved them trading Luke Walton, Jason Kapono and protected 2012 first-round draft pick. 

The deal for Hill featured them giving up veteran point guard Derek Fisher and a first-round pick (acquired from Dallas in the Lamar Odom trade).

Therefore, the Lakers suddenly plugged the hole at the point guard spot and added depth to their frontcourt.

It's too early to know if these moves make the Lakers a team who can legitimately win the title, but it's safe to say the Lakers got better today. There's no doubt about that.

Improving or Sinking? IMPROVING 

New Jersey Nets

The New Jersey Nets had their dreams shattered today. 

They had hoped to piece Deron Williams and Dwight Howard on the same team, but Howard's decision to stay in Orlando has put the Nets in quite a predicament.

Williams is unlikely to stay past this season if the Nets don't soon acquire help, so they attempted to do that by trading for slashing forward Gerald Wallace. 

From the hope of Howard to Wallace?

That sounds like going from Plan A to Plan K.

Wallace could help the subpar Nets, but I highly doubt he's enough to convince D-Will to stick around after this season.

According to ESPN's Marc Stein, the Nets' new strategy is to stockpile as many players and draft picks to convince Williams to remain with the club, and to potentially try to make another run at Howard when the season ends (before the draft, and before Williams could leave as a free agent).

Good luck with that. That's a long shot.

Today was not a good day for the soon-to-be Brooklyn Nets. 

Improving or Sinking? SINKING (and sinking fast) 

Indiana Pacers

A minor deal today featured speedy guard Leandro Barbosa moving from Toronto to Indiana for merely a second-round draft pick.

Anthony Carter was also sent to the Pacers in the deal.

The veteran Barbosa has playoff experience and is a potent weapon on the offensive end. The Pacers already have a strong bench, with players such as George Hill, Tyler Hansbrough, Lou Amundson, and Barbosa now adds another weapon.

This is a small deal that could have large impact come the playoffs. For the Pacers, this deal was a no-brainer, as they acquired a savvy guard for a really cheap price.

Improving or Sinking? IMPROVING

Boston Celtics

Hello, Danny Ainge, are you there?

The Celtics were strangely silent at this year's deadline, and this year they really needed to do something. 

Their team is a slightly above average squad. They'll make the playoffs but there's no way this aging bunch can win the title.

They should've either blown the team up and traded away Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and maybe even Paul Pierce.

Or, they should've at least made a couple minor moves to enhance their chances in this year's playoffs.

They simply should've done something, and the result of their inactivity is that they're now an old, sinking ship.

Improving or Sinking? SINKING

Orlando Magic

Dwight Howard's big decision to remain in Orlando is a sigh of relief for the Magic faithful, even though the talks will soon heat up again (as he'll be a free agent at the end of next season).

But the Magic have to be happy with the way this played out. Not only do they have him to help their squad contend for the remainder of this season, but they also now have more time to pursue better supporting pieces around him.

What's more, the contracts of both Jameer Nelson and J.J. Redick come off the books after next season, which will free up even more space to pursue a "Robin" to team with "Superman."

This is going in a good direction for the Magic. There's no guarantee Dwight will remain in O-town for the rest of his career, but this was certainly a step in the right direction.

The Magic didn't acquire any pieces to improve at the deadline, but their outlook on the future certainly vastly improved.

There's reason to be optimistic in O-Town, that's for sure.

Improving or Sinking? IMPROVING

Milwaukee Bucks

The deal sending Monta Ellis to the Bucks happened a couple days ago, but it probably ranks as the most influential deal near the trade deadline.

Ellis is an elite scorer and he will now share the backcourt with another elite scorer and playmaker, Brandon Jennings.

Plus, with the improved play of Ersan Ilyasova and the steady contributions of Drew Gooden, this Milwaukee team has suddenly gotten scary.

Expect them to make the playoffs and pose an intriguing first-round matchup with Chicago or Miami. It's a long shot that they'll pull the shocker, but this potent bunch could make things interesting.

Improving or Sinking? IMPROVING

Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers picked up a scoring shooting guard today in Nick Young, acquiring him in a three-team deal with Denver and Washington.

This deal may look good on paper, considering Young averages 16.6 points per game, but in reality, this will be a different story.

Young doesn't do much else besides score, and he's coming to them from the Washington Wizards, who play like an undisciplined AAU team.

Young will score in bunches for the Clips, but his defense is questionable and he doesn't bring much experience. He'll likely end up inhibiting the Clippers rather than improving them.

Wouldn't Ray Allen have been a much wiser addition?

Improving or Sinking? SINKING

Portland Trail Blazers

It's been a messy season for the Blazers and it culminated in Nate McMillan's firing today.

They also made a couple trades prior to the deadline alarm.

They parted ways with slasher Gerald Wallace, sending him to the New Jersey Nets. In the deal, they received big man Mehmet Okur, Shawne Williams and a protected first round pick.

They also traded veteran center Marcus Camby to Houston for center Hasheem Thabeet, Jonny Flynn and a future second round pick.

All of this doesn't do much to improve the Blazers, but they were already sinking. Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom before you can come back up again. That's what the Blazers decided today.

Improving or Sinking? Sunk (at rock bottom)

Dallas Mavericks

If the Mavericks were hoping to repeat this year, they needed to make a move.

Similar to the Celtics, they chose to remain inactive. 

Perhaps they're now setting their sights on point guard Deron Williams, who will very likely be leaving the Nets come the offseason (now that Howard is staying in Orlando). Williams is from Dallas and would obviously be a perfect fit.

But in regards to this year, the Mavs needed some upgrades. As of now, they're fighting for a playoff berth and don't appear poised to hoist the Larry O'Brien trophy for a second-straight year.

Improving or Sinking? SINKING

San Antonio Spurs

Stephen Jackson is now back with the San Antonio Spurs, being traded for the second time in three days. He was dealt in exchange for wing Richard Jefferson.

Jackson returns to the place where he won his only NBA title, in 2003. While this is a minor move, it could have major impact come playoff time.

Jackson's a great playoff performer and he will give the Spurs another offensive weapon. He definitely brings more to the table than Jefferson.

Improving or Sinking? IMPROVING 

Golden State Warriors

The Warriors traded leading scorer Monta Ellis and landed center Andrew Bogut, who will potentially be sidelined for the rest of the season with a fractured left ankle.

This is a very questionable deal. It could prove wise if Bogut performs well next year and in the future, but you'd think they could've acquired a better player than Bogut for Ellis.

They also acquired veteran Richard Jefferson for Stephen Jackson (Jackson also came with Bogut from Milwaukee).

The Warriors have been active but it's hard to see how these deals make them better.

Perhaps they will improve in the future, but right now they're sinking out of the playoff race.

Improving or Sinking? SINKING