NBA Trades: Ranking Each Deal of the 2012 NBA Offseason

With sign-and-trade deals becoming the preferred avenue for circumventing the new collective bargaining agreement's attempts to limit player movement, this offseason has featured a number of free agents who quickly became tradable commodities.

It's also had a couple of good ole' fashioned swaps.

We have yet to see a single deal, however, in which players have equal value of changed places. Instead, motives like cap flexibility and the acquisition of draft assets have ruled the day.

In short, it's already been a busy offseason–and an unusual one at that. Perhaps it's also a sign of things to come.

Given what's transpired thus far, here are this offseason's deals in order of just how much they'll impact both sides.

7. Dorell Wright to the Philadelphia 76ers

According to ESPN's staff, the Golden State Warriors have agreed to send small forward Dorell Wright to the Philadelphia 76ers for a Edin Bavcic, a guy currently stashed in Europe.

Of course, the Warriors were really just trying to add some cap space with the deal.

Because first-round draft pick Harrison Barnes is also a small forward, Golden State could afford to part with some talent.

The 6'9" Wright has good length for his position, but his real contribution is his shooting ability.

He'll give Philly a perimeter threat and make the team far better from the outside along with free-agent signee Nick Young.

6. Ryan Anderson to the New Orleans Hornets

The Orlando Magic have traded "spread-4" Ryan Anderson to the New Orleans Hornets in exchange for Gustavo Ayon in a deal that probably didn't drop many jaws.

New general manager Rob Hennigan apparently wasn't interested in clogging Orlando's cap flexibility with anymore long-term deals, while the Hornets would certainly use a complement to first-overall draft pick Anthony Davis.

Anderson will create some floor spacing for Davis and company to go to work and add a potent weapon to the rapidly rebuilding Hornets' arsenal.

In Ayon, the Magic get a 27-year-old big man who's only played in the United States for one season. He's a solid defender with a good frame, so he could prove valuable down the road.

5. Atlanta Hawks Take Devin Harris, and Utah Jazz Take Marvin Williams

The Atlanta Hawks have been as busy any anyone this offseason. In addition to the Joe Johnson move, the organization also sent forward Marvin Williams to the Utah Jazz in exchange for point guard Devin Harris.

By almost any measure, Harris is pretty redundant with Hawks starting point guard Jeff Teague, but if they can coexist on the court at the same time, it would make for a lethally quick combination.

The more important aspect of the deal from Atlanta's perspective is that Harris' contract will come off the books after the upcoming season.

Though Williams will bring some versatility to Utah's front court, the deal doesn't make quite as much sense from the Jazz's perspective. The club already has an emerging young small forward in Gordon Hayward, and Williams probably won't get much time at the 4 given Utah's abundance of depth.

These two organizations probably aren't done maneuvering, so this deal might make more sense in time.

4. Marcus Camby to the New York Knicks

According to ESPN's Jared Zwerling, Marcus Camby will return to the New York Knicks in a sign-and-trade deal that nets the Houston Rockets Toney Douglas, Jerome Jordan, Josh Harrellson and a couple of future second-round picks.

The good news for New York is that it will have another defensively oriented big man adding depth to the front line. Camby may not get the playing time he could probably use given the presence of Tyson Chandler and Amar'e Stoudemire, but he'll certainly make a difference.

As for the Rockets, this is one of those deals that should make you shrug your shoulders and conclude, "Well, it's better than nothing."

Point guard Toney Douglas might actually become of some use. He fell out of the rotation in New York, but the Rockets need guards at the moment.

And, given the Rockets' current rebuilding mode, any transferable assets are a plus.

3. Kyle Lowry to the Toronto Raptors

The Toronto Raptors appear to be grasping at just about any talent they can get their hands on, and they're doing a pretty good job of it.

They're sending the Houston Rockets Gary Forbes and a first-round draft pick in exchange for point guard Kyle Lowry, a well-rounded scorer who can pass and rebound the ball well for his position.

While it might seem like Houston could have gotten a better deal, they didn't have much leverage when Lowry made it clear he wanted to move on one way or the other.

The pick they receive in exchange has some protections, but it could very well result in a late lottery selection in the next couple of years.

For an organization trying to get younger or otherwise maneuver it's way into acquiring young stars, that's not a bad deal.

Meanwhile, Toronto gets a skilled floor general who can lead the team for the foreseeable future given that Jose Calderon's contract runs out after the upcoming season.

The 26-year-old had easily his best season yet, averaging 14.3 points, 6.6 assists and 4.5 rebounds a game.

He has borderline All-Star potential, and will certainly benefit a young backcourt that also acquired Washington's Terrence Ross in the draft and reportedly free-agent guard Landry Fields as well.

2. Steve Nash to the Los Angeles Lakers

This was a good deal for both sides. The Los Angeles Lakers received two-time MVP Steve Nash, and the Phoenix Suns in turn come away with first-round picks in 2013 and 2015 along with a couple of second-rounders on top of it.

Los Angeles desperately needed a game-changing point guard to make the most of Kobe Bryant's last years as an effective superstar. Nash won't play like an MVP anymore, but he's still one of the very best passers in the game and an efficient shooter to boot.

The guy who may benefit most is Pau Gasol. The pick-and-roll or pick-and-pop opportunities between he and Nash will be difficult to stop.

Not only is Nash one of the greatest at running the play, but Gasol's softs hands and shooting ability make him a dangerous recipient of those pin-point passes.

Meanwhile, the quickly rebuilding Suns will have the opportunity to either gamble on some late first-round talent or use the picks in other deals.

If they get lucky and the Lakers have a sub-par season or two–perhaps due to injuries–then this trade will look even better for them.

The bottom line is that Phoenix didn't have much bargaining position since Nash was a free agent. Walking away with anything whatsoever was a huge victory.

1. Joe Johnson to the Brooklyn Nets

This was a win-win trade if there ever were one.

The Brooklyn Nets agreed to acquire Joe Johnson from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Jordan Williams, Johan Petro, Jordan Farmar, Anthony Morrow and DeShawn Stevenson. The expiring contracts will give the Hawks cap flexibility, and Johnson gives the Nets a legitimate All-Star caliber guard to pair with Deron Williams.

Besides the obvious importance of shedding Johnson's contract, the Hawks will also have a useful backcourt piece in the streaky Anthony Morrow.

The bottom line for this deal is that Johnson makes a lot more sense in a Nets uniform than he ever did with the Hawks. He's not a first option, but he's a great complementary scorer when a top-shelf point guard is running the show.

We saw that during his days with Steve Nash, and we should see it again alongside Williams.

The Hawks, however, weren't going anywhere as they were constructed, and Johnson's massive contract (worth almost $90 million over the next four years) was killing the club's ability to re-shuffle the roster.

New general manager Danny Ferry changed all that in an instant with this deal.