NBA Trade Deadline 2011: The 10 Biggest Deadline Deals
This was one of the more exciting NBA trade deadlines in recent memory.
It had it all. The league saw two of its biggest superstars change teams in Carmelo Anthony and Deron Williams, along with numerous other deals, many of which took up until the 3 p.m. deadline to complete.
It seemed for a while that deadline day itself was going to be quiet, but when the last hour of the deadline began, deals started being announced left and right.
It was a very exciting day for the NBA and fans alike.
We knew for a while now that players such as Carmelo Anthony and Gerald Wallace were available, so those particular deals weren't all that surprising. However, there was no mention of players like Deron Williams or Kendrick Perkins being available for the majority of the season, so those deals caught a lot of people off guard.
So it's time to dissect some of these deals. The following is a list of the 10 biggest deadline trades.
10. Nazr Mohammed to the Thunder
1 of 10
I love what the Thunder were able to do at the deadline.
They realized that they had plenty of offense to compete with any other team in the league, but they needed to address their defense and size along the front line—and they did just that.
Not only did they acquire center Kendrick Perkins in another deal, but they also dealt D.J. White and Morris Peterson to the Charlotte Bobcats for Nazr Mohammed.
Mohammed doesn't have the flashy name or put up gaudy statistics, but he does bring playoff experience and a defensive presence. Mohammed is a very nice role player to have. For his career, he is averaging 6.9 points and 5.4 rebounds in just under 18 minutes per game. Although rarely called upon, he can also hold his own on the offensive end of the floor.
While Perkins will start for this team, he hasn't always been the best model of consistency and good health. The Thunder were wise to go out and find another capable backup to step in should Perkins go down with another injury.
9. Shane Battier to the Grizzlies for Hasheem Thabeet
2 of 10
Grizzlies fans will be happy to have Battier back with the team, as he was one of the franchise's most popular players during his first tenure with the team. Battier was drafted sixth overall by the Grizzlies in 2001 and spent the next five seasons with the organization.
On the court, Battier will be very valuable as well. He brings the defensive toughness a young team like the Grizzlies needs, as they will continue their push for the playoffs. He will also help fill in for Rudy Gay, who will be out anywhere from three weeks to the rest of the season with a shoulder injury.
Battier can play multiple positions, shoot the ball effectively (38 percent three-point shooter for his career) and is one of the league's elite defenders. He will be a major asset for the Grizzlies down the stretch.
In return, the Rockets received a first-round pick as well as center Hasheem Thabeet.
Thabeet has been very disappointing in his first two years in the league. At one point, the Grizzlies assigned the former second-overall pick to the D-league, hoping he would polish his skills and develop. That hasn't happened yet.
The Rockets hope they can turn Thabeet into one of the league's best defensive centers, which is what the Grizzlies thought they were getting when they drafted him.
8. Carl Landry to the Hornets for Marcus Thornton
3 of 10
The Hornets needed to add some depth to its frontcourt as well as find a consistent scorer for its bench and they did both by acquiring Carl Landry—one of the more underrated players in the league.
Last year, between the Kings and Houston Rockets, Landry averaged 18 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, including 2.4 offensive rebounds. Although Landry is a bit undersized for his position at 6'9", his toughness and endless motor help him make up for it. He can drive to the basket effectively, as well as step out and knock down the mid-range jumper.
As a great addition to the Hornets, Landry can get it done.
In return, the Kings received Marcus Thornton, a talented yet inconsistent shooting guard. In his rookie season, Thornton averaged 14.5 points per game. This season, however, he has seen that number cut almost in half to 7.8 points per game.
Very good deal for New Orleans.
7. Aaron Brooks to the Suns for Goran Dragic
4 of 10
I continue to have no idea which direction the Phoenix Suns are headed in, as this deal was yet another head-scratcher for them.
Not only did they trade away Dragic—who is younger than Brooks and is more of a pure-point guard—they also sent Houston a first-round pick as well.
Brooks had a very good season a year ago, averaging 19.6 points per game. However, he has struggled this season, although some of that could be contributed to his early-season ankle injury. His attitude has also come into question, and he projects to be more of a shooting guard going forward.
In Dragic, the Suns had their heir-apparent to Steve Nash, who won't be around forever. To be fair, Dragic was having a disappointing season himself, but still projected to be a very good starting point guard once Nash either retired or moved on to another team.
Earlier this season, Phoenix traded away key players such as Jason Richardson, signaling they were ready to start over and rebuild. However, now they went out and traded a first-round pick.
The Suns themselves seem as if they don't know which direction they want to go.
6. Kirk Hinrich to the Hawks for Mike Bibby
5 of 10
This was a deal that made sense for both sides.
The Wizards traded Kirk Hinrich and Hilton Armstrong to the Hawks for Mike Bibby, Maurice Evans, Jordan Crawford and a 2011 first-round draft pick.
In Hinrich, the Hawks acquired the defensive-minded point guard they have needed for a while now. While Mike Bibby was still an effective spot-up shooter, he was absolutely awful on the defensive end, getting blown by on a consistent basis.
The Wizards did well to get a first-round draft pick in return, as well as Jordan Crawford—who was a 2010 first-round pick himself. The team could also look to buyout Evans and Bibby, allowing them to sign with another team.
The Hawks added a piece that could potentially put them over the top, while Washington continued to pile up draft picks—key for a team in a rebuilding stage.
5. Baron Davis to the Cavaliers for Mo Williams
6 of 10
What could possibly cheer Cleveland fans up after LeBron James left town and then the team went on to set a NBA record by losing 26 games in a row in a single season?
What if I told you that the Cavs could potentially have the first two picks in the upcoming draft?
Okay—that may not be enough to forget about LeBron. Nonetheless, it is still a very exciting prospect for Cleveland fans.
The Cavs traded Mo Williams and Jamario Moon to the Clippers for Baron Davis and the Clippers' 2011 first-round draft pick, which is completely unprotected.
In the short term, the Cavs took on more money, because Davis makes more money than Williams did. However, the team wasn't going to have enough cap space to make any significant moves this offseason anyway. The Clippers draft pick will almost certainly be a lottery pick, meaning the Cavs are going to have two very high picks.
Although Davis had his problems while in L.A. (see Sterling, Donald), he was still a very talented pure-point guard who was developing very good chemistry with Blake Griffin. Williams brings more shooting as well as more consistency, but isn't too much of an upgrade, if any at all.
For a team that has been the subject of many jokes this season, this trade is a step in the right direction for the Cavs.
4. Jeff Green to the Celtics for Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson
7 of 10
As I mentioned before, I love what the Thunder are doing.
By adding Perkins to play alongside Serge Ibaka, they now have the best defensive frontcourt in the league, bar none. Combine that with the lethal scoring ability of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook and you have a team that will be a very tough out come playoff time.
For Boston, I don't really like the trade, but I also understand what they were thinking when they made the deal. One of their biggest needs as the deadline approached was a wing player who could spread the floor and was a consistent outside shooter. The problem is while Green is a wing player, he is a sub-par shooter. He is also completely overmatched whenever he is asked to play the power forward position.
The Celtics obviously thought they had enough options and depth at center without Perkins. They also felt they weren't going to be able to sign the unrestricted free agent come this summer, anyway.
It's a gamble for the Celtics. The question most Celtics fans want to know is: Why is a team that was one game away from winning the championship a year ago willing to take such a gamble?
3. Gerald Wallace to the Bobcats for Joel Przybilla and 2 Draft Picks
8 of 10
Wallace is a very good, versatile player who can make an impact in a variety of ways. However, questions still remain.
Wallace is very good at running the floor and finishing around the rim, but struggles when he is forced to shoot a jump shot. The Blazers play at one of the slowest paces in the league, so Wallace won't have too many chances to get out and run. As good of a player as he is, his game doesn't seem to fit the Blazers system too well.
Still, Wallace has the type of talent that will allow him to adjust. He is also an excellent defender and never takes a play off. His hard style of play has also been one of the reasons he sustains injuries so often.
The Bobcats are going nowhere fast, but were able to acquire two first-round picks—one in 2011 and the other in 2013. Wallace is due over $22 million over the course of the next two seasons, so the Bobcats were also able to cut some substantial salary. They could have done much worse.
How well Wallace fits in with the Blazers will be one of the most intriguing story lines to watch in the second half of the season.
2. Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks
9 of 10
On Monday, the 'Melo sweepstakes officially came to an end.
The Knicks were finally able to get the player they had coveted, trading several role players to Denver for Anthony.
The key here is just that: The Knicks traded a handful of role players, and nothing else. They were even able to keep Landry Fields, who is able to play and contribute without having the ball in his hands—which is what the Knicks need because the ball will usually be in the hands of Carmelo or Amar'e Stoudemire.
Here is why the notion that the Knicks gave up too much is just wrong:
They traded Eddy Curry's expiring contract, which is insignificant because Curry was never going to suit up again for the Knicks.
They traded Anthony Randolph to Minnesota for a first-round pick that they then could send to Denver. Randolph was a disappointment much like he was in Golden State, and never earned the trust of the coaching staff.
They traded Wilson Chandler, who was a good player but also a restricted free agent at the end of the season. He simply was not a part of the Knicks long-term plans.
They traded Raymond Felton, but actually upgraded at point guard because they also received Chauncey Billups as part of the deal. Billups is a better shooter, distributor and leader than Felton.
They traded Timofey Mozgov, who just two weeks ago wasn't even in the Knicks rotation. Let's not forget that he only had a handful of good games for the Knicks.
The most valuable asset the Knicks gave up was Danillo Gallinari, who is one of the best shooters in the league. He was rapidly improving, but also struggled defensively.
At the end of the day, though, the Knicks basically swapped Gallinari for Anthony, while upgrading at point guard. They now have two superstars on their roster and are relevant again in the NBA.
They had to get this trade done and they did. It was a great trade for the Knicks.
1. Deron Williams to the Nets
10 of 10
They struck out in free agency this past offseason. They struck out again when it came to getting a deal done for Carmelo Anthony. They are in the midst of another disappointing season, currently holding a record of 17-40.
Nothing was going right for the New Jersey Nets. Then—all of the sudden—hope arrived.
In the most shocking deal this season, the Utah Jazz sent superstar point guard Deron Williams to the Nets for Derrick Favor, Devin Harris and two first-round draft picks.
Does this deal make the Nets a title contender? No.
Does it make them a playoff team? Probably not.
However, what this deal does do is give the team hope. With Williams, the Nets become a better team as well as have a better chance of adding more talent—maybe even another superstar—in the future.
Now the Nets must find a way to sign Williams to a long-term extension this summer. If he becomes a free agent and walks next summer, then the Nets will be back to where they started—or maybe even worse.
Utah also did very well, getting a good amount of talent as well as multiple draft picks in return.
The Nets future now looks a little brighter than it did before, as they now have a great player to build around.
