Indiana Pacers: A
One of the more active teams this trade cycle, the Indiana Pacers ended up acquiring one of the most sought-after assets in the league in Tyrese Haliburton. Giving up Domantas Sabonis was a hefty price, but it finally signifies a rebuild that the Pacers have needed to go through for the past half-decade. In addition, they brought in Buddy Hield and Tristan Thompson, with the former likely being traded before his contract’s up.
They got a nice return for LeVert, who never found his footing in Indiana, and also took a flier on Jalen Smith. There’s nothing to not like with the Pacers deadline, as they brought in an all-star caliber talent in Haliburton, while also garnering draft capital to bolster up their rebuild in the coming seasons.
Los Angeles Clippers: A-
Although their moves seem odd for a team not looking to contend this season, that’s simply the luxury of having Steve Ballmer as an owner. The luxury tax is practically nonexistent for the Clippers, as they brought in both Norman Powell and Robert Covington without a sweat. While Covington is a free agent after this year, Powell is signed through the 2025-26 season, set to be a complementary piece to Kawhi Leonard and Paul George for years to come. In doing so, they only parted with a second-round pick and Keon Johnson, as the Blazers treated Powell as a negative salary.
Additionally, LA moved off of Serge Ibaka’s contract, bringing back Rodney Hood and Semi Ojeleye in return. Ibaka never got healthy enough to play productively in Los Angeles, surrendering the starting center role to Ivica Zubac.