Four teams that improved the most after a chaotic NBA Trade Deadline.
Another chaotic and memorable NBA Trade Deadline is officially in the books. From Kyrie Irving being traded a few nights before the deadline to Kevin Durant being traded on deadline day eve, there were a flurry of moves that will unquestionably change the landscape of the league over the latter portion of the season.
Nearly every team in the league made a move at some point during deadline week and there are certainly plenty of intrigue heading into the NBA’s All-Star break (next week).
A flurry of moves made at the NBA Trade Deadline
The 2023 NBA Trade Deadine will go down as one of the most memorable deadline days in recent history. Two superstars were moved and several differnce-makers will be making their debuts with new teams.
In response to what took place over the last few days, we explore the four teams that improved the most with their deadline day moves.
LA Clippers
Players acquired: Eric Gordon, Bones Hyland, Mason Plumlee
Very quietly, the LA Clippers clearly improved their roster at the NBA Trade Deadline. The whispers surrounding this team heading into the deadline was that the team wanted to improve their backcourt. And they did just that with two separate moves. First, they acquired Bones Hyland from the Denver Nuggets. Then, they acquired Eric Gordon from the Houston Rockets.
They topped off their trade deadline activity by acquiring Mason Plumlee to solidify their frontcourt heading into the final push toward the playoffs. Gordon and Hyland will give this team an offensive punch in the backcourt that was needed. Hyland adds some youth while Gordon will bring valued veteran experience for the stretch run.
If the Clippers can remain healthy, this is a team that will certainly emerge as a possible championship contender. With Kawhi Leonard and Paul Goerge, to go along with this team’s special depth, the Clippers are slowly going to emerge as a problem in the Western Conference. And their moves at the NBA Trade Deadline could end up paying big dividends for this team.
Los Angeles Lakers
Players acquired: D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Mo Bamba, Devon Reed, Rui Hachimura
The Los Angeles Lakers needed to make a big move at the NBA Trade Deadline and that’s exactly what they did, on multiple fronts. You can’t help but be impressed with the job this front office has done over the last few days. The Lakers looked like a team dead in the water just a few days ago and now there’s a sense of…optimism?
The Lakers added six players over the last couple of weeks that could go a long way in ressurecting this team’s season. It started with a move for Rui Hachimura and expanded to moves that acquired D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Mo Bamba, and Davon Reed. The Lakers have life once again.
Whether or not this all works out for the Lakers remains to be seen but you at least have to credit this team for trying. And that’s all that LeBron James and Anthony Davis could’ve asked for heading into the deadline. You can’t say that the Lakers haven’t improved. It’s just a matter of figuring out by how much.
Dallas Mavericks
Players acquired: Kyrie Irving
In search of a supporting star for Luka Doncic, the Dallas Mavericks entered NBA Trade Deadline season with a clear goal in mind. Of course, the difficulty in that was whether or not the right deal (one that they could afford) would present itself. And it did a few days before the trade deadline Kyrie Irving demanded a trade from the Brooklyn Nets.
Once it became apparent that the Nets were going to trade Kyrie, the Mavs opunced and landing him. Despite his off-the-court concerns, you can’t say that this move won’t improve the team. In fact, you can make the argument that the Mavs should be one of the short-hand favorites to win the Western Confernce.
Could this experiment blow up in their faces? Absoltuely. However, I think it’s only fair to give the Mavs a shot. Maybe it was Brooklyn? It likely wasn’t but maybe Kyrie will be on his best behavior to cash-in on a long-term contract. If he is, the Mavs have the opportunity to be very good and possibly make a deep run in the postseason.
Phoenix Suns
Players acquired: Kevin Durant, T.J. Warren
Everything changed for the Brooklyn Nets when Kyrie Irving demanded a trade. The Nets went from a legit championship contender to a seller at the NBA Trade Deadline mighty quickly. The Nets traded Kyrie to the Mavs and then turned around and moved Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns, who are the biggest winners from the trade deadline.
Even though the Suns had to trade a few key pieces of their team and four unprotected first-round picks, the Suns 100 percent are now the team to beat in the Western Conference. That’s assuming heath. There is not a top 4 of players in the league better than Durant, Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton, and Chris Paul.
The Suns went all-in and clearly believe this is a core that can win a championship. Looking at the rest of the league, it’s hard to not trust the move that this front office made at the deadline. The question is, will it pay off? We shall see.