Houston Rockets: Forward-thinking
The Houston Rockets had a fine trade deadline. The acquisition of Memphis Grizzlies' big man Steven Adams might have been the quietest move of the deadline. While he may be out for the remainder of the season, this was still a fine move.
Head coach Ime Udoka clearly prioritizes defense and Adams brings a lot of it. The team is not realistically competing this season. Another year of development for the young guys and a healthy Adams off the bench next season is a great start to a potentially dangerous season by the Rockets. This was a sneaky good forward-thinking deadline by the Rockets.
Indiana Pacers: Gutsy
The Indiana Pacers will most likely never become a free-agency destination. The team will have to rely on drafting players and trading for them to drastically improve the roster. The Pacers made several trades at the deadline to show the rest of the league that they are looking to compete. They made some gutsy moves.
Trading Bruce Brown for Pascal Siakam got this team off to its trade deadline start. They didn't stop making moves until they acquired Cory Joseph, Doug McDermott, and Furkan Korkmaz. This is a lot of action for a mid-tier franchise like the Pacers. To win the Championship teams have to be willing to risk it all. The Pacers made some gutsy calls this deadline in the hopes it pays off.