As the playoffs draw closer and teams begin either making their late-season push or deciding to fold in, tank, and prioritize a rebuild, the NBA trade deadline is one of the most drama-filled and jam-packed times of the season. This time of year shows many teams making big moves that reshape their rosters and the entire NBA in general. This season was no different with many trades that shocked the NBA world. Here are some of the biggest trades during this season’s NBA trade deadline.
Luka Doncic to the Lakers
This was the main trade that headlined the entire NBA trade deadline which was a three-team trade that saw the Dallas Mavericks move their All-NBA guard Luka Doncic with Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris, for Anthony Davis, Maxie Christie, and a draft pick and the Jazz would receive a pick from both teams and Jalen Hood-Schifino per NBA.com.
What made this trade surprising was that the Mavericks would give up the star guard so suddenly and easily, especially after Luka had his best season statistically, averaging 34 points, 10 assists, and 9 rebounds over 70 regular season games last season while leading the team to their first NBA Finals appearance in over 12 years, all while only being 25 years old.
Both teams show their plans for the future as the Mavericks prepare to go all in for their NBA Finals push by bringing in the defensive stud, Anthony Davis giving additional support to the frontcourt presence with Daniel Gafford, and adding good support in Max Christie who has shown tremendous upside throughout his young career.
Meanwhile, the Lakers show that they are preparing for the future, looking to build their team around Doncic since Lebron James is expected to retire soon, allowing them to remain competitive without going through an entire rebuild.
De’Aaron Fox to the Spurs
This trade also caught many people’s attention as the three-team trade between the Bulls, Spurs, and Kings would see many big-name players get moved, including De’Aaron Fox and Zach Lavine.
The Kings would receive Zach Lavine, Cidy Sissoko, and picks from the Spurs and Bulls. This would reunite the duo, Lavine and DeMar DeRozan, who played together in Chicago before DeRozan joined the Kings in a three-team sign-and-trade deal.
With this move, the Kings are pivoting to build around their star center, Domantas Sabanois, and seem to be moving on from Fox as they move him, looking to add as much support around Sabonis as possible to help the Kings have a chance at making a deep run in the Playoffs.
The Spurs would receive De’Aaron Fox and Jordan McLaughlin from the trade which provides more support to the young team, giving Victor Wembanyama another star guard to play with, and taking some of the pressure off of Chris Paul in the backcourt. This gives the Spurs an even brighter future and shows tremendous upside in the coming years.
The Bulls didn’t receive much from this trade, gaining on a few key role players in Kevin Huerter, Tre Jones, and Zach Collins alongside an additional pick from the Spurs.
Jimmy Butler to the Warriors
After a drama-filled season involving multiple suspensions and speculations, the Heat finally traded away Jimmy Butler after he had requested a trade earlier in the season in a massive five-team trade including the Heat, Warriors, Pistons, Jazz, and Raptors.
The Warriors would end up receiving Butler with two second-round picks. This addition would be a big move for the team as it finally gives Stephen Curry some additional support and adds a much-needed star to the team after the Warriors lost Klay Thompson in free agency to the Mavericks, and are currently struggling heading into the All-Star break as they currently sit at 10th in the West after starting the season a promising 12-3.
The Heat would receive a fair amount for the trade as they were able to receive Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson, and a first-round pick in return for Butler, both are two very well-rounded role players. They also received Davion Mitchell from the Raptors, who is currently one of the better defensive guards in the league. However, the future for the Heat is still a little uncertain as they enter a new era without Butler.
The Pistons were able to get involved as well, getting Dennis Schroder from the Jazz, who has been playing very well this season, averaging 14 points and 5 assists per game, adding some key support to the Pistons’ bench as they begin to look to go all in on their playoff push. They also received Lindy Waters III and a second-round pick from the Warriors and only had to give up one second-round pick.
The Jazz and Raptors didn’t get much out of the trade as the Jazz received a couple of role players in KJ Martin and Josh Richardson, along with a couple of second-round picks. Meanwhile, the Raptors only received P.J. Tucker and a second-round pick.
Overall, the NBA trade deadline was much more eventful this season than last year. Many star players and big names were moved, completely reshaping the league and adding an exciting twist to the season. This left fans from across the league on the edge of their seats as the season began to ramp up, with teams heading into the final months.
