It’s been a good ten days since the NBA trade deadline, and it was hectic. I haven’t seen a more fun trade deadline than this before. We saw some big names, like Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and D’Angelo Russell, get moved to title contenders. Most importantly, fans finally understood the direction teams planned to take this season. Without further adieu, here is a summary of all the trades and transactions that took place last week.
Kyrie Irving to Dallas
On February 6th, the NBA world received shocking news. The Brooklyn Nets traded superstar Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks. Irving will bring his offensive skill set to the table as he joins Slovenian wonderboy Luka Dončić. Kyrie is finally free from the drama-filled Nets. This duo could break the league with their ability to head high octane offenses. And for the most part it did! For the first time this season, the Mavs went 3-0 without Luka, and Kyrie was the reason for it. Of course, the Mavs defense has been mediocre at best, but if Kyrie comes back next year, the Mavs have another chance at building around this core.
Lakers Trade Russell Westbrook for D’Angelo Russell, Jared Vanderbilt, and Malik Beasley
If the Kevin Durant trade wasn’t announced, this trade would’ve been considered the trade of the year. For the past one-and-a-half years, Russell Westbrook was a burden on the Lakers. His unreasonably massive contract meant the Lakers had no salary cap flexibility. This financial situation meant the Lakers had limited flexibility to make much needed roster changes. Couple that with Westbrook being a poor fit next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and the Lakers were a toxic mess. Russell Westbrook was inefficient, turnover-prone, and his inflated ego didn’t fit with LeBron’s ball-dominant playstyle. It wasn’t all bad though. This season, Russ clearly found a groove as the team’s sixth man. He was a plus player. Unfortunately, he didn’t address the Lakers’ needs: 3PT shooting, defense, and reliable depth.
D’Angelo Russell returns to LA, but this time, he’s with LeBron James instead of an aging Kobe. This team has a really good chance of making the playoffs with him spotting up on the perimeter and knocking down open threes. Jared Vanderbilt is one of the most versatile defenders in the NBA, and he gives the Lakers’ bench reliable defense. Malik Beasley is a red-hot shooter and is consistently one of the best in the league. While the supporting cast as a whole isn’t elite, the addition of these three guys adds depth and versatility, balancing the team.
Kevin Durant Returns to the West…
On February 9th at 1 A.M. EST, the Brooklyn Nets traded Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns with Chris Paul, Devin Booker, and Deandre Ayton. The Suns now have an almost unstoppable team because they added KD to a roster with an all-time great playmaker in CP3, a dynamic scorer in Devin Booker, and an excellent young center in Deandre Ayton. The Suns only traded away Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, and Jae Crowder, after the Nets had demanded a young superstar and a massive trade package for KD last summer. The Nets corrected the biggest failure in NBA history by trading away Kyrie and KD, which was good for them because Kyrie’s drama and off-court antics were ruining the team’s ability to win games.
According to Kevin Durant, Phoenix’s only concern is that they “don’t have a bench” right now. But that’s a very easy problem to fix. The buyout market is looking great right now, with all sorts of elite roleplayers becoming available. Currently, players like PG John Wall, SG Seth Curry, and PF Dario Saric are all available. Signings like these will greatly benefit the Suns’ title chances.
The West is STACKED
The Western Conference is going to be a bloodbath. This conference has the defending champion Warriors, the LeBron James-led Lakers, and the reigning MVP Nikola Jokic’s Nuggets. Not to mention a scary Clippers team, a fun Sacramento Kings squad, and the new look Suns and Mavericks. This trade deadline will go down as an all-timer, and it will never be forgotten. We will never see another NBA trade deadline like this again.
For in-depth analysis of every trade that took place, visit Bleacher Report’s article linked below: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10064850-grading-every-deal-at-the-2023-nba-trade-deadline
