NBA Trade Deadline Winners and Losers
Losers
Philadelphia 76ers
What in the world were they thinking? The 76ers let Nerlens Noel go for hope. They hope Justin Anderson can become a perimeter threat, and they hope those draft picks will amount to something this year. However, teams like the Portland Trail Blazers, Raptors and Celtics had their eyes on Jahlil Okafor and Noel and would have offered more but the 76ers took their time, panicked and were left with nothing in return for a player that will become an All-Star in the future.
Boston Celtics
Man, did Danny Ainge screw this deadline up. There were reports that Ainge was not willing to part with Jae Crowder which cost the Celtics a shot at Jimmy Butler. Crowder is good but he’s no Butler. The Celtics also had a chance at either Jahlil Okafor, Nerlens Noel, Carmelo Anthony, Blake Griffin and others but Ainge did not get the deal done. The Celtics are still a threat but, missing out on another scoring or defensive presence in the post was a huge blow.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers may be under new guidance but they are still left with a team that has fallen down the conference ladder. They traded away their top scorer just to get a draft pick in the first round and that shows they have given up on the season. The Lakers were in talks with Paul George of the Indiana Pacers but that didn’t pan out after George said he would only sign a long-term deal with the Pacers or the Lakers. A move was to be made and they dropped the ball. And, they somehow still have Timofey Mozgov and Luol Deng on their roster and they have not lived up to the contracts.
Brook Lopez
The losing has to get worrisome at some point. For the last two seasons the Nets have been one of, if not the worst teams in the NBA and yet, they still continue to try to put Lopez through this rebuild stage. He deserves better than this. He’s been in zero trouble on and off the court and has done nothing but been professional. However, the Nets have brought out Joe Johnson, Deron Williams and Kevin Garnett but has Lopez chained in the basement. This week the team lowered their asking price but by then it was too late. Lopez is stuck on a team that’s going nowhere for 3-4 years.
New York Knicks Fans
The prices for a game at the Garden are outrageous and yet, the fans have nothing to show for the big bucks they have shelled out. The main rumors were surrounding Carmelo and his no-trade, then the focus shifted towards Derrick Rose and somehow Brandon Jennings, Courtney Lee and Kyle O’Quinn got caught in the mix. The Knicks are a mess and how are they to recover knowing that Phil Jackson doesn’t want them there? How is that going to sit with the fans for the second half of the season? The Knicks fans will be left rooting for a team that may not give their all as they have fallen out of the playoff race and draft picks are slim and there is still the lingering issue of do you pay Rose next season? Good luck Knicks fan, you’ll need it.
Mark has been covering Sports and Entertainment for the past six years. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, ESPN, Fox Sports, Teen Vogue, and many other websites.
