NBA Trade Deadline: Good, Bad and Costly

With the NBA trade deadline fast approaching, some NBA GM's did not feel the need to wait before pulling the trigger on their deals. Here is my take on the ones that have happened so far. I will update this blog as more deals are announced on Wednesday and Thursday.

Done Deals:

The Deal: In an effort to quickly remove themselves from the Gilbert Arenas era in Washington, the Wizards shipped Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood along with DeShawn Stevenson to Dallas for the inconsistent Josh Howard, journeyman Drew Gooden and throw-ins Quinton Ross and James Singleton.

My Take: Dallas made out like a bandit. Caron Butler is a big upgrade over Josh Howard. Howard, who was once looked at in Dallas as the possible future of the franchise fell from grace both on and off the court. While he is still a young player who can contribute as either a starter or bench player, he clearly had worn out his welcome in Dallas. 

Butler, who I predicted the Lakers would regret shipping to Washington for Kwame Brown in 2005, is a solid force at the small forward position. He is good driving to the basket as well as spotting up from distance. 

The part of the deal that does not seem to be getting enough attention is Dallas' upgrade from Drew Gooden to Brendan Haywood. Over 49 games in Washington this season, Haywood averaged 9.8 PPG, 10.3  RPG (4.1 ORB), and 2.1 BPG. He instantly improves the Mavs post game on both the offensive and defensive ends.
DeShawn Stevenson is a very talented shooter who the Mavs will have to find a way to add to their arsenal of perimeter shooters.
The Aftermath: This trade makes Dallas a legitimate threat to the Lakers in the west. And while I do not think that it is enough to beat LA, it is certainly enough to give the Mavericks a real shot at it.
Washington is unloading and making an attempt to essentially start over. I think they made a huge mistake with this deal. While Josh Howard is a good player, he is not Caron Butler. I don't have a problem with Washington unloading Butler, but they could have and should have received draft picks, and younger talent in the deal. However, if they can revive the potential that was once seen in Josh Howard, they will prove me wrong.

The Deal: In order to replace the injured Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla, the Portland Trail Blazers sent Steve Blake and Travis Outlaw to the Clippers in exchange for Marcus Camby.
My Take: Good deal for the Clippers. Not a horrible deal for the Blazers.
Steve Blake has been a very solid point guard for the Blazers. I understand that with Andre Miller and Jarryd Bayless on the roster, they have depth at the position. I just think that they gave up too much to rent Camby for the remainder of the season. At age 25, Outlaw is a good young player who the Clippers can try to use in their never-ending quest for success.
The Aftermath: I think the Clippers got the better end of this deal. They picked up a solid point guard to backup Baron Davis, and a very talented young forward. They had nothing to lose by trading away Camby. He would have left in the off-season anyway.
The Blazers made a statement with this trade. They clearly want to win now. I just think that that is not realistic. Even with Camby, I still don't see the Blazers getting past LA, Dallas, or San Antonio in the west. They traded away two solid players who could help their team in the future to rent a 35 year old center who they will likely not even attempt to resign after the season.

The Deal: Cleveland gets Antawn Jamison and Sabestian Telfair. Washington gets Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Al Thorton, Brian Skinner and Cleveland's first round draft pick. The Clippers get Drew Gooden.
My Take: Cleveland clearly felt the need to make a splash at the deadline. Not only are they trying to make a push to win a championship, but they also want to show LeBron James that they are going to build a quality team around him. Washington has now unloaded the last of their Arenas era core in Jamison, and picked up an expiring contract, a quality young player, and a late first round draft pick. The Clipper traded Al Thorton and and Sabestian Telfair for Drew Gooden in this deal. That is the part that I do not get.
The Aftermath: The Cavs must have either felt that their chances of landing Amare Stoudemire were not good, or that the asking price for him was too high. Jamison is not the player that Stoudemire is, but he is still a very good addition to LeBron's supporting cast.
Washinton will continue to go downhill with this deal, but did pick up a quality young player in Al Thorton, and a late first round draft pick. They are tearing down the house so that they can begin to build a new one.
The Clippers are the team that I don't understand here. Al Thorton is a quality player. Sabestian Telfair is a decent backup. Drew Gooden is just an expiring contract. They seem to be unloading to begin a new era as well. I just don't agree with the way they are going about it.
The Cavs are the first winner in this deal, simply because it gives them a better chance to win a championship this year. I do like the trade for Washington as well. I think the Clippers should have stayed out of this one.
Side Note: I do feel for Ilgauskas in this deal. He has spent his entire career suffering through horrible year after horrible year in Cleveland. Now that they are a contender, he gets shipped off as an expiring contract. I hope that he is able to negotiate a buyout with Washington and return to the Cavs after the 30 day waiting period. He deserves to be part of the championship run.
Also, this deal clearly makes an Amare Stoudemire to Miami deal esaier for the Heat. They now know that they are the only real contender for him. They have all the bargaining power. They would have to be crazy to part with Michael Beasley or high draft picks now.
Update: It appears that Zydrunas Ilgauskas will be bought out of his contract. There is also speculation that Drew Gooden will be bought out as well. Early reports are that the Cavs and Mavs would both be interested in signing Ilgauskas, who could draw interest from a number of other team. Dallas also would likely show interest in resigning Drew Gooden. Ilgauskas' agent said this morning that he believes Z's heart is in Cleveland, suggesting that the big man will resign with Cleveland after being bought out by Washington.

The Deal: The Knicks send Darko Milicic to Minnesota in exchange for Brian Cardinal.
My Take: This could very well be the most boring deal of the year. Darko will finish out the year with the Timberwolves, saving the Knicks nearly two million dollars, and Brian Cardinal will likely be waived tomorrow.
The Aftermath: You don't really think I care, do you?

The Deal: The Bull trade John Salmons to the Bucks in exchange for Hakim Warrick and Joe Alexander.
My Take: Salmons played well for the Bulls last year after he was acquired along with Brad Miller from the Kings, but he seems to have fallen out of favor in Chicago this year. The Bucks had high hopes for Joe Alexander, but he has never lived up to the hype.
The Aftermath: By trading Salmons for Warrick and Alexander, the Bulls get a decent bench player in Warrick and a player with some development potential in Alexander. The Bucks move on from their mistake in drafting Alexander (No. 8 Overall) and add a player who can contribute now.

The Deal: The Bucks send Jodie Meeks, Francisco Elson and a second round draft pick to the Sixers for Primoz Brezec and Royal Ivey.
My Take: The Sixers picked up Jodie Meeks and a second round pick in this deal. Meeks has some potential. The second round pick could turn into something. Other than that, this deal has not real impact on anything.
The Aftermath: Jodie Meeks either develops or does not. The second round pick either works out, or does not. Even if it does not, the Sixers have nothing to lose here.

The Deal: The Knicks acquire Tracy McGrady and Sergio Rodriguez. The Rockets get Kevin Martin, Jordan Hill, Jarred Jeffries, Hilton Armstrong, the Knicks 2012 first round pick, and the right to swap first round picks with New York in 2011. Sacramento gets Carl Landry, Joey Dorsey and Larry Hughes.
My Take: The Knicks got their guy. They gave up a lot for him though. The players they gave up are no big deal. The draft picks are. Houston made out great here by landing Kevin Martin, Jordan Hill and draft picks from the Knicks. Sacramento dumped Martin's contract.
The Aftermath: The Knicks will regret this deal. McGrady is proven not to be a winner, and he is past him prime. They gave up WAY too much for him. Houston made out great. They traded McGrady and Landry for Kevin Martin and draft picks. Martin is a very underrated player, and the Knicks draft picks are going to be high. Sacramento just dumped Martin's contract, which they were clearly unhappy with.

The Deal: Bobcats trade Flip Murray, Acie Law and a protected first round pick to the Bulls for Tyrus Thomas.
My Take: The Bobcats are serious about winning and Thomas gives them a solid shot blocker and thrasher. The Bulls were just happy to be rid of Thomas who never lived up to expectations.
The Aftermath: Thomas should be helpful to the Bobcats push towards their first playoff berth. Chicago will be happy to be rid of the cap space used on Thomas when they attempt to land a big name free agent in the off-season.

The Deal: The Knicks trade Nate Robinson and Marcus Landry to the Celtics in exchange for Eddie House, JR Giddens, and Bill Walker.
My Take: Robinson gives the Celtics the backup point guard that they have been looking for.
The Aftermath: Robinson will give the Celtics a great spark off the bench. And the Knicks have managed to unload another contract, leaving them with four players under contract going into the off-season. They will attempt to sign two max free agents.

The Deal: The Jazz trade Ronnie Brewer to Memphis for a first round pick.
My Take: Brewer is a good addition to Memphis on the defensive side of the ball. He is also very solid driving to the basket.
The Aftermath: The Grizzlies are making their push to stay in the playoff race. They are certainly in the mix of things. Brewer could be a nice contributer for them.