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Trade Deadline: Contenders Deal For Point Guards At Their Own Risk

By Phil Watson

Jan 2, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Rajon Rondo (9) looks for an opening around Boston Celtics guard Avery Bradley (0) during the first quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 2, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Rajon Rondo (9) looks for an opening around Boston Celtics guard Avery Bradley (0) during the first quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 7, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Brandon Knight (11) drives past Philadelphia 76ers guard Michael Carter-Williams (1) during the second half at Wells Fargo Center. The Bucks defeated the 76ers 97-87. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 7, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Brandon Knight (11) drives past Philadelphia 76ers guard Michael Carter-Williams (1) during the second half at Wells Fargo Center. The Bucks defeated the 76ers 97-87. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

The Deals: MCW, Knight, The Dragon Play Musical Offenses

Milwaukee Bucks Get: Michael Carter-Williams, Miles Plumlee, Tyler Ennis.
Philadelphia 76ers Get: Los Angeles Lakers 2015 1st-round pick (top-five protected for 2015, top-three protected for 2016-17).
Phoenix Suns Get: Brandon Knight, Kendall Marshall

Miami Heat Get: Goran Dragic, Zoran Dragic
New Orleans Pelicans Get: Norris Cole, Shawne Williams, Justin Hamilton
Phoenix Suns Get: John Salmons, Danny Granger, Miami’s first-round picks in 2017 (top-seven protected) and 2021

At the All-Star break, the Milwaukee Bucks were the surprise of the NBA, with a 30-23 record and solidly in position for a playoff berth.

The Phoenix Suns, meanwhile, were 29-25 and also solidly in contention for a playoff berth.

The Miami Heat were just 22-30 and were trying to stay in the chase for a top-eight spot in the Eastern Conference

Mar 2, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat guard Goran Dragic (7) dribbles past Phoenix Suns guard Brandon Knight (3) during the second half at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 2, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat guard Goran Dragic (7) dribbles past Phoenix Suns guard Brandon Knight (3) during the second half at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /

But at the Feb. 19 deadline, all three teams felt compelled to shake up their backcourts, with the Bucks adding Carter-Williams and subtracting Knight, the Suns adding Knight in favor of Dragic and the Heat looking to team Dragic with Dwyane Wade.

The results were … ungood.

The Bucks went 11-18 the rest of the way, finishing at .500 and finishing sixth in the East, where they were thumped by the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the playoffs.

Phoenix stumbled to a 10-18 finish and missed the postseason party and Miami was 15-15 and didn’t quite make enough of a kick to reach the playoffs.

Carter-Williams is still having some difficulties transitioning to his new team in Milwaukee, as his numbers are at career-low levels in 2015-16 and the Bucks are fading fast from contention for the postseason.

Knight only played in 11 games with the Suns after the trade before going down with an ankle injury. He’s rebounded with a career year this season, averaging nearly 20 points per game, but the Suns are a FEMA-level disaster area thanks to injuries and the uncomfortable situation with Markieff Morris still wearing orange after trashing the organization following the trade of twin brother Marcus Morris to the Detroit Pistons … in July.

And Miami is still going through adjustment pains as Dragic and Wade aren’t the smoothest of pairings.

The jury is still out on the long-term prognosis for these deals, but it’s hard to call them anything but lose-lose-lose for the Bucks, Suns and Heat at this point.

Next: Oh, By The Way, They Also Swapped PGs