NBA: Grading every team’s trade deadline moves, one month later
Now a month removed from the NBA’s February trade deadline, we ranked each and every team’s activity or inactivity, and how they’ve fared.
It’s been just over a month since the NBA’s February trade deadline, and every player who’s found a new home has had just enough time to settle in and make their proper contributions. We saw plenty of household names stay put, as well as get moved to new homes.
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That being said, let’s take a look at how each team operated at the deadline with the benefit of hindsight.
For multiple contending teams, the ultimate trade ended up being no trade. A lot of contending teams who later reached out for talent on the buyout market declined to make a deal. But, as is the nature of the business, they’re just as susceptible to critique.
A look at those who chose to maintain the roster they began their season with.
Boston Celtics: B
Despite their need for a big man, the Boston Celtics held steady. This is a team that is always rumored in talks with some big name, and only once in recent history has pulled the trigger (the Kyrie Irving trade). But since the trade deadline, the Celtics have been a top-10 team in both offensive and defensive rebounds per game (per NBA.com). That earns them some capital.
Brooklyn Nets: B
Then there’s the Brooklyn Nets, who declined to make a move, in light of what they probably already knew would be a season’s end without Kyrie Irving or Kevin Durant. If we know general manager Sean Marks and how he’s operated in the past, then if there was a beneficial deal on the table for the Nets, he would have pulled the trigger.
Charlotte Hornets: C
There’s nothing exciting about the Charlotte Hornets season, or their lackluster trade deadline. Charlotte had a number of veteran players on expiring deals, albeit no name that was too sexy. But they ended up buying them out anyway, which is about as “meh” an outcome as you can get.
Chicago Bulls: D
There’s going to be a harder critique of the Chicago Bulls league wide, because they had a number of potential names to move. Guys like Thaddeus Young or Tomas Satoransky were certainly sought out by contenders, and Lauri Markkanen has made it clear he’s ready for his next NBA home. There’s still the offseason market, but striking the iron while it’s hot is a saying for a reason.