The NBA Trade Deadline may have been before the All-Star break, but we are still feeling the effects two weeks later.
In what was projected to be a quiet deadline given the new CBA and all teams trying to avoid the dreaded second apron, 63 players were moved. That was the most player movement we have seen since the 2021-22 season.
With that said, which trades will change a team’s season? Here are the three trade deadline trades that will impact the second half of the year the most.
3) De’Andre Hunter to the Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland entered the All-Star break tied for the best record in the NBA at 44-10. They have been one of the league’s most dominant teams all season.
So why did they trade Caris LeVert and Georges Niang for Hunter, despite the great vibes around the team? Well, because the Cavs know they are ready to compete now for a championship.
Hunter gives Cleveland what they have been lacking all season: a true wing that can play the three and the four. Hunter is having the best season of his career, averaging a career-high in points per game (18.8) and three-point percentage (40 percent).
In his first two games with the Cavs, he is shooting seven-of-13 from three. Adding him to an already potent Cleveland offense will free up the floor even more for their playmakers in Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell.
Hunter’s bigger frame also gives head coach Kenny Atkinson another option for his forward spots in addition to Max Strus, Isaac Okoro, and Dean Wade. That is four viable options for a playoff series. Hunter fills the Cavs’ biggest need and solidifies them as a championship contender this season.
2) Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors
Golden State made it their mission to acquire a star that they could pair with Stephen Curry and Butler was the choice they landed on.
Butler gives the Warriors offense an element they have not had in a while: the ability to get to the rim consistently and get to the free throw line. For the last five years, Butler has been amongst the NBA’s leaders in free throws per game (sixth).
Butler gives Golden State versatility at forward and in his four games with them so far, he has averaged 21 PPG, seven rebounds, and five assists. The Warriors are 3-1 in those games. Butler has opened up the floor for Curry, who is averaging 31 PPG and shooting 40 percent from three in that same stretch.
Just a month ago, Golden State looked dead in the water. Now with Butler in the fold next to Curry, they looked primed for the postseason and who knows what they can do with two of the best playoff performers in the NBA.
1) Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers
The one spot was obvious. With the Mavericks' inexplicable trade of Doncic, not only does adding an All-NBA talent like him benefit the Lakers in the long term, but their short-term outlook is just as encouraging. LA is already fifth in the West at 32-20 and 8-2 in their last ten games.
Doncic has been an All-NBA talent for five years in a row. He is one of the greatest playoff performers in NBA history, as he is second in scoring average (30.9) behind only Michael Jordan. He is coming off a playoff run where he averaged 28/9/8.
LA added that level of player next to LeBron James. Yes, there may be questions about how two ball-dominant guys can fit together. However, James is going to be the best player Doncic has ever played next to. Having these two players in a playoff series will be an advantage no other team will have, and good luck beating these guys four times in seven tries without a fight.
Doncic’s first two games with the Lakers may have been underwhelming, but he was also coming off a month-long calf injury. Once he gets acclimated, LA will be one of the more dangerous teams in the Western Conference.