The 2024 NBA trade deadline came and went and while there was a clear shortage of big trades, there were a number of interesting deals that got made. Some of the lack of fireworks can be attributed to the recently created NBA Play-in Tournament, which likely discouraged teams from being sellers when they still had a chance to make the playoffs.
Still, there were several teams that got better at the deadline; on the other hand, some didn't. Let's take a look at the winners and losers of the NBA Trade Deadline.
Trade Deadline Losers: Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks were surprisingly quiet as the NBA trade deadline came and went, despite weeks of speculation that they could move Dejounte Murray, among others. They were apparently working on a deal with the New Orleans Pelicans involving Murray but that deal fell apart and they opted to keep their powder dry for the summer.
In theory, that shouldn't affect the value of the players that they were shopping, but they could have dramatically improved their draft pick in this year's draft. They are currently projected to have the ninth pick in this year's NBA draft and won't have control of their first-round picks for the next three years thanks to the initial deal that netted Murray from the San Antonio Spurs.
Not only that but they were asking for two firsts and a starter for Murray but teams clearly balked at that asking price, suggesting that they won't get anywhere near the two unprotected firsts and a pick swap that they gave up to the Spurs.
On the other hand, they will get more of a chance to evaluate what they have and the direction they decide to take and that may include a full-scale rebuild this summer. Still, improving their lottery pick and recouping some of their lost assets would have been nice.