Every year, multiple players are involved in trade talks but they wind up staying put. That was the case with Kyle Lowry, who was tied with a move to the Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat, or Los Angeles Lakers and wasn’t trade.
Other players like Nikola Vucevic are traded completely out of the blue, and that’s one of the things that makes theNBA trade deadline one of the most exciting days in the year, and this season’s deadline wasn’t the exception to that rule.
So, after having some time to take an in-depth look at every single transaction that went down on March 25, we’ll break down the top 3 biggest winners and losers from the 2020/21 NBA trade deadline.
3 Biggest Losers From The NBA Trade Deadline
3. Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics were supposed to make a big move as always but as it’s often happened under Danny Ainge’s realm, they didn’t pull it off. They added Evan Fournier almost for free which is a plus but they lost Daniel Theis and are still lacking in size and defense. One would think that they have a verbal agreement with a big man or else this doesn’t make sense.
2. Golden State Warriors
The only reason why the Golden State Warriors aren’t at the bottom of the standings is Stephen Curry’s stellar play and Draymond Green’s playmaking. Everyone else but Klay Thompson – and maybe James Wiseman – was expendable, yet the Warriors couldn’t make a move aside from a salary-dump deal with the Spurs.
1. Houston Rockets
The return for the James Harden trade could be the worst of all time. They traded Harden to get Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen, then traded them for Victor Oladipo. Now, Oladipo is gone and they have Kelly Olynyk and Avery Bradley. The Houston Rockets are a mess and you must feel terrible for Stephen Silas right now.
3 Biggest Winners From The NBA Trade Deadline
3. Los Angeles Clippers
Even though the Los Angeles Clippers didn’t land Lonzo Ball, they still ended up on the podium of the trade deadline. How’s that? Well, they finally have the floor general they’ve been craving for years in Rajon Rondo. Rondo isn’t the player he used to be but the Clippers were a playmaker away from becoming a legit threat, and he’s one of the best there is in that regard.
2. Chicago Bulls
The Nikola Vucevic trade was huge but so was the price they had to pay. Arturas Karnisovas wasn’t messing around and rounded up a nearly-perfect afternoon by adding a great and versatile defender in Daniel Theis, and the Chicago Bulls now have two All-Stars on their team. A true point guard would’ve been ideal but they can address that issue in the summer.
1. Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets needed two things: a point guard and a power forward. They got one of the most promising on that position by adding Aaron Gordon while offloading the injury-prone Gary Harris and inconsistent rookie RJ Hampton. They’re coming off a trip to the Western Conference Finals and are now a much-improved team.
