NBA Double Dribble: Trade deadline bonanza - Smart moves, dud deals, Aussies (mostly) come up trumps

After possibly the craziest trade deadline frenzy in many a year, the NBA landscape has shifted dramatically with Phoenix, Dallas and even the LA Lakers significantly boosting their title chances. 

Will their all-in moves pay dividends? Possibly for the Suns after they landed the biggest name on the trade market in Kevin Durant but the Mavericks and Lakers have taken much greater risks in their respective roster overhauls.

And for the Aussies in the NBA, the myriad moves in the lead-up to the deadline on Friday morning AEDT, it’s all coming up Milhouse, except for Patty Mills at Brooklyn. 

If he wants to win another title, it won’t be at the Nets now that Durant and Irving have followed James Harden out the door. 

Patty Mills and Kevin Durant. (Photo by Ron Schwane/Getty Images)

Trade grades – Top of the class 

Phoenix

Suns receive: Kevin Durant, T.J. Warren
Nets receive: Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, 4 1st-round picks, 2028 pick swap

The Suns acquiring Kevin Durant is the game-changing move of this NBA season. They needed to make a splash because the trio of an ageing Chris Paul, Devin Booker and Deandra Ayton was not enough to win the franchise’s first title. Paul’s effectiveness is dropping by the week as he approaches his 38th birthday and even though they were pressured into adding Mikal Bridges in to get the deal done, mortgaging their future for a shot at the championship with KD is well worth it.

They also added a handy young player in Darius Bazley from OKC to strengthen the small forward spot and only had to give up Dario Saric and a second-round pick.

LA Lakers

LeBron James wanted a roster overhaul and it’s good to be the King – but he didn’t totally get what his regal highness desired.

They’ve definitely became better with their various moves – Rui Hachimura from Washington, Mo Bamba from the Magic for Patrick Beverley and a second-rounder as well as acquiring Malik Beasley, D’Angelo Russell and Jarred Vanderbilt in the Russell Westbrook deal.

(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Now, instead of Westbrook and Beverley soaking up plenty of game time and salary cap with little production in return they can turn Russell into the distributor for James and Anthony Davis and they have greater depth and shooting with Beasley, Vanderbilt and Hachimura in the rotation.

But whether they can surge from a 25-30 record and 13th in the Western Conference into the playoffs and then do some damage is still going to be a tall task.

Long term, they are positioned well to snare Kyrie Irving in the off-season for a reunion with LeBron to really bring them back into championship contention. 

Under-the-radar good moves

Celtics receive: Mike Muscala
Thunder receive: Justin Jackson, Two future second-round picks

Boston have bolstered their depth in a position of need after Danillo Gallinari was ruled out for the season. Muscala can give them decent minutes here and there in the playoffs as a big who can shoot from range.

Pelicans receive: Josh Richardson
Spurs receive: Devonte’ Graham, four second-round picks

Graham barely played for New Orleans and Richardson will give them a better production off the bench as a three and D option.

Dud deals

Dallas

Yeah, they added Kyrie Irving but he’s also brought plenty of baggage to Texas and no guarantee (at least, officially anyway) of being around next season. He adds offensive potency for the fourth-placed Mavericks (30-26) in their bid to improve on last year’s Western Conference finals appearance but his history of leaving a trail of destruction in Cleveland, Boston and now Brooklyn should make Dallas fans very nervous.

(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Denver

The Nuggets picked up Thomas Bryant from the Lakers for Davon Reed and second-round picks, traded young guard prospect Bones Hyland to the Clippers for more second-rounders and basically haven’t boosted their title chances one iota. 

This is their time to not only go deep in the playoffs but potentially finally reach the promised land with Nikola Jokic in his prime and the team cruising at the top of the West standings at 38-17. They could regret their lack of meaningful trade activity in a few months.

LA Clippers

The Clippers sent away their main backcourt players in Luke Kennard (to the Grizzlies), Reggie Jackson (to the Hornets) John Wall (back to Houston) and have added Denver prospect Bones Hyland, Rockets veteran Eric Gordon and Charlotte’s Mason Plumlee to give them a much-needed back-up centre.

Their guard strength is now weaker but they are considered frontrunners to sign Russell Westbrook as he is expected to negotiate a buyout deal with Utah from the final months of his contract. 

But even then, will he be the answer to feeding Kawhi Leonard and Paul George the ball when and where they need it or will he get in the way at important moments because he still thinks he’s an MVP calibre player?

Golden State

They pulled the trigger on their failed No.2 draft pick James Wiseman, sending him to the Pistons, with Detroit dealing shooter Saddiq Bey to Atlanta and the Warriors ending up with five second-round picks from the Hawks and another under-performing former lottery pick in Kevin Knox.

They regained some ground by enticing Gary Payton II back to the Bay from Portland with those second-rounders and they have saved money from their enormous tax bill but they take a rare L for the Wiseman experiment.

How the Aussies fared

For Jock Landale, it’s Christmas. Not only was he not a part of the platter of players sent to Brooklyn, he now gets to share the frontcourt with Durant. The Suns also traded Dario Saric so Landale’s minutes should get an uptick. 

Matisse Thybulle was traded from Philadelphia to Portland in a three-team deal. While it means he will no longer be on a contender, he should get a bigger role at the Blazers, who desperately need a defensive stopper on the wing, particularly after trading Josh Hart to the Knicks. 

Ben Simmons should get a little less spotlight placed on him in Brooklyn now that the Nets will be a play-in team at best. With Spencer Dinwiddie now their main guard after Kyrie Irving was shipped to Dallas, Simmons may go back to more of a playmaking role on offence, getting the chance to distribute with his elite passing.

Josh Green. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)

He needs to rehab his image and his career but if he can’t recapture his 76ers form now after getting more opportunity, his prospects look bleak.

Mills will continue to be the ultra professional on the Nets and is under contract for next year so if he wants to chase another ring in the twilight of his career, an off-season trade is his best hope. 

Josh Green is the other Aussie who has emerged from the trade deadline in a much better spot. The departure of Dorian Finney-Smith at Dallas in the Kyrie trade opens up a starting spot for Green – he scored a career-high 29 against Utah earlier this week and his defensive prowess complements the offensive power of Irving and fellow All-Star Luka Doncic perfectly.