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No one thought that the expected silent trade deadline will be as wild as it gets. As deals were executed by various teams that included all-star and role players, we analyzed who emerged “victorious” and who sent giveaways.
New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets
Knicks get: Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Anthony Carter, Corey Brewer, Renaldo Balkman, Shelden Williams
Nuggets get: Raymond Felton, Timofey Mozgov, Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Kosta Koufos, $3 million, 2014 first-round pick, 2012, ’13 second-round picks
Timberwolves get: Eddy Curry and Anthony Randolph
For the Knicks, it is obviously a gain as they get the Nuggets’ two all-star players: Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups, as well as role players in Balkman and a versatile youngling in Corey Brewer who can both play as a guard- forward. They also got veteran point guard Anthony Carter who could help lead the team in training younger prospects. The question is: will the gain last short term (as fast as in two seasons’ time) or a long-term asset for the franchise? We’ll see. However, there is no doubt that the new Knicks can compete and have a shot in the upcoming playoffs.
The Nuggets are clearly in a rebuilding process and releasing Melo and Billups is one of the key steps they took in exchange of young potential stars in Felton, Gallinari and Chandler, who also in turn are also the former starters for the new-look Knicks. Kousta Koufos can be a good (but not great and never will be great) bench player for the Nuggets for his size but the team could buy out his contract for they have draft picks come the next NBA Draft and a move to clear cap space as well. It is indeed a gain for the Nuggets.
The T-Wolves get Eddy Curry and Anthony Randolph in exchange for Corey Brewer and this makes the T-Wolves an arsenal of big men together with their rising star Kevin Love. The Wolves are obviously excited on Randolph’s potential and Curry is just there for his massive expiring contract. Randolph has to get minutes and I think he can get them in Minnesota.
It all goes down to efficiency, performance in the second half of the season, and how fast the players acquire chemistry in their new teams. But as for now, it is still a “win-win-win” for the three teams.
Oklahoma Thunder and the Boston Celtics
Thunder get: Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson
Celtics get: Nenad Kristic and Jeff Green
Most people saw this trade as a major boon for the Thunder and a dumb move by the Celtics. However, that’s not the case here, when you try to see what each team’s needs are.
The Thunder acquired one of the best post defenders in the NBA, and the only one who consistently gives Dwight Howard problems. Long have OKC been plagued with rebounding problems due to their lack of size, the addition of Perkins solves that problem, and places Ibaka in his more natural PF position where he can block a lot more shots from the weak side with Perkins being the main defender. A starting 5 of Westbrook-Thabo/Harden-Durant-Ibaka-Perkins is definitely that of a contending team. In addition to that, they got a streaky game-changer in Nate Robinson, who along with James Harden or Thabo can give them two very good players off the bench.
The Celtics have been much maligned because of this move, giving up the backbone of their defense (along with Garnett) to get a small forward in Green. However, when you think about it, this move answers Boston’s problem with flexibility. Green now becomes one of the best 6th men in basketball backing up Pierce and Garnett, and now he is able to play his natural position of SF. Green is basically a budding scorer and one Boston needs off the bench, and come to think of it, this gives them a bigger advantage in the playoffs due to the lack of real big men they have to face with Dwight (the rest of the Magic are not threats to the C’s) and the Lakers (they have proven that they can be competitive with LA even without Perkins) being the only exceptions, and even then, an offensively challenged Perkins in the lineup makes crunch time scoring difficult, especially since Rondo cannot reliably score off of a jump shot or a FT. And to add that up, they have already proven this season that they can play well even without Perkins, grabbing 1st in the East with Perkins injured for majority of the games. Risky but very shrewd move for Ainge.
