The NBA Trade Deadline has come and passed, and boy, did we get a lot of excitement out of it. The day started off quite slow, and it seemed it would stay that way up until 3 o’clock. Disappointed, I headed out to lunch, turning off my phone, unaware of what was to come. As I wrapped up my lunch at around 3:10 pm, I was astounded by what had transpired while I was eating and enjoying the fabulous Greek restaurant I went to (if ever you are in Montreal you have to head to Petros).
In the remaining half-hour, a series of trades transpired that shook the core of the NBA. Did James Harden get his wish of leaving the Brooklyn Nets? He sure did! Is the Ben Simmons saga over in Philadelphia? It sure is! In fact, the two superstars were swapped for each other! Talk about everything going right for once.
They were a series of other trades that were quite relevant as well, but the Harden for Simmons swap was the trade every fan wanted to see, and general managers Darryl Morey and Sean Marks made sure to give the fans what they wanted on Thursday. But perhaps the most interesting piece of the trade was not the two stars that were swapped, but a severely underrated shooter who goes by the name Seth Curry.
Curry is the most efficient shooter in the NBA, statistically, and has provided every team he has gone to with a shooting punch that instantly boosts their offensive numbers. What else did Brooklyn get, you may be asking? How about two first-round picks! If anyone thinks that Philadelphia came out on top in this trade, they are out of their mind.
The Brooklyn Nets receive an all-star in Simmons, who perfectly complements Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. The Australian native is one of the best defenders in the NBA and is a superior ball-handler who can space the floor perfectly for Durant and Irving to do their thing, which is dominate. Curry also provides the Nets all-stars the ability to not be triple-teamed, as he is just as lethal a scorer as the stars on the team.
If we are going to talk about the biggest loser of the NBA Trade Deadline, I think it is hands down the Los Angeles Lakers. The team has been on a downward spiral for quite some time now, and can’t seem to figure out a way to win a game. Even though Russel Westbrook is my favorite player in the NBA (and had been since I started watching basketball) his time in L. A just isn’t working out.
When things don’t work, you need to fix them. The Lakers front office decided to be stubborn and do nothing about their problems at all. I’ve read reports that they are waiting for the buy-out market, which I guess could help, but this team is missing more than just a signing to get on the right track, this team needs a culture change.
Right now, they are a team that has absolutely no chemistry, drive, or will to win. There should have been a major shakeup on Thursday if they wanted to have any chance of securely qualifying for the playoffs, but alas, that was not the case. If the Lakers end up making the playoffs I will be surprised. Sure, they have Lebron and Anthony Davis, but a team needs chemistry more than any amount of superstars, and this team simply doesn’t have it.
Who do you think won, or lost, the NBA Trade Deadline? Let me know in the comments below!