Five weeks have passed since we experienced the most jaw-dropping and crazy NBA trade deadline that involved All-NBA talents like Luka Doncic, Anthony Davis, De’Aaron Fox, and Jimmy Butler relocating to new places. In this span, the NBA as a whole has changed drastically in terms of teams rising in and falling out of the playoff picture.
Every deal made at this year’s trade deadline holds some level of importance. For some, this transaction period was a path to forging future success. For other teams, it was a means to improve right away and make a legitimate championship push. There are then those who will look back on the trade deadline and regret the moves they made.
The trades made this season reflect just how competitive both conferences are.
While the Cleveland Cavaliers sit at the top of the East with the best record in the NBA, there are still competitors who made moves to better their playoff chances. This statement relates more so to the West, as the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors were struggling to remain relevant in the play-in tournament picture. These two organizations are now being viewed as real championship threats.
Everything changes in the blink of an eye after the trade deadline. The fact that the All-Star break was a week after the deadline also presented teams with a moment to catch their breaths and integrate their newly acquired talents.
Trades involving All-Stars like Doncic and Butler are obviously going to get all the attention when looking back on the trade deadline. But there were plenty of impactful trades that flew under the radar.
Kevin Porter Jr. has really helped make a difference in the Milwaukee Bucks’ second unit. Dennis Schroder provides the Detroit Pistons with yet another experienced leader in their locker room. Perhaps the most underrated addition was made by the Philadelphia 76ers when they acquired Quentin Grimes from the Dallas Mavericks.
Although the 76ers’ season is all but over, Grimes has been spectacular in his elevated role, scoring at least 25 points in four of the team’s last five games and recently recording a career-high 44 points in Philadelphia.
Whether it involves big names or role players, impactful trades are always made in the middle of a season, changing the trajectory of what is to come. With the NBA season nearing its end, there is no better time to look back at the trade deadline and evaluate the six biggest moves that were made, starting with Doncic going to Los Angeles.
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Mavericks’ future gone after Luka Doncic, Lakers trade
Nothing has gone right for the Mavericks since they traded Doncic to Los Angeles. It is almost as if this franchise has been cursed for its poor decisions. Not even one year after making the NBA Finals, the Mavs have set themselves back years by trading a generational talent to a team that had no long-term future with LeBron James aging.
The Lakers now have their future secured, and it’s not hard to argue that they are in a better position to potentially win a championship right now with Doncic and James rather than with Davis in the frontcourt. No team in the league can stop either Luka or LeBron, and now teams will have to deal with both of them in the playoffs.
Since arriving in Los Angeles, Doncic has averaged 26.1 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 7.6 assists in 13 games. This team is in contention for the 2-seed in the West despite James being injured, and the Lakers are set up to be a 45-win team at the minimum for the next several seasons.
The same can’t be said about Dallas. Davis got injured in his first game with the team, Kyrie Irving tore his ACL, and their two bigs are also out with injuries. Not to mention, Grimes has been balling in Philly, and Caleb Martin hasn’t made much of an impact for the Mavs. A few years from now, we will be calling this the worst trade in NBA history… that is if we already aren’t deeming it the worst trade ever!
Mavericks grade: F
Lakers grade: A
De’Aaron Fox establishes strong future with Victor Wembanyama
Unfortunately for the San Antonio Spurs, the addition of De’Aaron Fox didn’t end up in them making a push for the play-in tournament. At the same time, this trade isn’t why the Spurs will be missing postseason basketball for the sixth straight year.
Wembanyama was diagnosed with a deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder, and the Spurs announced on Thursday that Fox would be shut down for the remainder of the year to have surgery to repair tendon damage in his left pinky that has existed since training camp. Although this trade didn’t lead the Spurs to immediate success, we saw glimpses of what this Wemby-Fox duo could be.
In the five games these two stars played together, Wembanyama averaged 21.2 points and 12.0 rebounds per game while shooting 47.0 percent from the floor. While these numbers may not look all that impressive, Fox was able to help take a lot of pressure off Wemby. Moving forward, there is a lot to look forward to as a Spurs fan with these two, Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, and other young, high-potential players.
The Sacramento Kings and Chicago Bulls are on the opposite side of things one month after the Fox trade. Since trading their best player, the Kings have gone 9-8 and are still trying to forge their new identity. Zach LaVine and Jonas Valanciunas have played their respective parts, yet this group doesn’t have enough to be anything more than a play-in tournament team.
Trading Fox was a move Sacramento needed to make since they were stuck between a rock and a hard place. The Kings knew their star wasn’t going to sign a new contract, so they salvaged value while they could. The Bulls, on the other hand, are stuck in purgatory. They have gone 7-10 since this trade, which hasn’t really helped their draft pick odds whatsoever.
The worst part about this trade is that Tre Jones has played well and will leave in free agency since Chicago will be re-signing Josh Giddey to a new, long-term deal. Other than getting their pick back, Chicago hasn’t benefited in terms of changing their outlook now or looking ahead to the 2025-26 season.
Spurs grade: A-
Kings grade: C+
Bulls grade: C+
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Warriors’ Jimmy Butler trade creates championship hope
There is no question as to which team won the NBA trade deadline. One month later, Jimmy Butler has made the greatest positive impact out of any player moved at the trade deadline, as the Warriors are the hottest team in the league right now. With Butler on the floor, the Warriors have posted a 13-1 record, recently defeating the Kings 130-104 on Thursday night in a game where Stephen Curry made his 4,000th career 3-pointer.
Before the Butler trade, Golden State ranked 18th in offensive rating and 10th in defensive rating. This team was also struggling mightily at 25-26 and on the verge of missing the play-in tournament. The script has flipped with the six-time All-Star helping lead the way, as the Dubs rank third in offensive rating and third in defensive rating. They are 38-28 since Butler made his debut.
Funny enough, the Warriors went from being one of the worst free-throw shooting teams in the league to now being one of the best over the last several weeks since the Butler trade.
Overall, the whole demeanor of this organization has changed, and there is a true belief that they can capture another title after their chances of making the playoffs seemed bleak at the start of February. For Butler, he’s just happy to be somewhere he feels appreciated.
“I saw a group that wanted me to be a part of it. That’s all you ever wanted to be is wanted in this life, not just in this league,” Butler told Marc J. Spears of ESPN’s Andscape. “In anything, you want to be wanted. Needed is like a necessity. Wanted is like somebody’s choosing to bring you aboard this. I think that’s the ultimate sign of respect.”
While trading for Butler was a move criticized at first, this has been the best trade any team made this season. If the Warriors do go on to win another championship, this will be looked back on as one of the most impactful trades of the last decade.
The Miami Heat have not been as successful as the Warriors since trading the star forward. Without Butler, the Heat have gone 4-12 over their last 16 games, struggling to close out games and forge their new identity. As a result, Miami is now just 15 games above the 10-seeded Chicago Bulls in the East standings.
Pat Riley and the Heat are not in a good position because they have no direction, their total cap allocation exceeds $200 million already for the 2025-26 season, and there is no immediate path to improving this roster. Giving up on Butler after he led them to the NBA Finals twice was a massive mistake for the Heat, especially considering that Andrew Wiggins has only played in nine games since the trade.
Warriors grade: A+
Heat grade: D
No grades given to Jazz, Pistons, Raptors for extension of trade
What does Brandon Ingram bring to Raptors?
Brandon Ingram has yet to play for the Toronto Raptors due to his severe ankle sprain, and it is unknown when he will eventually take the court. Despite not playing a single game in a Raptors uniform, Ingram will not be hitting free agency after agreeing to a $120 million contract extension.
The Raptors clearly have a new direction with Ingram joining a core of Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, and RJ Barrett, but how much will this organization be willing to pay coming off a season where they are going to miss the playoffs and likely finish with below 30 wins for the second straight year? Could RJ Barrett possibly be moved in the summer with Ingram in Toronto?
These are the two biggest questions surrounding the Raptors as they head into the final weeks of the 2024-25 season. The good news for Toronto is that they got Ingram at a discounted price. Kelly Olynyk was not a long-term building block for the Raptors, and Bruce Brown will be a free agent.
Although they sacrificed a 2026 first-round pick, this was a selection that Toronto received from Indiana in their Pascal Siakam deal during the 2023-24 season. Masai Ujiri and the Raptors’ front office used current assets to bring in a player who can help construct their immediate future, which is why this is still perceived as a good deal around the league.
Raptors grade: B
Pelicans grade: B
Was De’Andre Hunter trade final title piece for Cavs?
Doncic, Fox, Butler, and Davis were All-Stars who ended up in new places at the trade deadline. Right before the buzzer, the Cleveland Cavaliers got in the mix by landing perhaps the most impactful secondary talent that was moved. De’Andre Hunter, who had been on the Cavs’ radar in recent seasons, was traded to Cleveland from the Atlanta Hawks for Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, and draft assets.
Hunter was having his best season in the league with the Hawks, averaging 19.0 points and 3.9 rebounds per game while shooting 39.3 percent from three-point range before the trade. As a result, he was an early favorite for the Sixth Man of the Year award.
Due to his 3-and-D nature of play on the wing, Hunter has fit in perfectly alongside Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen in the Cavs’ starting lineup. Although his scoring numbers have dropped as the fifth option, Hunter’s efficiency has increased. In 12 games with his new team, Hunter has shot 50 percent from the floor and 3-point range.
The most important statistic is that the Cavaliers are 12-0 with him on the floor. Hunter joined the team with the best record in the NBA and made them even better. That is why Cleveland should be the favorite to win the Eastern Conference and advance to the NBA Finals. This was the missing piece in their lineup, and Hunter supplies one of the deepest rosters in the league with yet another primary option to turn to.
While trading Hunter didn’t seem like the best decision at the time, the Hawks have actually made out well, winning nine of their last 15 games, including four straight. LeVert has been an impactful scoring weapon next to Trae Young and has thrived as a secondary scorer on the wing in his second stint with head coach Quin Snyder.
Atlanta has moved up to the 7-seed in the Eastern Conference, putting them in the driver’s seat to make the playoffs and potentially put up a fight in a first-round series.
Cavaliers grade: A+
Hawks grade: A-
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Kyle Kuzma, Khris Middleton trade evening out
When the Milwaukee Bucks decided to trade Khris Middleton for Kyle Kuzma, this decision caused some backlash with fans. Although Middleton was not having a great season coming off double ankle surgeries, he was still one of the long-time leaders of the locker room next to Giannis Antetokounmpo. After all, the Bucks wouldn’t have won their 2021 championship without Middleton.
It truly seems like he got the short end of the stick because of Milwaukee’s desire and rapid need for playoff success. Thus, Middleton was traded to the worst team in the league for Kuzma, a player with championship experience. Kuzma has fit in well so far with the Bucks, there is no doubt about that. But has he necessarily been better than Middleton was?
Through 16 games, Kuzma has averaged 13.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 2.0 assists while shooting just 30.3 percent from three-point range. The Bucks have gone 10-6 with Kuzma. Before he was traded to the Wizards, Middleton averaged 12.6 points, 4.4 assists, and 3.7 rebounds per game while shooting 40.7 percent from three-point range.
With Kuzma, the Bucks rank 15th in offensive rating and sixth in defensive rating. Before this trade, Milwaukee ranked 13th and 11th in these respective categories. Their net rating has jumped from 1.6 to 3.9 since Kuzma’s arrival.
It still seems like it’s too early to definitively say if the Bucks made the right decision in this trade, but the advanced metrics do show that this is a slightly better team. Overall, it’s still hard to imagine that Kuzma will have a greater impact on the Bucks’ championship pursuit than Middleton did through the years.
The Wizards were the clear winners of this trade, as AJ Johnson and a future pick swap present excellent long-term value. Middleton has also played well with Washington, and the Wizards have won five of their last nine games. This was a good trade for a young, growing team to make, especially considering that Middleton can aid in the development of their recent draft picks.
Bucks grade: B-
Wizards grade: B
Looking back on failed Lakers, Hornets trade for Mark Williams
You can’t discuss the 2025 NBA trade deadline without addressing the trade that never happened. Mark Williams was set to be the other huge addition in Los Angeles after trading for Doncic. However, the trade between the Lakers and Charlotte Hornets never happened as a result of Williams’ failing physical and the trade being rescinded.
Nobody will ever know whether this was a case of the Lakers getting cold feet with a player who has an extensive injury history.
Of course, the biggest question from this whole debacle is if the Lakers made the right decision here by not accepting Williams.
Since this trade involving Williams and Dalton Knecht was rescinded, the Hornets center has played in nine games, averaging 16.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game while shooting 60.4 percent from the floor. Coincidentally enough, the Hornets defeated the Lakers in Williams’ first game back with the team after his failed physical in Los Angeles. He has only missed four of Charlotte’s last 13 games.
The Lakers have been dealing with a lot of frontcourt problems. Jaxson Hayes has a knee contusion, and this team doesn’t have any true, reliable depth behind him even though they recently signed veteran Alex Len. Williams was supposed to be the massive, athletic upgrade the Lakers needed in their frontcourt, but the trade never happened due to medical concerns.
Well, Williams has looked pretty healthy with the Hornets in recent weeks, recording six double-doubles in his last nine games, including three performances with at least 24 points. Although Knecht has played well during his rookie season and is a fan favorite, it’s starting to look like the Lakers could have really used Williams.
Time will tell if the right decision was made here, especially based on the Lakers’ upcoming playoff journey.
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