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Lots of noise went down just before the NBA Trade Deadline, sending faces to new places and heads to the floor. Pat Riley smokin' on that Beni-Pack, Lou Williams is headin' to Magic City & Denver is bringing a major reinforcement up to Mile High to bring thunder in the paint. Here are four interesting deadline moves that pave the way for the remainder of the season:
Houston deals Victor Oladipo to Miami
From the Rockets standpoint, they continue to be a joke of a front office. They should have kept Caris LeVert from the Harden trade. Now the little plan they had, as expected; blew up in their face. Houston sent LeVert to Indiana in exchange for Victor Oladipo, who was on the books for more money this season but came off the books after it. Houston's assumed thinking, was that new Houston personnel chief Rafael Stone could double-dip, letting Oladipo put up numbers for a couple of months before flipping him at the deadline to another suitor willing to go all in, in a big way for a high-octane combo guard amid the playoff race. Well he got Avery Bradley, a ageing player who hasn't played all to much this season & a veteran big-man in Kelly Olynyk, that doesn't really help the team in the long haul or even at all if we are being honest. Pretty silly and so is that 20 game losing streak the team just went on.
The Heat and Pat Riley also have me scratching my head. Jimmy Butler needs a more reliable second scoring option. Tyler Herro has been atrocious this season, especially in efficiency. Kyle Lowry made a ton of sense to bring in for Bam and Butler. Instead they bring in 'Dipo... what makes anyone think that Oladipo and Butler are a superior duo and will run the East; Like WHAT? Oladipo has not been the same player since his injury, his efficiency is down and he is shooting a par 40% from the field and worse from 3 this season. Butler needs a consistent threat, I just don't see this being a good fit for either guys. We shall see though, Riley didn't have to give up a whole lot.
Raptors Dish Norman Powell to the blazers
This is a interesting move by the Trailblazers. Gary Trent Jr. got his pro name with the leaps he made as a scorer in the bubble and has played efficiently well for Portland, but Portland felt they needed a upgrade even if it is just a short-term rental. Gary Trent Jr. is set to hit restricted free agency this summer, and will be asking for a raise. But Powell, 27, holds a $11.6 million player option for next season; he’s almost certainly going to opt out and hit unrestricted free agency, where he’ll be in line for an even larger payday than Trent, and could have a strong enough market to result in him being just a rental for the Blazers. Portland knows the window to win with CJ & Dame is getting slim; so they pounced on a experienced playoff performer. I like it. Powell brings high-volume sharpshooting off the dribble and off the catch. Powell can defend three positions. But he can also break down a defense and slash his way to the rim. Powell is taking 36 percent of his shots to the rim this season, compared to Gary Trent Jr's 15 percent, Powell is converting those up-close tries at a higher clip (63 percent, compared to Trent's 61%), and Powell looks for contact to get to the line (his free throw rate is twice as high as Trent's this season); Powell plays at a higher level than Trent.
Portland was one of many teams (in the teens) that entered the Powell sweepstakes. I think it was the minutes with Dame and CJ off the floor that made them attracted to Powell, especially for the Playoffs. When Dame and CJ are both off the court the Blazers are a different team. Grabbing Powell allows them to have a more reliable secondary scoring engine behind the two-headed snake. It's a solid addition, and we should see that come playoffs.
Toronto knew Powell was more than likely gone after this season, so they tried to get as much of a haul as they could. It's hard to tell if they are a loser or not without knowing what else they were offered for Powell. Gary Trent Jr. is solid and if he plays to their likings, his payday could come from Toronto and be quite beneficial for both parties. Check this pretty crazy stat:
Nuggets Land Aaron Gordon
Denver needs one more piece to the puzzle to unlock dominance amongst the top of the West... a big, versatile, & gifted defender who sets a tone on the glass and underneath. Trading for Orlando's Aaron Gordon might just be that piece, it sure as hell adds hope. Gordon isn’t a super disruptive defender—he has an above-average block rate for a combo forward, and a below-average steal rate—but he’s an adaptable forward the Nuggets need alongside "The Joker". You can feel pretty good about Gordon handling just about any assignment on any given possession; Gordon ranks 10th in defensive versatility this season, spending nearly as much of his floor time defending point guards (23.1 percent) as power forwards (27.7 percent). That could allow Denver to experiment a bit more schematically down the stretch and into the postseason; you can imagine Denver more readily switching all screens not involving Jokic with Gordon in the mix. Gordon on the floor will also make Michael Porter Jr. better and more dangerous, which will have teams forgetting about the sharpshooting Jamal Murray. Denver isn't looking at Gordon as a scoring option at all, which is perfect for Gordon. In Orlando, the scoring was on him, especially after Fultz went down. Being alongside Jokic, if you move, he’ll find you, and you’ll score. This trades could be gold depending on how willing Gordon is to buy into his new role—on him accepting the notion, after seven seasons with the Magic as their primary scorer, that the best way for him to make an impact on a team built like Denver; is to be a lower-usage Swiss Army knife. If we see the Aaron Gordon who defends his ass off, runs the floor, and sets screens and looks to make plays for others; Gordon could be a truly game-changing addition for a Denver team with the firepower to make real noise in the playoffs and for Bron's throne in the West.
Orlando is in sell mode right now as they just shipped out 4/5 of their starting roster. The big loss for Denver was Gary Harris, who was the Nuggets best backcourt defender and is one of the best in the league. Orlando getting him is great. When Markelle Fultz is playing, he is the Magic's go-to scorer. Harris' offensive game has declined greatly over the years with his injuries, but Orlando doesn't need that- they need defense and a wing who spreads the floor. Solid pickup, the Magic also got RJ Hampton who has great upside and is a very young talent. This trade might do wonders for Denver, I think they are big winners here and the trade for Gordon might be the best trade at the deadline.
Bulls get better and add Vucevic
Excellent trade for Chicago as they give their star in Zach LaVine a big time partner to give the Bulls a chance for a playoff run, packaging up Carter, Porter, and protected first-round picks in the ’21 and ’23 drafts to go get Nikola Vucevic, a two-time All-Star who instantly becomes the Bulls’ best big man since Joakim Noah finished fourth in MVP voting in 2014.
The Bulls have a very dangerous 1-2 punch combo now in LaVine and Vucevic. I understand Bulls fans being a little pressed about the two picks, which could send 2 mid-lottery talent to Orlando and not Chicago while they put their hope in a 31 year old, but it is not much of a gamble with what they get with Vucevic. Carter showed no signs of improvement or a stride in the right direction, he and Porter aren't a huge loss. Vooch is eighth in the NBA in value over replacement player this season, right between James Harden and Kawhi Leonard. He just made his second All-Star team on the strength of a career year, averaging just under 25 points, 12 rebounds, and four assists per game while shooting 40.6 percent from 3-point range on 6.5 attempts a night. Vooch is a reliable playmaking option to bolster an offense that ranks a mediocre 16th in half-court scoring efficiency. Vucevic will be the most dangerous pick-and-pop and dribble handoff partner whom LaVine has had since Karl-Anthony Towns, and this version of LaVine will be the most dynamic, attention-demanding scoring threat whom Vooch has ever played with. They should make life easier on one another, and for the rest of the Bulls. They’ve got a chance to do some real damage together and maybe give a playoff shocker.
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