‘Greatest failure’ has Simmons silver lining; Aussie’s ‘big moment’: Trade winners, losers

WINNERS

NBA Script Writers

This was supposed to be a relatively quiet trade window.

Only a few weeks ago, all the talk was about how John Collins and Bojan Bogdanovic were likely to be the biggest names available on the trade block.

And if there was one team who could have triggered deadline chaos it was going to be the Toronto Raptors.

Fast-forward to Friday morning and while there weren’t any major moves in the final few hours, expectations for this year’s deadline had already been blown out of the water.

The seemingly wide-open Western Conference was flipped on its head as Dallas and Phoenix went all-in on Irving and Durant respectively.

Meanwhile, the Lakers also made big moves, most notably finally parting ways with Russell Westbrook as LeBron James finally got some help.

As for the Raptors, they didn’t even end up being sellers. Instead, Toronto landed Jakob Poeltl as OG Anunoby, Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam and Gary Trent Jr. all stayed put.

Former NFL player Arian Foster made waves earlier this month when he claimed the NFL was rigged and that players received “scripts” provided by the league during the season.

Well, the NBA certainly had fun with its script before this year’s deadline.

Josh Green

Australian Josh Green averaged just 7.6 minutes per game in the playoffs last season at Dallas. That is definitely going change this post-season.

Green now factors as a crucial role player for the Mavericks’ playoff push after they went all-in on a title this season in trading for Irving. Although the guard out of Sydney was worried at first he was the one that had been moved on.

“I don’t have Twitter, so I had no idea [about the trade],” Green told reporters earlier this week.

“I was in the shower and I came out to like 20 text messages, and I’m like, ‘Oh, I’m done. Like, I’m traded’.”

Even after the Irving trade, Green was far from safe as he was the team’s most valuable trade asset should the Mavericks had tried to make any more win-now moves.

But it’s clear Dallas realises Green is a player who can actually help the franchise win now and The Athletic’s Tim Cato reported the Mavericks “prioritised” him despite “strong interest” from the Nets.

Green will only take on even more responsibility on the defensive end with Dorian Finney-Smith, the team’s best perimeter defender, off to Brooklyn.

The 22-year-old has also taken a big leap as a scorer this season, averaging 8.1 points while shooting a career-best 41.9 per cent from beyond the arc.

Only earlier this week Green stepped up in a big way with Luka Doncic sidelined, scoring a career-high 29 points to go with six rebounds in a 124-111 win over the Utah Jazz.

Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said late last year that Green has “superstar” talent and will “make a lot of money”, with the Australian eligible to sign a contract extension next offseason.

Should he not reach an agreement with Dallas, Green will become a restricted free agent in 2024.

Speaking on his podcast, NBA insider Zach Lowe said this is a “big moment” for Green to prove himself having already significantly developed his game on both ends this season.

”This is a big, big moment for Josh Green, who I think maybe they should just start over Tim Hardaway Jr. or Reggie Bullock,” Lowe said.

“He’s having a sensational shooting season. He’s a much better defender than Hardaway, a little stouter on defence and he’s just a smart ball mover. It’s a big moment for him.”

LeBron James

It was always going to be a delicate balancing act for the Lakers heading into this year’s trade deadline.

As much as they needed to make moves to put James in a position to win, the franchise was still crippled by past mistakes — including the Russell Westbrook contract.

As The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor pointed out, the Lakers could have afforded Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Kyle Kuzma and Alex Caruso — all of which were cap casualties of the Westbrook trade.

But somehow as O’Connor wrote, after “one of the bigger mistakes” in the franchise’s history, the Lakers may have just found a way to “save their season”.

Missing out on Kyrie Irving was definitely disappointing and if the front office had not made any other major moves before the deadline there’s no doubting questions would’ve been asked.

Instead, the Lakers ended up with D’Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley while solving their Westbrook headache and only giving up a protected 2027 first-round pick.

They already added Rui Hachimua while Mo Bamba adds much-needed depth to the frontcourt after trading away Thomas Bryant to the Denver Nuggets.

James had made it clear ahead of the deadline that at this point of his career winning is more important than ever and the Lakers just put him in a position to do just that.

Whether it is enough to get the Lakers deep into the playoffs remains to be seen but it looks like they have least found a way to be better in the short-term without mortgaging the future.

Artist behind Luka mural

It’s too soon to definitively call the Mavericks a winner or loser. After all, this is Kyrie Irving we’re talking about and already he was making headlines in his first press conference in Dallas colours.

In case you missed it, Irving claimed he was “just tolerated” instead of “celebrated” at Brooklyn and at times even “felt very disrespected”. For all Irving’s off-field antics, it’s clear he hasn’t learned much and this Mavericks move has every chance of blowing up in owner Mark Cuban’s face.

But at least Cuban made a move to help Luka Doncic. If there is one clear winner though it is Preston Pannek, the artist behind that Doncic mural in the historic Deep Ellum neighbourhood.

Cuban accused Pannek of being “disrespectful” in an email after the mural went viral online, writing: “It’s your choice to do what you want. If that’s the way you want to be a fan. Go for it”.

But what has quickly become clear is that Pannek was right. Doncic did need help and Cuban knew it too.

Otherwise, why would the Mavericks make such a risky move for Irving, who could just as easily end up being a ticking time bomb instead of the co-star Doncic was after.

Mat Ishbia

The new Suns owner only had his introductory press conference a few hours before the Durant trade and even then, he had already made a statement.

“The way we look at it is, how do we improve our team?” Ishbia said.

“I’m not going to be sitting here counting the dollars. We’re going to focus on, how do we improve our team? If there’s a way to improve our team, we’re going to look at doing it.”

Ishbia certainly didn’t take long to prove it wasn’t just talk, making a big swing to trade for Durant and immediately vault Phoenix into Western Conference favouritism.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski described it as a “remarkable” coup for Ishbia, adding that the move was immediate proof of the new owner’s aggressive intentions in the top job.

“Just a remarkable deal for the Suns and now they pair Kevin Durant with Devin Booker and certainly Chris Paul,” Wojnarowski said.

“This is a team in the desert that is certainly going to have some immediate championship aspirations. I think Matt Ishbia, the new owner in Phoenix, he wanted to come in and make a splash and his done it – Kevin Durant is a Phoenix Sun.

“This was a deal done very much on the ownership level too, Ishbia and Joe Tsai the Nets owner I’m told there was a back and forth with them that began to start the conversation.”

Chris Paul

Speaking of the Suns, they have been rising up the Western Conference standings and now find themselves in fifth spot despite a poor start to the season.

There were suggestions if Phoenix was to take a big swing before the deadline it could involve trading away Chris Paul.

The 37-year-old insisted earlier this season that he still had an opportunity in Phoenix to win his first ring but with Devin Booker injured and the Suns struggling, that window appeared to be closing.

The Durant trade though has swung it wide-open, giving Paul his best chance yet to get back to the Finals and potentially cap off his career with a fairytale title.

Houston Rockets

While Phoenix and Dallas were the big winners to come out of Brooklyn blowing it up, almost every other team in the Western Conference is worse off for it.

That is, except for the lowly Houston Rockets, who currently have the worst record in basketball. That though could change in the coming years.

When the Rockets traded James Harden to the Nets in January 2021, they did so primarily to pocket a whole bunch of unprotected picks and pick swaps.

In doing so, they were gambling on it all falling apart spectacularly, hoping that Brooklyn’s expensive and ageing superstar core would crumble and they would be the beneficiaries.

But even the Rockets may not have forecast things unravelling so quickly, to the extent that Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving would all leave while Brooklyn still had five picks left to convey.

At this stage it looks like the Nets are heading towards a rebuild and the Rockets, who already have exciting young prospects in Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, and Jabari Smith Jr., are the big winners.

HOUSTON’S FUTURE HAUL

2023: First-round pick swap

2024: Own Brooklyn’s first-round pick

2025: First-round pick swap

2026: Own Brooklyn’s first-round pick

2027: First-round pick swap

Ben Simmons

This one may turn heads. After all, the Nets will no longer be contending for a title — at least in the next few years — and Simmons certainly is not in the position to be Brooklyn’s leading option with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving gone.

But there is a clear silver lining to those two being out the door. The high expectations and intense spotlight that came with it will no longer be on Brooklyn.

By extension, for Simmons’ sake, it hopefully means he will have the time and space to get his body right and potentially rediscover his previous All-Star-calibre form.

Even after missing five-straight games recently with left knee soreness, Simmons admitted post-game that the injury would continue to be an issue after managing just two points, six assists and four turnovers in his return.

“I still have a long way to go in terms of physical self and getting where I need to be,” he said.

“That will take time. Back surgery is not a light thing so it takes time. Back surgery you’re affected everywhere. Your knees. I’m not going to be the same player I was a few years ago. That’s going to take time to get back.”

Time though was not something on Brooklyn’s side this season as even if Irving and Durant stuck out the season, there was every chance both moved on in the summer.

It meant it was only more important than ever that Simmons was contributing now but with the Nets rebuilding, Simmons too has all that he has wanted and need all along — time.

Cam Thomas

Speaking of the Nets, no KD or Kyrie means even more opportunities for Cam Thomas’ stock to only continue to rise.

Thomas has been on a tear lately, scoring 134 points while becoming the youngest player in NBA history to put up three consecutive 40-point games.

Sure, the 21-year-old may not be a notable winner but the Brooklyn guard can only benefit from more minutes to not only develop his game but continue to put his name in lights.

LOSERS

Chicago Bulls

Just two teams did absolutely nothing at the deadline — the Chicago Bulls and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

But at least the Cavs had a reason to sit it out, having just traded for Donovan Mitchell. Chicago’s inactivity, on the other hand, is baffling.

Although if you ask Bulls GM Artūras Karnišovas, the franchise was active ahead of the deadline but just didn’t come across any offer that they liked.

“There were a lot of hypotheticals and a lot of rumours,” Karnišovas said.

“We were pretty busy but nothing (happened). It just didn’t seem like there were deals to make to improve this group. At end of day we decided to go with this group for next 28 games.”

It’s not like anyone was expecting Chicago to trade Zach LaVine or DeMar DeRozan but they had other assets that could have been moved and may be less valuable next season.

While Nikola Vucevic has been playing some of his best basketball recently, moving him on would have made sense given he is an expiring deal and could become a free agent if an extension is not agreed to by July 1.

Obviously the Bulls are confident not just that Vucevic stays put but they have the right core group of plays, when healthy, to continue to improve and potentially contend in the future.

Denver Nuggets

It’s not all bad news for the Nuggets who added Thomas Bryant, an athletic and mobile rim presence to have behind Nikola Jokic. But that’s about where the good news ends.

Bones Hyland is gone and sure, he wasn’t getting any playing time recently and clearly wasn’t part of Denver’s future, but two second-round picks is an underwhelming return.

Then, of course, the once wide-open Western Conference is now stacked.

They may not have played a game together yet but the Suns have immediately catapulted into title favouritism, headlined by Durant, Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton.

There are still plenty of unknowns surrounding Irving and the Mavericks, although they are obviously much better too.

Then there are the two L.A. teams — the Lakers and Clippers — who both made a handful of moves to add more offensive firepower.

As for the Nuggets, at this point it looks like they’re just betting on continuity. Denver is still capable of contending for the title, with Nikola Jokic playing at an MVP level while Jamal Murray and even Michael Porter Jr. are looking more comfortable.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Bruce Brown have also been shrewd additions.

But there’s little doubting the path to a championship is that much trickier for Denver after the deadline in a Western Conference that ESPN host Malika Andrews described as “bonkers”.

Ja Morant, who famously said last year he was not too worried being in the West, also has plenty of reasons to be concerned now, particularly after the Grizzlies made no real upgrades.

Anyone who wasted time on the hypothetical ‘Big 3’

Look, if you were judging Brooklyn based on what it got in return for Durant and Irving, you’d have to say the former NBA powerhouse probably belongs in the winners section.

After all, getting five first-round picks, a first-round swap, seven second-rounders and solid supporting players with some upside will at least help kick off the rebuild in Brooklyn.

In saying that, it’s still hard to shake off just how spectacularly everything fell apart, with Irving, Durant and Harden playing just 16 games together.

Instead, it will always be the best hypothetical trio that never lived up to expectations.

“As an era, the KD, Kyrie, Harden era goes down as the greatest failure in the history of the NBA,” Zach Lowe said on ESPN’s live coverage of the deadline.

“They won one playoff series in four years. All the drama, all the picks, all the coverage on this show and all the other shows amounted to one playoff series. Durant, Harden and KD played 16 games together. That’s it.”

Now, as ESPN’s Nick Friedell explained on Friday, Brooklyn is left to pick up the pieces of a Ben Simmons contract that “crushed” the team’s hopes of avoiding any major rebuild.

“I would add this in the context of any Brooklyn conversation, the reality for the Nets is Ben Simmons’ contract completely crushed them,” Friedell said.

“He’s still got two years and $80 million left. Now they are forced to completely rebuild and stock up a bunch of picks and hope eventually they can turn one of those guys into one of the three guys they lost.”

Russell Westbrook

Westbrook’s former longtime agent Thad Foucher warned last year that nine-time All-Star was at risk of being a buyout candidate as his trade value continue to diminish.

“Now, with a possibility of a fourth trade in four years, the marketplace is telling the Lakers they must add additional value with Russell in any trade scenario,” Foucher told ESPN at the time.

“And even then, such a trade may require Russell to immediately move on from the new team via buyout. My belief is that this type of transaction only serves to diminish Russell’s value.”

Foucher looks set to be proven right, with Westbrook traded to Utah but unlikely to ever suit up for the franchise with the Jazz instead expected to buy him out.

Westbrook had shown a willingness to do what was best for the team when he went back to the bench for the Lakers and really started to rediscover some of his form.

But the fit was never right from the start and now Westbrook’s value is only taking an even bigger hit in the aftermath of the trade amid suggestions the relationship with the Lakers had become “toxic”.

The Athletic reported the situation had become “untenable” over the past week and that the team’s coaching staff was growing “frustrated” with his behaviour.

ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, meanwhile, went as far as to claim once source had compared Westbrook’s presence to that of a “vampire sucking the blood out of the locker room”.

It seems like there is a concerted effort to paint Westbrook in an unfair light and publicly attack his character in the aftermath of a trade despite it seemingly having more to do with chemistry issues on the court.

John Wall

Look, for the time being, let’s ignore the fact Wall is going to be waived anyway.

It just makes it more fun. After all, it was only a few weeks that ago that Wall publicly unleashed on former team the Rockets. Now he’s back at Houston again. Talk about awkward.