NBA 2023 Trade Deadline: was it a good one?

Tavian B., Student

The 2023 NBA Trade Deadline was just yesterday, seeing a number of big name players making their way onto different teams. This late in the season, these trades could be the final push certain teams need in order to make a deep playoff run.

The first trade to really spark the excitement of fans was All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving making his way to the Dallas Mavericks. A controversial figure in recent years, a number of incidents and disputes resulted in Kyrie parting from the Brooklyn Nets organization. Though many thought he would make his way to Los Angeles Lakers in order to reunite with former teammate LeBron James, the eight time All-Star was traded to the Mavericks with teammate Markieff Morris in exchange for Point Guard Spencer Dinwiddie and Forward Dorian Finney-Smith, along with an unprotected 2029 first-round draft pick and two second-round draft picks in 2027 and 2029 respectively. The 6 ‘2” former Celtic is a risky pick-up for Dallas. Though he helps their offensive system, filling in the role played by former Maverick Jalen Brunson who signed with the New York Knicks in free agency prior to the season’s start, Dallas has lost some of its depth by trading Dinwiddie and Finney-Smith. Along with that, Dallas still has yet to address its problem of lacking a true rim protector and its below average defense, something definitely not helped by trading for Irving. A free agent this coming offseason, there’s a chance Irving leaves the Mavericks regardless of what they gave up in order to obtain him going into the 2023-2024 season, making this trade a gamble in order to push for a championship and satisfy star franchise player Luka Doncic by providing him with a co-star. Though there’s a lot of chance factors which can play into this trade, if everything works out we could see the birth of a new duo with Doncic’s and Irving’s combined scoring prowess.

Sticking with the topic of the Brooklyn Nets, superstar forward Kevin Durant has been traded to the Phoenix Suns in a four-team deal involving the Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks along with the Nets and Suns. The big components of the trade obviously being between the Nets and the Suns, with Kevin Durant and TJ Warren making their way to Arizona to play with All-Star level talent such as Guards Devin Booker and Chris Paul. In exchange for the 6 ’10” forward, Brooklyn received forwards Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder, and Cameron Johnson along with four first-round picks and a pick-swap. Crowder was then given to Milwaukee in exchange for two future 2nd round picks, with smaller exchanges being made to Indiana such as cash considerations to open up cap space from the Brooklyn Nets. The fifth seeded suns have been playoff contenders for the last couple of seasons, though after the lost to the Bucks in the 2022 Finals and were defeated almost single handedly by Luka Doncic in the Western Conference Semi-finals last year, many have begun to write off the Suns saying they lack the necessary pieces to push towards the championship title they have  been chasing for quite some time. This new trade has been a great addition to their team, granting them a tall wing who’s perhaps the greatest scorer the game of basketball has ever seen, as well as being a solid defender. Couple this with the scoring of All-Star level Shooting Guard Devin Booker and floor general Point Guard Chris Paul, and we may witness the birth of a new superteam.

The Los Angeles Lakers have kicked it into high gear this trade deadline. Though their two main stars, LeBron James and Anthony Davis, are incredible players, the Lakers lacked the necessary depth to succeed as a team. In order to combat this, they engaged in multiple trades in order to bring in more pieces which add depth to their roster. Guard Patrick Beverly was traded to the Orlando Magic for center Mo Bamba, making way for the Lakers to get rid of current rotational center Thomas Bryant in a trade to the Nuggets. Aside from this, the Lakers acquired former All-Star point guard D’Angelo Russell and got rid of Russell Westbrook, trading him to the Utah Jazz where he’ll most likely be bought out of his contract and released into free agency. Aside from those major player trades, a few more solid pieces such as Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley are coming to Los Angeles, granting much needed big man play and perimeter shooting. This trade deadline could very well mark a shift in the season trajectory for the Lakers, with a potential deep playoff run on the horizon.

Aside from these major acquisitions, a few teams made some smaller but solid moves. The Warriors traded former second overall pick James Wiseman to the Pistons for future second-round picks which they then flipped to the Portland TrailBlazers in order to acquire Gary Payton II who was a key piece in the Warriors championship run last year. Overall, this year’s trade deadline certainly was a busy one which could shake up the league’s entire structure, pushing new teams to the forefront of the season.