The Daily Sport-February 21st

Yesterday saw one of my favorite days in sports (although, granted, calling a day one of my favorites isn’t saying a lot because of how many “favorites” I actually have). However, we’ll still call it a favorite. The day: NBA Trade Deadline day. Every year, mid to late-February the NBA sets the final day of the season where teams can trade amongst themselves players, picks, and assets until the season concludes. 

You may have seen my post entitled, “5 NBA Trades that Make so much sense they probably Won’t Happen” and if so, hey-lookie there, I’m doing something right. Also, if you did read it, you would have noticed that these trades actually did indeed make far too much sense for current NBA general managers to make work. I somehow talk the deadline up to myself every year and believe all of the “talk” and rumors around the league from various “sources” that swear THIS is the year that the big deadline deal goes down.

But, to my dismay and sustained deadline day disappointment (That’s some serious alliteration for you right there Gontarsky-my sophomore year Editing professor), the biggest pieces to move were an overrated aging “allstar” and an underperforming player beaming with “potential”. As such, I was clearly unimpressed by the efforts of many GM’s to be bold and help their teams take the next step into becoming a true championship contender. 

But I’ll stick to the four most-significant trades that did actually go through and grade each one for the teams involved for this post: 

Sacramento Kings Receive:  

SG Jason Terry (two years, $11.5 million)

 PF Reggie Evans (two years, $3.5 million).

Grade: Inc

If the Kings agree to a buyout with Terry, the financial savings stemming from this deal are massive. As such, I would reward the Kings with an A- for swapping an underperforming, overpaid Thornton for financial savings coming off Terry’s deal in addition to the heart and hustle effort and character traits Evans brings to the floor every night.

Brooklyn Nets Receive:  

SG Marcus Thornton (two years, $16.6 million).

Grade: B+

Prokorov yet again proves that he is willing to pay whatever it costs to have a minute chance of even competing in the playoffs. Although the salaries are very close in amounts, the harsh luxury-tax implications of this deal are more severe. Prokorov’s tax bill now will total over $88 million for this season alone. Personnel-wise, this is a challenge trade in which two similarly paid guards that are massively underperforming are swapped in the hopes that they will benefit from a change of scenery. The B+ is for taking on the younger, more talented Thornton who offers no defensive value, but can become a high-volume capable scorer anytime now.

Golden State Warriors Receive:

 PG Steve Blake (one year, $4 million)

Grade: A+

The Warriors were one of the only major contenders (other than the Pacers) to make a meaningful deal. They had a real and major need for a backup point guard and capable ball-handler to share the burden that the Splash Brothers currently carry alone as of now. Dealing the younger Bazemore and Brooks away to obtain Blake takes little away from what will be the Warriors’ playoff rotation and Blake more than makes up for their losses with what he will bring.  

Los Angeles Lakers Receive:  

SF MarShon Brooks (one year, $1.2 million)

 SG Kent Bazemore (one year, $788,872)

Grade: B-

Wow, look at all these good grades going around for deadline deals. Usually I’m much more pessimistic than this, but this deal does just make sense for both sides. Swapping the more talented Blake for the younger players of Bazemore and Brooks only offers the Lakers the opportunity to find a hidden gem in these two. It also increases the ping-pong balls in this summer’s NBA draft as the Lakers surely get worse with this deal. The only reason the grade stands as an A- is because it pissed off Kobe. And no matter how much of a good thing the Lakers do, anything the Lakers do to piss off Kobe can never truly be a good thing.

http://msn.foxsports.com/buzzer/story/kobe-bryant-tweets-displeasure-with-steve-blake-trade-022014

Cleveland Cavaliers Receive: 

 C Spencer Hawes (one year, $6.6 million)

Grade: B+

How much of a difference will the lanky, sweet-shooting big man make for the Cavaliers as they reach for one of the final playoff spots in the soft Eastern conference? That is the question that will swing the dynamics of this trade. Giving up two second-round picks is fairly light compensation to ably escape the mistake of the two-year deal given to Clark. But, it’s the Cavs and I had a hard time giving anything they do an A.

Philadelphia 76ers Receive: 

 SF Earl Clark (two years, $8.25) 

2014 2nd-round pick (via Memphis)

2014 2nd-round pick (via Cleveland)

Grade: C+

Earl Clark is the perfect roster-filler the 76ers need at this time. Someone they can buyout to let younger player take the playing time and develop but keep the contract on the cooks to meet the salary floor. Philadelphia GM Sam Hinkie has certainly been reading up on the Gilbert Arenas, Rashard Lewis, Paul Millsap, Dennis Rodman, and Manu Ginobli second-round pick stories as he now has collected six, yes SIX (6?!) of them. Who knows, maybe they’ll hit one. The grade is lowered because I believe Hawes carried more value than the return they received. 

 

 

Indiana Pacers Receive:  

SF Evan Turner (one year, $6.7 million)

PF Lavoy Allen (one year, $3 million)

Grade: A+

The Pacers turned an expiring contract of a former All-star who hasn’t “fit” on this team since the emergence of budding young stars Lance Stephenson and Paul George into the promising Turner who is also on an expiring deal and the talented and productive Lavoy Allen. Each of the two players the Pacers acquired have consistently played well against Miami in past appearances and that’s what the hope here is for the Pacers. The Eastern Conference Championship series is truly the NBA Finals in my eyes as both the Heat and Pacers are built to beat the Thunder. This move greatly increases Indiana’s hopes at this.

Philadelphia 76ers Receive:

 SF Danny Granger (one year, $14 million) 

 Future 2nd-round pick

Grade: D-

What in the f%$@ is that evil “genius” Hinkie doing? He was involved in what-five-total deals on deadline day in his effort to, what in my best assumption is, hoard second round draft picks and make his team as bad as he can for the rest of this season and then next, in an effort to make his team great the following years. He’s either going to come out roses or promptly be fires upon, pelted with Cheesesteaks, and become the next former GM of this sad, sad, franchise (yes that’s me laughing out loud writing this).   

Today will be better than yesterday.