Boogie and Nerlens Are Making Moves: Reviewing the NBA Trade Deadline

The NBA trade deadline came and went Thursday afternoon, but without the sort of fireworks many had anticipated given some of the talks that had been ongoing. The Celtics decided not to trade for a star, the Pacers and the Bulls held on to Paul George and Jimmy Butler, and the purported Derrick Rose-Ricky Rubio swap never took place.

If you take the last 11 days into account, though, it's hard to call this year's trade deadline anything other than jam-packed. We watched the Kings deal a top-15 player for next to nothing, the Raptors make their move toward contention in the East, the Rockets set themselves up to improve over the next month, and the Sixers finally trade one of their three centers. Most years, that would be considered a pretty wild deadline.

The Pelicans and the Raptors were the big winners this time around, and the Kings were the unquestionable losers, but what were they, and everyone else, thinking? Here's a trade-by-trade breakdown of what happened before Thursday's deadline, starting with the most mind-boggling deal in recent memory and going from there.

What the Kings are thinking: I'm not sure what the Kings are thinking, to be honest. They had a top-12 player on their roster who repeatedly stated his intention to sign a long-term deal with the organization, and decided to trade him for 25 cents on the dollar. Sure, five years, approximately $200-210 million is a lot to tie up in an asset you're not positive can lead a team to contention, but the package the Kings received in return for Cousins is certainly not going to get them there any time soon, either. Hield is just three years younger than Cousins, and still a rather rudimentary player who hasn't shown much yet beyond his jump shot. He's clearly the centerpiece of the deal, given owner Vivek Ranadive's belief that he is the next Stephen Curry. Whereas Curry showed incredible ability off the dribble as a rookie, however, placing in the 65th percentile in the NBA in overall pick-and-roll plays, as well as the 94th percentile in shooting off the dribble, Hield has not shown anything resembling that, placing in just the 15th percentile in the pick-and-roll and the 24th percentile in shooting off the dribble. Hield will likely turn into a solid NBA player, but his star power seems limited unless he can become better off the bounce.

Combine that with the limited upside of the first-round pick the Kings received (likely to convey in the 12 to 16 range in the 2017 draft), and I just don't see the upside here for Sacramento. The Kings can preach that "character matters," as they did in the press release announcing the trade, but that rings hollow for an organization that in recent years has signed Rajon Rondo and Matt Barnes, and that also still employs Darren Collison and Ty Lawson.

Other factors at play here: the Kings will almost certainly retain their 2017 draft pick now, which was top-ten protected and at risk of turning over to the Chicago Bulls. Also, the inclusion of Omri Casspi in this deal is puzzling. He'd fallen out of favor with coach Dave Joerger, but his ability to knock down shots and defend a couple different positions proved useful in the last two years. He's not a "nothing" toss-in, and he could end up providing more value than Hield did to the Pelicans this season.

What the Pelicans are thinking: Yes! Yes! Immediately! Yes! Did you send the paperwork in yet, Vlade? Just checking!

This is a game-changing, franchise-altering trade for the Pelicans. New Orleans now has the best frontcourt in the NBA in Anthony Davis and Cousins; only a few teams can say they have not one but two of the top 15 players in the entire league. Cousins fulfills the Pelicans' desire of getting a center to pair with Davis, and their games fit well together on both ends. The team can play 4-out, 1-in with Cousins inside; they can play high-low with Cousins at the foul line and Davis running the baseline. Davis also covers for some of the mobility limitations Cousins has defensively. Alvin Gentry now has a lot of options to play around with as coach.

If worse comes to worst, and for whatever reason this doesn't work over the next 30 games, or the team finds out it won't be able to sign Cousins as a free agent in 2018, there's not really much reason to think the Pelicans couldn't get similar value on the trade market in the summer. The value of what they've given up here is so low that it's basically a risk-free deal.

What we think: This is the most mind-boggling NBA trade in the last decade. The Pelicans are on a new, upward trajectory after being stuck in the middle for years, and the Kings continue to somehow reach new lows as an organization after missing the playoffs for a decade straight.

What the Bulls are thinking: Unless the Bulls are trying to troll Jimmy Butler, I'm not sure I understand the rationale here. It seems like a massive overvaluation of Cameron Payne, a former No. 14 overall pick from the 2015 draft who has yet to prove much in his injury-riddled NBA career. A scorer more than a passer coming out of Murray State, Payne has shot 32 percent from three in his career, and is hitting just 34.6 percent of his two-point shots this season. Defensively, he's still limited due to his size and lack of bulk. He profiles more as a backup point guard than a starter, something the Bulls already have multiple of in fellow former first-round picks Jerian Grant and Michael Carter-Williams.

The team also dealt one of its few sources of consistent floor-spacing in Doug McDermott, which was totally unnecessary given that he still had one more cheap year on his rookie contract. Finally, fans will be disappointed to see Gibson depart after seven and a half good years of service as a strong defensive big man. Some had believed that a team trading for his services could part with a late first-round pick, but ultimately it seems the Bulls chose the Payne package.

Lauvergne and Morrow are borderline rotation players with limited upside.

What the Thunder are thinking: Gibson is an immediate upgrade at the 4 on Domantas Sabonis, who has struggled a bit his rookie season. He will pair with Steven Adams as one of the better defensive frontcourts in the NBA. He also provides a better cover at the 4 for Enes Kanter off the bench—an option when the Turkish big returns from injury. Overall, Gibson is a genuinely useful player for the Thunder, who will now have his Bird rights in the off-season and be allowed to go over the cap to keep him.

The Thunder, like the Bulls, have struggled to space the floor this season. McDermott should help in that capacity. He could also be well insulated playing in lineups off the bench with Jerami Grant, an athletic freak who can take tough defensive assignments as well as protect the weak side of the rim. That's a fun small-ball frontcourt unit.

OKC gave up relatively little in terms of future upside, and gained quite a bit of present value. Their goal here is to make a run at the No. 4 seed in the West, which is currently three games out of their reach. I'd be surprised to see them get that high, but they made improvements on Thursday while the three teams ahead of them—the Grizzlies, the Jazz, and the Clippers—stood pat.

What we're thinking: The Bulls continue to be a rudderless ship. They're sitting in the seventh seed in the playoffs for now, but they're a worse team today than they were yesterday, and they acquired little in the way of future value. The Thunder, on the other hand, at least have an idea of where they're trying to go.

What the 76ers are thinking: This move is going to be framed as the franchise choosing Jahlil Okafor over Noel as a secondary option to Joel Embiid. That's not wrong, but it's also an oversimplification. Noel will be a restricted free agent this summer, and Philadelphia simply ran out of time to evaluate his fit and potential before having to pay him big money. By contrast, Okafor has two years remaining on his rookie deal. At the very least, the Sixers still have time to rehab his value and re-evaluate his role.

Noel's three and a half years with the Sixers have been filled with stops and starts. Oft-injured, he recently expressed his unhappiness with the team's front office. He wanted a chance to start, and that's not going to happen while Embiid is on the roster. If Philadelphia handed Noel a $15 million-per-year deal this summer and he got hurt again—a distinct possibility—the franchise would be stuck with a cratered asset in a league that is flush with teams trying to downsize, dump their overpaid big men, and play small ball.

At the same time, the return on the deal, especially given the likelihood that Dallas' protected first-round pick will turn into two second-rounders, will leave many in Philadelphia with questions. The ultimate answer will come from Anderson, a powerful six-foot-sing wing who was taken in first round of the 2015 draft and has two years left on his contract.

Opinion on Anderson is split: some in the league believe he's a future starting-caliber 3-and-D wing; others wonder if his attitude and shooting will hold him back. Anderson has played more than 700 minutes this season and posted a league-average PER while playing athletic, switching defense. That's pretty useful for a 23-year-old player! Every NBA team is looking to take fliers on players like Anderson because versatile wings are currently the most valuable commodity in the league. Demand is rising, but the talent supply has remained constant. In a vacuum, Anderson isn't as valuable as Noel, but in the current NBA marketplace, he's not as far off as he might otherwise seem. Offensively challenged big men are hardly at a premium.

Bogut likely will be bought out by the Sixers, who reach the salary floor (hallelujah!) by acquiring his deal. Expect him to land with playoff team that needs a shot of interior size and defense.

What the Mavericks are thinking: For Dallas, this is a chance to buy reasonably low on a player with All-NBA Defensive Team potential. There's a reason Noel was so highly sought-after in the 2013 NBA draft: his ability to defend on the perimeter like a wing while protecting the rim from the weak side like a center is incredibly rare. He's a perfect fit with Dirk Nowitzki, too, assuming the future Hall of Famer decides to play for another season.

Sure, the Mavericks will have to pay Noel something in the neighborhood of four years, $70 million this summer, depending on how he finishes the season. After that, they'll have to hope that he continues to get better. Given that Dallas wants to win sooner rather than later, that's not a bad wager. Noel already can help Dallas more than Anderson could, and the two players are the same age. Two second-round picks aren't super valuable for the Mavericks—not with their recent draft history—and Bogut was going to be bought out anyway. His inclusion not only saves the franchise some cash; it also opens up trade exceptions.

What we're thinking: This deal is being hailed as a coup for the Mavericks, but many within the NBA have a vastly different view of Noel than the public. League executives often discuss how much they like his game, but they've also been hesitant to acquire him for some of the reasons detailed above. Add in the glutted market for NBA bigs, and his trade value was predictably low.

Nothing about this deal is simple. It could extend the Mavs' relevance for another five years. It could also harm the team's cap sheet due to the risk factors involved with Noel, and end with Anderson becoming the best asset in the deal. I slightly prefer the Mavericks' return to the Sixers', but I'm skeptical it's a home run either way.

What the Rockets are thinking: The Rockets are trying to make a title run, pure and simple. They're on pace for 57 wins, have the league's second-best offensive rating at 111.5, and, surprisingly, boast a 105.5 defensive rating that ranks 14th. Houston also had two depth holes it needed to fill: a big, versatile wing who can defend and play a low-usage role offensively (every team can use more of those), and a creative bench guard to provide injury insurance, and possibly allow James Harden more pre-playoffs rest.

Williams falls into the latter category, and his game is a perfect fit for Houston's "shoot threes and free throws" offense. He's also signed through next season at a price slightly lower than Brewer's, which means he's eminently moveable if general manager Darryl Morey wants to clear max cap space for a free agent. (And when doesn't he?) Brewer was giving the Rockets very little, so his inclusion can be viewed as a pure salary dump.

What the Lakers are thinking: Magic Johnson moved quickly on this one—the deal was announced just hours after he took over as the Lakers' new president of basketball operations. Williams probably wasn't going to be part of LA's next playoff team, so moving the shot-happy veteran for a draft pick makes sense. Reports said that the team also worked with Williams' agency to find a good fit, the sort of goodwill gesture that can buy you a bit of equity with players around the league. While Houston's pick is currently slotted at No. 27, the Lakers have found recent success with late first- and early second-round picks. Overall, it's a fair return for a solid one-way scoring guard, and Los Angeles can afford to take on Brewer's remaining salary.

What we're thinking: Given that a big wing is a more pressing need, I wonder if the Rockets shouldn't have used their pick elsewhere. Perhaps they struck out. Anyway, this still solves a roster problem, and on the other side of the deal, the Lakers get a pick to play with.

What the Wizards are thinking: The Wizards badly needed a backcourt offensive pick-me-up off the bench in order to make any sort of run in this year's playoffs. With John Wall on the floor, the team has an offensive rating of 111.4; put him on the sidelines, and that number plummets to 99.0. Bogdanovic is a good creator in the middle of his best NBA season, posting career-highs in points per game (14.2), true-shooting percentage (57.2), and assist rate (10.1). As he showed for Team Croatia at the Rio Olympics, he can play with or without the ball, and that should help a Washington team in desperate need of some reserve scoring punch.

Bogdanovic is a restricted free agent this off-season, giving the Wizards the ability to match any contract he's offered from another team so long as they extend a $4.6 million qualifying offer. By himself, he may not have been worth what figures to be a low first-round draft pick. However, the deal also lets Wizards general manager Ernie Grunfeld rectify an off-season mistake by offloading Nicholson, who had fallen completely out of Washington coach Scott Brooks' rotation but was guaranteed between $6.3 million and $7 million for each of the next three years. Getting rid of Nicholson's all-but-dead money could allow the franchise to avoid the luxury tax this summer, when it will likely give blossoming forward Otto Porter a near-maximum contract. Washington also will get a chance to see if former first-round pick McCullough is a project player worth developing. Given his inability to crack the rotation of the NBA's worst and most talent-starved team, I'm skeptical he'll amount to much.

What the Nets are thinking: General manager Sean Marks inherited a mess when he took over the Brooklyn job. The Nets have a handful of useful veterans, no prospects with star potential, and a dearth of draft picks thanks to the Assassination of Billy King by the Coward Danny Ainge. By taking small, calculated risks and absorbing money into his team's long-term salary structure, Marks has given the franchise a few more shots at finding a future difference-maker.

Bogdanovic was not going to be a piece of the next Nets playoff team, so Marks moved him to a organization that he can help, while also picking up a flier via a Wizards' first-round pick that is currently projected at No. 24. The same strategy previously saw Brooklyn offload Thaddeus Young for a late first-rounder, and while it's not groundbreaking, it's the right call for a franchise hunkering down for a protracted rebuild. McCullough, who was King's final first-round pick as GM, has played all of 72 minutes this year despite a Nets roster so starved for stretch big-man production that Anthony Bennett saw more than 250 minutes of real live NBA game action.

While Nicholson has been awful for Washington this year, just a season ago he averaged nearly 17 points and nine rebounds per 36 minutes while posting a league-average PER and hitting 36 percent of his three-pointers. The last number makes him a possible fit in Kenny Atkinson's system, which places a premium on shooting bigs. Given Nicholson's profound lack of defensive footspeed, he'll probably continue to be a negative asset, but it's not inconceivable that he could rehabilitate his value with the Nets.

What we're thinking: A classic win-win deal that makes sense for both organizations, given where they are right now and where they project to be in the future.

What the Magic are thinking: After attempting to gear up for a run at the playoffs last off-season by making a short-sighted trade for Ibaka with Victor Oladipo, Ersan Ilyasova, and a lottery pick, Orlando decided to cut their losses on a disappointing season and get some value in return for their impending free agent. Given that Ibaka seemed unlikely to re-sign, this seems like a smart move.

And the Magic actually did a decent job of recouping value. They get Ross, a valuable offensive wing signed to a totally reasonable deal at $10.5 million for each of the next two years. He'll help provide some floor spacing for a team that has needed it immensely since selecting Elfrid Payton in the first round in 2014. First-round picks are always nice to have, even if they're currently projected at approximately No. 25 overall.

What the Raptors are thinking: They're thinking playoffs. Ibaka gives Toronto a number of potential ways to match up with opponents. He will likely start at the 4 next to Jonas Valanciunas, but he'll also be able to slide to the 5 next to Patrick Patterson to close against teams who try to play small. His lack of passing is a bit of a concern for an offense that can often stagnate, but he can space the floor from the frontcourt. And while his defense has fallen off over the last few years, Ibaka is mobile enough at the 5 and can at least provide some impediment at the rim, even if he's not quite the shot-blocker he used to be.

Ibaka is a free agent in the summer, but the Raptors will definitely have an advantage in signing him. Not only do they retain his Bird rights, but Masai Ujiri and Ibaka have a long-standing relationship due to the Giants of Africa program. It's not a sure thing, but it's certainly a start.

What we're thinking: Ibaka isn't a perfect fit for Toronto, but he was probably the best available option for the Raptors on their quest to reach the NBA Finals. The Magic also did well here in clawing back some value on the sunk-cost Oladipo deal from this summer. It's a win-win as a singular move, but it's also one that puts into perspective the Magic's past mistakes.

What the Blazers are thinking: Portland has cap issues on the horizon, with the team already considerably into the luxury tax next season once C.J. McCollum's max contract extension goes into effect. It was unlikely the team was going to be able to retain Plumlee in the off-season, as he was entering restricted free agency. So instead of worrying about that headache later, they moved him to Denver for a high-upside big-man replacement in Nurkic on a rookie deal, as well as a first-round pick that should be in the early 20s this year.

Nurkic is the headliner, though. He was an All-Rookie performer just a couple years ago in Denver, and he gives the Blazers something they haven't had in a while: a big-bodied, post-up, offensive-rebounding big man who can take up space inside. While Nurkic's rim protection numbers are ugly, he's a solid fit for the Blazers' conservative defensive scheme, which relies on bigs hanging back. He's worse than Plumlee right now, but he can grow into a role as a cheap starting center. This move also gives the Blazers three 2017 first-round picks: their own, the Grizzlies' pick, and the Cavaliers' pick. Significant ammunition in a draft that's gearing up to be one of the strongest in years.

What the Nuggets are thinking: Everything in Denver has revolved around Nikola Jokic this season, and they fall off of a cliff when he leaves the floor. With Jokic, the team has a +4.6 net rating; without him, it plummets to -8.5. Acquiring Plumlee will hopefully solve some of those issues, since the former Duke product is about as like-minded a player to Jokic as you'll find on the market. He'll allow the Nuggets to play similarly up-tempo basketball whether Jokic is on or off the floor. He's also a considerable upgrade for the team on Nurkic, who had fallen out of the rotation in part due to sulking about his role on the team. They could also stand to lose that draft pick, since they currently have six players on rookie-scale deals on the roster, as well as their own pick this year.

One issue I do have: giving up this much for Plumlee, the Nuggets will likely need to re-sign him in the off-season. It wouldn't be crazy to see him get $12-14 million per season in that deal. The Nuggets have that money now, but Jokic's contract runs out in 2018, and the team will have to pay him to stay in restricted free agency. That's an awful lot of money tied up at the center position, and I'm not sure how valuable Plumlee will be in the long run.

What we're thinking: I understand where both sides are coming from with this deal, but ultimately I'm leaning toward Portland. They get the cheaper, higher-upside center as well as the better pick. The Nuggets went for present value that will help them during their playoff push, but I'm not sure that the assets they gave up couldn't have been allocated slightly better.

What the Rockets are thinking: Right now the Rockets are all about clearing room in anticipation of the buyout market. Houston now has slightly over $3 million in salary-cap space, which is more than most teams will be able to offer the best players who get bought out by bad teams. McDaniels wasn't providing them anything; maybe one of the players on the market will.

What the Nets are thinking: There is no downside to Brooklyn taking a flier on McDaniels. He's an athletic wing at a time when NBA teams are searching for projects who can possibly become useful at that position. The Nets will give him free rein to try to grow into his NBA game. Better yet, he has a team option at around $3.4 million next season. If he plays well, the team could decline his option and send him back into restricted free agency in order to sign him to a longer-term deal, or they could just let him play out on that cheap salary for the 2017-18 season.

What we're thinking: As noted already, these are absolutely the kind of swings the Nets should be taking given their lack of high-value picks due to the Boston trade. For Houston, we'll see if they can get a veteran who helps their playoff push.

What the Raptors are thinking: This team, pure and simple, is gearing up to give Cleveland a run in the Eastern Conference. Between this move and the Ibaka trade earlier in the month, the Raptors are in a much better position to match up with the Cavaliers in a playoff series. Tucker, particularly, gives the team its best option to deploy on LeBron James: he's powerful enough to defend on the block, quick enough to cut off penetration, and pesky enough when denying the basketball to at least annoy James even if no one can actually shut him down. Tucker's also hitting 34 percent of his threes from deep, making him someone who at least needs to be closed out on if not defended tightly.

Tucker is a free agent in the coming off-season; with Toronto's coming cap difficulties (Kyle Lowry will need to be taken care of, and Ibaka will be a higher priority), it's unlikely this arrangement goes beyond the 2016-17 season. But for a simple rental at low cost, it's tough to see a downside for the Raptors.

What the Suns are thinking: This one is pretty simple for them. Tucker was likely not going to be on the Suns' next winning team, so it makes sense to trade the impending free agent for anything of value. The Suns pick up what will likely be two late second-round picks, which are at least lottery tickets to take a chance on acquiring someone who could be around when the team is good. Phoenix also gets Sullinger, who probably won't give them anything and was included for salary purposes. (It's worth mentioning that Suns general manager Ryan McDonough was a part of the front office in Boston that originally drafted Sullinger in 2012.)

What we're thinking: This is a simple, sensible deal from all sides. The Raptors get a cheap rental that might help their playoff run; the Suns get lottery tickets for a player they didn't require for the rest of the season.

What the 76ers are thinking: Ilyasova morphed into a useful piece for Philly at the 4 position, but Dario Saric has been playing better overall so far this calendar year, and Ben Simmons may be on the road to returning this season. Plus, Ilyasova is a free agent in the off-season, and the Sixers likely would not have wanted to pay him eight figures a season given their future frontcourt commitments. Trading him for a second-round pick as well as a swap in that round makes sense. They'll let Saric run wild the rest of the year and see what happens with Simmons.

Splitter has not yet played this season due to leg injuries. It's unlikely he'll make an impact the rest of the way. His contract expires at the end of the year.

What the Hawks are thinking: Atlanta needed an impact stretch-four off the bench, so they got one. After spending his first seven seasons with the Bucks, this will be Ilyasova's fifth team in the last two seasons. In terms of lineups, it'll be interesting to see if Atlanta purely plays him at the four in lineups without Millsap, or if they try to use him a bit in bigger lineups that space the floor with Millsap defending threes. Regardless, Ilyasova should have some impact this season, and he didn't exactly cost the Hawks a ton in terms of capital.

What we're thinking: This seems like a win-win, overall. The Sixers pick something up for an expiring deal; the Hawks get a useful player taken into the cap space that was previously utilized by an injured player.

What the Bucks are thinking: Dumping Hibbert, who was acquired earlier in the month in the Miles Plumlee trade, allows the Bucks to pick up a massively protected second-round pick while also cutting salary. It also opens a roster spot and a $5 million trade exception.

What the Nuggets are thinking: This move pushes Denver up closer to the salary cap floor. That's basically it on this one.

What we're thinking: Not too much deep analysis required here. Next!

What the Rockets are thinking: More clearing cap space and roster spots, with the added benefit of doing right by Ennis, who was out of the Rockets rotation and now will get a chance with the Lakers. They'll cut Huertas.

What the Lakers are thinking: The Lakers have been looking for another point guard behind D'Angelo Russell this year, so Ennis will probably get a chance to play and try to impress onlookers. Note: The Lakers cannot offer Ennis more than $2.6 million due to CBA rules regarding players who have their first-round rookie scale options declined (Ennis had his fourth-year rookie option declined earlier this year by the Rockets).

What we're thinking: It's a simple trade that gives a former first-round pick what might be his last chance at a guaranteed NBA contract next off-season.

What the Hawks are thinking: Scott was out of the team's rotation and dealing with a knee injury this season. Trading him into a team's space basically gives the Hawks more money. They open a $3.3 million trade exception.

What the Suns are thinking: This move brings the team very close to the salary cap floor. Wouldn't be a surprise to see Scott bought out.

What we're thinking: That's basically it.

What the Cavaliers are thinking: This is all about saving money on their luxury tax bill (about $2.5 million) and opening up a roster spot.

What the Hornets are thinking: They make money here, as well. The Cavs can send around $750,000 in a deal, which means the Hornets can clear right around $400,000 in real dollars by agreeing to take Andersen and then waive him. The pick won't transfer, as it's 31-55 protected for this season.

What we're thinking: Hey, everyone makes money here without losing out on any potential deals. Smart move by both.

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