NBA trade deadline: Dwight Howard stays, Gerald Wallace to Nets

College basketball may be getting the headlines, but the pros have their own version of March Madness. According to reports, here's how the NBA's trade deadline shook out on a busy Thursday:

Denver gets: JaVale McGee, Ronny Turiaf. Washington gets: Nene, future L.A. Clippers second-round pick. L.A. Clippers get: Nick Young.
The Wizards decided to cash in on the explosive McGee before he became a restricted free agent at the end of the season. Denver clears cap space by getting rid of Nene, who just signed a five-year, $67 million extension, while Young will add firepower to the Chris Paul-led Clippers' backcourt.

Dwight Howard from Orlando to Orlando.
Saying "my soul and everything I have is in Orlando," the game's best center apologized to fans and dropped his demand for a trade that could have sent him to the Lakers, Knicks and Nets. In an interview with RealGM.com, Howard cited "loyalty" as his reason for waiving his right to become a free agent this summer. The coveted big man will remain in Orlando for at least one more season.

Nets get: Gerald Wallace. Portland gets: Shawne Williams, Mehmet Okur and a top-three protected first-round pick.
Once Howard decided to stay in Orlando, the Nets has to scuttle their offseason plans. Instead of trying to pair Howard with point guard Deron Williams for the move to Brooklyn, the Nets sent what looks to be a Top-10 pick and Okur's nearly $10 million expiring contract for the energetic Wallace, who will turn the small forward position into a strength for the struggling Nets (15-29).

Houston gets: Marcus Camby. Portland gets: Jonny Flynn, Hasheem Thabeet, a future second-round pick.
If Portland's 121-79 drubbing by the Knicks didn't clue you in on Wednesday, the two deadline deals they made Thursday show that the Blazers are a team in transition. This deal relieves the team of the 38-year old center's $9.2 million base salary, and gives the 23-year old Flynn the chance to revive a career that has stagnated since his promising rookie season in Minnesota.

L.A. Lakers get: Ramon Sessions and Christian Eyenga. Cleveland gets: Luke Walton, Jason Kapono and the Lakers' 2012 first-round pick.
This deal fills a clear need for the Lakers at point guard, and allowed them to deal 237-year-old veteran Derek Fisher, who doesn't have the legs anymore to start on a contender. Sessions' average of 5.2 assists now leads coach Mike Brown's squad.

L.A. Lakers get: Jordan Hill. Houston gets: Derek Fisher.
After dealing Flynn, the Rockets needed a backup to point guard Kyle Lowry. And the acquisition of Sessions made Fisher expendable in Los Angeles. Add in a big man headed for a career backup role despite the potential the Knicks saw when they drafted him at No. 8 overall in 2009, and you get a rare NBA trade that makes sense.

San Antonio gets: Stephen Jackson. Golden State gets: Richard Jefferson, 2012 conditional first-round pick.
Captain Jack's return to the Bay Area was a brief one. Just two days after acquiring the volatile guard and Andrew Bogut from Milwaukee, the Warriors sent Jackson (and his expiring contract) to San Antonio for Jefferson, another player in decline.

Philadelphia gets: Sam Young. Memphis gets: the rights to Ricky Sanchez.
The contending 76ers added depth by adding the versatile Young, who can play either guard or forward. Sanchez, a second-round pick in 2005 from Puerto Rico, has had his rights traded three times and appears unfit for an NBA career.

Indiana gets: Leandro Barbosa and Anthony Carter. Toronto gets: Second-round draft pick in 2012.
Barbosa, the 2007 Sixth Man of the Year, has been one of the league's best bench players during his nine seasons. He'll add a spark to the surging Pacers, who are looking to shake up the Eastern Conference's hierarchy come playoff time.