Winners, losers and those in between after the NBA trade deadline
Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving smiles as he warms up prior to an NBA game against the Clippers on Wednesday in Los Angeles. Credit: AP/Mark J. Terrill
At the NBA trade deadline in 2007, three deals were made with four players shifting locations, not an unusual outcome with 18 deals made in the four deadlines between 2006 and 2009. It was a long way from the free-for-all that took place Thursday when the deadline marked a finish to a 72-hour frenzy that started with Kyrie Irving shipped out of Brooklyn and essentially ended with Kevin Durant joining him on the path out of the rapidly expiring championship aspirations at Barclays Center. Ultimately, 28 teams made moves.
Without a word publicly (something we might have all appreciated from Irving), Durant worked his way out of Brooklyn and into what most think is a championship contender in Phoenix as long as nothing goes wrong. And what could go wrong? Hello, Brooklyn!
The thing is, for all of the moves, there are no sure things. Durant joins a team that seemed on the verge of a title two years ago but is loaded with, well, as many question marks as the failed experiment in Brooklyn.
So let’s set out to see just who might have been winners and losers in this massive shift of rosters — and kudos to the Cavaliers and Bulls, who decided not to answer the phone and stood pat.
THE BIG WINNERS
AT LEAST NOT LOSERS
LOSERS
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
