NBA Trade Deadline: 5 teams now relying on free agency

By Tom West | Feb 20, 2016

HOUSTON, TX - DECEMBER 25: Members of the Houston Rockets huddle on the court during their game against the San Antonio Spurs at the Toyota Center on December 25, 2015 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images) /

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HOUSTON, TX – DECEMBER 25: Members of the Houston Rockets huddle on the court during their game against the San Antonio Spurs at the Toyota Center on December 25, 2015 in Houston, Texas (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images) /

Now that the 2016 NBA trade deadline has passed, some teams that made questionable decisions or remained inactive will face the most pressure during free agency.

After so many rumors, so much anticipation and so much speculation, the 2016 NBA trade deadline has passed to the disappointment of pretty much everyone. We didn’t see any blockbuster deals with players such as Dwight Howard or Al Horford, and were instead rewarded with trades for backup point guards like Shelvin Mack, Kirk Hinrich and Brian Roberts.

Even with a last-minute deal from the Los Angeles Clippers sending Lance Stephenson and a 2019 first-round pick to the Memphis Grizzlies for Jeff Green, the day was quiet and disappointing for anyone who wanted to see the landscape of the NBA change.

That being said, the Detroit Pistons are walking away with Tobias Harris, Donatas Motiejunas and Marcus Thornton after giving up fairly little. It’s safe to say they are the clear winners, although most other teams did little more than make minor adjustments or simply did nothing at all.

Despite impending free agents such as Horford, Howard, Ryan Anderson and Hassan Whiteside all being heavily featured in trade rumors, they all stayed put and now leave their teams with tough situations when free agency strikes. If the Atlanta Hawks and Miami Heat are willing to bring back their centers with max contracts they’ll be fine, otherwise they missed the chance to bring in a return before losing them in the summer for nothing.

There’s more to consider than just these few players, though. As most teams remained inactive or made some questionable decisions at the deadline, there are several franchises who have an awful lot riding on free agency now. Whether they’ll be faced with the dilemma of a star leaving or needing to rebuild their team after failing to make appropriate trades, the summer of 2016 can have huge ramifications.

Obviously, free agency is going to be important for every team in the NBA this season. With superstars like Kevin Durant hitting the market, this is the case as much as ever for teams hoping to contend. However, these five teams are some of those who stand out most after certain shortcomings and decisions at the deadline that have altered their future.

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