NBA Trade Deadline: Winners and losers

There was plenty of hype and anticipation but Thursday’s NBA trade deadline didn’t include superstars like Paul George and Jimmy Butler. Instead the biggest name moved before the 3:00 p.m. ET deadline was Nerlens Noel and then probably Taj Gibson.

But that doesn’t mean there weren’t any major trades that happen. They all just occurred before the deadline as DeMarcus Cousins was traded to the Pelicans, Serge Ibaka got moved to the Raptors and Lou Williams was sent to the Rockets.

The Cousins trade stands out among the rest of the moves that were made. It is the lone blockbuster deal that happened and has created a formidable superstar twin tower pairing in New Orleans, that could make the Pelicans a powerhouse in the West in the future. However the Cousins trade isn’t the only important move that was made. The Raptors adding Ibaka and P.J. Tucker strengthens their effort to unseat the Cavs in the East. And the Thunder also improved with the additions of Gibson and Doug McDermott.

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There are also the teams that chose not to do anything. Boston armed with a treasure chest of assets decided not to make a move. The Pacers were toying with the idea of trading George but decided against it. And despite all of the drama, the Knicks did absolutely nothing.

With that in mind, here’s a look at the winners and losers from the NBA trade deadline.

Winners

New Orleans Pelicans: By acquiring a superstar in DeMarcus Cousins, the Pelicans are a winner. Cousins is a one-of-a-kind talent and has gotten better every single season he’s played. He allows Anthony Davis to play at power forward, his preferred position and Cousins provides some much needed offense to the Pelicans, who are 27th in offensive efficiency. And best of all, the Pelicans didn’t need to part with a ton of talent or picks to get Cousins.

As evidenced on Thursday in their 129-99 loss to the Rockets, the Pelicans will go through an adjustment period with Cousins joining the team. But overall, the Pelicans now have two of the best big men in the league in Cousins and Davis and seem poised to become a force in the West.

Dallas Mavericks: Similar to the Pelicans, the Mavericks didn’t have to give up much talent to acquire the defensively skilled Nerlens Noel. To get Noel, all the Mavs had to send to the Sixers in exchange was Andrew Bogut, Justin Anderson and a top-18 protected first-round pick that will likely turn into two second-round picks. That’s all Dallas had to give up in order to add Noel, a talented defender that should instantly make an impact with the Mavs.

Noel has a history with injuries though and he will be a restricted free agent this summer. But since they didn’t give up any key pieces, Dallas is not taking that big of a risk by acquiring him. And with Noel, the Mavs now have two talented players with him and Harrison Barnes, to help carry them in the post-Dirk Nowitzki years.

Toronto Raptors: The Raptors are doing what they can to truly challenge the Cavs in the East and the addition of Serge Ibaka and P.J. Tucker definitely helps them do that. Toronto is now better defensively, deeper and more versatile.

The Raptors also didn’t have to give up too much asset-wise to acquire both players. Overall to get both Tucker and Ibaka, Toronto had to trade away Terrence Ross, Jared Sullinger and three picks.

Plus perhaps more importantly, the Raptors were essentially the only Eastern contending team that made improvements at the deadline. The Celtics stood pat. The Wizards acquired Bojan Bogdanovic, who helps but doesn’t make Washington that much better. And the Hawks made a minor move to get Ersan Ilyasova.

It won’t be easy to get past the Cavs but the Raptors have definitely increased their chances with their deadline deals.

Oklahoma City Thunder: The Thunder are not in position to be a championship contender anymore but they filled some key roles with the acquisition of Taj Gibson and Doug McDermott from the Chicago Bulls. McDermott instantly becomes one of the best 3-pointer shooters on the Thunder, an area Oklahoma City desperately needed help in. And Gibson allows rookie Domantas Sabonis to come off the bench, as he significantly upgrades their starting power forward spot.

The Thunder did have to send Cameron Payne to Chicago in the trade and are now lacking depth at point guard. But overall with Gibson and McDermott, Oklahoma City is much improved after the deadline.

Houston Rockets: This may seem like a minor move but the Rockets gained even more offensive power by acquiring Lou Williams from the Los Angeles Lakers. The Rockets had to give up a first round pick in the deal but Houston is built to win-now and Williams helps with that by adding more depth and scoring to their bench.

Houston’s game plan is to outscore you and now they have one of the more offensively talented benches in the league with Williams and Eric Gordon, who can carry the Rockets’ offense when James Harden is getting rest.

Losers

Sacramento Kings: Trading away Cousins due to team owner’s Vivek Ranadive’s enamoration with Buddy Hield makes the Kings a clear loser at the deadline. Also, that was the only move the Kings made. You would think that after getting rid of a franchise player in Cousins, the Kings would begin the teardown process and trade away the win-now type of players they have on their roster that were supposed to compliment Cousins. Instead, the Kings kept everyone and remains one of the more confusing teams in the NBA.

Philadelphia 76ers: The 76ers will come to realize very soon that they traded away the wrong big man. Instead of trading Jahlil Okafor, which seem extremely likely, the Sixers traded Noel for essentially a role player in Justin Anderson. It may have been that they couldn’t find the right deal for Okafor but the deadline clearly did not go the way they would have liked.

New York Knicks: There was literally months of rumors and speculation that the Knicks would trade Carmelo Anthony. They did their best to antagonize him into waiving his no-trade clause. When it didn’t look like that would work, they turned to other deals. Instead, the Knicks didn’t do any moves and will have to be content with being one of the worst teams in the East, despite a roster filled with flashy names and talent. The Knicks couldn’t even work out a deal with the Timberwolves that would reunite Derrick Rose with Tom Thibodeau. The Knicks stay the Knicks.

Chicago Bulls: The Bulls curiously traded away Taj Gibson and Doug McDermott, two key rotational players, for Cameron Payne. And while Payne could end up being the starting point guard for the Bulls, it may some time before he realizes his full potential. It remains confounding why the Bulls would trade away Gibson and McDermott in a semi-rebuild type of move but not part ways with Jimmy Butler so they can really start a rebuild. But Chicago is likely still in the playoffs in the East and the financial benefits of the postseason are no joke to a franchise like the Bulls.

Next: Lou Williams trade scrambles Eastern Conference buyers' market

Boston Celtics: It may be a bit harsh to call the Celtics losers, especially since they may be in the best position out of any team in the league both financially and roster flexibility wise. But the Celtics didn’t make any moves to improve their team’s chances against the Cavs while their Eastern Conference foe the Raptors did. Remember the Celtics have not made it out of the first round with Isaiah Thomas as their main star and Brad Stevens as their coach.

The Celtics may end up making a move around the draft and after the season. But with Thomas, Marcus Smart and Avery Bradley all heading into free agency, you would think now would be the perfect time for Boston to make a move.