NBA Trade Deadline 2018: 5 deals that should have happened

1. DeMarre Carroll leaves Brooklyn

It would have been hard to move Carroll considering he’s making over $14 million this season and, per Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck, Nets coach Kenny Atkinson would have been irate had the veteran forward be dealt. And maybe suitors for him were limited after the Pistons made big moves, the Cavs looked elsewhere and most teams held steady in hopes of taking advantage of the buyout market.

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But Carroll would have been a nice addition for a contender or any playoff in the need of some wing depth. The Thunder, for instance, could use a guy with his skillset, albeit it coming with a high price tag. Maybe the Wolves could have attached picks to Cole Aldrich’s contract – adding Carroll is a luxury with Jimmy Butler and Andrew Wiggins, but he can play the four and they need better depth. Plus, Carroll is very much not Derrick Rose.

Carroll will continue to have an impact in Brooklyn and helping shape a young, bad team for the future and Atkinson’s not wanting Carroll gone makes sense. But, in basketball terms, Carroll would have made a lot of sense and the Nets aren’t in a position to turn down assets, assuming they were even offered.