NBA Power Rankings: Everything revolves around LeBron James

The trade deadline was expected to be quiet, but boy were those expectations wrong. The Cavaliers remade their roster, and other teams made small moves to gear up for the playoffs. All-Star weekend is just a few days away, and players need the break.

The Cleveland Cavaliers rocked the NBA with a huge collection of moves at the trade deadline, moving Isaiah Thomas, Channing Frye, Iman Shumpert, Dwyane Wade and Ante Zizic for George Hill, Rodney Hood, Jordan Clarkson, and Larry Nance Jr. I guess things were pretty bad in the city by the lake.

There were other several smaller moves, but the big trades had already taken place earlier in the season. Many teams are struggling to cope with the fatigue that sets in during the first two weeks of Februrary, with players longing for the relief that comes with All-Star weekend. Teams with deep benches are able to steal wins, while other teams have to deal with injuries and worn-out legs. No team felt that worse than the Knicks, who will be without Kristaps Porzingis for the remainder of the season, with the Knicks franchise player tearing his ACL against the Bucks this week. Let’s start the power rankings with a new No. 30 team this week.

The Suns were able to pick up Elfrid Payton at the trade deadline, acquiring the former Orlando Magic point guard in exchange for a second round pick. The Suns will get to see Payton up close for about 20 games, giving them a chance to see if they’d like to pair him next to Devin Booker in their backcourt for the next few years. Heaven knows they need help, because they’ve won four of their last 20 games, with three losses this last week. The Suns lost to the Lakers on Tuesday, 112-93, getting outscored by 19 points in the second half. Phoenix lost by 48 points for the second time this season, and were doubled up by the Spurs in the third quarter, 100-50, on their way to a 129-81 loss. The Suns were done in again by a poor second half against the Nuggets on Saturday, losing their third straight game without Devin Booker in the lineup. At this point, the only motivation for him to return is to see how he plays with Payton.