Fansided

3 teams that got better at NBA Trade Deadline

By Steven Kubitza

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MARCH 07: Nikola Vucevic #9 of the Orlando Magic competes in the 2021 NBA All-Star - Taco Bell Skills Challenge during All-Star Sunday Night at State Farm Arena on March 07, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MARCH 07: Nikola Vucevic #9 of the Orlando Magic competes in the 2021 NBA All-Star - Taco Bell Skills Challenge during All-Star Sunday Night at State Farm Arena on March 07, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 3
Next

Several teams stand out as clear winners following Thursday’s NBA trade deadline.

The NBA trade deadline arrived Thursday afternoon and teams were busy right up until the buzzer. Arguably the biggest news was that Toronto Raptors star Kyle Lowry stayed put.

But there were plenty of trades that did go through, and a few teams stand out as winners who got better from all the deadline action.

3. Portland Trail Blazers

One of the more notable trades of the day came when the Portland Trail Blazers acquired Norman Powell from the Raptors in exchange for Rodney Hood and Gary Trent Jr.

The Blazers instantly got better with this move. Powell is one of the most elite 3-point shooters in the NBA this season and joins a team where Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum and Carmelo Anthony are already lethal from deep.

Hood was down to 4.7 points per game this season in a limited role, and while Trent was averaging nearly 16 points per game, the team got a more experienced scorer in Powell.

This is a move that makes the Blazers better in the short-term. However, Powell does has a player option in 2021 he will likely decline because of the team-friendly value. That could make him a rental, but it is apparently worth the risk if it makes Portland a legitimate title contender this season. The core of the team isn’t getting any younger, so it makes sense to make a power move like this one.

Home/NBA