The Whiteboard: 5 big questions left hanging after the NBA Trade Deadline

The Whiteboard is FanSided's daily NBA email newsletter with each daily edition written by a different member of our team — Matt Moore, Wes Goldberg, Chris Kline, Lior Lampert, Quinn Everts and Ian Levy. On Saturday, we all get together for one big roundtable to answer the biggest questions of the week.

Here's what we're talking about today:

Does any trade deadline have bigger championship implications than the Cavs stealing De’Andre Hunter?

Matt Moore: As much as I liked that move, the deal that actually moved the needle the most is probably one we don’t see now. Maybe it’s Mark Williams (which would actually be the Luka move, but still). Maybe it’s Bogdan Bogdanovic for a surprise Clippers run. But there are always plot twists in the NBA and even if it’s not a player, it could be one of the million seconds that got passed around. But there are so many ramifications from trade deadlines that you won’t be able to see the ripples of from here. That’s what’s fun about sports, and the unknowability of fate. 

Wes Goldberg: No, the Cavs getting De’Andre Hunter is the most impactful deadline deal in the Eastern Conference. This reminds me of when the Raptors traded for Marc Gasol in 2019. That team was winning a bunch of games and didn’t have a glaring need, but it was a move aimed at the playoffs. The Cavs got Hunter for the playoffs. It’s an acquisition aimed directly at a series against the Boston Celtics. Worth noting that when the Hawks beat the Celtics last month, Hunter spent most his time guarding Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. He’s a big wing who can responsibly handle those assignments and won’t get played off the floor on either end.

Quinn Everts: I don’t think so. Hunter isn’t a first- or second-leading scorer on a team with championship aspirations, but luckily… he doesn’t have to be! In fact, I think he’s the perfect caliber of player to add to Cleveland’s lineup. He’s better enough than the Cavs other wing options to make a real difference to an offense that’s already sizzling, but he’s not too much of an engine that he could muck up the Cavs offensive rhythm. It’s kind of a perfect deal – and the most important one for the current title chase.

Lior Lampert: It's hard not to envision the Thunder and Hornets swapping future second-round picks swinging the pendulum in this season's title race. Jokes aside, Hunter is a nice addition for Cleveland, but I also think there's a "strength in numbers" case for them. The Cavs' second unit is sixth in bench points per game but lost two top scorers and minutes earners. Since the Lakers acquired Luka Doncic well ahead of the deadline, I'll say Jimmy Butler going to the Warriors has the most significant championship implications, which the betting odds reflect. Golden State has gone from +6600 to +4000 to win it all, a sizable shift in response to Stephen Curry getting a viable running mate.

Christopher Kline: Cleveland didn’t exactly “steal” De’Andre Hunter considering the nice haul Atlanta got back, but he’s the fifth starter you’d build in a lab for this Cavs team. That said, how can we not point to the Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis swap here? Hell, the biggest swing might be Dallas going from second or third-favorites in the West to a complete nonfactor in the championship hunt. Doncic was in the NBA Finals last season! If Mark Williams can hold up health-wise, the Lakers probably aren’t as far off as we’d like, either. LeBron James has been on a renegade against Father Time this week. Doncic is the truth. That trade could end up having a direct impact, one way or the other, on who represents the West on the Finals stage. 

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Mavs fans are heartbroken. Warriors fans are ambivalent. Bucks fans are drowning in ennui and a vague sense of foreboding. Hawks and Raptors fans are feeling confused. Besides the Lakers and Cavs, which fanbase is actually feeling excited about what happened at the trade deadline?

Matt Moore: How can you not be excited if you’re a Hawks fan? Your team saved owner Tony Ressler, whose net worth is $11.3 billion, millions in luxury tax savings! What’s better for a fan than that?! 

The Clippers I think are the answer here. Your team sloughed off dead cap space and players that were taking up roster spots, moved off a negative player in Kevin Porter Jr., and added a veteran who will make your team better in Bogdan Bogdanovic. The Clippers are better and leaner today than yesterday. That’s a win. 

Wes Goldberg: I might be biased, but Heat fans have to feel relieved that their team is no longer being held hostage by a pissing contest between two stubborn alpha males. It’s been everything but basketball for more than a month in Miami. Finally, we can enjoy things like Tyler Herro making the All-Star team, Kel’el Ware blossoming and Davion Mitchell fighting through screens like George Costanza escaping the burning building. 

Lior Lampert: Wizards fans should feel good about their makeover. Washington took on the salaries of Khris Middleton and Marcus Smart, which will expire after next season. They also added three first-round picks to their war chest. Meanwhile, Middleton and Smart give them two veterans with championship pedigree who can show their youngsters the ropes alongside Malcolm Brogdon. Moreover, they will each have value ahead of the 2026 deadline as potential rentals for contenders or teams seeking cap relief. The effects won't be felt immediately, but GM Will Dawkins positioned the franchise to expedite a long, bleak rebuild.

Christopher Kline: I am personally very excited about Quentin Grimes and Jared Butler in Philadelphia. This season is lost, but Daryl Morey knows how to work a trade deadline (we will ignore the blatant tax-saving KJ Martin trade). 

Another shout, obviously, to the Spurs. De’Aaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama is a heck of a combo and San Antonio will be very good sooner than later. The Kings should also be a lot of fun with Zach LaVine. That is a net-negative trade after shedding Fox, but we might be underrating what LaVine’s shooting dynamism will bring to that offense. Plus the Malik Monk leap… Sacramento will at least be fun. Strong hooper energy.

Quinn Everts: Like Lior, I am here to sing the praises of the Washington Wizards. Yes, the team is still 9-42 but this front office was on fire over the past week. Adding veterans who will help (but not too much) and some pretty valuable future picks? Love it. Granted, the Wizards had three first round picks this year and the on-court product is still a tough watch, so there’s plenty more work to be done. But I see the vision.

Which team missed the biggest opportunity by NOT making a trade?

Matt Moore: Orlando. There are trades you make because you don’t think you’re good enough and there are trades you don’t make because you don’t think you’re good enough. This reeks of a situation where management felt the team wasn’t good enough to make a run this year and so they didn’t want to commit assets. But the Magic are so close! Just add one offensive weapon! Just one! A shooter! A Jordan Clarkson! A backup point guard! Something! Why let the pitch sail by with how talented and fun this team can be?

Wes Goldberg: Oklahoma City. Like, why not? The Thunder are the favorites in the West but nothing is guaranteed, and they have a bazillion picks and an obvious need. Shooting. Maybe a great shooter wasn’t on the market. So what? The Lakers pried Mark Williams loose with an offer the Hornets couldn’t refuse. The Thunder have enough assets to do that three times over. I respect Thunder GM Sam Presti like everyone else, but sometimes I wish he’d go all-in on what’s in front of him instead of starting through his draft pick kaleidoscope. Reminder: Still no rings.

Lior Lampert: The Timberwolves should've added some size/length and depth, specifically along the wings. While they had limited options as a second-apron team, the Hawks were definitively sellers at the deadline. Why not inquire about Vit Krejci's $2.162 million salary, who's 24 and signed through 2026-27 (with a club option for 2027-28) at a similar AAV? Minnesota didn't need to swing for the fences -- a single or walk would've sufficed.

Christopher Kline: Houston is right there in the West. A trade for Jimmy Butler or Kevin Durant might’ve made serious waves. I understand the motive for a patient approach, but Butler’s asking price was a couple iffy salaries and a single pick. Houston wouldn’t exactly be selling the farm to bring him to his hometown. Durant is a whole different ballgame. He isn’t the same Kevin Durant who won back-to-back Finals MVPs in Golden State, but a veteran superstar of that caliber alongside a deep, young, and hungry group… it would’ve been a lot of fun.

Quinn Everts: I’m on Matt’s side here. Orlando not making a trade last year was the smart, patient approach. Orlando not making a trade this year is the dumb, over-patient approach. I’m all for not rushing things… but it’s time to get better, Magic! DeAndre Hunter was there for you. Quentin Grimes was there for you. Hell, Dalton Knecht was there for you.  

Will the Phoenix Suns be the last team Kevin Durant ever plays for?

Matt Moore: No. KD’s still too good and never really asked to go to Phoenix until that was his only reasonable choice two years ago. He has more good years ahead of him and more chances to add to his legacy. He’ll play somewhere else, probably in California, by the end of his career. 

Wes Goldberg: Only if he signs his last contract there after he gets traded somewhere else this summer. The Heat, Grizzlies and Timberwolves were reportedly in the mix before the trade deadline. The idea of him teaming up with Bam Adebayo and Erik Spoelstra to rekindle some Team USA chemistry is exciting. So is him playing alongside his biggest fan, Anthony Edwards, in Minnesota. Or what if the San Antonio Spurs push their chips in this summer?

Lior Lampert: There will be another chapter in Kevin Durant's journey (shoutout to The Players' Tribune). It seems like a first wave of suitors is already forming between the Timberwolves, Heat and Grizzlies, with that list presumably expanding between now and the offseason. Then again, Suns owner Mat Ishbia is a wild card, meaning nothing is off the table. Maybe Phoenix throws KD the two-year extension worth $123.8 million he's eligible for this summer and they ride off into the Valley.

Christopher Kline: He gone, folks. They will sing songs about the Kevin Durant-Anthony Edwards duo in Minnesota. Durant absolutely has a deep and abiding respect for what Rudy Gobert brings to the table. Am I serious? That’s up for debate.

Quinn Everts: No chance. I think KD has five-ish years left in him, and thinking of him on the Suns for even two seasons after this one feels like a stretch. I know it was kind of a joke this year to think about him on the Mavericks, but for some reason, that makes sense to me as a final destination. Not the murder movie.

By the time July rolls around, who will be the biggest name mentioned in trade rumors?

Matt Moore: Giannis Antetokounmpo. Bucks fans will roll their eyes and gnash their teeth because of how often we’ve said this. But Milwaukee at the deadline got worse. Kuzma and KPJ are downgrades in the rotation. The Dame thing hasn’t worked out. I’m still hopeful that they can put it together and make a run. But I hated what they did at the deadline, and the buzzards are always circling. 

Wes Goldberg: Durant and, like Matt said, Giannis figure to be in the center of trade speculation this offseason after their teams inevitably fall short (again). If they get traded, it would make sense for their starry teammates to be shopped, too. By the time next season starts, Durant, Giannis, Devin Booker and Damian Lillard could all be playing for different teams. But don’t worry, Suns fans, Bradley Beal won’t be.

Lior Lampert: If not Durant or Giannis, let's say Joel Embiid. Who wants the Big Fella's albatross contract remains to be seen, but The Process might have run its course in Philadelphia. The 76ers' deadline moves foreshadowed a looming organizational overhaul. They got younger, added draft capital and moved KJ Martin in a salary dump.

Christopher Kline: Looks like I’m not talking to Lior for a while. 

Durant is the easy (but correct) answer. He’s still one of the faces of this league — a legacy star with enough baggage and social media presence to run for president one day. The Suns are very clearly ready to move on. Durant doesn’t seem happy about what went down (or almost went down) at the deadline. Giannis might come up, too, but the Bucks won’t trade him without a serious tantrum from the man himself. Daryl Morey isn’t giving up on Embiid. It will be the summer of Durant.

Quinn Everts: I’ll zag a little here and say, Desmond Bane. I don’t think Memphis can beat Oklahoma City, and I think the Grizzlies front office will realize that competing with the Thunder for the next five years will require some roster improvements. I don’t know what Memphis would be looking for, but another playoff exit before the WCF could cause some early alarm bells.