NBA trade-deadline winners and losers

Losers

Brooklyn Nets:  When faced with Kyrie Irving’s trade demand a week before the deadline, the Nets did about as well as possible, getting two useful players in Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith and an unprotected 2029 pick. They also got four first-round picks and one swap from the Phoenix Suns for Kevin Durant, along with outstanding young defensive forward Mikal Bridges (signed through 2026) and sharpshooter Cameron Johnson, who is a restricted free agent. They also turned Jae Crowder into two second-round picks after rerouting him to the Bucks.

Financially, Brooklyn went from $35M over the luxury tax to $3.2M over, which should save them over $100M in taxes. Which is great for the owner, but little consolation for the fans. Look, Brooklyn got a lot back, but before Durant got hurt, this team had won 18 of 20 games and looked like they could win a title. When your championship dreams disappear, you’re a deadline loser.

The consolation for fans? They’re still going to make the playoffs and they couldn’t tank if they wanted to. While Brooklyn has 11 first-rounders in the next seven drafts, they don’t have control of their own, thanks to the Harden deal. Houston has the Nets pick or a swap in the next five years, meaning that the Nets being bad only helps the Rockets’ draft position. 

Dallas Mavericks: The Mavs finally found another star to play alongside Luka Doncic. Unfortunately, that star is Kyrie Irving. When we think about how crazy the Kyrie Irving experience was with the Nets, that was in Brooklyn, a place that seems a great deal more welcoming to Kyrie’s eccentricities than the state of Texas. They’re likely going to meet his demands for a max contract, which means four years and nearly $200 million. Does anyone think he’ll actually keep it together that long?

Golden State Warriors: They traded James Wiseman, the disappointing No. 2 pick from the 2020 Draft. But the reporting of the trade made it an emotional roller coaster for Warriors fans. First, it was announced as a straight deal for Saddiq Bey, a purported three-and-D wing who isn’t great at either - but a better roster fit than Wiseman. Then, the Warriors dealt Bey to Atlanta for Kevin Knox and five second-round picks, making the deal look like a straight salary dump. Finally, they sent Knox and the picks to Portland to bring back beloved swingman Gary Payton II.

The move makes sense: Payton was great for last year’s title team and the trade saves the Warriors some money this year and a lot of money next year. But it’s hard to celebrate when Golden State ultimately traded the guy they picked at No. 2, 27 months ago, for a player they could have simply re-signed last summer.

Utah Jazz: Danny Ainge traded his starting point guard, his starting power forward and his sixth man for a 2027 protected first-round pick and the right to pay Russell Westbrook a buyout on his salary. It simply doesn’t seem like a good return for a team that’s still just three games out of fourth place! It also doesn’t feel like a first-rounder is quite as valuable when Utah already had 14 of them going forward.

Isiah Thomas: Not only did Phoenix have to deny they were giving Thomas a job, but young people that previously knew of Isiah Thomas from his unflattering portrayal in “The Last Dance” also learned that there was a sexual harassment judgment against him for $11.5 million. Look, Phoenix already did what Thomas would have advised by trading away all their first-round picks, so it's like he was working there already.