There have been a few big names that went but there were still the ones that stayed. Phoenix never shipped Amare off to the Cavs, which is probably a good thing as the Shaq-Amare experiment was a disaster with both players destroying the other’s value. SO which were the good trades and which teams benefited the most? Here are the 5 best ones in my opinion and who, if any, suffered the most from the changes.
T-Mac to the Knicks - I was never a T-Mac fan because he always stayed safe and stayed down from his injuries. Never a warrior of the week by Kamla’s standards. But this move by the Knicks to grab one of the most talented guys in the league was great for them. They finally got a crunch time player and a veteran leader for this squad and that’s what they really needed. When was the last time you heard MSG chant a player’s name, eh? There is now life back in the Garden!
The red flag will always be his injuries but if he is indeed as healthy as he says he is, the Knicks are going to be tough for everyone after this trade and will make a very strong push for that bottom playoff spot in the East. The biggest loser here is Wilson Chandler as I see his production dipping as T-Mac smooths into the lineup and dominates majority of the possessions he usually gets.
Butler to the Mavs - The Big 3 that the Wiz had is now gone and all that’s left is Arenas with his hefty salary and long term suspension. Lucky for Butler, just like Jamison, he went from the bottom of the East to one of the top tier teams in the very competitive West.
Caron will immediately fill in the spot Josh Howard left when he was traded to the Wiz but will be starting and move Terry back to his 6th man role. This move definitely improves the Mavs in terms of D and toughness. No losers here but Terry or Marion might take a small hit in minutes. No matter how you look at it though, the trade makes a lot of sense for Dallas. Before this trade, they didn’t have a lineup that had a chance.
Jamison to the Cavs - You shouldn’t always buy in to the hype of debuts as Antawn set a historic 0-12 shooting record from the field in his first stint with Lebron’s Cavs. As Jamison said, it won’t happen again, and payback is in the form of the Orlando Magic in their next game.
The most likely loser here is Mo Williams and Anderson Varejao. Jamison and Andy play the same position and he will lose a minutes to Jamison, but the Cavs chemistry might be the bigger loser. Mo Williams might also be affected negatively as he most likely becomes the third scoring option now. I see the Cavs losing a few games with the adjustment but the long term result should be positive. Anthony Parker was practically useless playing a chunk of the minutes, so the addition of Jamison should help a ton in terms of offense and rebounding and will be more efficient than Parker.
Thomas to the Bobcats - Tyrus Thomas must be thanking his lucky stars just about now. There isn’t a happier player after the trade deadline for sure. And if there was a sleeping giant somewhere in the NBA that was waiting to be unleashed, it would be him. Finally released from the Bulls before the deadline, the disgruntled PF looks to wreak havoc in a system where he can finally thrive.
If the first game was any indication, the Bobcats destroyed the league leading Cavs with Tyrus anchoring the D with 12 rebounds and 6 blocks for a sneak peak at what this kid can do for the playoff-bound Bobcats! Look for the same consistent line every game thereafter. If there was a perfect fit for Tyrus to land, the Bobcats are it. Losers here are Nazr and Tyson Chandler, but they had no value to begin with anyway.
Camby to the Blazers - After the demise of Oden for the 2nd straight season and the season-ending injury dealt to his backup Przybilla, the Blazers needed a legit center to help in their playoff push. And boy did they get a center! Marcus Camby comes off the Clippers and will definitely help this squad in many ways. He had a terrible debut, but once he settles in, he should be a great fit in a center-less Blazers squad. No losers here unless you’re counting Juwan Howard.
The Blazers add what they desperately needed and got a ton of boards and blocks while giving away players they really didn’t need. Outlaw was a key piece but with the abundance of young guns they had playing the same position and Travis coming off an injury, it made perfect sense for the Blazers to do this deal. I’m sure it will take a few games for Camby to adjust, but once he gets in sync with the Portland offense, it will be fun to watch with Roy healthy and ready for that playoff run.
Special Mention: Kevin Martin to the Rockets, Carl Landry to the Kings, Josh Howard to the Wizards, Brendan Haywood to the Mavs, and John Salmons to the Bucks.
