WAS that the most boring trade period in NBA history?
There’s a good chance.
Whiny Dwight Howard was leaving the Houston Rockets, the New York Knicks were meant to trade Carmelo Anthony and hand the keys to Kristaps Porzingas, the Boston Celtics had a mega deal on the cards and Kevin Love was on his way out of Cleveland. Lob City was set to be dismanlted, with the injured Blake Griffin put on the trade table by the Los Angeles Clippers, but, in the end, there were no game-changing moves.
There was a whole lot more talk than there was action.
But there will be plenty more talk in the off season, with especially Howard’s future remaining unclear.
The rumble is he wants out and the Rockets want him gone. He needs to be somewhere where he is the centre piece. He may not have the athleticism he once possessed, but he is still a 20-12 centre in this league, and those are few and far between. Surround him with some shooters who are not ball dominant – ie, not James Harden – and watch the wins rack up.
And what of Griffin? The darling of the franchise appears to have fallen out of favour. He’s one of the biggest stars in the league and he will surely be miffed at his name being bandied around as trade bait by the organisation. Watch this space in the off season.
It all means that the Golden State Warriors, on pace to break the record of 72-10 set by the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls, are the hot $2 favourites for the NBA title with WilliamHill.com.au.
The Cavs and San Antonio Spurs are breathing down their necks at $4 and $4.50 respectively, with no other team even coming close. Oklahoma City is next best at $13 and then you have to go all the way out to $26 to find the Los Angeles Clippers and Toronto Raptors.
The Warriors’ superstar Steph Curry is now a ridiculous $1.05 to make it back to back Most Valuable Player Awards, with The King Lebron James and San Antonio’s do it all forward Kawhi Leonard next best at $13.
Minnesota star and number one draft pick Karl Anthony-Towns, like Curry, has a mortgage on the Rookie of the Year award, rated a $1.07 chance, but Porzingis is not without his claims in New York at $5. Forget everyone else.
There were 26 player movements before the trade deadline, perhaps the biggest one being the move by versatile forward Tobias Harris moving from the Orlando Magic to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for wiry Euro Ersan Ilyasova and talented, but returning from a serious knee injury, point guard Brandon Jennings.
Harris is a great fit in Detroit along side big double-double monster Andre Drummond and point guard Reggie Jackson, who now basically gets the keys with Jennings shipped out.
The Pistons really were the biggest winners in the trade period, with talented, but opportunity starved big man Donatas Motiejunas and microwave shooter Marcus Thornton heading over from Houston for big spud Joel Anthony and a 2016 protected first rounder.
The Rockets then sent Anthony to Philadelphia with a second-round pick in the 2017 draft for the rights to the wonderfully named Chukwudiebere Maduabum.
The Pistons are 27-27, just outside the playoffs, but this could be the boost they needed to get them in the mix.
For the Magic, they are probably out of the race, but it gives them a couple of savvy veterans to ply with, and helps them clear some cap space for the off season.
They cleared even more cap space by sending Channing Frye and a future second round pick to Cleveland for a second rounder and Jared Cunningham. Frye becomes another shooter for Lebron and Kyrie to play with off the bench. Portland got long time Cavs favourite Anderson Varejao in the trade.
One of the more interesting moves was by the Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies.
Doc Rivers gave up on the failed experiment that was Lance Stephenson – remember when he was popping triple doubles in Indiana – and took on the expiring contract of Jeff Green from the Grizz, amid reports of locker room discord in Memphis.
Both players are interesting fits, with Stephenson perhaps set to get more playing time and a larger role on a Memphis team that has significantly improved in the west standings, despite the season ending injury to talisman Marc Gasol.
The Grizz also sent Courtney Lee to Charlotte for cash considerations and this is a move looking to the future.
The Hornets get a good three and D glue guy, who will be vital with Michael Kidd-Gilchrist again on the injury list.
They did, however give up an inordinate amount of future assets, with four second round picks going to the Grizz along with PJ Hairston, while veteran back up point guard Brian Roberts went to Miami and cult figure Chris Andersen went to Memphis.
Roberts was then shipped to the Blazers with a second round pick for cash considerations.
Noted whinger Markieff Morris finally gets out of the hell hole that is Phoenix and will suit up with his mate Marcin Gortat in Washington. This is actually a really good move for the Wizards, provided he doesn’t lose his mind. Morris is a talented forward who could help the Wizards come from a long way back and vie for that eighth spot. Unlikely, but doable. DeJuan Blair and Kris Kardashian… err… Humphries ended up in Phoenix, who are in full tank for Simmons mode.
Veteran shooting guard Randy Foye heads to Oklahoma City in exchange for little used reserves DJ Augustin and Steve Novak.
In a three team deal between Atlanta, Utah and Chicago, the Jazz got Shelvin Mack (from Atlanta), the Bulls received third year guard Justin Holiday (from Atlanta) and a second-round draft pick (from Utah), and the Hawks landed veteran point guard Kirk Hinrich. Hinrich is a favourite son in Chicago and plenty of fans have their noses out of joint, but the Bulls aren’t contending any time soon, so it makes sense to dump the vet and his salary for someone younger and unproven.
The Heat sent second year forward Jarnell Stokes and cash considerations to the Pelicans for a second-round pick in the 2018 draft.
2016 NBA title market
Cleveland Cavaliers ($4)
San Antonio Spurs ($4.50)
Oklahoma City Thunder ($13)
Los Angeles Clippers ($26)
Toronto Raptors ($26)
Boston Celtics ($51)
Chicago Bulls ($51)
Atlanta Hawks ($67)
Miami Heat ($67)
Indiana Pacers ($81)
Houston Rockets ($101)
Memphis Grizzlies ($126)
Washington Wizards ($151)
Dallas Mavericks ($251)
Detroit Pistons ($251)
Charlotte Hornets ($501)
Portland Trail Blazers ($501)
Utah Jazz ($501)
Milwaukee Bucks ($1001)
New Orleans Pelicans ($1001)
New York Knicks ($1001)
Sacramento Kings ($1001)
