Breaking Down The Winners & Losers Of Every Trade That Happened In The 2020-21 NBA Trade Deadline
March 25, 2021, embarked a historical day for some NBA franchises. Every season, various organizations are looking to make roster changes to get better or start a rebuild. For this particular deadline, the Orlando Magic completely transformed their roster while the Chicago Bulls became serious playoff threats in the Eastern Conference. With that said, let's take a look at every trade that happened in the last 24 hours!
Before diving into some of the more significant trades, let's dive into some of the smaller trades that occurred during the deadline.
The Philadelphia 76ers acquired George Hill in a three-team trade.
76ers received- George Hill and Ignas Brazdeikis
Knicks receive- Terrance Ferguson, Vincent Poirer, the rights to Emir Prldzic, 2021 second-round pick (from 76ers), and a 2024 second-round pick (from 76ers)
Thunder receive- Austin Rivers, Tony Bradley, 2025 second-round pick (from 76ers), and a 2026 second-round pick (from 76ers)
The 76ers are attempting to contend for an NBA championship and needed a back-up point guard. While they did have to trade away four of their future second-round picks for George Hill, those picks are not required when looking to contend for a championship. The New York Knicks and Oklahoma City Thunder also leave this trade as winners as they both received solid young assets and two extra picks that could be useful down the line. Overall, all three teams come out as winners in this trade.
The Sacramento Kings swap guards.
Kings receive- Delon Wright
Pistons- receive- Cory Joseph, 2021 second-round pick, and a 2024 second-round pick.
The purpose of this trade was to free up cap space for the Sacramento Kings. With Richaun Holmes becoming an unrestricted free agent this season, the Kings will look to re-sign him as he has had a break-out season. As for the Pistons, they receive a pricey guard but get compensated by two second-round picks. Overall, this trade helps both teams in what they want to do going forward.
The San Antonio Spurs trade for Marquese Chriss.
Spurs receive- Marquese Chriss and cash considerations
Warriors receive- draft rights to Cady Lalanne
Not every trade is exciting, but the Spurs add depth by bringing in Marquese Chriss. Not much else to say about this trade.
Utah trades for another shooter
Jazz receive- Matt Thomas
Raptors receive- a second-round pick
This trade made no sense for the Raptors as Matt Thomas has the potential to become a pick-and-pop type player in the NBA. If given the proper role, Matt Thomas could develop into a Duncan Robinson, JJ Reddick, and Joe Harris type role, but that is a stretch (no pun intended). Overall, the Raptors come out as losers, while the Jazz has a bright prospect that perfectly fits the modern basketball era.
Raptors trade another young asset for nothing
Kings receive- Terence Davis
Raptors receive- a second-round pick
Toronto seemed to be the most confused organization in the NBA during the trade deadline. They had intentions of making significant moves but instead crumbled and traded away another bright prospect. Even though Terence Davis had some off-court issues earlier this season, his upside in the NBA seemed intriguing. Overall, the Kings get another young guard to develop while the Raptors continue to add useless picks.
Charlotte adds another guard
Warriors receive- 2025 second-round pick (top 55 protected)
Hornets receive- Brad Wanamaker, a 2022 second-round pick (from Toronto via 76ers), and cash considerations
While this is a low-ended trade, the Hornets add another defensive-orientated guard, which is precisely what this team needs off the bench. With Lonzo Ball being out for the season, Brad Wanamaker is a solid replacement option that will get roughly 10-15 minutes a game. Overall great trade for the Hornets and an interesting choice by the Warriors.
Chicago strengthens their bench in a three-team trade
Bulls receive- Daniel Theis, Javonte Green, and Troy Brown Jr
Celtics receive- Luke Kornet and Moe Wagner
Wizards receive- Daniel Gafford and Chandler Hutchison
The Chicago Bulls lacked a proper back-up center and rectified their needs through this trade. Not only that, but the Bulls also receive two solid rotational pieces that help strengthen their bench making this trade an absolute success for them. However, the Wizards and Celtics come out as total losers as both teams downgrade from what they had before. This trade made no sense for both teams other than freeing up cap-space, but it still makes no sense.
The Denver Nuggets bring back a familiar face
Nuggets receive- JaVale McGee
Cavaliers receive- Isaiah Hartenstein and two future second-round picks
The last time JaVale McGee was wearing a Denver Nuggets uniform, he was viewed as a Shaqtin, a Fool MVP. However, McGee has turned out to be a solid center in the NBA and brings a level of intensity and passion in every game. This is an excellent trade for Denver as they needed a back-up center. Even though they did overpay, it was worth it in the long-run. In contrast, the Cavaliers continue to develop by attaining two future second-round picks, a win-win situation for both teams.
The Clippers trade for a floor general
Clippers receive- Rajon Rondo
Hawks receive- Lou Williams, a 2023 second-round pick (from the Clippers via Portland), a 2027 second-round pick (from Clippers) and cash considerations
Playmaking has been the biggest issue for the Clippers since the Kawhi and Paul George era. By trading for Rondo, the Clippers bring one of the greatest playmaking point guards to ever play in the NBA. Even though Lou Williams was the price to pay, this was a good trade for the Clippers. As for the Hawks, the shooting guard position is their weakest position making this trade quite beneficial. Lou Williams may not be the sixth man-of-the-year calibre player he was a few years ago, but he is still a valuable asset in any team.
The Mavericks add another sharp-shooter
Mavericks receive- JJ Redick and Nicolo Melli
Pelicans receive- James Johnson, Wes Iwundu, 2021 second-round pick and cash considerations
The Mavericks added another sharp-shooter to their roster. By bringing in JJ Reddick, the Mavericks have become more dangerous from the perimeter. The Pelicans make this trade for the sole purpose of clearing cap-space as Reddick did absolutely nothing in New Orleans. This is a win-win situation for both teams.
The Boston Celtics upgrade their bench
Celtics receive- Evan Fournier
Magic receive- Jeff Teague (will be waived) and two future second-round picks
Out of all of the minor trades that happened during the trade deadline, the Celtics walked out robbing the Orlando Magic. This season, Fournier was a near 20 PPG scorer with excellent efficiency. He was on pace to having a career year before getting traded to the Boston Celtics. With Boston having little to no depth, they essentially traded nothing to get what could be one of the best scoring options to come off the bench in the NBA. As for Orlando, they could have gotten more if they packaged Fournier with other players. Overall, a very sloppy and rushed trade by the Orlando Magic.
Now that the small trades have been broken down let's take a look at the biggest trades that happened at the deadline.
The Denver Nuggets find their new starting power-forward for years to come
Magic receive- Gary Harris, RJ Hampton, and future first-round picks
Nuggets receive- Aaron Gordon and Gary Clark
The Denver Nuggets did great in the NBA trade deadline as they upgraded and improved certain positions. For example, they upgraded Gary Harris, who has been mediocre this season for a player who is having a solid season in Aaron Gordon. This is a perfect fit as the Nuggets bring in a high-flying, three-point shooting power forward in Aaron Gordon. While he may not be as great of a defender as Jerami Grant was, he is still a significant upgrade from Paul Milsap and Gary Harris.
The Orlando Magic do trade a fan favourite in Aaron Gordon but, it was time for a change within this organization. For years, Orlando has been an average to mediocre team that would barely make playoffs or get an invaluable lottery pick. While Gary Harris is an expensive asset to receive, the Magic's value from this trade is RJ Hampton and the first-round picks. Overall, this is a great trade for both teams.
Victor Oladipo gets his wish
Heat receive- Victor Oladipo
Rockets receive- Kelly Olynyk, Avery Bradley and a 2022 draft pick swap
The Houston Rockets laughably messed up from the beginning of this season. With the Rockets trading James Harden for essentially draft picks, the James Harden trade will go down in history as the worst trade ever made. As for the Miami Heat, Pat Riley committed a robbery as he traded away role players who have expiring contracts for Victor Oladipo, a former All-Star who needed motivation. Unless Oladipo has chemistry issues with Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo or anyone else on the Heat's roster, this trade made the Heat into actual title contenders.
The Miami Heat continue to trade for significant assets
Heat receive- Nemanja Bjelica
Kings receive- Moe Harkless and Chris Silva
Like the Oladipo trade, Pat Riley robs a different organization by trading away bench warmers for a starting power forward. This trade is considered a big trade due to how it upgrades the Miami Heat. Before this trade, the power forward position was the Heat's weakest position, but they now have a proper starting five to contend in the Eastern Conference after this trade. This trade for the Kings is not so bad either, as they did not need to have Nemanja on the roster. Similar to trading Cory Joseph, the Kings made this trade to clear up cap space to re-sign Richaun Holmes. Overall, great trade for both teams.
The Portland Trailblazers bring in a third-option
Blazers receive- Norman Powell
Raptors receive- Gary Trent Jr and Rodney Hood
Out of all the trades that happened this season, this trade could go down as the most balanced trade that occurred this season. While losing Norman Powell is unfortunate for the Raptors, it made sense as to why they traded him away. Norman Powell will become an unrestricted free-agent if he declines his player option, which will most likely happen. Powell is averaging close to 20 PPG and is looking to receive a sizable contract in the off-season. It made complete sense as to why the Raptors traded him as they were not looking to offer him a large contract. Instead, they receive two forwards that can make up for Powell's production.
The Blazers this season have made excellent moves and have become even stronger after this trade. Even though they may lose out on Powell his off-season, his primary role is to help the Blazers go further in the playoffs. The Western Conference, to some degree, is open as the Lakers are crippled. By bringing in Norman Powell, the Portland Trailblazers have become infinitely better. Overall, this was a great trade for both organizations.
New era Chicago Bulls
Bulls receive- Nikola Vucevic and Al-Farouq Aminu
Magic receive- Wendell Carter Jr, Otto Porter Jr, and two future first-round picks
To end off this list lies the biggest trade that happened in the 2020-21 trade-deadline! The Chicago Bulls unexpectedly traded for another All-Star to pair alongside Zach LaVine. The Bulls have become stronger and can make their first actual playoff appearance since the Jimmy Butler and Derrick Rose era. Although the Bulls did have to trade two first-round draft picks, it was definitely worth the price of Nikola Vucevic.
The Orlando Magic were the busiest team during the NBA trade deadline as they traded three of their best players. However, a rebuild is needed for the Magic, and they accomplished it by receiving multiple first-round picks and a young center to develop. Overall, the Magic and Bulls come out as winners.
The 2020-21 NBA trade deadline has officially come to an end, and it was relatively successful for most organizations. Most teams came out as winners, but the two biggest losers, without a doubt, are the Toronto Raptors and the Houston Rockets. Throughout the entire deadline, The Raptors were looking to trade for Kyle Lowry but could not figure out a trade where it benefits them. Even if they got a mediocre package for Lowry, something is better than nothing. As for the Rockets, they traded away an MVP candidate for essentially nine somewhat valuable draft picks, Kelly Olynyk and Avery Bradley. With that being arguably the worst trade package for an MVP candidate, the Houston Rockets will take years to get back into contention.