The 2022-23 trade deadline is one of the craziest we’ve had in a long time, as 28 NBA clubs made moves in an attempt to improve their teams.
The Western Conference definitely got stronger as they were the ones who made the franchise-altering trades, particularly in the Pacific Division, as they now have 10 of the league’s top stars.
The Nuggets and the Grizzlies continue to lead the Western Conference, but they stood pat, so that might not be the case for too long, according to the updated NBA 2023 odds.
As we’re still trying to sort things out, read on below as we list down the biggest winners and losers of the trade deadline.
Winner: Mavericks
Kyrie Irving got what he wanted, which was a move away from the Nets, as he is now a Maverick. In the trade between these two teams, the Nets got Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, and three draft picks in exchange for Kyrie Irving and Markieff Morris.
Irving made his debut against the Clippers on Wednesday, scoring 24 points en route to leading them to a 110-104 win in Los Angeles. He followed that one up with a 25-point effort in their 122-114 win against the Kings two days later.
In both of these victories, Dallas didn’t have superstar guard Luka Doncic, who’s out with an injured heel. They needed to give Doncic some help anyway, and Irving certainly fits the bill.
Say what you want about Irving’s antics, but when he’s on the court, he’s still one of the most talented players that we have today. The Mavericks aren’t expected to win it all this season, but they are definitely a fun team to watch.
Loser: Nets
Once upon a time, the Nets had Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden, which is why it’s disappointing that they have only won one playoff series in three seasons.
Harden was the first to get out of the mess in Brooklyn, as he went to Philadelphia in exchange for Ben Simmons. And by the 2023 trade deadline, Durant had been sent to Phoenix, and Irving was already playing for Dallas.
The Nets find themselves in the same situation they’ve been in before, where they’re back to the drawing board after mortgaging their future to several All-Stars with no championships to show for it.
They’re currently fifth in the Eastern Conference standings, but we wouldn’t be surprised if they fell out of the playoff picture at the end of this season.
Winner: Suns
The Matt Ishbia-era is off to a great start, as they stunned the whole league with the acquisition of Kevin Durant nearly 36 hours after assuming controlling interest in the Suns.
The Suns got Durant from the Nets in exchange for Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, and four draft picks.
Durant is currently sidelined due to a knee injury he sustained last January. He isn’t expected to return until after the All-Star break this month.
When healthy, Durant, Devin Booker, and Chris Paul form one of the NBA’s best offences that is capable of producing NBA 2023 highlights, as Durant and Booker will handle the scoring load, while Paul is still a top playmaker despite his advancing age.
Perhaps the addition of Durant vaults them to title-contender status once more. With this move, they should at least make it to the Western Conference Finals.
Winner: Lakers
Here at SBOTOP, we listed the Lakers as one of the teams to look out for at the trade deadline, as they needed to make moves in order to save their 2022-23 campaign.
And the Lakers improved with the acquisitions of Rui Hachimura, D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, Mo Bamba, and Jarred Vanderbilt while only giving up one draft pick.
While this doesn’t necessarily elevate them as title contenders, the Lakers should be a playoff team, especially if LeBron James and Anthony Davis stay healthy for the rest of the season.
Loser: Bulls
The Bulls should be the ones to fill in, with the Nets potentially dropping out of the playoff picture. Instead, they missed out on an opportunity to revamp their roster since they did nothing during the trade deadline.
With Lonzo Ball still out indefinitely, the Bulls could’ve used reinforcements in the PG position to give Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic, and DeMar DeRozan help.
It seems that the Bulls are invested in this core going forward. However, it’s worth noting that Nikola Vucevic is going to be a free agent in the summer, and they may lose him for nothing if things don’t work out this year.
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