Buzz is in the air as the NBA trade deadline comes to an end for this season right before teams head into playoffs.
The trade deadline is the last opportunity for teams to make in-season trades before the remainder of the season.
On the deadline date (Feb. 7), there were seven trades between teams. Last year, there were about 50 players who were traded.
Though the trading block was not as star-dominant as last season, there were still a handful of swaps that took place producing clear winners and losers.
One winner is the New York Knicks.
Their strong front office has now had consecutive years where they are considered the winners of the trade.
Two summers ago, point guard Jalen Brunson signed with the Knicks and became an All-Star, and they continued their streak of team-building trades by acquiring wing OG Anunoby and big man Precious Achiuwa from the Toronto Raptors.
The trading did not end there for the Knicks as they also snapped up lethal shooters Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks from the Detroit Pistons on deadline day.
“We think they complement our team really well and our players really well, so we are looking forward to them joining our team,” said Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau during an interview with SNY.
The Pistons wanted a first-round pick in exchange for Bogdanovic, but the Knicks walked away with their first-rounders still in New York and Burks who is around a 40 percent shooter from three.
Another winning team would be the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Though the Western Conference has been quiet during this deadline, the Thunder managed to acquire journeyman forward Gordon Hayward in exchange for a few second-round picks along with depth players.
Hayward will most likely not start, but his ability to close out a game could potentially help the young Thunder to a Western Conference victory.
A team making noise in the East are the Philadelphia 76ers who added Buddy Hield from the Indiana Pacers, despite his one-year contract.
On the other end are the last-place Detroit Pistons, who keep making mistakes. In their trade with the Knicks, they gave over their two most valuable assets for a low return.
Quintin Grimes was the best player they were able to obtain from the trade, despite his shining moments on the court every now and then, the role player averages less than 10 points a game.
The Chicago Bulls are on the other end of the losing side, not because they made the wrong move, but made no moves.
This is not the first time the Bulls have been inactive. Their last trade was made in August 2021, and despite sitting in ninth in the Eastern Conference, Chicago has stood pat.
“You can end up doing that and the dynamics of your team might not be the same,” said Bulls head coach, Billy Donovan during an interview with Sports Illustrated.
Another losing team is the Dallas Mavericks who traded for P. J. Washington. While he is a consistent and efficient shooter, the seventh place Mavs need far more help.
Despite this, head coach Jason Kidd believes that they are making a difference on the team for the better.
As the playoffs approach, players have a shot at showing the fans, coaches and their new teams exactly how much of a contribution they can make.
Overall, despite a lot of hype over the deadline, it was mostly a quiet month even with few big-name trades.
