2011 NBA Trade Deadline Winners
Well, that was a quite an exciting 2011 NBA Trade Deadline, wasn’t it? This had everything NBA fans love: superstars moving, trades from left field, intrigue, draft picks, teams mailing it in, and, most of all, teams getting better.
Every trade deadline has winners though, those who did something to make an improvement perhaps better than the sum of the parts. Here are the 2011 NBA Trade Deadline Winners:
Oklahoma City Thunder
Forward Jeff Green was a much-loved member of the Thunder, but it’s hard to argue he was the best possible fit at power forward. Coupled with none of the Thunder big men really stepping up as a defensive presence plus Green heading into restricted free agency at season’s end and it’s understandable why the Thunder would make a deal. They needed an edge, they needed a big man, and they needed it to take the next step in their evolution.
By bringing in center Kendrick Perkins the Thunder not only receive one of the edgiest and toughest big men in the NBA, but they also get championship experience. When the playoffs come this spring, Perkins can break out his 2009 championship ring to the Thunder Pups and tell them exactly what it takes to get to the next level. That will be invaluable to stars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.
Adding Nazr Mohammed for depth is icing on the cake. Nate Robinson may not have an obvious role, but he’s nice to have around. And what did they give up, besides Green? Not a whole lot. If they can re-sign Perkins as a free agent (or extend him now), it will be an A+ deadline for General Manager Sam Presti; right now it’s just an A.
Portland Trail Blazers
Blazers fans didn’t want to see a trade. Center Marcus Camby, his name bandied about like a hacky sack, didn’t want to be traded. Point guard Andre Miller claimed not to care, but he didn’t want to be traded either. In fact, Wednesday night at the Blazers’ game in Portland the cheap seats started a “Don’t Trade Andre” chant. Chemistry was the biggest concern, because Miller had become the player Portland wanted when they signed him in the summer of 2009, a true leader.
Portland made a trade anyway, and while it did cost them two first-round picks (their own and New Orleans’ – both expected to be in the 20s) and some center depth in Joel Przybilla (and Dante Cunningham and Sean Marks), it also returned them a 28-year-old All-Star player in Gerald Wallace. An All-Star in return for that package? That’s solid. That’s a win-now proposition.
It may not be enough to make Portland a contender and it may hurt them missing all that depth, especially until Marcus Camby is healthy, but adding an All-Star who doesn’t need plays run for him for that package is a no-brainer move. Now, will he start? Or will Nic Batum keep his starting job? Stay tuned.
Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks’ biggest issue had to do with the point guard position. Mike Bibby clearly had lost a couple steps and didn’t seem to be able to play at the same pace as the team’s other stars, such as Joe Johnson, Al Horford, and Josh Smith. What the Hawks needed was a point guard who could step right in, run the show, and play passable defense.
{AUTHOR_BOX}Enter Kirk Hinrich. In fact, those needs mentioned above? They describe exactly what Hinrich brings to a team. Add in a very good basketball IQ and the ability to make outside shots and it’s easy to see why the Hawks would decide to give up their 2010 first-round pick in addition to Bibby to bring in the veteran.
At this point in his career, relative to Bibby, he’s simply a much better fit for Atlanta’s offense.
Carmelo Anthony
This one probably goes without saying. Not only did Anthony get his cake and get to eat it too, but it seems like he received three or four cakes. And he’s still eating them. Back in August Anthony told the Nuggets, according to Nuggets governor Josh Kroenke, he wanted to play for the Knicks. At that point in team Kroenke told Anthony that would be very difficult, but he’d see what he could do.
Six months later Anthony is an even richer man with a three-year extension worth $65 million AND he’s playing in blue and orange at Madison Square Garden. So far he has received everything he wanted – now let’s see if Anthony, teamed with Chauncey Billups and Amar’e Stoudemire, can bring playoff success back to the Big Apple.
New Jersey Nets
Yes, the Nets wanted and did not get Carmelo Anthony. But instead of moping around, they did something about it. Knowing the Utah Jazz were thinking they didn’t want to go through anything like what the Nuggets did this year with Anthony, they decided to broaden their search for a trade, including players who could become free agents in 2012, not just 2011.
Boom. They gave up two first-round picks, rookie Derrick Favors, and point guard Devin Harris – less than their offer to the Nuggets for Anthony – and returned themselves one of the best point guards in the NBA in All-Star Deron Williams, shocking the entire NBA world.
Both Anthony and Williams are superstars, but a superstar point guard is more difficult to find than a superstar scorer. Was the cost high? Sure, but one would be hard-pressed to claim the Nets gave up too much. With Williams leading the team under Coach Avery Johnson and big man Brook Lopez in the middle – and only $40 million on the books for next season – the Nets are poised to start building a dynasty. This arms race between the Nets and Knicks should be quite entertaining for years to come.
Who were your Trade Deadline winners? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!
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