Traded: One Month Later
About a month ago the NBA experienced one of the most surprising trade deadlines in recent history (maybe ever). Stars were traded and teams were re-shaped, all in the name of a playoff push or building a better team for the future.
how have these deals worked out? Are the teams likely happy with their decisions to make the moves? Let’s take a look at the biggest names moved at the deadline and see how they have done since being traded (stats through Thursday, March 24th).
Gerald Wallace, Portland Trail Blazers: Portland has gone 8-5 in the 13 games since Wallace has joined the team on the floor (they won another after the trade but before he played). He moved into the starting lineup for center Marcus Camby five games ago when Coach Nate McMillan moved LaMarcus Aldridge to center. It’s a small lineup with Wallace and Aldridge playing a little out of position, but gives the Blazers the best combination to start a game.
Wallace has quickly become invaluable, averaging 32.9 minutes in his 13 games. That’s third on the team, behind Aldridge and Wesley Matthews. He is averaging 13.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 2.15 steals per game while shooting 49% from the floor (scoring and rebounding is under his season average, but steadily rising). Those numbers are better than the three players Portland traded for him, even combined. Portland couldn’t be happier with their acquisition.
Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks: The struggles of the Knicks since the big trade have been well-documented, if not overblown. Is Anthony the most interested defender? Does he shoot a lot? Sure he does, but the Knicks knew that going in – his game is not a surprise.
In 17 games with the Knicks Melo is averaging 24.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.3 assists on 45% shooting (43% from three-point range). The Knicks are just 7-10, lower than their percentage before the trade. Would they make the trade again? Sure they would, because this move wasn’t a move to win a title this year – that would have been a poorly thought out plan. It’s a needed building move. Now the Knicks have the tough job of filling in the cracks in the team’s needs.
Chauncey Billups, New York Knicks: Then again, the Knicks are also 7-10 since they acquired Billups as well. However, Billups has missed six games since the trade when the Knicks went 4-2, meaning they are just 3-8 when Billups plays. That’s an interesting statistic, isn’t it?
Billups is averaging 18.6 points and 5.0 assists with the Knicks while shooting 41% from the field and 30% from three-point range. Points are up, assists are down, and shooting percentages are down in all categories since the trade. Since Billups wasn’t the main target of New York’s trade, they’d do it again.
Kendrick Perkins, Oklahoma City Thunder: The jewel of the Thunder’s center shopping at the trade deadline, because of injury Perkins has played in just five games with Oklahoma City. He made an immediate impact on his teammates with leadership and toughness on the floor, helping the Thunder to a 4-1 record when he’s on the court.
Perkins is putting up 4.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks in 23.7 minutes a game on 57% shooting. Apart from the percentage those numbers are slightly down from his Boston ones, but expect them to continue to go up as he gets more comfortable in his role with OKC. There remains little question the Thunder is quite pleased.
Jeff Green, Boston Celtics: Boston chose to accept Green in exchange for Perkins (along with Nenad Krstic) because of the depth he could provide at both forward positions, behind Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. Now playing primarily the three – he started at the four for the Thunder – Green averages 11.1 points and 2.3 rebounds on 52% from the field and 41% from three-point range in 22.7 minutes a game. Boston is 9-5.
While his minutes per game have dropped by over 14 per game, it’s interesting to see his scoring is down but not as much as time on the floor would suggest. Compared to his OKC numbers Green is getting 61.4% of the minutes but scoring 73.0% of the points. His shooting percentage is up eight points, so Green has become much more efficient. His blocks are actually up over his season average as well. Boston isn’t winning at the clip they would like, but that’s not because of Green.
Deron Williams, New Jersey Nets: Because of injury Williams has played in just eight games since the shocking trade from Utah, leading the Nets to a 3-5 record. That may not sound like much, but a 37.5% winning percentage in those games is significantly better than the record without Williams (20-42, 32.3%). His scoring is way down but his assists are up and center Brook Lopez seems to be more productive with Williams.
{AUTHOR_BOX}Williams has posted five double-doubles in the eight games, including three games of 17 or more assists and an assist:turnover ratio of better than 3:1. While his passing has been great, his 33% shooting from the field and and 29% from three-point range has been pathetic. New Jersey doesn’t mind though. Why? Because by adding an All-Star point guard to go with one of the best young centers in the game, they now have the hardest positions to fill set. Add some wing scoring and this team gets scary really fast.
Devin Harris, Utah Jazz: Utah is 5-8 with Devin Harris on the floor, though in one of those losses he played only three minutes because of injury. He didn’t play in the last two games, both losses, and the first game after the trade, another loss, meaning Utah has won just 31% of their games (5-11 overall) since trading one of the best point guards in the NBA.
Harris hasn’t been bad. He scored 19 or more points five times and seven or more assists four times. The problem is the last seven-assist game was March 7th. Harris is shooting just 41% from the field and hasn’t seemed to be able to find his teammates in spots they can be successful, unlike how well Williams has found open players in Jersey. Yes, Derrick Favors was also part of the deal, but looking strictly at the point guards Devin Harris isn’t measuring up to what the Jazz have become accustomed.
Mo Williams, L.A. Clippers: Williams has played in 12 games for the Clippers, starting all of them, scoring 16.5 points and dishing 6.2 assists while shooting 41% from the floor (and from three-point range). These are similar numbers to what Davis put up, but with a higher scoring average (making up for the lower assists) and a better shot from distance.
The Clippers, who have won just 39% of their games all year, are 7-5 in those 12 games. Coincidence? Perhaps, because there was evidence the team was improving before the trade, but it’s worth mentioning Davis was apparently not a reason for the improvement. Los Angeles would do this trade again any day of the year, including giving up a first-round pick for the $11 million less they will pay Williams over the course of his contracts compared with Davis.
Baron Davis, Cleveland Cavaliers: Speaking of Davis, he’s played just four games for the last place Cavaliers since the trade due to various reasons. The Cavs have gone 1-3, which is higher than their .189 winning percentage for the season, but it is a rather small sample.
Davis’ assists are down in Cleveland, but he’s being asked to score more. The rest of his numbers are up, including shooting 52.4% from three-point range. Would Cleveland do it again? Maybe. They really wanted that draft pick.
Kirk Hinrich, Atlanta Hawks: Hinrich has started 12 of the 14 games he has played with the Hawks, helping them to a 6-8 record. For a team who used to be a threat to take the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference from the Orlando Magic, this trade has not gone well. But can Hinrich really be blamed? He’s putting up numbers similar to Mike Bibby, whom replaced, and is a better defender.
Maybe with how well Jordan Crawford is playing in Washington this is a deal the Hawks would like to have back, but if so that says more about Crawford than it does about Hinrich or Bibby.
Danilo Gallinari, Denver Nuggets: It’s not fair to him, but Gallinari is the man replacing Anthony in Denver. He’s missed some games due to injury so has played in six contests, starting four. Denver is 3-3 in those games, but 7-1 in the eight games he didn’t play.
Since the trade Gallo’s minutes are down, but the scoring and shooting percentage is about the same, and rebounds and blocks each have a healthy bump, even in less minutes. He can’t replace Anthony by himself, but he’s not doing bad. Would Denver do this deal again? Well, they felt they didn’t really have a choice in the first place, but then again since trading Anthony they are 10-4. Hard to see that as a negative.
Aaron Brooks, Phoenix Suns: Just one year since winning the Most Improved Player award and even getting some discussion for being an All-Star in 2010, Brooks became very unhappy in Houston playing behind Kyle Lowry and his numbers reflected that, down significantly across the board.
Since the trade Brooks is playing 5.9 minutes less a game backing up Steve Nash, but his rebound and steal numbers are the same, scoring is down only 1.9, and his shooting percentages have gone way up. With the Rockets he shot just 35% from the field and 28% from three-point range; in Phoenix those numbers have gone up to 45% and 38%. The Suns are 6-7 with Brooks on the floor and 8-7 overall since the trade. They’d definitely make this move again.
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Overall teams have to be pretty pleased with the moves they made. Atlanta and Utah may be the least pleased with their moves, but in Hawks’ case it’s tough to pin any of their troubles on Hinrich, and for the Jazz it had to be expected when trading one of the league’s best playmakers. For most everyone else, so far, so good.
So, one month later, now who made the best moves? Leave your thoughts in the comments below! Chat with Jason Fleming every Monday at 8pm Eastern Time and follow him on Twitter!
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