The Suns made a bold move by acquiring Kevin Durant in exchange for Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, Jae Crowder, and picks.
Suns: F Kevin Durant F TJ Warren
Photo Cred: CNN
Nets: F Mikal Bridges F Cameron Johnson F Jae Crowder 4 1st Round Picks 2028 Pick Swap
The Suns appeared to go all-in with the acquisition of Kevin Durant, aiming to form a superteam alongside Chris Paul, Devin Booker, and Deandre Ayton. While the core struggled with injuries, the absence of Mikal Bridges negatively impacted their defense, and the chemistry built over the previous seasons vanished with the trade of Bridges and Johnson. Despite relying on talent rather than teamwork, the Suns managed to win games, but fell 4-2 to the eventual champion Denver Nuggets in the playoffs. The offseason saw significant roster turnover, with Chris Paul and DeAndre Ayton leaving and Bradley Beal joining. On the other hand, the Nets seem to have benefited from the trade, with Mikal Bridges becoming their first option and Cam Johnson proving to be a valuable addition, making this trade a win for the Nets.
Grades: Suns – C Nets – A
James Harden was traded to the Sixers for a package involving players and picks.
Photo Cred: CNN
Sixers: G James Harden F Paul Milsap
Nets: F Ben Simmons G Seth Curry C Andre Drummond 2022 First Round Pick 2027 First Round Pick (top 8 protected)
The Sixers sought a playmaker to complement Joel Embiid, and they found it in James Harden at the 2022 trade deadline. The new-look Sixers, featuring excellent spacing around Harden and Embiid, secured the 3rd seed in the East and swept the Brooklyn Nets in the first round. However, they fell in the second round to Boston in a seven-game series. The Harden experiment was short-lived as the Sixers recently traded him to the Clippers. The Nets, on the other hand, embarked on a rebuild, unloading Harden for future assets, including Seth Curry. This trade marked a significant change for the Nets, and they could have potentially obtained more draft capital for Harden, especially considering the situation with Ben Simmons.
Grades: Sixers – B Nets – B
The Rockets traded Victor Oladipo to the Heat.
Photo Cred: ESPN
Heat: G Victor Oladipo
Rockets: F Kelly Olynyk G Avery Bradley 2022 First Round Pick (Swap Rights)
In the relatively uneventful 2021 trade deadline, the spotlight was on Oladipo’s move to Miami. Despite a successful stint with the Pacers, Oladipo struggled with injuries during his time with the Rockets. The Heat took a low-risk, high-reward approach, acquiring Oladipo for minimal cost, hoping he could regain his form in the Miami system. Unfortunately, Oladipo’s health issues persisted, and the trade did not yield the expected results. Nevertheless, since Oladipo was in the final year of his contract, the Heat’s gamble had limited repercussions. The Rockets, however, received a lower grade for failing to extract significant value from the trade.
Grades: Heat – B+ Rockets – D
