As last Thursday's deadline approached, there wasn't too much buzz surrounding potential trades. A few rumblings floated around concerning Milwaukee Bucks' guard Michael Redd and Seattle Supersonics' guard Ray Allen, but overall, the rumor-mill was relatively quiet. However, on the last day for trades, a series of unexpected deals took many by surprise and made for an exciting run to the trade deadline.
The most prominent of these deals was the blockbuster that sent Sacramento Kings star Chris Webber and two reserves, Matt Barnes and Michael Bradley, to the Philadelphia 76ers for forwards Kenny Thomas, Corliss Williamson and Brian Skinner. While Webber's tenure with the Kings was stellar, his chronic knee problems had affected how often and how well he was able to play in recent years.
In Thomas, the Kings get a player who, despite a few injury problems of his own this season, should be able to contribute at power forward in a rotation with Darius Songaila. Williamson will be helpful as a spark off the bench, while the impact of Skinner, a free-agent bust so far, is negligible.
In Webber, the Sixers got an immediate and much-needed upgrade in the frontcourt, and hopefully the star to finally mesh with star guard Allen Iverson. In light of failed attempts with Keith Van Horn and Glenn Robinson (both of whom were moved on Thursday), the Sixers are taking an enormous but potentially fruitful risk. Philly's playoff hopes rest on Webber's fragile knees. If he stays healthy, the Sixers are the favorites to win the (admittedly dreadful) Atlantic Division.
In another deal involving an injury-prone star, the New Orleans Hornets sent guard Baron Davis and his ailing back to the Golden State Warriors for Speedy Claxton, Dale Davis and cash considerations. While Davis' playing time has been limited this year because of his health, the potential exists for he and guard Jason Richardson to be one of the NBA's best backcourts. Whether this is the Warriors' answer to their struggles remains to be seen, as their frontcourt is not particularly strong.
The Hornets, who have been devastated by injuries after last season's playoff run, didn't get too much in return for Davis, who had said he "didn't feel wanted" by the team, which feels that Dan Dickau, who has played well in Davis' absence, will be more than adequate at point guard.
Of all the surprises of the trade deadline, the most shocking had to be the return of Antoine Walker to the Boston Celtics. Walker fell out of favor with GM Danny Ainge and was sent to the Dallas Mavericks just before the start of the 2003-04 season. After only one season in Dallas, Walker was traded to the Atlanta Hawks by a Dallas team scrambling to replace Steve Nash. The Celtics reacquired Walker in an effort to secure a playoff spot in the Atlantic.
The Hawks got veteran Gary Payton, who had played well in his first season in Boston, as well as Michael Stewart, Tom Gugliotta and a future first-round draft pick. They are clearing up cap space to continue to build around youth, and are likely to buy out Payton's contract or release him into free agency. Payton may sign with a contender out in the West, but could potentially also return to Boston, making the Celtics' payout for Walker relatively low.
The biggest winners of the deadline were by most accounts the Houston Rockets, who addressed their lack of depth at point guard with the acquisition of Mike James from the Milwaukee Bucks. They also acquired Zendon Hamilton in that deal, but had to surrender Reece Gaines and two future second-round picks. In addition to James, they picked up Moochie Norris from the New York Knicks, who returns to Houston after less then a full season in New York. In return for Morris and New York's 2006 second-round draft pick, the Knicks picked up Maurice Taylor. Both Norris and James will compete for time with starter Bob Sura, who was just placed on Houston's injured list.
Another winner was the San Antonio Spurs, who were in the market for another big man to accompany Tim Duncan. In a clever move, they got Nazr Mohammed from the Knicks for forward Malik Rose and his huge contract, as well as two first-round picks and cash considerations. The Spurs also obtained guard Jamison Brewer, but he doesn't figure to have a huge impact for them. The addition of Mohammed, a fairly reliable big man having a good season, gives the Spurs depth they could use for a run at the title. However, for New York, who seems to be intent on rebuilding through the draft, the addition of two more undersized forwards with big contracts has done nothing for them now except burden them with even more long-term, dead money contracts that will keep them floundering with the league's lower half of teams.
Along with these big-name movements, several other low-profile trades rounded out the activity approaching the trade deadline in the NBA and have set the stage for the stretch run into the playoffs.
