Grading Each Northwest Team’s Trade Deadline
How did each Northwest team navigate the trade deadline? Which teams are set up for success and which ones are left guessing? Let’s look at what each team did and what they didn’t do.
There are a few tentpole events that happen during the NBA season. From the ring ceremony at the beginning of the year until a champion is crowned in the Finals, all 32 teams endure their own 82 game gauntlet, fighting for success. Arguably the most important day for teams to change their outlook is the trade deadline. Almost every team made a move before the deadline last Thursday as teams prep for the home stretch. Here’s a look at what each team in the Northwest division did at the deadline and the grade given to them based on what was expected from them and where they stand now.
Minnesota Timberwolves: A-
Image from ClutchPoints
Trade:
Minnesota receives: G Monte Morris
Detroit receives: G Troy Brown Jr, G Shake Milton, 2030 second round pick.
Minnesota has been hunting a backup point guard for the past month and have been connected to every player who fits that mold. Their offense has been concerningly inconsistent when Mike Conley sits and they needed to make a move to capitalize on their success so far and alter their depth to further solidify their prospective playoff rotation. General manager Tim Connelly secured a veteran in Morris, even though they were targeting other names, including Washington’s Tyus Jones in the days leading up to the deadline. Washington wanted at least a first round pick for Jones(and Kyle Kuzma for that matter), though, so it’s not surprising to see that teams decided to look in other places. Morris brings Minnesota less playmaking than Jones would’ve, but the Timberwolves are hoping that he can recapture his playmaking from last season when he averaged a career-high 5.3 assists per game with the aforementioned Wizards. His biggest positive is the playoff experience that he brings to a relatively young roster. Minnesota could have made a larger trade to shake things up in an attempt to put fear into the hearts of their peers at the top of the Western Conference, but their subtlety shows the faith they have in their squad and Nikeil Alexander-Walker in particular.
Oklahoma City Thunder: B+
Image from ClutchPoints
Trade:
Oklahoma City receives: F Gordon Hayward
Charlotte receives: G Tre Mann, F Davis Bertans, F Vasilije Micic, 2024 and 2025 second round picks.
Everyone expected Sam Presti to work his magic at the deadline and secure through trade a backup center to help solve the one problem holding the young Thunder back from being a team without flaw; defensive rebounding. They were attached to every big man whose name was included in trade rumors, especially Daniel Gafford to Andre Drummond. The fact that they were unable to secure Drummond speaks more to the dysfunction in Chicago than the Thunder’s unwillingness to make a trade with them. Then again, the Bulls wanted a king’s ransom for all of their players that were up for trade, so it’s probably for the best in the eyes of Thunder fans. The trade that they did make is very intriguing, as are many that Presti executes. The players going out were not a major part of the roster and Hayward brings experience and shooting to a lineup that is already near the top of the league in percentages from the field and three-point range. One question that pops up now with Hayward’s addition; where does Josh Giddey fit now? Look for Mark Daignault to experiment with him coming off the bench and leading the second unit alongside Isaiah Joe.
Denver Nuggets: B
Image from Last Word on Sports
Trade: NONE
Not every team needs to make a move at the deadline and a third of the NBA didn’t do anything. The Nuggets and Cavaliers might be the only teams that won’t receive any negative backlash because of it. Denver has struggled to find consistent contributors outside of their starting five and Reggie Jackson, but sacrificing their youth for a swing at a bigger player had a better chance of hurting them later on than it would completing their roster in the here and now. Jokić continues to perform like the best player in the world, Jamal Murray would’ve been a fringe All-Star if he was in the East and the other three starters continue to coalesce into one of the most fearsome groups in the league. Teams are often expected to do something at the deadline, facing pressure from fans to be better and always chase the best possible players, but front offices around the league know that no deal is better than a bad one. Management has no reason to question head coach Michael Malone and are trusting him to figure out their lineup off the bench as the Nuggets chase the first back-to-back championships since the Warriors in 2017 and 2018.
Utah Jazz: B-
Image from Sports Illustrated
Trades:
Utah receives: F Kevin Knox, F Gabriel Procida, 2024 second round pick.
Detroit receives: F Simone Fontecchio
Utah receives: F Otto Porter Jr., G Kira Lewis, 2024 first round pick.
Toronto receives: F Kelly Olynyk, F Ochai Agbaji
He may not have as many resources and assets as he did during his time at the helm in Boston, but Danny Ainge is still savvy enough to get more back than he should when he makes trades. Fontecchio went undrafted in 2017 and contributed somewhat sporadically this season, but the Jazz were able to flip him for a second-round pick and are giving Kevin Knox what might be his final opportunity in the NBA. Kelly Olynyk, who is 32 and is on an expiring deal, was nearly guaranteed to be moved. The fact that Ainge was able to get a first round pick for him from a team who isn’t seen as a contender is wildly impressive, even though they had to send Agbaji as well. That decision might come back to haunt them, but the Jazz sent him to the East, where they’ll only have to see him twice a season. While these deals are good long-term for the Jazz, they didn’t go all in and send out veteran guard Jordan Clarkson, who had some interest around the league. If they’re not careful, the Jazz could find themselves in a similar position to the Bulls and Hawks; stuck in the middle because they get lost in the small flashes of contention the team shows instead of going through a small rebuild that would position them better to compete with the top teams in the upcoming seasons.
Portland Trail Blazers: F
Image from Last Word on Sports
Trade: NONE
A fan could look at Portland’s quiet deadline and say “oh, they must not have any players that other teams wanted.” Wrong. There was interest in a good chunk of their roster from contenders around the league looking for smaller upgrades or another major contributor in Jerami Grant. Even an injured Robert Williams garnered some buzz on Thursday, and he won’t touch the court again this season. Either the asking price for these players was too high or the Blazers didn’t like what they were offered. In either case, the front office handled things poorly. Portland’s timeline, which at this point seems like it’s going to center around Shaedon Sharpe and Scoot Henderson, doesn’t include the veterans currently on their roster. Grant’s contract is large and difficult to trade, but all of their other players are on manageable and moveable deals. If the Blazers don’t come out of the gates quickly next year, fans will have(if they aren’t already) wished they’d moved players now instead of later on when their value could potentially be less.
