The trade deadline passed without anything close to a blockbuster. The biggest deal of the season in Rudy Gay’s trade from the Grizzlies to the Raptors happened a while back, and there was much apprehension from teams on trade deadline Thursday.
NBA trade deadline 2013: Josh Smith, Al Jefferson among those not dealt
On a trade deadline Thursday when rumors were aplenty, Josh Smith and Al Jefferson led the group of players that were part of what became an anti-climatic day.
Kevin C. Cox
Be it the new collective bargaining agreement that has the league fearing salaries or otherwise, there were a number of big names who received a lot of speculation but ended up sticking with their teams.
By far the biggest name in the trade talks heading into Thursday, the Atlanta Hawks forward ended up staying put after talks with the Milwaukee Bucks broke down shortly before the trade deadline. The Bucks appeared unwilling to part with guard Monta Ellis and wanted to pair Smith with the shooting guard, though that may not be what ultimately stopped the deal Reports said the Hawks were feverishly trying to trade Smith, but their preference to trade him to a Western Conference team didn't work out with the major suitor of that conference. The Phoenix Suns reportedly had interest in Smith, but they didn't have enough to give up other than lottery picks, which could have been where that deal broke down. Whispers of Houston and Boston making a move for Smith also led nowhere.
One of the Jazz's two hefty expiring contracts, the 28-year-old center remains in Utah despite being a reported target of the Phoenix Suns and San Antonio Spurs. The team looked to move both Jefferson and Paul Millsap considering Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter developing into capable big men. The eventual re-signing of wing Gordon Hayward, a player the Suns were also interested in, will make it unlikely Utah holds onto both Millsap and Jefferson this offseason.
Paul Millsap
Perhaps more of a trade chip than Jefferson, Millsap garnered interest from the Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Clippers and Minnesota Timberwolves. Like most other teams that had the same package on the table (it later became known as the HBAP acronym on Twitter) Utah didn't bite on the Nets' offering of Kris Humphries, MarShon Brooks and a pick. The Clippers ended up standing pat on their own and didn't get deep into talks of swapping Eric Bledsoe for Millsap. Similarly, the Timberwolves' offering of forward Derrick Williams never appeared to be all that impressive.
Monta Ellis
Milwaukee could have dealt Ellis in the case that he doesn't pick up his player option for next season and becomes a free agent. The Bucks appeared interested in packaging Ellis in a deal that would net them Smith from Atlanta -- there was also word that Ellis could be kept in hopes of putting him on the same team as Smith -- but the Hawks pulled out as the deadline neared. Instead, Milwaukee went with Plan B, a deal that got them J.J. Redick for backup point guard Beno Udrih.
One of four NBA players with a no-trade clause, there were plenty of discussions about the Los Angeles Clippers making a run at the respected power forward and then making a run at a title. Instead, the Clippers kept point guard Eric Bledsoe and center DeAndre Jordan, opting to keep the waters calm with a roster already strong across the board.
The long-time Celtics scorer was rumored in a trade to Atlanta because Boston reportedly loved the idea of brining on Josh Smith. Brooklyn also offered their package of Humphries, Brooks and a pick for Pierce, but the Celtics didn't give chase.
A great acquisition turned into a potential trade chip this season, the rising Hickson didn't do enough to have teams making the Trail Blazers any ridiculous offers. Only the Nets with their standard package and the Bobcats, desperate to shed Ben Gordon's large salary and questionable behavior, looked like suitors for Hickson.
The Charlotte Bobcats wanted a first-round pick in return for their shooting guard, and the Celtics were one of the possible candidates to bring on Henderson. Instead, Boston shored up their backcourt with Washington Wizards guard Jordan Crawford, and Charlotte was left hanging onto Henderson.
Though one of the more questionable rumors out there, some reports said New Orleans Hornets guard Eric Gordon was on the block despite the team matching an offer sheet of four-years and $58 million this summer. Golden State apparently had interest, but wasn't willing to pull the trigger, possibly because of Gordon's problematic knee injuries.
Rip Hamilton
The Bulls wanted to dump Hamilton to help with the luxury tax situation, but ultimately they found no suitor in a market of teams fearing large salaries. Draft picks have become the trendy priority, and with teams also asking the Bulls to include one of those, Chicago didn't make a deal.
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