The NBA trade deadline always promises to be one of the season’s most exciting mile markers. That’s particularly the case this season with the Warriors’ dynasty dissolved and a wide open field of championship contenders jockeying to make moves ahead of the stretch run.
We graded every move as it happened during the 2020 NBA trade deadline
From Andrew Wiggins for D’Angelo Russell to the Warriors-76ers’ trade, here are our live grades.
We’ll be grading every NBA trade on the deadline as they happen. Let’s get to it.
The big trades
The Warriors and Wolves swap D’Angelo Russell for Andrew Wiggins and more
Warriors get: Andrew Wiggins, top-three protected 2021 first-round pick, 2021 second-round pick
Timberwolves get: D’Angelo Russell, Omari Spellman, Jacob Evans
The most high-impact deal of the trade deadline saw the Wolves finally land their guy in D’Angelo Russell by trading Andrew Wiggins and a lightly-protected future first pick that could be extremely valuable. Though a steep price to pay, Minnesota had to land the guy Karl-Anthony Towns wanted so badly to play with going into the season.
For Golden State, this trade is a risk with a cushion attached. Wiggins is not a very good player right now, but with a change of scenery, anything’s possible. And Golden State gets insurance by adding what could be a mid-first-round pick. Russell likely wasn’t a long-term fit next to Klay Thompson and Steph Curry anyway.
Warriors grade: A-
Wolves grade: A-
The largest NBA trade of the deadline was a four-team, 12-player deal that was completed just past midnight in the early hours of Tuesday. Here’s a look at what each team received:
Houston Rockets get: Robert Covington, Jordan Bell
Atlanta Hawks get: Clint Capela, Nene
Minnesota Timberwolves get: Malik Beasley, Juancho Hernangomez, Evan Turner, Jarred Vanderbilt, first-round pick from the Brooklyn Nets that was transferred by the Hawks.
Denver Nuggets get: Gerald Green, Noah Vonleh, Keita Bates-Diop, Shabazz Napier, first-round pick from Rockets
We already handed out grades for each team in this trade when it happened. Read Mike Prada for additional analysis of what the move means for the Rockets.
The Heat jump to Eastern Conference contenders by landing Andre Iguodala
The Miami Heat get: Andre Iguodala, Jae Crowder and Solomon Hill
The Memphis Grizzlies get: Justise Winslow, Gorgui Dieng, Dion Waiters
Minnesota Timberwolves get: James Johnson
The Heat were a darkhorse in the Iguodala sweepstakes behind the teams in Los Angeles, but were able to get him without shedding any picks. Winslow could be a great player, but has been injured so often the Heat needed to risk losing what he might become to win right now.
Accounting for the trade that landed them Iguodala in the first place, the Grizzlies were able to parlay a prospect the Warriors already cut, Jae Crowder and Solomon Hill into Justise Winslow and a protected first-round pick, which is an impressive haul for Memphis. The Grizzlies were essentially playing with free money in Iguodala, and could win out big-time if Winslow pans out.
Heat grade: A-
Grizzlies grade: A
The smaller trades
Cavaliers take a chance on Andre Drummond
Cleveland Cavaliers get: Andre Drummond
Detroit Pistons get: John Henson, Brandon Knight, second-round pick
One of the more depressing trades of the day showed how much Drummond’s market has shrunk. To avoid the chances he opts in to his nearly $29 million option next season, Detroit salary-dumped Drummond for a paltry haul. The hope in Cleveland is that a change of scenery next to Kevin Love will help Drummond. But there’s no guarantee that happens, and they could be on the hook for him for another season.
Pistons grade: F
Cavaliers grade: C
76ers acquire shooting from the Warriors
Philadelphia 76ers get: Alec Burks, Glenn Robinson III
Golden State Warriors get: 2020 second-round pick (via Dallas), 2021 second-round pick (via Denver), 2022 second-round pick (via Toronto)
Philadelphia was in desperate need of shooting this season. Burks and Robinson fill that need if they can earn a spot in the rotation.
Burks, 28, has quietly had a nice year for the Warriors filling the scoring vacuum left by injuries to Steph Curry and Klay Thompson and the free agent departure of Kevin Durant. He goes to Sixers averaging 16.1 points per game while shooting 37.5 percent from three-point range on 4.7 attempts per game. The 6’6 shooting guard will be a free agent after the season. Robinson was averaging 12.9 points per game with Golden State on 40 percent shooting from three coming off 3.5 attempts per game. He gives Philly an athletic, 6’6 wing who can’t be ignored on the perimeter.
The Warriors pick-up three second-rounders for the trade. Those can be legitimate assets for a team that needs to find contributors when Curry and Thompson return, whether they keep the picks or eventually move them for more immediate help.
76ers grade: B+
Warriors grade: A-
Hawks acquire more help at center
Atlanta Hawks get: Dewayne Dedmon, 2020 and 2021 second-round pick
Sacramento Kings get: Jabari Parker and Alex Len
Dedmon signed a three-year, $40 million contract with the Sacramento Kings in the offseason but wanted out of town almost immediately. Before that, he spent the last two seasons in Atlanta becoming a useful rim protector who had made major strides as an outside shooter. The Hawks had salary cap space to burn heading into the summer, and decided to use it on a center to backup Capela and provide additional defensive support. The Kings threw in two second-round picks in the deal.
The Kings get to clear Dedmon’s contract off their books. Parker has a $6.5 million deal for next year and Len is set to become a free agent.
Hawks grade: B+
Kings grade: B
Rockets commit to having no centers
Houston Rockets get: Bruno Caboclo and a second-round pick
Memphis Grizzlies get: Jordan Bell and a second-round pick
Houston acquired Bell in the massive 12-player, four-team trade only to send him out for another wing. The Rockets have no use for centers. Caboclo was famously deemed “two year away from being two years away” when he was drafted by the Raptors in 2014. He has been limited by injuries this season with Memphis, but did show signs of turning into a rotation player last year.
Rockets grade: B+
Grizzlies grade: B
Dieng, Johnson swapped by Wolves, Grizzlies
Memphis Grizzlies get: Gorgui Dieng
Minnesota Timberwolves get: James Johnson
The Wolves needed a versatile defensive presence in their front court. The Grizzlies just didn’t want Johnson around. This trade is mostly a swap of two players with albatross contracts: Dieng will make $17.2 million in 2020-2021 before his contract expires, while Johnson has a player option for $16 million next season.
Grizzlies grade: C+
Timberwolves grade: B
Clippers get: Marcus Morris, Isaiah Thomas
Wizards get: Jerome Robinson
Knicks get: Moe Harkless, Clippers 2020 first round pick, 2023 second-round pick via Detroit, PG Issuf Sanon
The Clippers land Morris, a versatile, scoring wing who can help provide offensive punch and lineup flexibility in the playoffs. The deal costs them Robinson, a lottery pick in the 2018 draft, Harkless, and their 2020 first round pick. Thomas also goes to the Clippers but it’s hard to see how he can handle minutes in the playoffs given his lack of defensive ability.
Clippers grade: C
Wizards grade: B+
Knicks grade: B+
