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2024 NBA trade deadline winners and losers: Knicks make another savvy move, Lakers quiet as big names stay put

Thursday's NBA trade deadline was one of the last chances for teams to make significant changes to their rosters this season. This year's deadline lacked the star power of recent seasons, but some contenders did not hesitate to make moves. The New York Knicks were extremely active, adding two more solid role players to what has become one of the best teams in the NBA. By contrast, the Los Angeles Lakers elected to stand pat, hoping continuity will help them regain the magic that led them to the Western Conference Finals last year.

None of the big names that we expected to see on the move -- Dejounte Murray, Kyle Kuzma, Andrew Wiggins -- ended up changing teams, but that doesn't mean that Thursday's trades won't have an impact on the rest of the season and into the playoffs. Here's a look at every deal that was made this week.

Let's take a look at some winners and losers from the 2024 NBA trade deadline.

Winner: New York Knicks

In a matter of a couple months, the Knicks added OG Anunoby, Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks to an already solid roster. The latter two might not be as splashy as Anunoby, who has displayed transformative value in New York, but both Bogdanovic and Burks are knock-down shooters who will help space the floor for Jalen Brunson and the currently injured Julius Randle. They're also both capable of creating their own offense when necessary, landing in the 80th and 70th percentile in jumpers off the dribble, respectively, per Synergy Sports. With Joel Embiid's injury and the Bucks' coaching change, the Knicks saw an opportunity to perhaps seize a top-three seed in the East and made their moves accordingly. They've also done all this without surrendering a single future first-round pick. Pretty impressive.

Loser: Los Angeles Lakers

The plan in Los Angeles is apparently to wait until the summer, when they'll have three first-round picks available to go after a superstar. That's fine, but it means that the team is content riding out this season with a roster currently fighting for a play-in spot -- one that has certainly not proven itself capable of winning a title. The Lakers (27-25, ninth place in the West) could essentially be wasting productive, healthy seasons from LeBron James and Anthony Davis for the prospect of future success. Who knows how James will perform as a 40-year-old next season, but it's certainly a risk. We will never know exactly which deals were there for the taking, but none must have moved the needle enough for Rob Pelinka and the front office to pull the trigger. We'll see how James reacts and how the team performs for the rest of the season.

Winners: Role players

It may be a star's league, but Thursday's trade deadline was all about the role players. Backup point guards, spot-up shooters, defensive specialists and locker room leaders all went flying around the NBA. Not one player we'd consider a "star" was traded. Instead it was a host of solid supporting pieces, some of which we'll be seeing deep into the playoffs.

Loser: Grant Williams

Look, it's hard to call anyone making tens of millions of dollars a year a loser, but in this context, Williams didn't exactly come out on top. He signed with Dallas with the hopes of being an integral part of a team with a puncher's chance at an NBA title. Instead, he was shipped off to Charlotte, whose soonest shot at a championship may be in the 2030s. Williams was a borderline disaster with the Mavericks, shooting just 41% from the field while averaging 8.1 points per game. He's the type of player who could be rerouted to a contender at some point, but he can't be too enthused to be joining up with the struggling Hornets, even if he is from the area.

Winner: Gordon Hayward

For the same reasons Williams might be perturbed by heading to a losing team, Hayward -- heading to the Thunder -- has to be ecstatic to have a chance to contribute to a title contender once again after three-and-a-half seasons of floundering in Charlotte. When healthy, Hayward was turning in a solid season, averaging 14.5 points and 4.6 assists on 36% 3-point shooting. He'll likely get a shot to compete for bench minutes with OKC while bringing some much-needed leadership and playoff experience to one of the youngest teams in the NBA.

Loser: Washington Wizards

The Wizards had several players who were reportedly receiving interest on the open market, but the only deal they were able to make was to send Daniel Gafford to the Dallas Mavericks for a late first-round pick in the 2024 draft. Kyle Kuzma, Tyus Jones and Corey Kispert all remain on the Wizards, and all of whom could have been useful on other teams and could potentially serve to negatively affect Washington's number of ping pong balls come lottery time. It's hard to imagine they couldn't have flipped one or more of those players into future assets.

Winner: The Pat Bev Pod

Social media newsbreakers rule the NBA trade deadline, but Patrick Beverley decided to take things into his own hands on Thursday. The 12-year NBA vet slyly announced that he would be heading to the Milwaukee Bucks via his podcast's social media account.

Talk about controlling the narrative.

Loser: Killian Hayes

We wish Hayes all the best in his future endeavors, but going from the No. 7 overall pick to being released by the worst team in the NBA in a span of four years is rough. Hayes reportedly wanted to be traded, and apparently nothing materialized that the Pistons front office felt was worthwhile. After being released, Hayes will likely catch on somewhere. At just 22 years old, he's shown flashes of scoring and playmaking ability, averaging 10.3 points and 7.3 assists per 36 minutes this season.

Winner: Xavier Tillman

Not exactly the most impactful deal that went down, but for Tillman to go from one of the worst teams in in the league in the Grizzlies to the Boston Celtics, the favorites to take home the NBA championship, is a huge win. Here's more on how the backup big man can help the Celtics.

Loser: Spencer Dinwiddie

Dinwiddie will likely get to pick his next destination on the buyout market after being traded to and waived by the Toronto Raptors, but he'll also reportedly miss out on a significant chunk of change. The 30-year-old veteran point guard won't receive his $1.5 million games played bonus after the Raptors part ways with him, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania. Seems unfair for a player who almost certainly would have hit the mark were it not for Toronto wanting to save some money.

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Live updates
 

Latest on the Sixers

Reports indicate the 76ers are going to try to make some moves at the deadline to help the team stay afloat with Joel Embiid sidelined. Philly has dropped to fifth in the Eastern Conference standings, but the team is reportedly hopeful that the reigning MVP (who just had a knee procedure) can return before the end of the regular season. Keeping a top-six playoff spot without Embiid seems to be the goal.

Per the Philadelphia Inquirer, Malcolm Brogdon, Andre Drummond, Kelly Olynyk and Bojan Boganovic are among the Sixers targets. 

It seems like Daryl Morey and the Sixers could be active on Thursday.

 

Tatum leaving trade deadline activity to Stevens

The Celtics have the best record in the league at 39-12, but they could still use some help around the margins. Early on Wednesday they added some frontcourt depth by acquiring Xavier Tillman from the Grizzlies, and could be active up until the deadline. All of that is for Brad Stevens to worry about, though. The players are leaving those discussions up to him. 

"He's the GM, he kind of has a check on the temperature of the team," Jayson Tatum said. "If he sees something that we might need, or a change that could be helpful, that's his job. Our job is to go out there and compete."

 

Nets said no to two firsts for Finney-Smith last season, not getting same offers now

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Or, in the Nets' case, two first-round picks are worth three at the next deadline. According to the New York Post, the Nets rejected an offer of two first-round picks for Dorian Finney-Smith last season and are not getting the same type of offers this time around. 

The veteran swingman, who arrived in the Kyrie Irving trade last season, is averaging 9.1 points and 4.8 rebounds, while shooting 38.3% from 3-point land. As a 3-and-D player, he's drawing plenty of interest, including from the Milwaukee Bucks, but no team has met the Nets' asking price. 

 

Kerr doesn't think Warriors have to make a trade

The Warriors are two games under .500 and stuck in 11th place in the Western Conference, so it's no surprise that they've been in the mix on trade talks for months. Head coach Steve Kerr doesn't think they have to make a move, however. 

Here's Kerr prior to the team's win over the Sixers on Wednesday:

"I feel like this group can do something special. I really do. So if we don't do anything tomorrow, we feel like we have a good group we can push with."

 

Bridges says he wants to stay in Charlotte

Miles Bridges has been the subject of numerous trade rumors, but said following the Hornets' loss to the Raptors on Wednesday that he wants to stay in Charlotte. "My answer doesn't change," Bridges said. "I would love to be here. I got drafted here, they stuck with me through my lowest time." 

Bridges did not play in the 2022-23 season after he went unsigned as the result of his domestic violence case. He pled no contest to a felony charge of injuring a child's parent and was later suspended 30 games by the NBA, 10 of which he served at the beginning of this season. Bridges is now facing further charges for allegedly violating a protective order on multiple occasions. 

 

Mitchell claims he didn't know trade deadline was tomorrow

Donovan Mitchell went off for 40 points on Thursday to help the Cavaliers beat the Wizards and improve to 15-1 in their last 16 games. Afterwards, he was asked about the state of the roster heading into the trade deadline, and claimed to not know that it was on Thursday. 

"The fact that I didn't know it was tomorrow I think speaks volumes," MItchell said. "I think we're in good shape. I don't think anybody in the locker room is thinking about it." 

That seems a bit hard to believe, but there's no question that the Cavaliers are cooking right now. After their latest win, they're 33-16 on the season and all alone in second place in the Eastern Conference. 

 

Thompson says he doesn't bother with rumors

Klay Thompson's future with the Golden State Warriors is in flux, but he says he's not worried about trade rumors. "I don't partake in NBA discourse," Thompson said after putting up 18 points in the Warriors' comfortable win over the short-handed 76ers on Wednesday night. He added, unsurprisingly, that he wants to remain with the Warriors long-term. 

 

The Timberwolves badly needed another point guard

The Timberwolves score 117.2 points per 100 possessions when Anthony Edwards is in the game and 105.3 when he's on the bench. That made the Monte Morris trade a very simple calculus: they BADLY needed to land another ball-handler. In Morris, they've found someone who can keep their offense afloat during those brief stretches Edwards has to rest.

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Wolves bolster their depth

The Minnesota Timberwolves -- one of four teams currently tied for first in the Western Conference -- have made a move to add depth to their backcourt. The Wolves are acquiring guard Monte Morris from the Detroit Pistons, per Shams Charania. 

And here's the return for Detroit:

 

What have we learned on deadline eve?

A few thoughts on deadline eve based on the two deals we've seen thus far:

  • For the second straight year, the Jazz have operated as sellers despite being in the thick of the playoff race. After dealing Simone Fontecchio, could they continue to look at offers for their veterans? Jordan Clarkson and Kelly Olynyk, reserves at positions where the Jazz are relatively deep, should both be able to net real assets. Collin Sexton is worth more, but he's hardly untouchable. Here's a quiet name to keep an eye on: Kris Dunn. The entire world wants Alex Caruso. Dunn is the cheaper version of him, and could help any team seeking perimeter defense.
  • The Grizzlies are really prioritizing financial flexibility. In moving Steven Adams and Xavier Tillman, they've likely ducked the tax for next season (at least for now) while giving themselves a bit of money to work with this offseason.
  • The Celtics may have gotten Xavier Tillman, but they don't have to be done. They didn't touch their two tradable first-round picks, and they still have a bit of matching salary to spend on a guard if they want to.
  • Is Detroit acting as a buyer? Fontecchio could be a short-term or long-term addition. The Pistons, still with only six wins, surely want to avoid the worst record in NBA history.
 

Boston got a steal in Xavier Tillman

You should obviously take defensive metrics with a grain of salt, but for what it's worth, EPM rates Xavier Tillman as the third-best defender in the NBA this season. That probably overstates his value slightly, but big men that can capably defend across multiple schemes in the playoffs are worth their weight in gold. Boston just got one for two second-round picks. That's a major win.

 

Celtics trade for backup big man

The Boston Celtics, the East's No. 1 team and the current NBA title favorites, have made their first move of deadline week. The Celtics are acquiring big man Xavier Tillman from the Memphis Grizzlies for a pair of second-round picks, per ESPN. Here are the details of the deal:

 

The Lakers waiting for a blockbuster swing this summer?

The Lakers have been linked to just about every win-now veteran available on the market, but our own Bill Reiter is reporting that the Lakers may hold off on making a major trade because they have their eyes set on someone better this offseason: Donovan Mitchell.

Mitchell can become a free agent in 2025. There have been rumors for years suggesting that he'd like to play in a big market, with his hometown Knicks and Nets at the top of that list. The Lakers can offer only one first-round pick today, but this offseason, that number increases to three along with three swaps. Throw in Austin Reaves and the Lakers can make a compelling offer. According to Reiter, the Lakers think they have a shot at him. Of course, competition would be fierce on that front.

 

We have a trade!

Our first deal of deadline week is in, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski: Simone Fontecchio to the Pistons for a 2024 second-round pick. Detroit owes its own second-round pick to the Raptors, but they had the more favorable of Washington and Memphis' second-rounders, so this pick going to Utah will be pretty high in the second round. Kevin Knox and the draft rights to Gabriele Procida also go the Jazz.

Detroit adds some badly needed shooting at the forward spot in its bid to avoid setting the record for worst record in NBA history. Notably, this is the second time in recent history that the Pistons have made a head-scratching win-now trade with the Jazz for a shooting forward, as they landed Bojan Bogdanovic from Utah before last season as well.

 

Dejounte Murray is questionable tonight

In the Hawks' final game before the trade deadline... 

 

24 most interesting trade deadline candidates

We're unlikely to see the star power of the most recent NBA trade deadlines. Players like James Harden, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons were all shipped to new teams around this time in 2022 and 2023. And while things are quiet right now, there are a few dozen notable names to keep an eye on this week, including D'Angelo Russell, Dejounte Murray and Jerami Grant.

Getty Images
 

Kuzma staying put?

The Wizards are one of the worst teams in the league, and there's been reported interest in forward Kyle Kuzma throughout the season. But it appears Washington's high asking price might keep Kuzma in D.C. The Wizards are looking for multiple first-round picks for Kuzma, per Yahoo Sports. The Mavericks and Kings are among the teams that have been linked to Kuzma -- who scores 21.8 points per game and is in the first season of a four-year, $90 million deal. 

 

Bucks have interest in Warriors' Wiggins

The Bucks are in the midst of a strange season. They traded for Damian Lillard in September. They got off to a strong start in the standings, but then fired a coach who won 70% of his games. Doc Rivers was inserted and has won once in five tries. Khris Middleton got hurt on Tuesday night.

So could Milwaukee be in for another big change at the deadline? The Bucks are reportedly interested in Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins, who has struggled in the 2023-24 season. Jack Maloney explains why a Bucks trade for Wiggins would be complicated.

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