Of all the media hype via TV Specials, radio shows and blogcasts on the NBA trade moves gluing fan eyes and ears on the NBA version of Transfer Deadline after the All-Star Break following a tremendous weekend, the NBA has truly let us down. Ok, that was kind of emotional. The NBA GM’s have let us down. 

We have heard speculation of major blockbuster moves:

• Where’s Dwight Howard going to land?
• Will the Cavs trade Kevin Love to get a more formidable 3rd piece such as Carmelo?
• Will the Lakers blow up their roster to provide a foundational rebuild for life after Kobe?
• Will the Sixers deal one of their promising Bigs to maximize their asset value?
• Will the Bulls trade Pau Gasol despite him wanting to stay with Chicago?
• Will the Hawks become tired of being complacent by blowing up their roster to start over, despite being 4th in the East?
• Will the Thunder/Clippers add a piece to compete with the Warriors out West?

All of these great, beautiful narratives and zero results! This was the prime opportunity to make a giant splash for contenders, shuffling for mid level teams to find that right fit, and depleting a roster to garner assets for pretenders.

This was going to be a great opportunity to pander viewers and incite a conversation based on a standard grading system from an in depth outlook with statistical analyses and reference for the deadline, but I’ll just give this trade deadline a complete F for failure. 

The only positives that came from this ‘event’ were: Pistons grabbing Tobias Harris who was floundering in Florida for a rehabbed Brandon Jennings and standard performer Ersan Ilyasova, Markieff Morris finding a new home since his time has worn out in Phoenix, the Clippers trading seldom used and highly disappointing Lance Stephenson for versatile 3-4 swing man Jeff Green, and the Heat made moves to get under the Luxury Tax. Besides that, it was straight terrible.

Mid-level to Low-Level to I Didn’t Even Know This Guy Played Still players being traded for nothing, garnered nothing and results in nothing. 

The Cavs did pull the Mr. Steal Your Girl move by gaining Channing Frye from the Magic to keep him away from the Clippers. But this move was all done to play and contend with the Warriors in the playoffs/finals. Thing is, YOU DIDNT GET THERE YET! You even fired your coach and your teams not even any better. No excuses on ‘conditioning’. You have 30 games left, if your team isn’t conditioned already, that’s on them and their salary should be donated to a local charity because they’re basically stealing money if they’re professionals and can’t perform and choose not to because ‘They don’t like somebody’. It’s Sophmoric, and immature. So is thinking you’re going to the Finals again right away, and a seldom used big man with a heart condition(him playing is just AMAZING KUDOS CHANNING FRYE. YOU’RE TRULY  AN INSPIRATION!) is going to get you there like a Rashard Lewis of Orlando…you’re wrong! You need a better 2 guard, big men in general(traded fan favourite Sideshow Bob), and put Love on the block.

Moves like those is what kills it for the deadline and fans in general. There’s not going to be a red carpet laid out and fanfare for a trade for a 2nd round pick and another 12th man. Stop. GM’s are being stubborn. Your teams are not performing up to par, make a move. Be daring. But in today’s NBA, job security is as guaranteed as a 10 Day Contract. 

For the race to the finish line, every team has fallen flat. The teams that had a staggered start made it to through the 1st leg with ease. The coasted through the second also, but were caught up to by the teams in the middle lanes. No one kicked it into high gear around the 3rd leg to catch up to the leaders and they are beginning to fade off. Before long, the elephants are going to get them and die off to let the teams with the staggered continue to coast to the finish line. They needed to change their form up, and faltered. Now they’ll just have to watch from sidelines as the top teams reach the pinnacle of the season, basking in their glory and greatness. (Track and Field Metaphor. Boom!)

 

 
If you want to see all of the trades that went on today via NBA.com you can check below:

Nuggets acquire Augustin

Denver Nuggets get:

• G D.J. Augustin
• F Steve Novak
• Two second round picks
• Cash considerations

Oklahoma City get:

• G Randy Foye

Clippers land Jeff Green

Los Angeles Clippers get:

• F Jeff Green

Memphis Grizzlies get:

• F Lance Stephenson
• Future protected first-round pick

Morris to Wizards

Phoenix Suns get:

• C/F DeJuan Blair
• F Kris Humphries
• Protected 2016 first-round pick

Washington Wizards get:

• F Markieff Morris

Philadelphia 76ers get:

• C Joel Anthony
• 2017 second-round pick (via Rockets via Nuggets)

Houston Rockets get:

• Rights to PF Chukwudiebere Maduabum

Pistons get pair from Rockets

Detroit Pistons get:

• F/C Donatas Motiejunas
• G Marcus Thornton

Houston Rockets get:

• C Joel Anthony
• Protected 2016 first-round draft pick teams

Utah Jazz get: 

• G Shelvin Mack

Atlanta Hawks get: 

• G Kirk Hinrich

Chicago Bulls get: 

• G Justin Holiday 
• Future second-round pick (via Jazz)

Frye To Cavs:

Portland Trail Blazers get: 

• C Anderson Varejao 
• Future first-round pick (via Cavs)

Cleveland Cavaliers get: 

• F Channing Frye
• Future second-round pick (via Blazers)

Orlando Magic get:

• G Jared Cunningham
• Future second-round pick (via Cavs)

Blazers get Roberts

Portland Trail Blazers get:

• G Brian Roberts
• Future second round pick

Miami Heat get:

• Cash considerations
• Pelicans acquire Stokes

New Orleans Pelicans get: 

• F Jarnell Stokes

Miami Heat get: 

• Future second-round pick

Hornets land Lee

Charlotte Hornets get: 

• G Courtney Lee

Memphis Grizzlies get: 

• F P.J. Hairston 
• F/C Chris Andersen 
• Four second-round picks (Protected – Miami 2017; Charlotte 2018; Brooklyn 2019; Protected – Boston 2019)

Miami Heat get: 

• G Brian Roberts

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