(The original article was published on February 11 by NBA veteran writer Zach Lowe, and the content of the article does not represent the views of the translator.) ）
Let's take a moment to think back to the Nets with Harden, Durant and Irving , the best theoretical team since the NBA 's inception , and the 16 magnificent games created by this unstoppable scoring machine with wonderful passes and freewheeling singles.
In order to add Harden to the duo of Durant and Irving, the Nets once traded all of their own. By sending Harden and Millsap to Get Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and two first-round picks, they largely compensated for their previous losses and rejuvenated the lineup — an unpleasant but indirect defense of the Nets' third star.
Harden Simmons' big deal defines this trade deadline as one of the craziest in history. It reshaped the league and strengthened teams in the East with the exception of the Miami Heat and defending champion Milwaukee Bucks.
Each trade deadline puts some players, coaches and teams under more pressure than they did 24 hours ago that day. Let's look at the league and see who's in the new spotlight.
Harden
At Houston, Harden failed to succeed with Howard. Of howard's teammates, he wasn't the first and not the last. Harden, along with Paul, nearly reached the Finals, but he grew tired of his leadership style; he pressured Houston to trade Paul and the first-round picks for Westbrook — a deal that would later turn into a team disaster.
After another failed playoff trip with Westbrook, Harden didn't want to stay at Houston anymore. He was sullen and often sent lazy passes until the Rockets traded him to where he wanted to go— Brooklyn. When the situation there also became difficult, Harden's wanderlust recurred — to find new stars in new cities.
Harden was right, Brooklyn wasn't what he had originally envisioned. Owen's refusal to get vaccinated changed everything. This is perhaps the biggest reason why the Nets have fallen apart. Irving has played 12 games this season. He still can't play at home. Without him, Nets players are more likely to get injured. Then the injury really came: first Joe Harris, then Durant. After years of blocking in a system he built to open up space perfectly, Harden frowned when he saw that the Nets had a lineup of two or three non-shooter players.
Harden could have been patient and kept fighting. Durant is coming back. Maybe Harden feels Irving will never be a full-time player again, and Harris may miss the rest of the season. That makes sense. The Nets, which own Harden and Durant, could have done a big job. But Harden left.
That was his prerogative. The Nets also benefited greatly from his departure. They are in good shape.
But Harden can't afford to miss another opportunity. He's 32 years old and played his worst season in a decade. Assuming he still has a big new contract, he'll be almost 34 years old when it starts. The end of that contract — assuming it could start and end well — would make the team miserable. 76ers management knows this. If they can win a championship ring in the next two or three seasons, they will also be willing to pay a painful luxury tax. Thursday's trade left Harden and Embiid with plenty of talented players to win everything. The likely starting five — Teres Maxi, Harden, Tobias Harris, Embiid and Danny Green/Matisse Sable — all have great offensive and defensive potential.
Maxi was competitive on the defensive end and began to enthusiastically improve his three-point shooting level — whether it was catching the ball or dribbling the ball and shooting after the ball. (His overall three-point shooting percentage is 40 percent.) Putting in a lineup in Sable may be slightly weaker in terms of shooting ability, but any lineup that includes Embiid and Sable will have a near-airtight defense. Sebel is the only non-shooter type of player among them. As an entrant to embiid's cooperation with high-ranking activities, Sable has also made great progress.
The 76ers would love to have a reliable bench player again, but given their strong starting lineup, Furkan Cork, Maz george Niang, Green/Sable and Sheck Milton (when he returns) are a preliminarily viable bench — and Doug Rivers can always keep one of Embiid and Harden on the court. Maybe Millsap, who came in for the deal, will glow a second spring. Isaiah Joe, Paul Reid, Charles Bessie and Charles Brown have made brief appearances, but have yet to fully prove themselves. Let's expect the 76ers to find a backup center from the buyout market.
In any case, replacing a useless member of the team with Harden is a big profit at this stage. These 76ers have the strength to win championships. Before the deal, they couldn't even rush out of the east. That's the bet now for Harden and the team: a championship or a complete defeat.
Since the 2012 Western Conference Finals were accurately eliminated by the Spurs — a decade ago — Harden has had few magical moments in key playoff games. He's played some back-to-back playoff games, but somehow three of them were 2-of-11 shooting in different seasons. In one of those three games, he made 12 turnovers. There was another one where he behaved so badly that insiders wondered if he was playing with a concussion or some other unknown injury.
His key shots were lower than we expected from a typical superstar who dominates the way he plays. Many of his best playoff games are in the first round, or in series after the second round, when the team is far behind (3-0 or 3-1) or far ahead. And a big part of his playoff key ball is when his team has no hope of winning — narrowing the point difference to a five-point layup with 20 seconds left in the game (sometimes almost when the team has admitted defeat).
Harden may not care — and maybe he shouldn't, because there are more important things in life — but there's not much time left for him to make a name for himself in the playoffs. This is his latest opportunity.
Embiid isn't supposed to be the kind of interior line hardener who runs to the basket to complete the empty connection, but I'm not worried about the chemistry of building a block between them. I mean, come on, no problem. But when Embiid singles with his back, will Harden commit to acting as another active offensive threat point? Will Harden accept a defensive system that doesn't change defenses more often?
Ben Simmons and Owen
On paper, it was a match made in heaven: Simmons became Brooklyn's Draymond Green, sharpening the offensive tempo, quickly making a series of covers, and sending out freehand passes on 4-3. When Irving is on the floor and Harden isn't, the Nets have the fastest offensive pace; Simmons can make it faster. Brooklyn has no shortage of defenders and wing players and can put Simmons in the center position, although this will cause the players in the wing position to be smaller, because now Seth Curry will replace Harris. The Nets still have plenty of reserves for centers. Their current squad is really good, but with a slight adjustment, next season can be a big threat. (Brooklyn's next schedule is tough; if Durant doesn't return soon, the playoffs could become inevitable.) ）
But, uh, is Irving on this team? Will Irving be able to play at home in the near future? Given that Irving hasn't played much this season and there are player options next season, it's a bit sloppy to envision a wonderful big three combination now. The Nets originally wanted to sign Irving to a maximum-salary contract extension, but changed their minds after he refused to be vaccinated. Last season, Irving also had a long record of leaving the team, which led the Nets to decide to go after Harden. That's right: For the sake of lineup stability, the Nets found Harden.
If the situation gets out of hand (or keeps it spinning out), the Nets may be able to trade Irving for something back, as they did with Harden this week. But Irving's deal is, to be polite, slightly lower than Harden's. And the more you make a deal where your team has a squad weakness, the more you trade stars for something, the more you weaken your team. You can't get stuck in this cycle forever. Transaction value will slowly be lost.
(From the moment harden was acquired, the Nets' dream step toward an offensively balanced lineup should have been similar — perhaps it should have been — to trade Irving for Simmons instead of Harden for Simmons.) But that's obviously not possible, and there are probably 27 reasons to list them. To be clear, the Nets did a good job this time. They almost single-handedly pinpointed Maxie, and when Hecky was classified as non-selling by the 76ers, they chased Sable, but the resulting Seth Curry and two first-round picks were also worth it. Curry can help the team now, and can also serve as a trading chip for the future — or make more about Joe Harris's deal possible. ）
Simmons hasn't played a single NBA game in eight months. The last time we saw him in training, he was kicked out. He may have done some exercises with his phone in his pocket, or he might not have. In avoiding appearances for the 76ers, he used the grounds for mental health issues. How much is he prepared for the game now?
Forget about jump shots. At this juncture, who cares? The question is, can he shoot enough free throws to keep himself from being fouled?
Porzingis and the Lone Ranger management
Porzingis should have slapped the deal in the face. Counting the years to the fullest, the Mavericks sent Dennis Smith, Jordan Jr., Wesley Matthews and two first-round picks, including Trey Burke, Courtney Lee, Tim Hardaway Jr. (whose contracts were considered bad when the initial Porzingis trade occurred), Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertáns.
Dinwiddie shot 38 percent from the field. Bertans had few chances to play in the turbulent Wizards. The salaries of the two of them combined are about the same as Porzingis's salary at the same time. For this deal, we can only interpret it as the Lone Ranger wanting to get rid of Porzingis directly.
They certainly want Dinwiddie's form to bounce back and make up for some of the losses caused by Tim Hardaway Jr. (who was absent from a left-foot injury) and Jaylen Brunson's possible entry into the free market. Bertans will have a new look around Doncic. He'll shoot more accurately; because he can't shoot worse than he does now.
But what the Lone Ranger really did this time was to split Porzingis's big contract into smaller twos, making his salary structure less bloated and more flexible. They had realized that Porzingis was not a second or even third boss worthy of his contract. He was a long-term injury hazard. He's a good player, but not to the point of being very good. He and Doncic never really worked together when they were on the same page.
But even if Dinwiddie and Bertans get back in form, the new mavericks won't have as much cap as Porzingis's normal mavericks — this season, when Porzingis is healthy, he's been remarkable on both ends of the board.
This is a lone ranger who wants to make greater progress in the medium term at the risk of short-term regression – they are trying to find a suitable star partner for Doncic now or Doncic in the future into his heyday. One competitor's general manager once described the Lone Ranger's salary woes before the deal deadline as "a time bomb" — which forced them to get stuck in a position worse than the top teams if they wanted to keep Porzingis, Brunson and Finney-Smith.
Now they mitigate that risk slightly, even if it seems to be by selling Porzingis at an unimaginably cheap price. According to Tim MacMahon, the Mavericks have renewed Finney-Smith's contract on Thursday and could re-sign Brunson in the summer. That would force the less elite-caliber team to pay the luxury tax, but they now have more freedom to operate.
That's the first step – we'll assume Doncic is on the plan. The next step — finding at least one star — is the hard part. Since winning the championship in 2011, the Lone Ranger has missed out too much in the free market.
After paying the price, the Wizards essentially took a risk-free adventure, getting a guy who was once considered the league's top young player. Why not? Let's see how Porzingis and Bill can play together.
De Aaron Fox
It's always a pleasure to make fun of the Sacramento kings, but I think the criticism of them getting little Sabonis is a bit too much. Still, Indiana is indeed the winner in the deal. Comparing the two players, Thales Halliburton is a more valuable player than Sabonis Jr. – the former is younger, can play for the team for five more years (maybe), and has a more malleable style of play. Sabonis Jr. is an average defensive center (when the De Aaron Fox/Sabonis Jr. duo is on the floor, the team needs to run a lot of blocking tactics), needs the ball when attacking, and doesn't make much jump shots. It's hard to build great teams with such players at its core, and the option of sacrificing a passionate player like Halliburton who hasn't yet built a great team is never optimal.
But Sacramento was already a hundred and eighteen thousand miles away from the great team. It's also pretty good to make a home run. As long as they don't, say, become a certain type of absurd comedy for two consecutive years, they may turn around.
Little Sabonis is really outstanding. Critics touted Harry Burton as Sacramento's best player before the trade took place. That's true for this season, but Sabonis Jr. has been Indiana's best player for several years. As the game and season went on, he was as stable and reliable as a metronome. His hand-passing and covered elbow pass should blend in perfectly with Fox's flexible, high-speed style of play. Both of them can destroy the switch – Fox can use speed to make the big man out of reach, and Sabonis Jr. can crush the small man players on the inside. They are of similar ages and at the same time in their careers.
The Kings know That Halliburton was their best player of the season. They know that Haliburton on a rookie contract is more valuable — and more tradable — than Fox, who shot 27 percent of his three-point shooting percentage in his first year on a top-salary contract and felt bad on the defensive end. That's part of the reason the deal was annoying: Just as the Kings had previously targeted and only targeted Buddy Hield in the Cousins deal, they clearly targeted Sabonis Jr. as a way to reinforce their weak spots, only to have a disappointing season for Fox. Doing nothing is always a choice. (Sources reveal that the King had approached the Eagles for John Collins, though they did not discuss Halburton or Fox that time.) ）
Multiple sources have revealed that the Pacers and the Phoenix Suns had brief conversations about the exchange of Little Sabonis and Ayton, but not in-depth, and perhaps largely informal and tentative — aiming at the future rather than the present. Neither side made a formal offer. The king then came with Halliburton, rendering all other discussions of the walkers meaningless. Still, the Suns, who aspire to regroup, didn't immediately hang up the phone and throw it out of the building's window — even in the offseason — it's worth mentioning.
There was an interesting "theoretical" sign-before-trade scheme in the offseason. Sabonis Jr. is expected to get $18.5 million next season and $19.4 million in 2023-24. How much will Ayton earn as a restricted free agent this summer? In the case of Ayton injury — note, it's the regular season — the Suns are going well. Sabonis Jr. is a more mature player than Ayton, but Ayton's style of play is more of a match for the Suns' needs on both ends of the board. The Sun's chemistry is incredible, and this equally efficient machine is riding the league's best.
In any case, the wood has become a boat. If Fox can hone his jump shot and take on more of the tiring work in the game, Sacramento will improve too. David Mitchell' three-point shooting percentage of 32 percent wasn't expected to be a good shooter. The fifth starter is a mystery. The king still has a lot of work to do. There aren't many shooters around the two cores of Fox and Sabonis Jr., whose shooting percentages are wobbly.
Wing players for Ibaka and clippers
The Milwaukee Bucks lost Dante Divinzenzo at the free market. Diventzenzo shot 28 percent from three-point range after ankle surgery. Grayson Allen and Pat Connaughton have already surpassed him in the rotation list. Wesley Matthews also exceeded expectations. George Hill can give the team a further sense of security.
Brook-Lopez is still recovering from a back injury, leaving the Bucks without a center who can shoot three-pointers and protect the basket and physically confront some of the NBA giants.
In this context, I understand the decision to trade Divinzenzo for Ibaka and two second-round picks. The problem is that Ibaka, who is recovering from a back injury, has only played like he used to in about one of three games for the Clippers this season. You'll always need more offensive and defensive wing players, especially when you put Alphabet Brother in the center position most of the time. If Ibaka can't get his rhythm back and one of Allen, Connaughton and Matthews is injured — or doesn't perform well — the Bucks may regret the trade.
(Incidentally, sources suggest that the Bucks also discussed joining Mark Gasol, who is now in Europe, about joining later in the season, but with Ibaka's arrival, that seems unlikely.) ）
Meanwhile, the Clippers are packed next season with big forwards on the wing and small-ball systems: Leonard, George, Norman Powell, Terrance Mann, Marcus Morris, Luke Kennad, and Brandon Boston, possibly along with Amir Coffey, Robert Covington and Batum. Covington will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. Kofi is expected to become a restricted free agent. Batum has a $3.3 million player option.
It seems unlikely that these guys will all stay with the Clippers next season. Even so, they're really well prepared right now to play more of the centerless lineup that crushed the Utah Jazz in last year's playoffs; Tyrone Lu seems to like that configuration.
Los Angeles Lakers on the verge of collapse
Cough. After these guys were humiliated by the Bucks in this week's home game, both the look and the speech felt like they were crushed. They're pretty much asking management to do something, anything that can reinvigorate the team. But nothing happened. The solution to the problem will necessarily come from within the team or from buyouts.
Sources revealed that the Lakers are reluctant to offer their 2027 first-round picks in deal negotiations — the only draft pick they can come up with, including as a potential trade between Westbrook and Wall. I myself would have advocated such a deal: Westbrook, Taren Horton Tucker plus the 2027 first-round pick swaps for Wall and Gordon. Will this affect your life? Probably not. But LeBron is 37 years old, and this Lakers team looks devastated. Maybe they'll make a better deal in the offseason.
Marvin Bagley
Marvin Bagley can score. He just hasn't fully developed his offensive ability, or completed a high level of defense, because he was forced into the position of big forward. Can the Pistons give him some time to act as a space-creating number five rotation player? He was truly talented.
The Kings, on the other hand, "beautifully" exchanged Bagley for Divinzenzo, Josh Jackson and Trey Lyles. (Ignore the names of the players behind Bagley who are lower in the draft.) ）
Utah
Instead of packing Ingles and a first-round pick to trade anything, the Jazz traded a second-round pick with Ingles for Alexander Walker.
It's worth spending some time and resources on Alexander Walker. He has a height advantage, good defensive instincts and an innate ability to create shooting chances. But he shoots just 37.5 percent, including 31 percent from three-point range, and he can mess around when choosing to pass or shoot.
For young players, learning the Jazz's system takes time. Whether Alexander Walker will be a trusted rotation player in the playoffs is uncertain, and the Jazz really need a player — a great flanking defender — to play against the Warriors, Suns or Grizzlies.
Trailblazer management
I was a little surprised that the Blazers didn't keep Alexander Walker, who apparently opted for the flexibility of the salary cap rather than paying him another $5 million next season. (Overall, they performed decently in the McCollum trade.) Now, portland's rotation has a lot of uncertainty beyond Lillard, Anfinny Simmons and Nasir Little. Looking back, the salary space didn't give Portland much to gain in the free agency market.
The Blazers and Lillard are saying very correct things like "unite" all over the team, but from now until the free market closes, the Blazers will have to work hard to build a team around Lillard that will be slightly competitive for the next two or three seasons. The various rumors about Lillard are not going away in the short term.
The San Antonio Spurs, which have not yet regained dominance
The trade deadline has made the Spurs' way forward somewhat clear. They made three trades in three weeks, marking their entry into the NBA's modern trading ecosystem. The exchange of Derek White for the Boston Celtics' first-round pick (and the exchange of 2028 first-round picks with Boston (title protection)) and the sending of Thaddeus Young both show that the Spurs know they are sliding to the bottom of the West.
But Young had few chances to play before, and Josh Richardson — the player he got from the White trade — played pretty well in Boston. Other young and experienced Spurs players also remain in the team as pillars.
Spurs still have salary space, but they have limited appeal to players in the free market. They have good young players and extra draft picks available for trade. (Last year, the sources said, they explored a deal that sharply boosted their pick picks.) Will they be able to grab a star from the trading market one day in the future and leave enough talented players around him to play with?
The Spurs seem to be trying to stay in "pretty good" shape, getting something without falling to the bottom. The effort is worth it. There are several teams that have successfully completed this path, even without bringing in stars from the free market. It will be fascinating to see how the NBA's gold-standard team will spend the next few years.
By Zach Lowe
Compilation: Asteroid Fall