Z-Money’s Deadline Winners & Losers

Now that the NBA Trade Deadline has passed, we’re going to look at which teams improved

their rosters the most and which teams left their fanbases scratching their heads.

WINNERS

1- Phoenix Suns

Patience is a virtue. It took Kevin Durant 7 months to become a Phoenix Sun overnight.

Hours after a separate blockbuster sent shockwaves through the NBA community, the

Brooklyn Nets sent Kevin Durant and COVID-bubble phenom T.J. Warren to Phoenix for

a package of Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, four 1 st -round picks, and a 2028

pick swap. In a wide-open Western Conference, the addition of Kevin Durant jolts the

Suns to the top of the pack as far as expectations are concerned. When healthy, Kevin

Durant provides lethal scoring to go along with an already star-studded group that

includes Devin Booker, Chris Paul, and Deandre Ayton. For a team that was starting to

become stale, the future is looking brighter than ever before. Health may be the only

thing that can stop this team from wining the Western Conference.

2- Los Angeles Lakers

The Russell Westbrook era in the purple and gold has finally come to an end. As part of a

multi-team deal, the Lakers were able to turn Westbrook, Juan Toscano-Anderson,

Damian Jones, and a top-4 protected 2027 1 st -round pick into D’Angelo Russell, Malik

Beasley, and Jarred Vanderbilt. From the start, it was clear that Russ wasn’t a fit playing

alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis; his style simply clashed with the established

star duo’s. After a disappointing season and a half, Rob Pelinka was ultimately able to

find a way to flip him and bring back pieces more complimentary to LeBron and Davis.

D’Angelo Russell headlines the return as he makes his way back to Los Angeles for a

second stint with the Lakers where he’ll also reunite with former Timberwolves

teammates Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt. In another trade, Los Angeles acquired

Mo Bamba from the Orlando Magic for Patrick Beverley and a 2 nd -round pick. These

newcomers provide the Lakers with a mix of youth, shooting, energy, and defense that

they have been desperately needing. The Los Angeles Lakers are a much more complete

team than their last time on the court, but is it too late for a team currently sitting at

13 th in the Western Conference, 2 games back from a spot in the play-in?

3- Los Angeles Clippers

The Lakers weren’t the only team in Los Angeles making major roster changes before

the deadline passed Thursday. The Clippers made a bevy of moves that netted them

Mason Plumlee, Eric Gordon, and Bones Hyland as well as some 2 nd -round picks. While

these players aren’t major headliner names, they are all valuable roles players that fill

needs and were dirt cheap to acquire. Also, by shipping out point guards Reggie Jackson

and John Wall, the Clippers have made way to pursue Russell Westbrook after he is

expectedly bought out by Utah. Because of the shooting on their roster, Russ is a much

more natural fit with the Clippers than he was with the Lakers. The Clippers didn’t make

any blockbuster moves at the deadline, but they didn’t need to. One of the most

complete rosters in the NBA just got more size, shooting, and playmaking.

LOSERS

1- Brooklyn Nets

The 2023 NBA Trade Deadline will go down as the official end of a saga fraught with

drama and disappointment. In the summer of 2019, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving joined

forces with the Brooklyn Nets. In January 2021, the Nets acquired James Harden from

the Houston Rockets to form what many expected to be the most potent offensive trio

in league history. The trio showed the world their potential combining for 104 points in

a playoff game at Boston during the 2021 Playoffs. Later that postseason, they would

fall a Kevin Durant toe short of having a chance to win a ring. It was working… until it

wasn’t. The next season, James Harden would grow weary of Kyrie Irving and the

uncertainty surrounding him and be traded to the Philadelphia 76ers at the 2022 NBA

Trade Deadline. The trio played in only 16 games before splitting up. A year later, Kyrie

Irving has been traded to the Dallas Mavericks and Kevin Durant has been traded to the

Phoenix Suns. After once boasting an incredible collection of superstar offensive talent,

the Brooklyn Nets are now starting over with a roster headlined by Twitch streamer Ben

Simmons. Their one bright spot, however, is that Cam Thomas has been filling it up as of

late with three straight 40+ point games. Nevertheless, the Brooklyn Nets went all in on

KD, Kyrie, and Harden and it failed.

2- Miami Heat

Another deadline has passed and the Miami front office continues to fail Jimmy Butler.

Jimmy joined the Heat in the summer of 2019 and has carried the team on his back to

multiple deep postseason runs including a trip to the NBA Finals in 2020. You would

think the organization would be eager to surround him with more talent to get the team

over the hump, yet they continually fail to do so. Since he got to Miami, their deadline

acquisitions have been incredibly underwhelming. They’ve traded for Andre Iguodala,

Jae Crowder, Solomon Hill, Trevor Ariza, Victor Oladipo, and Nemanja Bjelica, none of

whom are difference makers. Once again, with a roster devoid of playmakers and

shooting, the Miami Heat did nothing at the trade deadline. The Clippers acquired Bones

Hyland, a player on a rookie deal that could have given the Heat offense a much-needed

jolt of energy, for merely two 2 nd -round picks. Why didn’t Miami jump all over that? The

Miami Heat are failing Jimmy Butler.

Zach “Z-Money” Herndon

2/10/2023