Goeiedag, enchantée and welcome to this week's episode of Eight 2 Four presents: All-NBA Team of the Week. That is it, all over Red Rover, no more trades until the offseason. We’ve seen some doozies, like Porzingis to the Wizards in return for Dinwiddie and Bertans, Montrezl Harrell to Charlotte, McCollum to the Blazers and Phoenix adding 2 exceptional role players in Torrey Craig, who was on their roster last season, and Aaron Holiday. But there were some teams who I expected to make some moves but didn’t. The main offender being the Knicks. I would have expected them to do something, whether it was a move to empower their young players more or something that could set them up for next season but nothing. I was quietly hoping for a trade package for Damian Lillard, especially after they traded most of their roster away. And then there were the Lakers, but in reality, they didn’t have anything to trade so maybe not really a surprise there. I also expected the Heat and the Bulls to try something, because as good as they are right now, I don’t see them beating the Bucks or even the Nets and maybe the Sixers on the road to the Finals. This week we’ll go over our 5 favourite trades and how it will impact the teams and players involved. Get ready for your All-NBA Team of the Week!
PICK #1
Our first pick of the week is Ben Simmons to the Brooklyn Nets. We have been waiting for it since the Sixers were knocked out by the Hawks in the second round of the Playoffs, and it finally happened. The Sixers traded Ben Simmons. In a package with Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and 2 first round picks, the Nets come out as clear asset winners from this trade, only sending James Harden and Paul Millsap in return. Whether they’ll win the trade on the court too, remains to be seen. But, personally, I’m more bullish on the fit between Simmons and KD than the fit between Harden and Embiid.
Either way, this trade has no losers. James Harden wanted out of Brooklyn and got to go back to his favourite GM Daryl Morey. Morey promised Philly a star and he delivered. Embiid is set free from his Simmons-nightmare, KD and mainly Kyrie can sleep easy at night knowing that Harden can’t derail their project from the inside, but the biggest winner of all is Ben Simmons himself. Morey could have traded him to Oklahoma City, Sacramento, Portland, Minnesota or even Orlando, if he wanted to but instead, Simmons ends up in Brooklyn, only 2 hours up the road, on a championship contender, where he will not have to take any responsibility on the offensive end of the court. The perfect scenario for Ben.
Ben will not be asked by the Nets to take shots he doesn’t want to but he will need to step up on the defensive end because the Nets are a horrible defensive team. Obviously, one guy will not make a massive difference but looking at Playoff matchups, Simmons can guard the best guy on each team, freeing up KD to concentrate on offense, so he can give the Nets 35 points a night. Funnily enough, the Nets now matchup with most teams in the East, except for Philly. It would be fantastic for fans and media if these teams meet each other in the Playoffs. Imagine that Kyrie would have to sit out the home games and Simmons the away games, too scared to play in Philly. So much has happened recently between these two franchises, it would be an incredible series. Fingers crossed!
PICK #2
Our second pick of the week is Domantas Sabonis to the Sacramento Kings. It doesn’t happen very often that the Kings make some good moves but I think they are one of the clear winners after this trade deadline. Even after trading away one of their franchise cornerstones in Tyrese Haliburton. I’ve read a lot of negative commentary around the Kings moves but the only thing I agree with is that the Kings have made a lot of moves but didn’t necessarily get any better or any worse in the short term. I think they will still struggle to make it to the 10th spot but are too good to tank their way to the bottom.
How can they be a winner if nothing has changed? That’s a fair question, and the answer should reveal itself over the next few years. I believe that De’Aaron Fox is having a bad year because of the Kings’ draft picks over the last few years. Fox was supposed to be the man, but then they drafted Haliburton and Davion Mitchell. Fox must have perceived this as lack of support and was clearly sulking because of it. Buddy Hield wanted out of Sacramento for quite a while now and so did Marvin Bagley. Trading away Haliburton shows that the Kings believe in Fox, and with Hield and Bagley gone, the Kings have ditched some rotten apples although you could say that they have finally been set free.
Not only did they shake up their roster, they added some very good role players with Donte DiVincenzo, Jeremy Lamb and Justin Holiday. And obviously, Domantas Sabonis is a fantastic addition for this franchise. Sabonis is a great player, 2-time All-Star and averaging 19 points and 12 rebounds per game this season. He is also more or less the same age as Fox, allowing the Kings to build around this duo. I do think the Kings will break the Clippers’ record of years missing out on the Playoffs, but I also believe that they have finally turned a corner and can build a Playoff contender out of this roster. Then again, we’re still talking about the Kings, one of the most incompetent franchises in the league, so who knows what will happen.
PICK #3
Our third pick of the week is Serge Ibaka to the Milwaukee Bucks. Not the most flashy trade that happened before the deadline, and also not the most impactful trade. In fact, it is still to be seen what Ibaka can add to the Bucks on the court. But it shows how the Bucks are working towards a back to back title, only changing small things around the fringes of their roster, and not making any big moves that could potentially disrupt the current line-up. Obviously, bringing in Ibaka is insurance in case Brook Lopez can’t return in time for the Playoffs. Bobby Portis has been playing really well in Brook’s absence but the Bucks clearly needed a backup plan.
Ibaka was part of the 4 team trade that saw DiVincenzo end up in Sacramento, Hood and Ojeleye with the Clippers and Bagley to Detroit. A huge trade and a great way to kick off a remarkable trade deadline day on Thursday. DiVincenzo, a great addition for the Kings, had become obsolete for the Bucks. Since he recovered from his injury, he only averaged 20 minutes per game, coming off the bench. Last season he averaged 27 minutes as a starter. Both Grayson Allen and Pat Connaughton passed him in the rotation. Hood and Ojeleye were dealt because they barely contributed and would have been sacrificed for possible buyout players anyway.
And it is that buyout market that will give us an idea whether or not we can expect Brook Lopez back before the Playoffs. The Bucks seem hopeful they’ll recover him in time. But if they’re active on the buyout market, that could tell us otherwise. Brook was a massive part of last year’s championship team and not having him around has been hard for Giannis, Middleton and Holiday. But by adding Ibaka, they now have another piece that can give them something on any given night during the Playoffs. As long as they are not expecting him to give them something every night, we haven’t seen that Ibaka since Toronto. Especially after his back injury.
PICK #4
Our fourth pick of the week is Norm Powell to the LA Clippers. Heading towards a Playoff without Kawhi Leonard or Paul George, everybody expected the Clippers to be sellers at the trade deadline. They already had a large luxury tax bill and since they’re not really competitive this season, why would you want to pay it? But owner Steve Ballmer is one of the 10 richest men in the world, according to Investopedia, and so money is no object. Obviously, the front office had the green light to try to build a competitive roster that can achieve something these Playoffs without Kawhi and PG.
And they definitely gave it a good go, starting early by trading Bledsoe, Winslow and Johnson to Portland for Norm Powell and Robert Covington. Powell is a scorer, shooting nearly 43% from deep this season and averaging just under 19 points per game. Covington allows the Clippers to play even smaller and adds some extra defense to the second unit. Obviously, he is not the same guy he used to be and it is Powell who is the main piece in this trade, entering his prime and fitting nicely alongside Kawhi and PG whenever they return. Later they added Rodney Hood and Semi Ojeleye in that 4-team trade, while sending Ibaka to Milwaukee. This move was mainly to save some money on their enormous tax bill. Hood and Ojeleye will likely be waived as they need at least one spot for Amir Coffey, a two-way player who’s been playing very well lately and needs a full roster spot to be able to play in the Playoffs. The other spot could be used to get a player through the buyout market.
The Clippers have made some smart moves before the deadline, choosing pieces that will fit around their superstars but will also allow them to be competitive without those superstars. If Kawhi and PG decide not to come back this season, this Clippers team will be small and feisty, a nightmare for any team that will cross them in the Playoffs. But first they need to get there. The Clippers currently sit in 8th, four games out of the top 6 and only half a game ahead of the Lakers. It seems like they’ll have to battle for a Playoff spot through the Play-In. And if things don’t change, it could be a battle for 8th spot in a do or die game against the Lakers. Wouldn’t that be fun?
PICK #5
Our fifth pick of the week is every move the Indiana Pacers have made. Before the trade deadline, the Pacers announced that Domantas Sabonis, Myles Turner and Caris LaVert were available to anyone with a good offer. The Pacers wanted to blow it up, probably because new head coach Rick Carlisle didn’t want to work with the players he had on his roster. Not surprising when you think that he had the privilege to work with Luka Doncic the last 3 years. So the Pacers traded some of their best players, LaVert to the Cavaliers, for an injured Rubio and a bunch of picks. Sabonis, Lamb and Holiday to the Kings for Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield and Tristan Thompson. And finally, they send Torrey Craig to Phoenix for Jalen Smith, a top-10 pick in the 2020 draft.
I think it is pretty safe to say that the Pacers are not a threat anymore for a Play-In spot. They’ll be aiming much lower than that, to get their hands on a good lottery spot. Their core moving forward will now focus on Tyrese Haliburton, Chris Duarte, Jalen Smith and Myles Turner can slot in nicely here now as well. These young players are surrounded by experienced players like Buddy Hield, TJ Warren, Malcolm Brogdon, TJ McConnell, Rubio and their newest superstar Lance Stephenson. I would expect most of those names to be moved along in the offseason, and I am sort of surprised that Rubio and Warren weren’t flipped again since they are expiring contracts and probably won’t resign in Indiana next season. Their injuries are probably playing a big part in it.
It’s surprising that Rick Carlisle was on board with blowing up the roster in Indiana, considering he is a winning coach that struggled in Dallas transitioning from Nowitzki’s prime to his twilight years and Luka’s first steps in the NBA. But he must have approved once he heard that Haliburton was coming his way. Not the most exciting player, but a very good guard with a massive upside. My best prediction for him would be that he turns into a Malcolm Brogdon, and funnily enough, they’re on the same team now. Indiana has now completely started fresh, no more links to the Oladipo-Sabonis duo, a good head coach who’s in for the long haul and a bunch of valuable role players they can either fit around their young core or trade for other pieces. Interesting years to come in Indy.
This is our All-NBA team of the Week. Please share our podcast and give us 5 stars. If you have any questions, you can contact the show on eight2fouroffice@gmail.com. Thank you for listening, ballers out!
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