After an offseason full of big name free agents like LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Amar’e Stoudemire changing teams, the NBA trade deadline was relatively lacking in major deals. The biggest one, the Denver Nuggets trading Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Renaldo Balkman, Anthony Carter and Shelden Williams to New York for Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler, Timofey Mozgov and draft picks was predicted months in advance.
The only other big-name trade was Utah trading All-Star Deron Williams to New Jersey for Devin Harris, Derrick Favors and two future draft picks.
Some may argue that the Knicks gave up too much to get Anthony, but the real key to the trade’s success is Billups. As solid as Felton is as a point guard, Billups has multiple All-Star Game appearances and a championship under his belt.
Although the 34-year-old is approaching the end of his career and would have liked to retire in his hometown of Denver, he is still in the upper echelon of NBA point guards and will be instrumental in carrying New York to the far reaches of the playoffs. He went to six straight Eastern Conference finals in Detroit, whereas Anthony and Stoudemire have gotten that far one time each. The New Jersey Nets and Utah Jazz both did well for themselves in the Williams trade. While Harris has been good for New Jersey, Williams is the kind of elite point guard that New Jersey hasn’t seen since Jason Kidd. He will be the centerpiece for new owner Mikhail Prokhorov to build the franchise around before it moves to Brooklyn in 2012.
Elsewhere around the league, Charlotte traded star forward Gerald Wallace to Portland for Joel Przybilla, Dante Cunningham, Sean Marks and conditional draft picks for 2011 and 2013. Wallace has been one of the Bobcats’ best players for years, so the move is questionable. However, it does free up some cap space in the future.
Cleveland traded former All-Star Mo Williams and Jamario Moon to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for Baron Davis and L.A.’s first-round pick.
While Davis for Williams is not much of an upgrade or a downgrade, the draft pick means the Cavaliers should have two lottery picks, which could be huge for a franchise that has fallen to pieces after losing its superstar in James. Finally, Boston dealt Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson to Oklahoma City for Nenad Krstic, Jeff Green and a 2012 draft pick as well as some cash. Perkins was a useful part of the Celtics’ recent success, but Krstic is a veteran big man and Green is a rising young player.