NBA Trade Deadline - Winners and Losers According to Bean's Blog

Self-explanatory topic for today's blog -- we're breaking down our winners and losers of the NBA Trade Deadline, which was Thursday afternoon. If you haven't been paying a lick of attention, this is the perfect place to get caught up on the happenings of the week. If you've been keeping track, let me know in the comments where you agree and disagree with my takes coming out of the deadline. We're going to touch on all the major moves that went down (or didn't) in quick blurbs -- but if there's any that you were excited about that we missed -- let me know!

Winner: Washington Wizards

I'm a big fan of what the Wizards have cooked up over the last few weeks. Not because I'm a huge Trae Young believer -- I think he's a very limited star. And not because I'm a huge Anthony Davis Fan -- the injury concerns are massive. However, what I am a huge fan of, is a team that's been largely irrelevant for the last decade, taking a shot when opportunity arises.

Not to mention -- they paid $0.25 on the Dollar for a potential Super-Star duo. Trae Young + Anthony Davis (plus 3 middling players from Dallas) for aging CJ McCollum and Khris Middleton, Corey Kispert, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley , 3 2nd round picks, an OKC 2026 1st (will be pick 30) and a 20230 GS 1st.

Gained 2 big name players (that they can decide whether or not they want to extend), kept their 1st round draft capital for the next 5 years, and didn't lose a single player from their Young Core. Plus they can keep tanking and might end up with another Top-8 player in the 26' draft.

Loser: Chicago Bulls

In typical Bulls fashion, they are coming out of this trade deadline with no shortage of negative buzz surrounding them. They made more moves than anybody -- but I'm not sure they got the better end of a single deal. Traded Vucevic, Ayo, Coby White, Huerter, Dalen Terry -- plus Ousmane Dieng, Mike Conley, and Dario Saric (all players that they had traded for this week, then traded away).

They got back Jaden Ivey, Rob Dillingham, Leonard Miller, Guerschon Yabusele, Colin Sexton, Anfernee Simons, Nick Richards, exactly ZERO 1st round picks, but about 9 2nd round picks. In fact, they traded away a 1st round swap. No direction in Chicago, no rhyme or reason to these deals -- loaded up on guards, but traded away their best guards, and are committing to a rebuild. A rebuild built on 2nd round picks.

Winner: Cleveland Cavs

I'm not going to sit here and say I think trading for James Harden makes the Cavs an automatic Title contender -- because we've seen Harden's track record come playoff time. However, I do think in an Eastern Conference that is wide open -- it was a worthwhile time to take a chance, knowing they have to be competitive if they want any chance to resign Donovan Mitchell this offseason.

Harden improves the Cavs' regular season outlook, and gives them a player who will consistently be on the court. The Cavs also traded for Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroeder -- sending Deandre Hunter to Sacramento, and getting under the luxury tax in the process. Good week for Cleveland, we'll see if it results in more postseason success.

Loser: Nico Harrison

Pour one out if you have a Mavericks fan in your life. Actually, don't, because they get Cooper Flagg to look forward to for the next decade (or at least the next 6-7 years before they trade him for a guy like a 31-year old Brandon Ingram -- too soon?)

But Nico Harrison, the man behind the Luka trade -- which happened almost exactly a year ago to date -- and will go down as a top-3 worst trade in sports history -- is a loser at the deadline. The net return Dallas got for trading Luka Doncic (after trading AD at the deadline) wound up being Khris Middleton, Max Christie, 3 scrubs and 2 1st round picks. YIKES. Nico's biggest W in the past year+ was getting fired in November.

Winner: Ayo Dosunmo + Coby White

Ayo got shipped out of his hometown Chicago -- which has to be bittersweet -- but is sweeter when you're heading to Minnesota to play alongside ANT on a contender. He's an ideal backcourt fit as a combo who can handle, play off the ball, and defend.

And Coby White is the inverse -- going from Chi to Charlotte NC, his home state. And while CLT is lower in the standings by a game -- they've won 7 in a row, and are a better team going forward than the Bulls. He will be a fun 6th man in Charlotte and can help them push for the Play-In.

Loser: Giannis Antetokounmpo

I respect Giannis for not publicly coming out and demanding a trade like so many other Super Stars do. But I don't think behind closed doors that Giannis wasn't pressuring Milwaukee to make a deal to get him out of there. At the end of the day, the offers were either not tempting enough or too few -- and Giannis was not traded before the deadline. Meaning we likely will go the rest of the season + the playoffs without seeing Giannis play meaningful basketball, which is a loss for all fans.

Winner: Los Angeles Clippers

I don't understand why LAC was so active at the Deadline. They had a dreadful start to the season -- but they've been one of the hottest teams in the league over the last month +. But in cutting ties with Harden -- they brought in Darius Garland, a younger player who could be a star next to Kawhi. I didn't agree with trading Zubac, but they got a VERY good return for him -- a dynamic young wing in Benedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, AND 2 1st round picks. And that 1st could wind up being a Top-10 pick in 2026 (see the ***Pacers section for further deets).

Loser: Orlando Magic

For a simple reason -- they didn't do SHIT. They parted ways with Tyus Jones for a 2nd round pick to save some salary. This is a team that traded a bundle of 1st rounders for Desmond Bane in the offseason, had massive expectations coming into the year -- and have fallen completely flat through over half the season. They sit at 26-24, 7th in a Bad Eastern Conference, haven't gotten their core of stars on the court together, and are in for a very long offseason of changes I think.

Winner: New York Knicks/Boston Celtics

Two Eastern Conference contenders that didn't see a need to shake things up too much, just wanted to bolster their rosters for the stretch run. The Knicks picked up Jose Alvarado from New Orleans to hold down the bench PG role (especially with Deuce McBride hurt). And the Celtics traded Anfernee Simons for Nikola Vucevic from the Bulls -- securing a veteran stretch-center with playoff experience, and a good fit as the Ying to Neemias Queta's Yang (though I'm sad to see Luka Garza's minutes dissipate). If Jayson Tatum can return, the C's could be dangerous in April.

Loser: Memphis Grizzlies

Not because of the trade they made with the Jazz -- I actually kind of liked that deal for Memphis. Committing to the rebuild, getting a nice haul of picks for Jaren Jackson Jr., a couple young players in Walter Clayton Jr./Taylor Hendricks. They make the "Losers" section because they were unable to unload Ja Morant at the deadline -- which isn't shocking, but is disappointing for a team looking to start fresh.

Winner: Utah Jazz

Speaking of the Jazz, there's a lot of mixed opinions on their end of the trade. They gave up 3 1st's for JJJ and company, then flipped Jock Landale for Lonzo Ball. It's a lot to pay for JJJ, but I think there's potential to a frontcourt of JJJ, Walker Kessler, and Lauri Markkanen. Tons of shot-making, shot-blocking, switch-ability, and length in that group. I love Keyonte George, I like Isaiah Collier, and they retained their 2026 1st -- which could wind up in the Top 7 -- to add another young guard.

Loser: Golden State Warriors

The Warriors are having a tough year -- Jimmy Butler's out for the year, Steph Curry has missed time (but has been incredible when he's not), and they sit in the 8 seed in the West today. I expected them to try and move Kuminga at the deadline, but I did NOT expect them to move him for Kristaps Porzingis -- who has played just 17 games this season. A team struggling with injuries, trading both Kuminga and Buddy Hield for an injury-prone player, is to me, a very bad strategy.

Winner: Pacers Fans in 2026-2027

Because I'm a big fan of Ivica Zubac -- and while I think the price they paid was steep, he's an ideal Center to play next to a healthy Haliburton and Pascal Siakam. They'll be looking to develop some young guys the rest of this season, surround Hali with shooting on the wings, and the Pacers will be right back in contention for the East in 26-27.

Loser: Pacers Fans for the rest of the 2026 Season

Because they are about to tank HARD. They healthy-scratched the whole starting 5 the other night to lose to the Jazz. They traded their 1st in 2026 to LAC, but it's protected if it falls between picks 1-4 or 10-30 -- meaning they're going to try and be a bottom-three team the rest of 2026.

***Super interesting dice-roll for the Pacers, AND for the Clips -- whose return for Zubac could wind up being Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, a future 1st, AND a 5th-9th overall pick in 2026. Conversely, Indiana could wind up with Zubac next to Hali and Siakam, plus a Top-4 pick with a chance to add Boozer/Dybansta/Peterson to this roster.

Polling the People

I asked my ball-knower friends to tell me who they thought were the biggest winners and losers from the trade deadline -- these were the results:

Winners: Clippers (3x), Celtics (2x), Cavaliers, James Harden, Hawks, Jonathan Kuminga

Really liked the Hawks call out -- the more I looked at it, for a team that threw in the towel on Trae, you'd think it'd be time for a mini-rebuild. But they kind of reloaded -- picked up vets like CJ McCollum, Buddy Hield, Jock Landale -- exciting young options like Kuminga and Kispert -- free up lots of cap space getting rid of Trae and Porzingis. Lot of moves that should keep them in playoff contention, and like we've said -- the East is so weak, who knows what could happen?

Losers: Bulls (3x), Nico Harrison (3x), Giannis (2x), Cavaliers

Was interesting to see Cavs be called a winner and a loser -- shows just how divisive the James Harden deal is. People who think he gives the Cavs a better chance to win the East like the deal -- people who only know Harden for his playoff deficiencies think it's a terrible deal. Only time will tell!