NBA Daily: Trade Deadline Wrap-Up

The 2018-19 NBA trade deadline featured a flurry of transactions – and it did not disappoint. Philadelphia went all in. Milwaukee and Toronto swung big deals, as well. And possibly the biggest deal – Anthony Davis to the Lakers – never came to fruition.

While the trade deadline has been covered ad nauseum for at least the last week, this piece will dissect only the biggest deals that took place in the last 24 hours. For information on all of the deals that were consummated on or before February 5, visit Basketball Insider’s Trade Deadline Notebook. Or for a complete list of trades, see our Trade Deadline Diary.

At the deadline, the top of the Eastern Conference clearly improved with Philadelphia, Toronto and Milwaukee all adding key pieces to their already-deep teams. Out West, the Lakers are left to put themselves back together after undergoing a fair amount of trauma through at least half its team being mentioned in trade rumors leading up to the deadline. Can LeBron James lead his team through the mess that his (and Anthony Davis’) agent reportedly created? And if not, can the Kings’ improved roster secure the eight playoff spot? After all, they are only one spot back from the Clippers, who seemingly threw the towel in on the season when they dealt Tobias Harris to the 76ers. Finally, poor Mike Conley must play out the rest of the season in Memphis without running mate Marc Gasol. And while that’s a poor outcome for Conley, it might be even worse for Utah. The Jazz were rumored to be in the running for Conley’s services, which would have been a serious upgrade. Ultimately though, Conley was not traded. With all that being said, let’s get into the biggest deadline trades:

Marc Gasol to Toronto

Raptors receive: Marc Gasol

Grizzlies receive: Jonas Valanciunas, Delon Wright, CJ Miles and a 2024 second-round pick

This deal wins the “Did Not See This Coming” award. It’s also a great move for the Raptors. In Gasol, Toronto adds a versatile and high-IQ player who is an incredibly skilled passer and a strong (albeit deteriorating) defender. In exchange, the Grizzlies were able to cash in at least one of their major assets prior to the deadline, for which they received three pretty capable pieces.

Where does the addition of Gasol leave Toronto? Their starting five is now Lowry-Green-Leonard-Ibaka-Gasol – with a more than capable bench that includes Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam. Yikes.

Bucks add to their depth

Milwaukee receives: Nikola Mirotic

Pelicans receive: Stanley Johnson and Jason Smith

The Bucks also bolstered an NBA-best squad by adding Mirotic. Mirotic was already having a near career best year with the Pelicans, and his life is only going to get easier playing with a far more talented Bucks roster. Just think, the Bucks lineup will now feature Antetokounmpo, Eric Bledsoe, Kris Middleton, Brook Lopez, Malcolm Brogdon, Ersan Ilyasova, George Hill and Mirotic – that’s eight very legit players. And in turn, Mirotic will add scoring prowess from the power forward position and continue to stretch the floor for the monster among men, Antetokounmpo. The Eastern Conference playoffs are going to be FUN.

In turn, the Pelicans received Johnson, who still possesses a good amount of upside. He’s disappointed a bit in Detroit thus far, but he is still young and could tap into his talent given the right opportunity.

Fultz finds a new home

76ers receive: Jonathan Simmons and a 202o first-round pick (top-20 protected) and a 2019 second-round pick

Magic receives: Markelle Fultz

Probably my favorite deal of the day – Fultz is finally free. Is that really the best Elton Brand could do for the former number one overall pick? On second thought, seeing how well Brand has operated as a rookie GM, he’s earned some trust. And at least Philly receives a player able to contribute for the rest of this season (and beyond) and a few future picks.

As for Orlando, while the road will almost surely be rocky, they may have landed their point guard of the future. While their front office is already preaching patience, the odds of Fultz bouncing back in Philadelphia were slim — so it’s best for all involved. And maybe, if we’re lucky, we’ll see the old Markelle Fultz again relatively soon.

The Kings continue to take shape

Sacramento receives: Harrison Barnes

Dallas receives: Justin Jackson and Zach Randolph

This is mostly a win for both teams. The Kings are clearly building a solid team with Barnes, De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield and Marvin Bagley – that’s a solid four. They now have to decide if Willie Cauley-Stein, who is averaging 12.9 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, is their guy at the five spot. But the Kings appear closer than they’ve been in a long time. And in moving Barnes, the Mavericks free up cap space for 2019 free agency, into which they just might factor. Having already made their big splash adding Kristaps Porzingis last week, the Mavericks can spend ample time scouting soon-to-be free agents for the remainder of the 2018-19 season.

The Bulls Add to their Foundation

Chicago receives: Otto Porter Jr.

Wizards receive: Bobby Portis, Jabari Parker and a 2023 second-round pick

The Wizards were clearly affected by John Wall’s Achilles rupture and decided to begin their tear down. They dealt Otto Porter Jr. and his $27 million 2019-20 salary to the Bulls (and continued their tear down by trading Markief Morris to the Pelicans). The Bulls appear to have cemented their frontline-of-the-future with Otto Porter Jr. joining Lauri Markkanen and Wendell Carter Jr., which adds up to a formidable three. In exchange, the Wizards save significant salary in 2019-20. For Porter Jr., the Wizards received Jabari Parker – who has a team option for next season – and Bobby Portis.

With the trade deadline having came and went, next up is the soon-to-be red hot buyout market. Expect guys like Zach Randolph, Enes Kanter and Carmelo Anthony to find new homes in the very near future. Check back in with Basketball Insiders for continuing coverage of the buyout market, and stay tuned for a post-trade deadline Podcast outlining all of the key trades.