NBA Weekly Recap: Feb. 13
The NBA Trade Deadline came and went on Thursday with many teams making deals that paint a clearer picture of who will be contending come playoff time.
The Philadelphia 76ers ended the Ben Simmons saga by trading him to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for former MVP James Harden. Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and draft picks were also included by Philadelphia, who also received Paul Millsap in the deal.
When Simmons finishes his conditioning, he will be returning to the court for the first time since Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Atlanta Hawks. Simmons recorded just five points in 36 minutes in one of his many low scoring playoff games.
Brooklyn holds the longest losing streak in the league at 11 games and has fallen to the eighth seed in the East. Simmons will need to return to his original form to help stop their slide to the bottom.
Harden had grown frustrated in Brooklyn as he became the only one of their big three to play on a regular basis. Harden will get a fresh start in Philadelphia where he will be paired with one of the leading MVP candidates, Joel Embiid.
The Toronto Raptors, who had won their last eight games prior to a loss on Saturday night, were able to trade away their own disgruntled player in Goran Dragic. Dragic played only five games for Toronto this season. Thaddeus Young, who has not seen too much action himself, was the main return from the San Antonio Spurs.
Another team riding a substantial winning streak is the Boston Celtics. The Celtics have won their last seven games, and were active at the deadline. They traded away recently acquired Bol Bol and P.J. Dozier to the Orlando Magic for cap space. They used some of that cap space to acquire Derrick White and Daniel Theis, all while not touching any of their main role players.
Caris LeVert was traded from the thirteenth place Indiana Pacers to the second place Cleveland Cavaliers this week. In his first appearance with Cleveland, he scored 22 points and helped erase a 21-point deficit against his former team.
The Indiana Pacers were involved in one of the more surprising trades at the deadline when they acquired Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield in a deal that involved Domantas Sabonis. It had been rumored that the Kings were unwilling to part ways with Halliburton, but they ultimately did and Sabonis will look to provide help down low.
Sabonis will take the role of Marvin Bagley, who went to the Pistons in a four-team deal. Sacramento currently sits just outside a playoff spot in the West.
The Portland Trailblazers are also competing for one of those last playoff spots in the West. They moved on from Damian Lillard’s partner in crime, CJ McCollum. McCollum heads to New Orleans who is half a game behind Portland.
The Los Angeles Lakers are also toward the bottom of the pack and will be competing for one of those spots. The Lakers did not end up making a move at the deadline and will rely on their trio of stars to remain healthy and produce more.
The New York Knicks also stood pat at the deadline. The Knicks, who surprised many by being the fourth seed last season, have yet to return to that form this season. In their latest performance, they blew a 23-point lead to the Portland Trailblazers.
Julius Randle has turned it around in the month of February, but it has not been enough for the Knicks. He and RJ Barrett will look to get hot and carry the Knicks into a playoff spot.
Justin Ciavolella is a first-year student majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jtc5751@psu.edu.
