The dust has finally settled in what has been a wild NBA Trade Deadline day. Teams such as the New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks, and Philadelphia 76ers were busy wheeling and dealing. It did not matter whether they were a playoff contender looking to bolster their postseason, a middling squad looking to get better, or a rebuilding program selling assets for draft capital, the phone lines were ringing in the lead-up to the 3 PM ET deadline.
Meanwhile, teams like the Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks, Golden State Warriors, and Los Angeles Lakers — all expected to be big players at this year's deadline — stood pat. And now that the dust has cleared, let's check out the winners and losers of the 2024 NBA trade deadline.
2024 NBA Trade Deadline Winners
Much to the chagrin of some NBA fans, no big splash happened on NBA Trade Deadline Day. No deals went down for some of the bigger names on the market like Dejounte Murray or DeMar DeRozan. Likewise, teams expected to make noise like the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers stood pat. Nonetheless, a lot of smart and savvy deals were still made by playoff contenders looking to make a strong push in the postseason. Here are the four biggest winners of the 2024 NBA trade deadline.
New York Knicks
The New York Knicks were the undisputed winners of the 2024 NBA trade deadline. One can argue that they were already winners back in late December when they acquired OG Anunoby from the Toronto Raptors and have been one of the hottest teams in the league since. But on February 8th, they just further solidified their claim as the champions of the deadline by adding Alec Burks and Bojan Bogdanovic to their already stacked roster.
Officially, the Knicks traded Quentin Grimes, Evan Fournier, Malachi Flynn, and two second-round picks to the Detroit Pistons for Burks and Bogdanovic. That is a massive steal for the Knicks.
The Knicks lost their main second-unit shot creator in Immanuel Quickley when they brought in OG Anunoby. Amidst their success, bench scoring has been an issue for New York since January. Since losing Quickley, they dropped to the bottom of the league in bench production. And they just addressed that by acquiring two capable scorers in Burks and Bogdanovic.
Likewise, the way the Knicks front office has managed to improve its roster over the past month has been nothing short of spectacular. They brought in Anunoby, Burks, and Bogdanovic and did not even give up a first-round pick in the process. With that, New York still keeps its war chest of valuable assets, making it possible for them to acquire a game-changing star in the future, if ever one becomes available.
With their new-look team, the Knicks could realistically make it out of the Eastern Conference as soon as this season. The Celtics and Bucks still have the better stars, but this New York squad's depth is nothing to scoff at. Led by All-Stars Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle, the Knicks now boast a nucleus that includes OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, Donte DiVincenzo, Isaiah Hartenstein, and now Burks and Bogdanovic. Mitchell Robinson could even return in time for the playoffs. This team is now loaded with both terrific defenders and solid shot creators across the roster.
Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks GM Nico Harrison also got busy at the deadline and addressed the team's size and defensive issues. The Mavericks acquired PJ Washington from the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Grant Williams, Seth Curry, and a lightly-protected 1st round pick. Prior to that, they brought in big man Daniel Gafford from the Washington Wizards and traded Richaun Holmes and a 2024 1st rounder via the Thunder.
These moves have given the Mavs more size and athleticism in the frontcourt. The Mavericks were reportedly looking for a power forward who can contribute on both sides of the floor and they got their man in Washington. At 6-foot-7 with a lengthy 230-pound frame, Washington provides them length and versatility at the four spot. He gives just what Dallas needs in terms of his ability to finish around the basket and knock down threes occasionally as a career 35.9 percent three-point shooter.
As for Gafford, he gives the Mavericks another athletic center in the frontcourt alongside Derek Lively II, who has been a revelation for Dallas this season. It'll be interesting to see how this impact Lively's playing, but the two might be on a timeshare for the rest of the season. Nonetheless, the Mavs now have two reliable options at center. Those two are essentially the same player — athletic lob threat who can protect the rim.
The Mavs could have done more by acquiring another wing, perhaps a more reliable 3-and-D forward who can shoot more consistently from the outside. Nonetheless, Dallas' moves have made them more dangerous on the interior. The Mavs now have three insanely athletic big men who will benefit from Doncic and Irving's playmaking.
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns didn't have much assets to work with ahead of the trade deadline. They were reportedly eyeing Miles Bridges from the Charlotte Hornets. But after Bridges reportedly opted to stick around in Charlotte (he had a no-trade clause), the Suns managed to pivot to Brooklyn Nets forward Royce O'Neale, who fills exactly what the Suns need in a role player.
O'Neale provides the Suns a reliable 3-and-D wing who will serve as their primary point-of-attack defender. Offensively, he is a capable floor spacer with his ability to knock down threes at an above average rate. For his career, O'Neale has shot 38.1 percent from beyond the arc, including 40.0 percent from the corners.
Milwaukee Bucks
Like the Suns, the Milwaukee Bucks made a sneaky good move to address one of its biggest concerns. Milwaukee acquired Patrick Beverley from the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Cam Payne and a second-round pick. Beverley finally gets the chance to play with Giannis Antetokounmpo. He even broke the trade himself. The 35-year-old also previously mentioned about how Antetokounmpo jokingly recruited him to come to Milwaukee and now it's finally happening.
Perimeter defense has been the Bucks' biggest weakness this season and they just landed one of the peskiest point-of-attack defenders in the NBA. And it didn't even take much to do so, as it only essentially cost them a second-round pick with Payne as salary-filler. Beverley should play a huge role in the Bucks' backcourt alongside Damian Lillard.
2024 NBA Trade Deadline Losers
While there are teams who made savvy and smart moves, there are also teams who either made moves that didn't make sense or did nothing to upgrade their respective rosters or improve the future outlook of their respective teams. Here are the three biggest losers of the 2024 NBA trade deadline.
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls were highly-expected to operate as sellers at the trade deadline. Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic, and Alex Caruso were all mentioned as trade candidates through much of the season. And now, all of them will remain wearing a Bulls uniform (save for LaVine, who is done for the season with a foot injury), for the rest of the campaign.
It's shocking that the Bulls did not do anything at all at the trade deadline. As Shams Charania of The Athletic reported, they had discussions with several teams, particularly on Caruso. But they were unable to get a deal done.
But it's baffling that they were not able to find a deal for DeMar DeRozan, whose contract will expire this summer. It's likely that no teams were able to match Chicago's asking price for the 6-time All-Star. And now, given that the Bulls are nowhere near to competing for a title, it's likely that DeRozan walks in free agency this summer, leaving Chicago with nothing in return.
Now, as the 9th seed in the East, the Bulls will proceed with the rest of the season with the intention of making a playoff push that will likely do nothing for them in the long run.
Atlanta Hawks
After weeks and weeks of trade rumors surrounding Dejounte Murray, the Hawks opted to keep the All-Star guard past the trade deadline. Like the Bulls, Atlanta is ways away from being a championship contender. There were rumblings that they were going to approach this deadline with the intention to sell and re-tool ahead of next season. They reportedly had everyone not named Trae Young or Jalen Johnson on the table.
As of 3PM ET, the Hawks did not make any moves at all, not even with Murray, who has been in the rumor mill for over a month now. Several teams were also eyeing some of Atlanta's role players such as Clint Capela, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Deandre Hunter. Not even those guys were dealt at the deadline. Just like Chicago, the 10th seeded Hawks are likely going to attempt to make a run for the play-in tournament.
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers made several moves at the 2024 NBA trade deadline, with the biggest one being acquiring Buddy Hield from the Indiana Pacers. Hield is a terrific acquisition who adds more shooting and firepower to the 76ers offense, so they deserve credit for that. But the other two made were, to say the least, head scratchers.
First, the 76ers sent Patrick Beverley to the Bucks for Cam Payne and a second-rounder. And right before the clock struck at 3PM ET, they traded Jaden Springer to the Boston Celtics for a second-round pick. These moves made absolutely no sense for Philadelphia, who, with the Buddy Hield trade, still appears to be looking to compete for a championship this season. They just made their two biggest rivals in the Eastern Conference with these trades. All for a couple of second-rounders.
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