You'll notice that out of all the teams to make powermoves leading up to the 2024-25 NBA Season trade deadline, none of them were considered true contenders beforehand. The squads that are already in the top tier, like the Rockets, Cavs, Celtics, Knicks and Thunder - stood pat. That, to me, represents good governance and maybe a shift in thinking of contemporary braintrusts. Maybe they're looking at a team like Cleveland, who didn't do shit this past offseason yet currently have the best record in the NBA, and are like, 'yeah, Jah Iteh is right - continuity is a good thing'.
There are a couple of teams, like the Bucks and Mavericks, who I believe increased their (on-court) fortunes with recent transactions. As for the rest, I guess in their cases it was like some transaction is better than no transaction. Better to face the storm in strange waters than continuing across the peaceful seas of mediocrity.
KYLE KUZMA VS. KHRIS MIDDLETON
Kyle Kuzma has been sorta slacking off, as far as stats go, but that may well have something to do with him having been stuck on the damnation of the NBA, the Washington Wizards. You won't hear no more of that 'I believe in Jordan Poole' shit from me. With the worst record in the NBA, the conclusion is that the Wizards genuinely suck. So hopefully, Kyle will be rejuvenated now that he's back on a team with an actual chance.
It sucks that Middleton, after having a stellar career with the Bucks, landed in that sh*tstorm. His is a cautionary tale of being grossly overpaid in the NBA. It's like 'yo, go out and get that money' type shit. But then, if you become ravaged by injuries while playing for a team that actually wants to win, they may want to keep you but, in the grand scheme of things, cannot rationalize it.
Like I'm sure Milwaukee would love to have, you know, like Kuzma and Middleton. Bring Khris off the bench, even if only, at times, for inspirational reasons. But damn, niggas want to win, and you're making a gazillion dollars. So, you have to go in the name of bettering the team. In other words, their decision to trade Khris for Kyle wasn't nearly as controversial as Dame for Holiday. I feel sorry for Khris, you know, if he had any feelings attached, but I've also been advocating such a move for like three or four years, even prior to the acquisition of Lillard.
Both teams came out pretty good in this deal. The Wizards now have more star power and someone who can occasionally get red hot, like Khris did during one of those playoff games last season. He obviously, unless being bought out or whatever, isn't going to participate in the playoffs. But then again, he'll likely be re-injured by then anyway. You know what I mean? Give your knees a rest, my nigga.
As for the Bucks, yes, I do believe the acquisition of Kuzma may once again make them contenders. The roster still isn't exactly built around Giannis. But unlike Dame, Kyle is more of a role player who won't demand like taking the ball from Giannis in order to win. He may be the much needed glue guy, so to speak, between Giannis and Dame that the Bucks long for, and we may finally see that pair live up to their potential.
LUKA DONCIC VS. ANTHONY DAVIS
In the wake of the Luka Doncic trade, pundits are dicriding the Lakers in ways we haven't seen for at least a couple of years. But there's a number of reasons, such as compatibility and injury history, that I'm still not convinced.
If LAL would have at least gotten Doncic and Gafford, you know what I'm saying? But trading an allstar, injury-pronce C for an allstar, injury-prone PG, that doesn't really make sense. And all things considered, I wouldn't be surprised if AD is still playing even after Luka eventually retires from the NBA. That said, the Lakers now have even more star power, meaning that the powers-that-be will be even more inclined to favor them.
I imagine that must've been a tough decision for Dallas' braintrust, but I understand why they pulled the trigger. Luka can get you to the Finals, but he can't win it for you. So going a different direction, putting the focus more on bigs, like Cs are how championships were traditionally won in the NBA.
The Mavs always seem to be rich in terms of G depth. A couple of seasons ago, I was evenlike what TF is wrong with these dudes, like they didn't have any bigs. Remember that not too long ago, the most formidable big on their roster was the fearless-yet-overmatched Dwight Powell, who I don't even think gets burn these days. My, how things have changed. But I don't want to get ahead of myself because, besides being younger, the Thunder are also built better, and so are arguably the Rockets and Grizzlies. Kyrie + AD are going to have to turn back the hands of time to pull this one off, but at least it's possible.
JIMMY BUTLER VS. ANDREW WIGGINS
The Warriors apparently traded four players (including a draft pick) for Butler, but the only one of them really likely to suit up for the Heat appears to be Andrew Wiggins. I would have rather seen Miami get Kuminga, but I'm sorta glad that Wiggins is finally gone. He feels like someone who's only playing in the NBA because, you know, like why not, he can.
I'm excited to see Jimmy go to Golden State, but their braintrust seems to be stuck on stupid in ways reminiscent of LAL. For instance, a couple of seasons ago, after they won their most-recent championship, it was like unanimously concluded amongst pundits that the Dubs should start focusing more on their future. But instead, since then, they traded Jordan Poole, who was the face of their younger generation. And there two biggest acquisitions have been Chris Paul - who was 37 at the time - and now Jimmy Butler, who's 35.
One thing I've learned in all the years writing this blog though is don't sleep on Steph. However, I'm sorta starting to believe that he may not be able to relive the magic without Klay.
DENNIS SCHRODER TO THE PISTONS
Dennis Schroder is also in the mix somewhere, having eventually landed with the Pistons. If they actually keep him, and he can play the 2 instead of the 1, he may be the type of scoring SG that Detroit has needed to play alongside Cunningham. With the Magic falling off, the Pistons are now, out of nowhere, the most imposing young team in the East. And in the world of athletics, youth can and often does (in non-rigged situations) trump talent.
FOX VS. LAVINE VS. ETC.
Although I think the move may be a bit overrated, I don't see anything wrong with bringing De'Aaron Fox to the Spurs. One thing Wemby never had in his early NBA career, up until now, is an allstar level scorer as a teammate. The problem with these tall, multi-talented players though is that they often play out of position. You know, you're the tallest dude on the court, yet you're out on the perimeter shooting threes. That can and has worked in the NBA, but you need to flesh the roster out with the right type of players, those who can for instance outrebound whoever's defending them.
Meanwhile, didn't we already have LaVine + DeRozan in Chicago? But the thing is that now, they have better quote/unquote supporting players around them. I could actually envision the Kings winning, if not for the fact that there's more-rounded and arguably more-talented teams in the West. But I also still believe that Sabonis is the best PF/C in the league. Remember when the Sixers could have gotten him, and they went after (if I remember correctly) the Beard instead? So, let's see what happens.
And speaking of the Bulls, like no disrespect to anyone, but who did they get in this trade anyway? I guess they've decided to embrace the Cooper Flagg sweepstake also.
CONCLUSION
If I'm remembering correctly, last season like jackshit happened at the trade deadline. But in 2025 there's been a couple of thrillers, including that Doncic trade, which caught everybody offguard. And hey, divas (like Butler) may be nightmares as far as organizational chemistry goes, but they make for good drama and unexpected trades. So, let's embrace the chaos. Rig me a Laker game, okay. But please Commissioner Silver and co., let everybody else get their asses bust fair and share.
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