It wasn’t as busy an NBA trade deadline day as many fans expected, but there were some key moves for teams looking to make their mark this season.
Most notably, the L.A. Lakers reportedly nabbed Ramon Sessions from the Cavaliers, who has been heating up recently. As part of the deal, ESPN writes, the Cavs also will “send young wing player Christian Eyenga to the Lakers and veteran forward Luke Walton will be going to the Cavs. The Lakers’ will keep their draft pick this year if they miss the playoffs.”
The Lakers had few options at point guard until this deal. Derek Fisher has been running the point, as always, but he doesn’t put up big numbers in points or assists, and isn’t as quick as some of the elite point guards in the West, such as Chris Paul (L.A. Clippers) or Russell Westbrook (Thunder).
Since Sessions will run the floor, Fisher is expendable. He was traded to the Houston Rockets, along with a 2012 first-round pick, for big man Jordan Hill.
In what has turned into the biggest news to come from Florida since the Casey Anthony acquittal, alll-star centre Dwight Howard decided to stay in Orlando this season amid trade speculation. He’ll remain with the Magic at least until the summer of 2013, costing Orlando of $19.4 million.
Howard said at a news conference: “I just love the city too much, the people here, the organization. I want to give it a shot. We have a great opportunity to do something special. But it’s going to take everyone, from the top all the way to the bottom.”
In other trades, the New Jersey Nets acquired Gerald Wallace from the Portland Trailblazers Mehmet Okur, Shawne Williams and a protected first-round pick, according to Yahoo Sports. Wallace, 29, is averaging 13.3 points and 6.6 rebounds this season.
A major three-way trade went down just after the deadline: Sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports the Clippers got Nick Young from the Washington Wizards, who ended up getting Nene from the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets will take Javale McGee from Washington.
The Toronto Raptors are trading their key bench player Leandro Barbosa to the Indiana Pacers for a second-round draft pick. Barbosa will be battling for minutes on a very deep Pacers bench, but he’s averaging at least one three-pointer every game this season so it’ll be interesting to see how he fits in the Pacers lineup.
The Philadelphia Sixers picked up Sam Young from the Memphis Grizzlies, and Young is known as a physical defensive presence.
There’s a fire sale going on in Portland, as Marcus Camby is reportedly being sent to the Houston Rockets, but details are still sketchy about this deal.
ESPN’s Truehoops also reports Stephen Jackson is being traded from the Golden State Warriors to the San Antonio Spurs for veteran Richard Jefferson. Jackson has battled injuries this year, while Jefferson is a stalwart defender, albeit without too much of a scoring punch.
Players suspected of being on the move who have not been traded so far include Pau Gasol of the Lakers, Ray Allen of the Boston Celtics, Carlos Boozer of the Chicago Bulls, Deron Williams of the New Jersey Nets, and Michael Beasley of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
