2012 NBA Trades: Five Biggest Winners of the Trade Deadline

2012 NBA Trades: Five Biggest Winners of the Trade Deadline: Although big names like Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol ended up staying put, there was plenty of wheeling and dealing by general managers around the NBA at this year’s trade deadline. Several of the moves could have major long-term ramifications, including the Cleveland Cavaliers amassing four first-round picks for this year’s draft and the Golden State Warriors bringing in an injured Andrew Bogut to solve its rebounding and interior defense issues in the coming years. However, bettors should be more interested in the moves that could have an impact this season, and while teams like the Portland Trailblazers essentially waved the white flag, other teams scored big and could be worth a look as the playoffs approach.

1.      Los Angeles Lakers: Despite climbing their way to the top of the Pacific Division, the aging Lakers weren’t being looked at as a true contender in the Western Conference. With the addition of point guard Ramon Sessions, that is no longer the case. Sessions fills a huge hole at the point guard spot – a position which is crucial in Mike Brown’s offense. Sessions will make life easier for Kobe Bryant, alleviating him of some of his ball handling duties and allowing him to play his natural shooting guard position. Not to mention the fact that Sessions has been an above average distributor throughout his career, and he should be able to penetrate and create scoring opportunities for Bryant, Gasol and Andrew Bynum. Sessions should improve the Lakers’ perimeter defense and production on the offensive end. Los Angeles has a chance to make a run in the playoffs.

2.      San Antonio Spurs: Although he has been a polarizing figure throughout his career, adding Stephen Jackson at the deadline could be just what the doctor ordered for an injury-plagued Spurs team. Manu Ginobili has been out most of the year, Tony Parker has battled through injuries, and Tim Duncan plays limited minutes. Still, San Antonio has gotten just enough production from young players like Danny Green and Kwahi Leonard to compile the second-best record in the Western Conference to date. Adding another veteran presence like Jackson should help the Spurs come playoff time, and his length on the defensive end and 3-point shooting ability fits the team’s philosophy perfectly. More importantly, Jackson is a definite upgrade over Richard Jefferson, who had become nothing more than a stagnant jump shooter. For a team that has a small window of contending, Jackson’s experience will be more help in tough games than Jefferson ever was for San Antonio.

3.      Los Angeles Clippers: The knock on the Clippers all year was their lack of depth. When Chauncey Billups went down for the year with an injury, the team’s lack of depth became very apparent. While Los Angeles wasn’t in danger of missing the playoffs, the Clippers didn’t look anything like a team that could win the Western Conference without Billups. Adding shooting guard Nick Young is a step toward regaining that elite form. Young is an athletic scorer that knows how to get to the foul line and can knock down perimeter shots. More importantly, he can create his own shots, giving the Clippers a source of offense when Chris Paul isn’t on the court. It may take a few games for Young to gel with Paul and the Clippers’ offensive system, but in the long-run, he will bolster the team’s backcourt and his ability to put up points in bunches will come in handy. Los Angeles is officially back to being a dark horse to sneak up an win the Western Conference.

4.      Milwaukee Bucks: While there really wasn’t a move that Milwaukee could have pulled off to transform itself into a title contender, picking up Monta Ellis from Golden State does give the Bucks a realistic chance to sneak into the Eastern Conference playoffs. Milwaukee is closing in on the slumping New York Knicks for the final spot in the playoffs, and the Bucks added a 20-plus point scorer to their lineup. More importantly, they gave up Andrew Bogut, who has been out for the season for several weeks. In the long-run Milwaukee might miss the size inside, but for this season, the duo of Ellis and Brandon Jennings gives the team one of the more explosive backcourts in the NBA. Both players can score in bunches, and as long as there are no chemistry issues, the Bucks should sneak into the postseason. More importantly, the added firepower could make them an annoying matchup for one of the conference’s top teams.

5.      Indiana Pacers: The Pacers are quietly having a solid season, and barring a huge collapse, they will be in the playoffs. Indiana’s starting five has been consistent all year, but finding reliable production off the bench has been hard. Forward Tyler Hansbrough has had some moments in the frontcourt, but the backcourt was lacking depth until Indiana added Leandro Barbosa at the deadline. Barbosa isn’t a great defender, but he is fast, explosive and can put the ball in the basket. He is the type of player that can come off the bench and score between 10 and 20 points on a nightly basis. Barbosa is the ideal sub for when top scorers like Danny Granger and David West head to the bench, and his presence should help the Pacers avoid the scoring droughts that have plagued them at times. Indiana gave the Chicago Bulls fits in last year’s playoffs, and the Pacers are heading back to the postseason this year as a better team.

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