With the little energy left in my fingers, I will attempt to recap the final hour of today’s NBA trade deadline.
Combined with the Carmelo Decision, Deron Williams mega deal, Mike Bibby trade and BDiddy excommunication to Cleveland, it’s safe to say we just experienced the most active trade deadline in recent NBA history. All of which could be taken as further evidence of the strong likelihood of a lockout this summer.
But there’s no time like the present, and we’ll be talking more about labor stoppages once the weather warms up and we’re wearing shorts in the SLAM Dome. For now, here’s what you missed if you blinked this afternoon:
The Celtics traded Kendrick Perkins, Nate Robinson to Thunder for Jeff Green, Nenad Krstic. Easily today’s most active franchise, Boston then traded Semih Erden, Luke Harangody to Cavs for a second-round pick. The Celtics’ dealings leave its froncourt significantly thinned (not literally, word to Shaq), but thanks to a Marquis Daniels trade to the Kings for cash, another best-selling jersey may be coming to Boston in the near future. Oh, and rumor has it Rasheed Wallace may be on his way back to Boston, too. Stay tuned!
Rockets traded Shane Battier to Grizzlies for Hasheem Thabeet and a first-round pick. Houston wasn’t finished, though. The Rockets traded Aaron Brooks to the Suns for Goran Dragic and a first-round pick in a PG swap that won’t propel either team to the Playoffs in the near future.
Then came Michael Jordan’s Bobcats. First, the Bobcats traded Nazr Mohammed to the Thunder for DJ White, Mo Peterson. But the headliner came soon thereafter. By trading Gerald Wallace to the Blazers for Joel Przybilla and two first-round picks, the Cats effectively removed themselves from Playoff contention. Looks like the Brandon Roy era is as good as over.
Oh, and one more thing. The Grizzlies nearly traded OJ Mayo to the Pacers for Josh McRoberts and a first-round pick. The Hornets could’ve been involved, but just like the other hearsay — the Grizzlies pulled out last-second; the 3 p.m. buzzer already sounded — we’ll never know. Pacer fans are breathing a sigh of relief, but faith in Larry Bird seems to be almost lost.
