2023 NBA Trade Deadline: Recap And Trade Grades
In this week’s episode of The Fast Break Podcast, Fastbreak on FanNation NBA insider and reporter Brett Siegel is joined by Fastbreak’s Ben Stinar to discuss and break down all the trades made ahead of this season’s trade deadline.
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Recapping The 2023 NBA Trade Deadline
With Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Russell Westbrook headlining the names being on the move, this season’s trade deadline was historic.
A total of 24 teams were involved in 12 different trades that involved 49 different players on trade deadline day, which is a new record for teams to make a trade and players to be involved in said trades the day of the deadline.
Here is a full breakdown of every trade made, including grades from either Brett or Ben on each trade.
Rui Hachimura To Los Angeles [2:56]
This trade was made in January and was really the first trade of significance this season. Rui Hachimura went from the Washington Wizards to the Los Angeles Lakers, giving the Lakers another forward to play around with either on the wing or in the paint next to Anthony Davis.
Hachimura has played well with the Lakers so far and being a young, versatile player that can provide Los Angeles with three-point shooting, the Lakers did well for themselves by giving up Kendrick Nunn and three second-round picks.
LAL Grade: B
WAS Grade: B-
Brooklyn Nets, Dallas Mavericks Trade Involving Kyrie Irving [4:29]
One of the best offensive guards in the league, Kyrie Irving surprisingly requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets and was ultimately dealt two days later to the Dallas Mavericks. Nothing seemed to go right with the Nets during Irving’s time there and getting a fresh start, Brooklyn was able to acquire Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith for Irving, as well as a 2029 first-round pick and two second-round picks.
The Mavericks also acquired Markieff Morris from the Nets in this deal. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are no one of the most dynamic offensive duos in the NBA and the Mavericks have made it clear that they are looking to get back to and advance past the Western Conference Finals this season.
DAL Grade: A-
BKN Grade: A-
Miami Trades Dewayne Dedmon To San Antonio [11:14]
Other than saving some money and getting rid of a player they no longer had use for, this trade did not do much for the Miami Heat, as they traded away Dewayne Dedmon to the San Antonio Spurs, along with a 2028 second-round pick, in exchange for cash considerations.
Dedmon has since been released by the Spurs.
MIA Grade: N/A
SAS Grade: N/A
Nets Trade Kessler Edwards To Sacramento [12:51]
In another cost-saving move, the Brooklyn Nets traded forward Kessler Edwards and cash considerations to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for the draft rights to David Michineau, a move that saved Brooklyn a total of $8 million in salary and luxury tax, as well as opening up a roster spot for them to make the Kevin Durant blockbuster trade they did later on.
BKN Grade: N/A
SAC Grade: N/A
Lakers, Jazz, Timberwolves Made Three-Team Deal Involving Russell Westbrook [13:20]
The writing had been on the wall for quite some time in regards to Russell Westbrook’s time in Los Angeles coming to an end and the Lakers finally dealt him.
In a massive three-team trade, the Lakers acquired D’Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley, giving them three key talents to pair with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The Utah Jazz acquired Russell Westbrook, who is expected to be bought out, Juan Toscano-Anderson and Damian Jones, as well as a 2027 first-round pick from Los Angeles that is Top-4 protected.
The Minnesota Timberwolves received Mike Conley, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and three second-round picks in exchange for sending D’Angelo Russell to Los Angeles.
LAL Grade: A+
UTA Grade: C+
MIN Grade: B
Knicks Acquire Josh Hart In Four-Team Deal [20:17] & [37:41]
Originally a deal between the New York Knicks and Portland Trail Blazers, this deal was expanded upon to include the Charlotte Hornets and Philadelphia 76ers as well.
In exchange for Josh Hart, the Knicks sent Cam Reddish, Ryan Arcidiacono, Svi Mykhailiuk and a 2023 lottery-protected first-round pick to Portland. The Trail Blazers then sent Svi Mykhailiuk and a 2027 second-round pick to Charlotte, who sent Jalen McDaniels and a 2024 second-round pick to Philadelphia, who sent Matisse Thybulle to Portland.
Got all that?
Basically, the Knicks get Hart, the Sixers get McDaniels, the Blazers get Reddish and Thybulle and Charlotte adds future draft compensation.
NYK Grade: A-
POR Grade: C+
PHI Grade: A
CHA Grade: C+
Toronto Acquires Jakob Poeltl From San Antonio [23:41]
The Toornto Raptors had been looking to bring back Jakob Poeltl for quite some time, as they traded him away to get Kawhi Leonard ahead of the start of the 2018-19 season. The Spurs were looking for a handful of draft picks for Poeltl and they got that with the Raptors sending out second-round picks in 2023 and 2025, as well as a 2024 first-round pick that is Top-6 protected.
The Spurs also acquired Khem Birch in this trade, a veteran whose future remains a question mark in regards to possibly being bought out.
TOR Grade: B-
SAS Grade: B
Kevin Durant Blockbuster Trade [28:12] & [34:15]
Kevin Durant being on the move was perhaps the biggest and most shocking trade to ever be made at the NBA trade deadline. There had been clues to this potentially happening, but the Nets had remained adamant that they did not want to deal Durant. Ultimately, there was one deal that they would trade Durant in and that happened to be the trade the Phoenix Suns sent them.
The Nets acquired Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, Jae Crowder, a 2028 first-round pick swap from Phoenix and four unprotected first-round picks from the Suns in 2023, 2025, 2027 and 2029. In addition to getting Durant, the Suns also acquired T.J. Warren, who began his career in Phoenix in 2014.
This trade was then expanded on to include the Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers, as Milwaukee acquired Jae Crowder from the Nets, Brooklyn received the draft rights to Juan Pablo Vaulet from Indiana, as well as a 2028 and 2029 second-round pick from Milwaukee, and the Pacers received Serge Ibaka, George Hill, Jordan Nwora, cash considerations from the Nets and three second-round picks in 2023, 2024 and 2025 from the Bucks.
Ibaka will be waived by the Pacers, but it seems like Indiana will be keeping both Hill and Nwora.
BKN Grade: A
PHX Grade: A
MIL Grade: B
IND Grade: B+
Celtics Add Mike Muscala From OKC [33:25]
Mike Muscala has always been known to be a stretch big man everywhere he has been and this season with the Oklahoma City Thunder, he shot 39.4 percent from three-point range. The Boston Celtics had been searching for a big man they could add to their bench for depth and Muscala turned out to be their guy for Justin Jackson, a heavily protected 2023 second-round pick and a 2029 second-round pick.
BOS Grade: B
OKC Grade: B
Lakers, Clippers, Nuggets, Magic Make A Four-Team Deal [35:49] & [39:00] & [45:16]
Originally a deal that involved Thomas Bryant being traded from Los Angeles to Denver for second-round picks, this deal was expanded on to include the likes of Bones Hyland going to the Clippers and Patrick Beverley going to Orlando.
The Lakers ended up getting Mo Bamba, Davon Reed and a second-round pick from this trade, the Clippers got Bones Hyland from Denver, Orlando got Patrick Beverley, a second-round pick from Denver and cash considerations and the Nuggets received Thomas Bryant.
All-around this move was one that gave the Lakers another solid, young player to add to their bench, the Clippers a key backcourt talent on their bench and the Nuggets a key secondary frontcourt talent behind Nikola Jokic.
LAL Grade: B
LAC Grade: A-
DEN Grade: B
ORL Grade: C-
Suns Add Darius Bazley From Oklahoma City [40:42]
Darius Bazley was in the final year of his rookie deal and always known to be a solid perimeter defender with length, he could be useful to a championship contending team like the Suns.
After making a move for Kevin Durant and giving up a key wing defender in Mikal Bridges, Phoenix takes a shot at a player like Bazley who is athletic enough and long enough to keep his opponents in front of him. Phoenix was able to get Darius Bazley for cash consideration, a 2029 second-round pick and Dario Saric.
PHX Grade: B
OKC Grade: C
James Wiseman To Detroit, Saddiq Bey To Atlanta, Gary Payton II To Golden State [41:46] & [48:47]
This was one of the more surprising trades made, as all indications pointed towards the Golden State Warriors holding off on a trade involving James Wismean. Ultimately, they folded and dealt Wiseman to the Detroit Pistons originally for Kevin Knox and Saddiq Bey.
Bey was then dealt to the Atlanta Hawks for five second-round picks, in which the Warriors flipped along with Knox for Gary Payton II from the Portland Trail Blazers.
Here is how the layout of this trade worked because it was confusing:
Warriors received: Gary Payton II, ATL 2026 2nd Round Pick, ATL 2028 2nd Round Pick; Hawks receive: Saddiq Bey; Pistons received: James Wiseman; Blazers received: Kevin Knox, ATL/BKN/CHA 2023 2nd Round Pick (Second-most favorable to POR, via ATL), ATL 2024 2nd Round Pick (Protected 56-60), ATL 2025 2nd Round Pick (Protected 41-60), MEM 2026 2nd Round Pick (Protected 31-42, via GSW) and GSW 2028 2nd Round Pick.
Everybody kind of got what they wanted and won from this trade.
GSW Grade: B-
DET Grade: B
ATL Grade: B+
POR Grade: B
Hawks & Rockets Make A Deal Involving Veterans [43:17]
This was not much of a big deal, as the Atlanta Hawks dealt Justin Holiday and Frank Kaminsky, along with tw second-round picks in 2024 and 2025, to the Houston Rockets for Garrison Mathews and Bruno Fernando, two younger players they can utilize off their bench.
ATL Grade: C
HOU Grade: C+
Clippers Acquire Eric Gordon From Houston In Three-Team Deal [43:36]
Eric Gordon had been on the trade block dating back to last season’s trade deadline and he ended up with the Los Angeles Clippers this season, the team he began his career with.
Being a part of multiple championship-contending teams with the Rockets, Gordon is a great pickup for the Clippers. Gordon was acquired by the Clippers along with three second-round picks (two being in 2024) in exchange for Luke Kennard going to the Memphis Grizzlies and the Rockets receiving Danny Green, John Wall and the rights to swap their first-round pick in 2023 with the Clippers, following Oklahoma City’s 2023 swap with the Clippers.
LAC Grade: B+
MEM Grade: B
HOU Grade: F
Pelicans Trade For Josh Richardson From San Antonio [46:18]
Going out and trading Devonte’ Graham and four second-round picks, the New Orleans Pelicans upgraded their depth and veteran experience with Josh Richardson.
This was one of the more underrated trades for both teams, as the Pelicans got added value on the wing and another capable ball-handler behind CJ McCollum, as the Spurs added second-round picks they could turn into something moving forward, along with a younger perimeter shooter they can utilize as part of their rebuild.
NOP Grade: A
SAS Grade: A
Clippers Acquire Mason Plumlee From Charlotte [47:37]
The Clippers were not done after getting Eric Gordon and Bones Hyland, as they ended Thursday with Mason Plumlee as well. Upgrading their frontcourt depth was something Los Angeles wanted to do and Plumlee is an excellent fit alongside Ivica Zubac, especially at the cost of Reggie Jackson, who Charlotte will be waiving, and a 2028 second-round pick.
LAC Grade: A+
CHA Grade: C+
