Sixers' Trade for Alec Burks, Glenn Robinson Devastated Warriors Locker Room

Whenever the NBA trade deadline is approaching, players in the final year of their deals tend to get nervous about their future. In the NBA, there is a vicious cycle every year around the trade deadline. Teams who are struggling want to collect assets for the future. Meanwhile, championship contenders understand their weak spots, so they offer up draft picks and inexperienced players to acquire a win-now piece.

For years, the Philadelphia 76ers played the role of the sellers. Over the last couple of seasons, though, they stepped in the shoes of the buyers. This season is no different. As the Sixers want to get over the second-round hump of the playoffs, they need to ensure they have a productive bench to mesh well with their stars.

So for the last couple of months, the Sixers' front office has been looking for the best possible deal they could make. One hour into the final day of the deadline, Elton Brand struck a deal. He sent multiple second-round picks to the temporarily re-building Golden State Warriors in exchange for two veteran wing shooters.

Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson III had to see it coming. Although they didn't want to believe it since they've grown fond of Golden State, reality hit them hard on Wednesday night. As the Warriors geared up for a game in Brooklyn, Golden State's management pulled them both aside to let them know they were on their way out.

Hours later, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski confirmed what many have speculated -- Burks and Robinson were on their way to Philly to join the Eastern Conference hopefuls, the 76ers. Considering the Warriors are out of playoff contention, and the Sixers are still a playoff contender, you would think Burks and Robinson would be thrilled.

Philadlephia has acquired Golden State's Glenn Robinson and Alec Burks, league source tells ESPN. Philadelphia sending draft compensation to the Warriors.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 6, 2020

However, it could take some time for everybody affected to get over it. In a piece from The Athletic, Warriors' writer Anthony Slater questioned the Warriors' decision to dish out two highly-respected veterans for a handful of picks. While Golden State's organization sees this move as a positive outlook for the long-term, it currently isn't going over well with the team.

"This hit the locker room like a sledgehammer," Slater writes in his latest piece. "[Steve Kerr] had players express their appreciation for Burks and Robinson, two steady vets who have helped guide a young core through a losing season." After the initial shock, the Warriors couldn't get out of a funk and took a monster loss to the Nets losing 129-88.

After the game, Slater described the Warriors' team vibe as 'ticked-off.' Not just because the team got destroyed on the road, but because of the pregame moves that occurred. Players weren't happy about Burks and Robinson's departure as the move was described as not a "popular one at ground zero."

It's apparent that Burks and Robinson are probably having a tough time getting over the fact they have to switch teams and move on from Golden State, which is understandable. Eventually, like every other player who gets traded mid-season though, the two veterans will settle in.

And based off of the Warriors locker room's reaction, it sounds like the Sixers have not only acquired two productive players on the court -- but they also picked up two respected pros, who can offer solid value within a tension-filled locker room. It only took them both half of a season to build up solid relationships within the Warriors organization. Now, they will work on developing chemistry together in Philadelphia.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_