The NBA trading deadline is over, and there was a lot of movement around the league. Some important trades involved the Rockets moving on from Clint Capela in favor of small-ball play, and Miami winning the Andre Iguodala sweepstakes. Not to mention, the Timberwolves finally got their man in D’Angelo Russell which may have effectively kept KAT in Minnesota long-term.
But there were also many players who did not find their way to new teams, leaving us surprised and also a bit frustrated. Here are the main trades that we expected to see, but simply did not go through before the deadline passed.
Los Angeles Lakers – Derrick Rose
The name most mentioned with the Lakers this season involved both Kyle Kuzma and Derrick Rose. In fact, many felt that this trade was a foregone conclusion as the deadline neared. But it didn’t fall through, and Kuzma is still playing the third wheel behind James and Davis while Rose is stuck in a rebuilding situation in Detroit.
Without a doubt, Rose would’ve helped the Lakers by boosting their championship chances thanks to his exceptional playmaking and scoring skills. Rose is an All-Star caliber player who, at this moment of time, is both a better player than Kuzma and also a better fit for LA. This is a trade we all wanted to see but didn’t fall through.
Boston Celtics – Andre Drummond
The only knock against the Celtics this season has been their lack of quality big men on the roster. While guys like Daniel Theis have performed admirably up to their capabilities, Andre Drummond would’ve changed the complexion of the team. His defense and rebounding are a very high level, and the Celtics need bigs in the playoffs.
Unfortunately, this didn’t go through. Instead of seeing Drummond play for a contender for the first time in his life, he is in a very bad situation with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Pistons essentially gave him up for nothing, and many feel that they could’ve got a better deal if they did business with Boston.
Portland Trail Blazers – Kevin Love
Portland has been subpar this year, but adding Kevin Love would’ve given them another scorer to add to their lineup. Portland is a very good scoring team, and Love would’ve fit in nicely alongside C.J. McCollum and superstar Damian Lillard. Love spotting up for threes would be fun to watch, and the Blazers might even be a relevant threat in the playoffs if this happened. Instead, Portland needs to fight with what they have got.
Love has been below the radar playing for the Cavaliers, who are bottom feeders in the East. Many fans want to see Love play like an All-Star again for a title contender, but this won’t be happening this year.
Los Angeles Clippers – Chris Paul
Chris Paul was rightfully voted into the all-star game this year after his leadership for the OKC Thunder became apparent once they began to solidify a playoff spot. While he is playing his best ball in two years, Paul needs to be traded for the sake of the franchise long-term. The team that we wanted to see him on was the Los Angeles Clippers.
Without a doubt, the best player in Clippers franchise history was Chris Paul. To see him traded to Houston many years ago hurt Clippers Nation, but they would love to welcome him back to this championship squad. CP3, Kawhi, and George will simply be the best big three in the NBA and could’ve possibly placed them as the number one favorite for the title. We all want Paul to win a title, but he has to wait this year out before he has a chance to try again.
Toronto Raptors – DeMar DeRozan
One of the most exciting players involved in trade rumors this season was DeMar DeRozan. Many felt that the Spurs were looking to move on from the All-Star guard, and start their rebuilding process as Gregg Popovich ages. In fact, many felt the Raptors would amend their disloyalty and trade for him back. After all, DeRozan is a fan favorite in Toronto and one of their best ever players.
Seeing DeRozan don the red jerseys would be fun to watch, especially when he plays alongside Kyle Lowry once again. He would be a nice fit alongside All-Star starter Pascal Siakam who is the best player on the team right now. Instead, DeRozan is forced to be the number one option for a team fighting in the playoffs in the West.
Miami Heat – LaMarcus Aldridge
Finally, LaMarcus Aldridge is another Spur who was on the trading block, or so it seemed. While Aldridge is no longer the All-NBA talent that he was in Portland many years ago, he is still productive and can average 20-10 when motivated. He simply has not performed well in the Spurs system, and many felt he was ready to be traded. More specifically, the Miami Heat could’ve used his scoring tremendously.
Instead, Aldridge has to continue playing decent ball for a team that is not consistent enough to be in the playoffs just yet. Seeing Aldridge team up with Butler in Miami would be a sight to behold since the Heat would have another big-time scorer to add to their roster. Miami did well acquiring Andre Iguodala, but they could’ve done better by grabbing Aldridge as well.
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