Mega-trades involving stars such as the Miami Heat dealing Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors or the Dallas Mavericks trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, sent shockwaves throughout the NBA in February.
We’ve just passed the halfway point between the end of the season and the NBA trade deadline with some of the biggest blockbuster trades in recent memory, and many of those moves have already paid off. Most teams have played about 18 games since the trade deadline on Feb. 6, and about 15 games remain for each in the regular season.
Here’s how teams surrounding big trades, have fared since making major changes to their rosters ahead of the playoff push:
LeBron James’ injury slows Los Angeles Lakers’ momentum
The Lakers were rolling before the trade deadline and kept it going when the acquired Luka Doncic days before the trade deadline. From Jan. 15 through March 6, the Lakers were 20-4. Doncic and LeBron James played well together, we’re getting better together and Doncic’s minutes with James on the bench were fantastic for the Lakers.
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The Lakers were 40-21 and tied for second place in the Western Conference on March 6 after beating the New York Knicks in overtime. Then, James sustained a groin injury, sidelining him for about two weeks, and the Lakers lost four consecutive games. They rebounded with victories against Phoenix and San Antonio and are in fourth place, one game behind Denver and Houston.
James remains out while he rehabs. Getting him back in the lineup is key for playoff success, and there were plenty of signs the Lakers can be dangerous and go deep into the playoffs with James and Doncic on the court.
Injuries hurt Dallas Mavericks, but Max Christie is a bright spot
At best, the Mavericks’ stunning trade – sending Luka Doncic to the Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and one first-round draft pick – receives an incomplete grade. It was widely panned as a bad move: Who trades an All-NBA player entering the prime of his career? The Mavs didn’t even get a full game with Davis before he left Dallas’ game against Houston with an adductor strain. Then, Mavs guard Kyrie Irving sustained a season-ending knee injury March 3. Since the Doncic-Davis trade, Dallas is 7-13 and has lost eight of its past nine games.
The Mavericks are 33-36 and in 10th place in the West, trying to hold off 11th-place Phoenix (32-37) for the final play-in game spot. Christie has taken advantage of his new role with more minutes and more shots, averaging 11.9 points (38.6% on 3-pointers), 4.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 19 games with Dallas.
Jimmy Butler gives the Golden State Warriors a lift
So far, the Jimmy Butler trade has been a home run for Golden State.
The Warriors are 14-2 in games in which Butler has played. He’s averaged 16.8 points, 5.9 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals and shoots 44.8% from the field, 22.6% on 3-pointers and 86.2% on free throws. His value appears greater than his individual statistics, though. The Warriors’ victories are piling up, jumping from 10th place in the Western Conference to tied for sixth place.
The Warriors have improved drastically offensively and defensively with Butler. Before Butler’s arrival, Golden State scored 111.8 points and allowed 112.2 points per 100 possessions. Since acquiring Butler, the Warriors are scoring 7.6 more points and are allowing 4 fewer. They also register more assists, steals and free throws per game with Butler than without.
Zach LaVine gives the Sacramento Kings a lift
The Kings have been up-and-down since getting Zach LaVine from the Chicago Bulls. They are 9-9 with LaVine – a stretch that includes seven victories in nine games and a four-game losing streak.
The Kings, who lost De’Aaron Fox to the Spurs at the trade deadline, are 34-33 and in ninth place in the West – two games ahead of 10th-place Dallas and 3½ games behind the eighth-place Los Angeles Clippers. Golden State and Minnesota are 4½ games ahead of the Kings in a virtual tie for sixth place.
For his part, LaVine has brought his strong offensive game to the Kings. He was having one of the best shooting seasons of his career with the Bulls. And that has continued with Sacramento, averaging 22.7 points on 52.7% shooting from the field, 44.1% on 3-pointers and 89.4% from the foul line.
He has given the Kings a boost offensively, but Sacramento has dropped a bit defensively since the trade.
Victor Wembanyama-De’Aaron Fox combination on hold in San Antonio
The Spurs were hoping to finish the season with second-year sensation Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox, who they acquired at the trade deadline. That didn’t happen. Wembanyama was shut down for the season at the All-Star break after a blood clot was discovered in his shoulder, and Fox had season-ending finger surgery scheduled for Tuesday.
They only played five games together, but Fox showed what he can do in 17 games with San Antonio. He averaged 19.7 points, 6.8 assists 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals while shooting 44.6% from the field. Having both healthy at the start of next season is paramount for the franchise.
Winning gets tougher in Miami after the Jimmy Butler trade
The Jimmy Butler situation became untenable for the Heat, and they had to trade him at the deadline. However, they lost a player who made them better. Since trading Butler, the Heat are 4-15 and have lost eight consecutive games through Monday’s loss to the New York Knicks.
The Heat are 29-39 and have fallen from sixth place in the East to a ninth-place tie with Chicago. Since the trade, the Heat have the second-worst offense. Miami acquired Andrew Wiggins, Davion Mitchell and Kyle Anderson as part of the trade. Wiggins has averaged 18.3 points but on 42.2% shooting from the field and 30.9% on 3-pointers. Mitchell has provided solid minutes (8.9 points per game on 48.3% shooting), and Anderson is at 4.9 points per game.
The Heat also have Golden State’s top-10 protected first-round pick in the 2025 draft, which should fall in the low 20s, giving the Heat two first-round picks.
Still hot in Cleveland
The Cavaliers were already the best team in the Eastern Conference, and then the front office led by Koby Altman made a savvy move, trading for De’Andre Hunter, a reliable 3-pointer shooter and defender on the wing. Hunter has been a valuable addition to a team that is in great position to dethrone the Boston Celtics, who won the title last season.
The Cavs are 13-1 with Hunter in the lineup; he averages 14.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists and shoots 48% from the field and 48.5% on 3-pointers. The Cavs were already a great defensive team, and they’re even better with Hunter on the court, allowing just 106.2 points per 100 possessions compared to their season mark of 110.8 points per 100 possessions. The Cavs’ top-ranked offense is also slightly better with Hunter on the court.
Milwaukee Bucks add Kyle Kuzma but struggle with Bobby Portis suspension
The Bucks are 11-7 with Kyle Kuzma, who the team landed in a deal with Washington. The Bucks are tied for fourth place with Indiana – five games behind the New York Knicks and one game ahead of the Detroit Pistons.
The Bucks gave up longtime franchise cornerstone and fan favorite Khris Middleton to get the deal done. Kuzma averages 13.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists and shoots 42.4% from the field and 29.3% on 3-pointers. Milwaukee’s offensive production has dropped but its defense has improved. However, the Bucks have a negative net-rating per 100 possessions and were plus-4.5 with Middleton. A larger issue is Bobby Portis’ 25-game suspension announced Feb. 20 for violating the terms of the NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug Program by testing positive for tramadol.
