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Chapter 636 - 308: 2016 NBA Trade Deadline Day_2

Chapter 636: Chapter 308: 2016 NBA Trade Deadline Day_2

The Hawks sent Horford and a future first-round draft pick, getting Howard in return.

The Brooklyn Nets traded Howard, acquiring Amir Johnson, Jared Sullinger, and two first-round draft picks.

Moreover, news soon broke that the Brooklyn Nets were seeking contract buyouts with Deron and Joe Johnson.

This series of moves indicated that the Brooklyn Nets had given up on this season and were officially starting to rebuild.

One recalls the stir when the Russian, Prokhorov, took over the Nets, which later moved to New York Brooklyn.

Frenzied spending ended without even reaching the conference finals, and now the team struggles for a playoff spot, showing Prokhorov’s waning interest in investing.

He proved through his actions that the NBA can’t be conquered by spending alone.

Horford had a player option this summer and was expected to opt out to seek a substantial contract.

Although the Hawks’ record was good in the early season, last season’s playoffs sweeping by the Cavaliers made it difficult for management to commit to a big contract for Horford. Thus, rather than potentially losing Horford for nothing in the summer, seeking change was preferable.

Howard’s arrival not only improved the frontline strength but also finally provided them with a superstar.

The Celtics simply capitalized on the opportunity, acquiring Horford with two role players and a first-round pick.

With Horford, along with All-Star Little Thomas, this season’s top pick Towns, and quality role players such as Bradley, Crowder, Smart, and Olynyk, the Celtics proved quite competitive.

As Angie previously said, the Celtics’ rebuilding process concluded in just one season after acquiring Horford.

This was a win-win-win trade.

More precisely, it should be considered a win-win-win-win.

After the deal was made, Howard also immediately expressed his excitement.

As a native Atlantan, James never managed to pull off a hometown basketball stint; Howard experienced it first!

With the trade deadline’s close, there’s no doubt, the Celtics were the biggest winners.

As for the biggest loser, it was not the rebuilding Brooklyn Nets, but the inactive Rockets.

Bosh, who missed the All-Star game due to a calf injury, was once again sidelined for the season after another blood clot issue was discovered.

After only playing half of the last two seasons, the situation worsened since Bosh had only completed two years of the five-year maximum salary contract he signed with the team in the summer of 2014.

When the Rockets first made the trade, Morey was hailed by some fans, but now, widely criticized, many Rockets supporters are calling for him to leave.

Also, Harden was having a rather mediocre season, and the Rockets, who had barely maintained a top-four position in the West, were likely to plunge.

From the season’s start with a three-team hunt against the Lakers, the West had returned to a tripartite balance.

Before the first game after the All-Star game, Hansen met with Dedmon.

His impression of Dedmon was very limited, encompassing not only reality but also his sole memory from the game 2Konline, where he was known as a "refugee center."

In those limited memories, Hansen felt this guy could be quite fitting for the Cavaliers, as in addition to interior defense, he also had a stable three-point shot, making him a 3D center.

Though he wasn’t as versatile as perimeter 3D players, he was still a rare player type in the league.

This is what Hansen thought, but when he actually joined the team’s practice, he quickly discovered something—this guy could not shoot threes!

He instantly wondered if he might have remembered wrong, or even mistaken the person, as there were many with the same name in the NBA.

But considering it unlikely, like many named James, but only one LeBron James, the greater likelihood was that this guy currently could not shoot threes but developed the skill later.

This probability was not nonexistent, as some big centers were forced to develop three-point shooting to survive as the league gradually favored smaller lineups.

Most notably was Big Lopez, who shot only three three-pointers in his first eight years but launched 649 in the following six, with a decent success rate.

This wasn’t just a mere matter of practice, like how Howard couldn’t develop a shot either, suggesting even big centers can have innate shooting talent.

So, watching a burly guy develop a three-point shot seemed like an interesting thing.

Of course, that wasn’t for this season, since the Cavaliers traded for him just for his low-post defense.

In fact, the biggest change brought by this trade wasn’t Dedmon himself, but Jokic.

Because after the trade was finalized, Malone put Jokic back in the starting lineup.

This was like finding insurance for the team, then increasing the team’s error tolerance.

Moreover, as the season progressed to the second half, Malone also needed to give Jokic more opportunities.

After all, if in the playoffs Jokic was still limited by foul trouble, then the Cavaliers’ front line was actually weaker than last season.

Moreover, the Cavaliers compared to last year had no pressure on their record, so they could freely and boldly practice.

Time quickly advanced to March 1, and the Cavaliers enjoyed a five-game winning streak.

Jokic was indeed still troubled by fouls, but he was much improved compared to the beginning of the season.

This was partly due to Jokic’s strong adaptability, and partly due to practice.

Previously, although he returned to the bench, he still played about 25 minutes per game.

Just like Irving, constant opportunities for trial and error lead to growth.

Of course, this was also because of Hansen. If LeBron James were in the Cavaliers, Jokic might already be wearing another team’s uniform now.

It was on this day, the last cut-off day of the season, that the trade deadline also arrived.

Due to the Brooklyn Nets’ rebuild, Deron and Joe Johnson’s next moves were also very intriguing.

Deron reached a buyout agreement with the Brooklyn Nets and chose the latter between the Mavericks and the Lakers.

Deron, due to knee injury issues, had a falling performance over the years, although he still averaged 13 points and 6.6 assists this season, his shooting percentage had dropped to 38.7%.

However, a camel, dead of starvation, is still bigger than a horse; he still had scoring abilities, and his experience was what a championship-contending team needed.

The reason he chose to join the Lakers was simple; the weakest position for the Lakers now was point guard, and they could offer him a starting position so he could make a final sprint towards the championship.

Moreover, after Deron joined the Lakers, the Lakers’ starting lineup became Deron, Kobe, James, Love, and Mozgov.

Just reading those names, fans probably wouldn’t dare to imagine.

Another player from the Brooklyn Nets, Joe Johnson, chose to join the Heat after his buyout with the Nets.

Pat Riley was key to his joining the Heat.

It was reported that after a conversation that lasted over an hour, Riley ultimately convinced Johnson that joining the Heat was the best opportunity to salvage his career.

Riley also promised Johnson enough playing time; he would become the best sixth man on the Heat’s bench.

Whether Riley is a "Divine Calculator" is another matter, but his ability to persuade Wade to take a pay cut and to willingly have Johnson play as a substitute, his skill at persuading people is absolutely top-tier.

Overnight, the Cavaliers’ competitors all became stronger.

However, this did not affect Hansen or, rather, it was within his expectations.

Because whether it was the Heat or the Lakers, this was their last madness.

The day after the buyout deadline, the Lakers visited Cleveland, and the two teams faced off for the second and last time of the season.

Deron, having just been bought out, did not travel to Cleveland with the team.

Before the game started, the Cavaliers played a tribute video for Kobe.

Unless the Lakers reached the finals, this would be Kobe’s last visit to Cleveland in his professional career.

Just like the previous game, both teams still played very fiercely.

But differently, Kobe’s desire to score in this game was very strong.

He had no interest in the All-Star Game MVP, but in front of Hansen, he still wanted to prove something.

It was just that James’s performance in this game was average, and the Lakers eventually lost the game.

"Once Deron arrives, we’ll win it back," Lakers fans declared fiercely after the game.

But since both season games were already played, the Lakers team would only meet the Cavaliers again in the finals.

But can the Lakers reach the finals?