Many teams faired well this trade season, adding many pieces they need to make a deep playoff run. Some teams also did well, preparing for their future as they gained draft picks this season. Then there are the teams who made you scratch your head, wondering what were they doing, or not doing. Even though there were very few, some teams ended up Losers this trade season. Le's take a look at those teams.
Sacramento Kings
The Kings are on of the big losers this trade season but not for the reason you think. I understand they felt that the Demarcus Cousins experiment wasn't working, so they decided to part ways with him.
But what they got in return was shameful. They shipped off Cousins for rookie Buddy Hield, inconsistent vets in Tyreke Evans and Langston Galloway and a second-round pick. That makes me scratch my head every time I think about it. You receive a second-round pick, which I guess is alright, but you get no star power in return. You get two players who are unreliable and an okay rookie. GM Vlade Divac's comments didn't help, saying he had better deal days earlier. This trade shows the lack of intelligence in the Kings front office, as they give away their superstar big man for basically chips and dip. Kings, I officially hand you this L.
Boston Celtics
The Celtics are another team that ended up losers this trade season.
Now you're probably thinking "how? They didn't make any moves." That is precisely why they're losers. Danny Ainge is a great GM no question, but he couldn't get all-star despite the rumors. The Celtics had a chance to grab Paul George, Jimmy Butler, or Blake Griffin. They even could've snagged Carmelo. But many teams probably wanted that first-round pick the Celtics have from the Nets.
Ainge couldn't give that up. The Celtics need a superstar in order to have a shot at beating the Cavs. Isaiah Thomas is a star, but as we all know you need at least two stars on your team for a shot. This was a golden opportunity for Boston to get a superstar, even if it's for the rest of the season but like always, they fail to make a deal when it got down to crunch time.
Detroit Pistons
They Pistons were aggressively trying to move Reggie Jackson a month before the deadline. When they realized that wasn't going to happen, they even tried moving Andre Drummond, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, two core pieces. The Pistons put high asking prices on their players, which is why some owners and GMs decided to hold still, as they feel as they feel as though they aren't worth the price. The Pistons failed to move any pieces, and as they go into the summer, they have a big question. Stick with the core they have in place, or blow the whole thing up and start fresh? Their record at the end of the season will play a big factor in that decision
These teams failed to achieve their goals this trade season.
Some by not getting enough talent and some by not making any moves at all. As we go into the homestretch of the NBA season, keep an eye on these teams to see if how they handled the trade season affect them the rest of the way.
