It is pretty unusual for a team in the playoff picture to make wholesale changes at the trade deadline. While it is common to add a piece or two, trading featured stars or half the roster is not common for teams in the hunt. This season it was surprising that so many impactful trades were made at the trade deadline, the busiest one in NBA history.
With Phoenix and Oklahoma City fighting for the last playoff spot, team instability is something neither can afford right now. A four-game losing streak this close to the end of the season might just knock one of them out of the playoff picture. But both of these teams had player problems that forced their respective hands.
In Phoenix, star point guard Goran Dragic dropped a nuke on the team by declaring that he would not re-sign with them after the season. The Suns were in the position of needing to trade him in a hurry or risk losing him for nothing. As the heart and soul of the team, besides being their most popular player, he really had the GM in a vice. Once he traded Dragic, GM Ryan McDonough now had a hole to fill. One trade became three and before you knew it, half the roster was moved.
In OKC, Reggie Jackson went from popular player to persona non grata in an Oklahoma minute by publicly complaining about his role. He was shipped off in a decent sized roster redo that brought four new players into the picture.
In the East, where the Nets are in the heat of battle with the Heat for a playoff spot, they sent their big-ticket veteran Kevin Garnett back to his first team, the Timberwolves.
All of these moves will spice up the playoff race and give the respective coaches some sleepless nights as they try to figure out how to quickly put the pieces together in time for a final push.
It is quite a thrill trying to do that. And if you are one of those types of people who have a hard time going with the flow, it can be painful.
In 1996, I was with the Heat when we had one of those days. Pat Riley had taken over the team that year and was doing a major redo of the roster. He brought in Alonzo Mourning to anchor the team and build around. I was signed about a month into the season as a veteran backup at center. The team was still pretty new to the league and had only one .500 season in its history.
As you know, Pat Riley is not a patient man. We were working to improve but had some issues. Alonzo got hurt early in the season and missed 10 games. We were all adjusting to a new system as the organization was transforming every area of the business.
As we approached the trade deadline we hit a rough patch. We were 24-29 and played back-to-back games in which we scored 70 and 66 points. With Pat’s patience about gone, he hit the trade market. He had just waived Pete Myers and then on the last day traded 5 players in 3 different trades. The next day we had a game against the 72-10 Chicago Bulls.
At that time they were 48-5 and had won 25 of their last 27 games. We dressed only eight players and a patched together a lineup. No one in America thought that we had a chance. I don’t even think that Vegas had odds on us winning that one. Certainly the Bulls thought they had it in the bag. They were laughing as they warmed up.
But a funny thing happened. We had one of those nights where we had nothing to lose. Pat played a tight rotation and both teams went small most of the game. We played loose. Rex Chapman went off for 39, including 9 of 10 from 3. We opened an early lead and poured it on going up by 25 after three quarters. We held on for our biggest win of the season. I think their guys were too hung over to make a big push at the end.
They must have been a little pissed off though. A month later we played them in back-to-back games. Jordan went for 34 and 40 and shut Rex Chapman down pretty well. Rex was only 1-14 combined on 3s in those two losses.
Looking back, the trades worked out pretty well. We went 11-5 over the next 3 weeks and made the playoffs with a 42-40 record. The bad news was that we finished 8th and got swept by the Bulls in the 1st round of the playoffs. But the tide had turned. The team won 61 games the next year and had a nice run.
So let’s keep an eye on the Thunder and the Suns in the West to see if they make their move up or down. With the Heat in the East, the Chris Bosh news will probably kill them for this season, with a couple of more parts picked up in the summer, they should be positioned well for next year.
And if the roster moves don’t work very well, then look for the GMs to announce a new 5-year plan. Time will tell if the fans stay interested for that long.
Luckily the new TV deal will kick in after next year so teams can still make money when they are losing.
Danny Schayes is a Director of Business Optimization at Intensity and a leader in the business of professional sports. Schayes frequently advises sports organizations in complex business matters that include contract negotiations, pricing strategy, marketing optimization, and executive leadership. Follow him on Twitter.
Great to read stories written by former players! It’s crazy how you could have 66 one night and beat the best individual season NBA team of all time the next. Just goes to show that any game is winnable!