A quiet trade deadline day sees disappointment across the NBA.
It was a disappointing trade deadline in the NBA on Thursday, as little work was done, or arguably even needed to be done, for the top teams in the association.
The Atlanta Hawks kept hold of Josh Smith, J.J. Redick made perhaps the most high profile switch swapping Orlando for Milwaukee, while the likes of Ronnie Brewer, Eric Maynor and Dexter Pittman saw to it that the deadline was an anti-climactic event.
Looking through the winners and losers of the trade movements, and it is clear the Hawks have missed a step by keeping Smith on board.
Set to become a free agent in the summer, Smith will either leave for nothing come July or the Hawks are preparing to offer him a max-contract, something many have suggested he doesn’t warrant.
By losing Redick, the Orlando Magic have also lost a vital piece of their roster. His move most certainly favours the Bucks, who will be relatively pleased with their dealings.
However, given the record since his move, the biggest winners are perhaps the Toronto Raptors after swooping for Rudy Gay from the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Raptors have won six out of nine games since his arrival, and with Gay averaging 20 points per game they have found a player who can post up big numbers on a regular basis.
While the majority of the top teams stayed inactive, and rightfully so in most cases, the benchmark has been set by the Miami Heat who continue to possess perhaps the strongest roster in the league.
The question will remain which team can overcome LeBron James and Co. over a play-off series, and given the lack of significant arrivals between the likes of the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder, it is still the Heat in pole position to secure back-to-back championships.
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