NBA Trade Deadline winners and losers: Lakers get magical, Suns turn toxic

Competing with the flair, theatrics and coverage of Super Bowl week is always a tough task. But after the NFL stole Christmas Day from the NBA, the Association put their chips on the table and came away with a massive win, snatching the NFL’s chain by capturing eyes and ears with a trade deadline sure to go down in history.

Eight All-Stars changed hands ahead of Thursday’s deadline, headlined by an all-time deal that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers and Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks. Then, De’Aaron Fox joined forces with Victor Wembanyama in San Antonio and Zach LaVine reunited with DeMar DeRozan in Sacramento.

To top everything off, the continued Jimmy Butler drama peaked with a massive deal sending him to the Bay Area, all while Kevin Durant’s future was in limbo depending on the outcome of the Butler deal.

With all the big names moving around — and others staying put — it’s apparent that some teams came out on top while others faltered. Here’s a look at the biggest winners and losers from this year’s NBA trade deadline.

Winner: Los Angeles Lakers

It doesn’t matter how much it costs or what you have to sacrifice to make it happen — if you acquire a player of Luka Doncic’s calibre at the trade deadline, you win.

In the most stunning move in the history of the sport, the Lakers acquired Doncic’s services, pairing the five-time All-NBA first-team selection with LeBron James and securing the future of one of the league’s most storied franchises. Not only did they cement their place among contenders this season, but they forced themselves into that conversation for years to come.

This selection was already obvious after fleecing the Mavericks for the 25-year-old superstar, but the Lakers’ braintrust took it a step further on the eve of Thursday’s deadline, swinging a deal for centre Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets. The move for the high-risk, high-reward big man indicated the team’s clear focus on building around Doncic — bringing in a complementary big for the magician to throw lobs to and hopefully play alongside in the long term, as Williams is only 23 years old.

Loser: Phoenix Suns

Did anything go right for the Suns ahead of the deadline?

After looking like the favourites to land Butler from the Heat, the forward instead made his way to Pacific Division rival Golden State Warriors in a move that left the Suns sitting on their hands. Then, through all the chaos of the potential Butler move, superstar Kevin Durant — who has a flair for the dramatic once things don’t go his way — was reportedly “blindsided” after hearing his name pop up in trade rumours.

So not only did they not improve the roster by adding another superstar, but they may have also pissed off one of their biggest stars, opening the door to drama in the back half of what’s already been a disappointing season. Add that to the continued instability around Bradley Beal and his unwillingness to waive his no-trade clause, and the Suns have created what ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne called a “toxic” and “awkward” locker room.

They swung one deal at the deadline, sending centre Jusuf Nurkic and a first-round pick to the Charlotte Hornets in return for Cody Martin and Vasilije Micic. But considering how good Deandre Ayton and Toumani Camara — the two pieces Phoenix dealt to Portland to acquire Nurkic — have been playing, even that deal was a product of mismanagement by the organization in recent seasons.

Winner: Cleveland Cavaliers

When you’re sitting atop the Eastern Conference with a 41-10 record, doing anything drastic seems out of the question. But the Cavaliers played their cards right and made the perfect move that might put them over the top.

The one hole in the roster was at the wing, with a rotating cast of forwards filling in all season long. Enter De’Andre Hunter, who the Cavs acquired from the Hawks for the cost of Georges Niang, Caris LeVert, two pick swaps and three second-rounders.

Hunter is having an under-the-radar breakout campaign in his sixth year, averaging 19.0 points and 3.9 rebounds while shooting a career-high 39.3 per cent from three-point range — all while coming off the bench. The former Virginia product is third in the league in bench points but has played 400 fewer minutes than the first-place Payton Pritchard and 200 less than the second-place Naz Reid, meaning that productivity-wise, there’s another step to be taken.

The Cavaliers are in win-now mode, and the addition of Hunter only pushes them closer. He’s a strong plug-and-play wing, shores up the team’s only deficiency and fits perfectly into their league-leading offensive system.

Loser: Chicago Bulls

The Bulls have struggled to cut deals for the past few seasons. They were unable to trade Zach LaVine last year, as the wing dealt with injuries and the market dried up. Then, over the summer, they sold defensive stalwart Alex Caruso for pennies on the dollar — acquiring Josh Giddey in the much-maligned return — and sent DeMar DeRozan to the Kings in a sign-and-trade.

Though they finally managed to deal LaVine this year, they did so for close to nothing despite the wing’s return to form, acquiring a single first-round pick along with three players in Zach Collins, Tre Jones and Kevin Huerter, none of which they were able to flip by Thursday’s deadline.

Past being unable to capitalize on LaVine’s high-level play, they also fell short in trading centre Nikola Vucevic who likewise has enjoyed a strong campaign. They had suitors, with the Golden State Warriors emerging as the most likely destination, but Chicago couldn’t make it work, refusing to capitalize on a trade asset once again.

Winner: Jimmy Butler

Sure, it might not be the Suns, but Jimmy Butler managed to force his way out of the Heat and into a pretty little payday.

With his deal to the Warriors and subsequent two-year, $120 million extension, Butler proved once again that — regardless of the ramifications of the new CBA — the player empowerment era remains strong.

He now joins a team that likely fits his skillset much better, rather than joining the ball-dominant duo of Kevin Durant and Devin Booker in Phoenix. Playing alongside Steph Curry and Draymond Green, who are better distributors and off-ball players, will allow Butler to thrive as a cutter and driver in the pre-eminent spaced-out system.

Sure, the pairing of personalities alongside Green in the locker room might not be ideal, but basketball-wise, Butler’s fit in the Bay could be promising. And the $120 million fit in his bank account is perfect.

Loser: #TeamTank Raptors fans

The acquisition of Brandon Ingram is an interesting one, as the Raptors were able to buy low on a one-time All-Star with high scoring upside. If things work out with Ingram and he’s able to get back to a modicum of health, the deal could look like a steal after only giving up a 2026 first-round pick from Indiana along with salary filler.

But it signalled something bigger for the Raptors, who decided to dip their toes into buying rather than selling once again, shipping off a future first-rounder for the fourth year in a row. There’s a clear MO from this front office prioritizing pieces to expedite a rebuild in the short term rather than going all-in and stacking draft capital in the long term — which is fair considering the desire to build around Scottie Barnes.

Though Ingram is currently dealing with an ankle injury and is without a timeline to return, if he’s able to come back down the stretch of this season when the Raptors’ schedule is supposed to become even easier, a stretch of wins could put the team’s chances at securing generational prospect Cooper Flagg in the rearview.

Choosing to buy instead of sell hampered Toronto’s chances of getting Victor Wembanyama. Could it happen again?

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