The biggest trade deadline winner is..........

[BostonArizona]

The Chicago Bulls.

No other trades will have the practically inevitably huge impact of the 2 Chicago made at the deadline.

Consider this:

Cleveland picks up its missing piece to hopefully bring Lebron back for another(lengthy) tenure, but if the Cavs don't win it all this year, do you still see lebron back in Cleveland?
I still think the Lakers are the favorites to win it all, and the Cavs have the harder road to the finals going through at least 2-3 really tough teams(probably any 2 of boston, orlando, atlanta, charlotte).
So lets just assume, for the sake of argument the cavs do NOT win it all this year.

Sacramento and Milwaukee are both years away from serious contention so their moves will probably be insignificant until much further down the road.

Houston is destined to be a 4-8 seed indefinitely unless yao has a miraculous comeback. Even still, their championship hopes rely entirely on the health of one of the consistently unhealthy players in the league.

Boston is making a final run at a championship and after this year we're out of title talks.

I believe New York and Chicago will be the teams to watch amongst all the movers and shakers through the deadline.

New York for obvious reasons. The possibility of Lebron/wade/bosh/boozer or any combination of the two.

New York is appealing, but the bulls are in the best position of ANY team in the NBA going into this offseason.

It may not be New York, but Chicago is a desired destination for NBA stardom. The legacy of Jordan alone is enough to draw players to the team.

While the Knicks will need 2 studs off the FA market to be title contenders, the bulls really only need one(but have the cap room to add 2).

With an already sound core in place, add a superstar(or 2) into the mix and you have a lineup that can be dominant.

Derrick Rose will get another allstar on his team next year, and that along with the players around them(loul deng, kirk hinrich, joakim noah) I can see this team as top 2-3 in the east immediately(possibly #1 if Lebron leaves cleveland).

So ultimately:
Boston/Cleveland really have nothing to show for the deadline if they don't win it all this year(or if the cavs don't resign lebron).

Sacramento/Milwaukee still years away to see if the moves really mean anything.

Houston still dependent on yao.

New York remains the dying nexus of the basketball world unless it signs lebron or two other top tier free agents.

Chicago sits in a position were they can make an offer to any free agent at MAX(IMO ideally Bosh) and cement themselves as a top 3 team in the league for 4-6 years.

Just my opinion. Can't see any other teams in the current market that have the options, the talent, and the draw that chicago has.

[pearljammer10]

Chicago made a good splash yet they were unable to get rid of Hinirch's 9 mil. Hes a good player but i dont think he is worth that cash. With Rose, Noah, Deng, and mega cap space adding Bosh or Wade would be pretty deadly.

I think the Knicks are winners too. They can offer two max contracts at the end of the season. If Wade and James get on the same page they could both be playing in NYC this time next year fighting for a championship...How incredible would that be.

Also the Rockets were big winners too. Able to trade a disgruntled McGrady who hasnt played for them and his 22 million contract for a young star like Kevin Martin? Only giving up Landry, who is a great 6th man, but still...Thats a pretty darn good deal.

Props to Memphis for picking up Brewer for a draft pick as well. I like Memphis' core.

[BostonArizona]

Chicago made a good splash yet they were unable to get rid of Hinirch's 9 mil. Hes a good player but i dont think he is worth that cash. With Rose, Noah, Deng, and mega cap space adding Bosh or Wade would be pretty deadly.

I think the Knicks are winners too. They can offer two max contracts at the end of the season. If Wade and James get on the same page they could both be playing in NYC this time next year fighting for a championship...How incredible would that be.

Also the Rockets were big winners too. Able to trade a disgruntled McGrady who hasnt played for them and his 22 million contract for a young star like Kevin Martin? Only giving up Landry, who is a great 6th man, but still...Thats a pretty darn good deal.

Props to Memphis for picking up Brewer for a draft pick as well. I like Memphis' core.

Agree completely with New York.

There were a lot of winners from the deadline and a lot of deal that made sense for all parties involved, I just feel that no team has set themselves up to win immediately(following this season) like the bulls did.

[Who]

The Cavaliers -- they separated themselves from the Magic + Celtics and became the overwhelming favourites to win the East.

[CoachBo]

Agreed, Who. Barring a catastrophic injury, it'll be an enormous shock if the Cavs don't cruise to the finals.

[BostonArizona]

The Cavaliers -- they separated themselves from the Magic + Celtics and became the overwhelming favourites to win the East.

If the cavs don't win it all do you think lebron comes back?

He obviously wanted amare over jamison long term.

[BostonArizona]

Agreed, Who. Barring a catastrophic injury, it'll be an enormous shock if the Cavs don't cruise to the finals.

I still think the lakers will win it all this year, cavs are extremely good on paper, maybe the best, but there are definitely other factors at play.

Cavs will have to go through any 2/3 of boston/orlando/atlanta/charlotte

[colincb]

Chicago has been most often rumored as a destination for Wade who is from there. I don't think one max player is going to be enough to get them over the top but who knows. They were really hoping some one would take Salmons and Hinrich off their hands and that they could get something for Thomas. 2 out of 3 isn't bad, but not enough to get them back to the elite.

The NYK are another story altogether. You have to get  the first max player to commit and then another max player to commit and you have nothing to put around them. They need LBJ and Wade to have a real chance and I don't see that happening. They moved up to purgatory, which is progress.

I think if Z re-signs as seems likely, then the Cavs are the clear favorites to win this year with the Wizards deal. The Lakers have several issues with their PG (especially), bench, an aging core, and maybe even chronic injuries to Kobe. IF reasonably healthy (and I have no idea whether we'll be by playoff time), I think we're better than the Lakers. I don't have that confidence against the Cavs.

[sk7326]

Cavs - got a good player for very little basketballwise.  Makes stem a strong favorite.  The East is not "wrapped up" because the Top 4 are all formidable.  But obviously they are the favorites. 

Knicks - Donny Walsh somehow cleaned up Isiah's mess!  Knicks can offer the two max deals - whether that works or not, who knows, but they have a chance to leap up next year. 

Bucks - got a key starter to make a playoff push this year.  They did not touch their cap situation, they will have money to be a big player in 2011.  They owe their fans a chance to get into the playoffs, even if it means getting run over in Round 1

Rockets - got Kevin Martin and Jordan Hill.  Balanced their roster nicely for next season.  Still have a chance to steal a playoff spot in the West, but could be a significant contender in the West next season.

Kings - moved Kevin Martin for lots of cap relief and a young proven big man in Carl Landry with a team option next season. 

[hpantazo]

Agreed, Who. Barring a catastrophic injury, it'll be an enormous shock if the Cavs don't cruise to the finals.

I still think the lakers will win it all this year, cavs are extremely good on paper, maybe the best, but there are definitely other factors at play.

Cavs will have to go through any 2/3 of boston/orlando/atlanta/charlotte

don't count the celtics out, they can take the cavs in 7, mark my words

the big winners are the Rockets and the Mavs, both teams now have enough to legitimately challenge the lakers.As for teams vying for cap room, going for the title is always the goal, and if it's in sight you have to go get it instead of building for an uncertain future. Most of those teams will not smell a title for 20+ years.

[sk7326]

Agreed, Who. Barring a catastrophic injury, it'll be an enormous shock if the Cavs don't cruise to the finals.

I still think the lakers will win it all this year, cavs are extremely good on paper, maybe the best, but there are definitely other factors at play.

Cavs will have to go through any 2/3 of boston/orlando/atlanta/charlotte

don't count the celtics out, they can take the cavs in 7, mark my words

the big winners are the Rockets and the Mavs, both teams now have enough to legitimately challenge the lakers.As for teams vying for cap room, going for the title is always the goal, and if it's in sight you have to go get it instead of building for an uncertain future. Most of those teams will not smell a title for 20+ years.

Mavs I thought were actually quasi-losers. 

Butler is an improvement on Howard due to health - but both of them are pretty much a wash abilitywise.  Howard is better defensively. 

Haywood is a good player - but a second center is not a huge priority when the team is at least as good off playing Dirk as a smallball center for 10 minutes a game.  (I have not checked 82games to see how often they have used that alignment)  But more important, the question is whether the Mavs REALLY cracked the Nuggets-Lakers true upper crust in the conference.  It's hard for me to argue that they did.

Furthermore they had that gigantic chip to play with Erick Dampier's contract and did not do anything with it.

[GreenFaith1819]

.........Boston Celtics. We kept our core, and added Nate Robinson, who I believe will provide a spark. Sure he has some flaws, but who doesn't? I think the man will help us. Can't wait to see him on the floor in Green.

He has Huge shoes to fill with who he replaced.

[hpantazo]

.........Boston Celtics. We kept our core, and added Nate Robinson, who I believe will provide a spark. Sure he has some flaws, but who doesn't? I think the man will help us. Can't wait to see him on the floor in Green.

He has Huge shoes to fill with who he replaced.

I agree, this isn't a washed up Cassell or a Marbury 1 1/2 years removed from any real basketball action, this is a young, athletic pg who scores in bunches. We have never had a guy like that on our bench in the KG-Paul-Ray era.

[Fafnir]

The Cavaliers -- they separated themselves from the Magic + Celtics and became the overwhelming favourites to win the East.

Cavs and the Rockets definitely had the best deadline.

[GreenFaith1819]

The Cavaliers -- they separated themselves from the Magic + Celtics and became the overwhelming favourites to win the East.

Cavs and the Rockets definitely had the best deadline.

The disappointing thing with the Cavs is that by getting Jamison they are certainly trying to win This Year, and not next.

IF they don't win it all, then Lebron will have a 35 Y.O Jamison, 38 Y.O Shaq, no more Z.

I really can see Lebron walking away if they don't win it this year.

My hats off to CLE Organization, though..they have fought to get Lebron the kind of players to bring them a Ring. I just don't see them as being invincible, though.