Nobody acquired Jimmy Butler. No team could come up with a proposal sweet enough to pry Paul George from the Pacers. Carmelo Anthony didn't get shipped to Los Angeles or Cleveland. And the Thunder got Russell Westbrook some much needed help.
A bunch of minor moves dominated the NBA trade deadline as the superstars rumored to be headed to different destinations ended up staying put. But since this is basketball we're talking about, we have to crown a winner and a loser. So which executives proved they know what they're doing? And which teams took an L when they should have made a bold move? Here are our winners and losers from the 2017 NBA trade deadline.
Winners: The Cavaliers
Winners: The Celtics
Winners: The Rockets
Winner: Carmelo Anthony
Winners: Thunder
Sam Presti, the god, got Russell Westbrook, the god, some much needed help in the form of grizzled vet Taj Gibson and budding sharpshooter Dougie McBuckets aka Doug McDermott. But they had to sacrifice Westbrook's hype man Cameron Payne to do it. The youngster was the Flava Fav of teammates and his pre-game dance rituals with Brodie was a big reason for Russ' 2017 triple-double lifestyle. But seriously, the Thunder are gonna be a tough out come playoff time with these new additions. — Angel Diaz