NBA trade deadline: Breaking down every major deal

The NBA trade deadline was Thursday, Feb. 9 at 3 p.m. ET. Below, theScore's NBA feature writers, Joseph Casciaro and Joe Wolfond, break down every significant deal.

Three early blockbusters were analyzed in detail in their own posts - tap the links to see the full breakdowns:

Here are details on other trades of note:

Warriors move Wiseman, Hawks get Bey

Hawks receive: Saddiq Bey
Pistons receive: James Wiseman
Warriors receive: Kevin Knox, five 2nd-round picks

Can you hear the collective groan coming from the Bay Area?

Since the Warriors selected Wiseman with the second overall pick in 2020, speculation about his future has never ceased. Would he grow into a building block of the next great Warriors team after the current iteration of the champs ages out, or would Golden State eventually move him to go further all-in on the team's win-now window? It turns out the answer is neither, as in the end, Wiseman was dealt for a handful of second-rounders and massive luxury-tax relief.

The big man's early career has been a rocky one, upended by injuries and a lack of playing time, but in the big picture, this is still a shameful return on investment given where Wiseman was drafted only three years ago.

As one of the four teams (along with San Antonio, Houston, and Charlotte) clearly tanking in the present with an eye to the future, the Pistons make sense as a landing spot for Wiseman. Even in a crowded frontcourt that already includes Isaiah Stewart and Marvin Bagley, the Pistons should give Wiseman every opportunity he can handle over the remainder of the season. At best, the 21-year-old might play his way into Detroit's future plans. At worst, perhaps the Pistons can use him as a trade chip this summer and command a better return than the Warriors did.

Still, even in what's been a disappointing season for Bey, the Pistons gave up the best young player in this trade until Wiseman proves otherwise.

Even if Bey is never the foundational type of piece Detroit once hoped he could be, the Hawks should be pleased with this deal. Atlanta, a team very much all-in on the present after selling a good chunk of the farm to acquire Dejounte Murray, just turned second-rounders into a 23-year-old shooter with 3-and-D upside who's still on his rookie contract. Bey's under contract for under $4.6 million next year. - Joseph Casciaro

Warriors bring back GP2

Warriors receive: Gary Payton II
Trail Blazers receive: Five 2nd-round picks

Building on the aforementioned Wiseman deal, it appears the Warriors used the haul of second-rounders they acquired for Wiseman to bring Payton back to the Bay. GP2 brings depth and two-way ability to the defending champions. That he's so familiar and comfortable with Golden State's high-level system is an added bonus. Reacquiring Payton also undoes some of the tax savings the Warriors would've enjoyed after the Wiseman deal.

While the Warriors didn't make the kind of splash fans may have been hoping for, they got better. And if healthy, they can still compete for a title. But when you step back and consider the Warriors could've re-signed Payton seven months ago, this picture looks far less rosy. Instead, the Warriors ended up selling low on Wiseman to cobble together assets in order to land Payton less than a year after letting him walk. Not very good business from the dynastic franchise that's supposed to be lightyears ahead of the competition. - Casciaro

PatBev, Bamba on the move

Lakers receive: Mo Bamba
Magic receive: Patrick Beverley

In trading for Mo Bamba on the same day they shipped Thomas Bryant to Denver, the Lakers essentially swapped out offense for defense in their frontcourt. Bamba's still capable of providing offensive value as a stretch-five, however, as the 7-footer has canned 39.8% of his 2.7 3-point attempts per game, and that was before playing with LeBron James.

Beverley's point-of-attack defense will be missed, but D'Angelo Russell figures to soak up a bunch of Los Angeles' backcourt minutes, and Bamba's rim protection - plus newbie Jarred Vanderbilt - provide an extra measure of insurance for the Lakers' now-shoddier perimeter defense.

Bamba's $10.3-million salary for next season is also not guaranteed, so the Lakers could still have the same flexibility they would have had with Beverley's expiring contract, but they also have the ability to keep a solid big man at a decent price next year. - Casciaro

Clippers land Bones

Clippers acquire: Bones Hyland
Nuggets acquire: 2024 and 2025 2nd-round picks

Hyland fell so far out of the Nuggets' regular rotation and was so deep in Michael Malone's doghouse that he wasn't even playing in garbage time. His defense has been a significant problem, and his offensive style has never truly meshed with the rest of the team's, which is why it's been out there for weeks that Denver was looking to move him. Even so, this is a disappointing return for a player with Hyland's raw talent - the Nuggets drafted him in the first round less than two years ago. For all his flaws, Hyland is a gifted creator who can pass on the move, explode to the rim, and really shoot the ball. He's averaged 22.3 points and 5.5 assists per 36 minutes this season, hitting 37.8% of his threes (including 38.2% off the dribble) on huge volume. The Nuggets also got crushed by 9.2 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor.

The Clippers are paying a relatively light price to find out if their defensive infrastructure can insulate Hyland to the point they can get the benefit of his offensive abilities. His downhill juice is certainly something they need more of, and his playmaking can also be a boon to their oft-stilted, iso-oriented attack. He may not be able to hang in the latter stages of the playoffs, but this is a solid upside play for a team that's otherwise woefully light on young talent. - Joe Wolfond

Gordon to Clips, Kennard to Grizz in 3-team deal

Clippers acquire: Eric Gordon, 3 Grizzlies 2nd-round picks
Grizzlies acquire: Luke Kennard
Rockets acquire: Danny Green, John Wall, 2023 1st-round pick swap (higher of Clippers or Bucks)

The Grizzlies get the best player in this deal, addressing a glaring weakness (their lack of 3-point shooting) by adding one of the game's best long-range marksmen. Kennard has hit 44.7% of his threes this season, his third straight year shooting over 44% from deep. And he can get those threes off in a variety of ways - stationary, off movement, and off the bounce. That's a big addition for a team that ranks 25th in 3-point attempt rate, 24th in 3-point percentage, and 23rd in first-shot half-court offense.

Kennard is largely a specialist but he isn't quite as one-dimensional as that designation might suggest. He can handle the ball in a pinch, is an intuitive connective playmaker, and defends well enough in a team context to overcome some of the on-ball struggles born of his lack of length and athleticism. Kennard, 26, has two years and about $31 million left on his contract after this season, but the last year is a team option, so the Grizzlies don't lose much in the way of flexibility. At the cost of three second-rounders and the 35-year-old Green, who's played only 43 minutes this season since returning from a torn ACL, that's pretty good value, even if Memphis fans might've hoped to see the team aim higher in a deal involving Green's expiring contract.

This one's a little murkier from the Clippers' perspective, though still justifiable. Perhaps they felt Kennard was superfluous after their addition of Hyland. Hell, Kennard had started to see some DNP-CDs even before the deadline. He's also been a critical piece of the Clippers' reserve group, and was part of their most successful bench-and-starter lineup combinations for the last two seasons. Gordon, though, adds an element of toughness that Kennard can't match, and his switchability makes him a better fit with L.A.'s defensive scheme. He's a much better driver (which, again, is something the Clippers can always use more of), and you can make a case he'll be more playable in the playoffs. He's also eight years older, very much on the downswing, and on the books for $21 million next season. Not that money's an issue for Steve Ballmer.

The Rockets, meanwhile, finally move Gordon, absorb Green and Wall, and for their troubles will likely get to upgrade the Bucks' first-round pick they own in the coming draft. They now have the option to swap that pick with the Clippers' first, a meaningful distinction given that Milwaukee is eight games up on L.A. in the standings. If the season ended today, the Bucks' pick would land at 28th, while the Clippers' would land at 18th. Not a bad piece of business. - Wolfond

Milwaukee finally gets its man

Bucks acquire: Jae Crowder
Nets acquire: Three 2nd-round picks
Pacers acquire: Jordan Nwora, George Hill, Serge Ibaka, two 2nd-round picks

The Bucks have been trying to acquire Crowder for basically the entire season, looking to fill the 3-and-D combo forward role that P.J. Tucker occupied on their 2021 title team. Crowder, who's been holding out since training camp and was flipped from Phoenix to Brooklyn in the Kevin Durant megadeal, hasn't stepped foot on an NBA court in nine months. He'll likely need some time to ramp back up. But at his best, he's a rugged defender and willing 3-point shooter who brings a lot more offensive value than Tucker did.

Having big forwards to fill out Giannis Antetokounmpo-at-center lineups is extremely important for Milwaukee, and the team basically had no one to slot into that role until now. The Bucks were basically left to choose between playing a big like Bobby Portis or a smaller wing like Pat Connaughton at the four in those alignments. Between Crowder, Connaughton, Wes Matthews, Grayson Allen, Joe Ingles, and MarJon Beauchamp, the Bucks now have a bunch of very different options to slot in on the wing between Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton, Giannis, and Brook Lopez.

Crowder is also a battle-tested vet who's been part of several deep playoff runs. If he's anything close to the Crowder of the last couple years, he's a significant get for one of the league's inner-circle contenders. The Bucks lose a capable backup ball-handler in George Hill and the bundle of second-rounders, but that feels like a small price to pay for a team that was arguably one small piece away. Nwora and Ibaka needed to go out to facilitate salary-matching, but neither of them was in Milwaukee's rotation.

The Bucks also have one less of those contenders to reckon with in the East as the Nets continue their sell-off. A 32-year-old Crowder on an expiring contract obviously had little value to them as they realign their trajectory toward the long term, and this is a huge haul of second-rounders to add to the bounty of assets they got in exchange for Durant and Kyrie Irving over the last couple of days. Because Brooklyn also had no use for Hill, Nwora, or Ibaka, the Pacers swooped in and used their cap space to absorb those three guys, pulling in a second-rounder for their troubles. They also get to take a flier on Nwora, a 24-year-old, 6-foot-8 wing who regularly makes mistakes but also flashed decent two-way ability over the course of his three seasons in Milwaukee. The idealized version of him is exactly the type of player the guard-heavy Pacers lack, so it's worth seeing if they can squeeze a bit more out of him than the Bucks did. Indiana had to waive fourth-year center Goga Bitadze, its 18th overall pick in 2019, to clear roster space for all the Pacers' incoming flotsam. - Wolfond

Pelicans add Richardson

Pelicans receive: Josh Richardson
Spurs receive: Devonte' Graham, Four 2nd-round picks

The Pelicans' desire for a 3-and-D type is why New Orleans was seen as a potential landing spot for O.G. Anunoby. But the Raptors forward would've surely cost the Pelicans multiple first-rounders and depth. Richardson was gettable without the Pels having to dip into their treasure trove of first-round picks, and for a player (Graham) who might've fallen out of their rotation when healthy.

Of course, Richardson's also not nearly as good as Anunoby, but the veteran swingman can still help a playoff contender. He's a good shooter and smart player who at least competes defensively, although his actual impact on that end of the court has diminished over the years. Don't discount the cost savings and extra flexibility New Orleans gets here, too. Richardson's on an expiring contract, whereas Graham was owed $12.1 million next season. - Casciaro

Sixers, Blazers, Hornets swing 3-team trade

76ers receive: Jalen McDaniels, 2024 and 2029 2nd-round picks
Trail Blazers receive: Matisse Thybulle
Hornets receive: Svi Mykhailiuk, 2023 2nd-round pick

This is a clear win for Philadelphia, which turned Thybulle into a more playoff-caliber rotation player while getting the 76ers below the luxury tax and netting the team an extra second-rounder.

Thybulle is an all-world defender, but his offensive limitations make it tough to construct workable postseason lineups with him in the mix. McDaniels himself is no slouch defensively, but the 25-year-old provides more offensive pop in the short term and much more long-term upside if the Sixers re-sign the pending unrestricted free agent. Thybulle was a pending restricted free agent in his own right and had worn out his welcome in Philly, so even if McDaniels walks, there's little risk here. It's rare that a title contender gets better in the present while potentially boosting its future upside rather than diminishing it, but Daryl Morey and the Sixers appear to have pulled the feat off.

The Blazers continue to add defensive players to Damian Lillard's supporting cast, with Thybulle essentially replacing Josh Hart, who was traded to New York (see below). But Hart was a more functional all-around player, and Thybulle's offensive limitations might prevent him from playing enough to make a difference for Portland's 26th-ranked defense, anyway.

The Hornets' place in this deal is a bit puzzling. McDaniels is a good young player who could've been part of tanking Charlotte's future. Even if the Hornets had already decided they weren't going to re-sign McDaniels this summer and therefore wanted to avoid losing him for nothing, could they not have found a better haul than merely adding an extra second-rounder this year? - Casciaro

Raptors reacquire Poeltl

Raptors receive: Jakob Poeltl
Spurs receive: Khem Birch, 2024 1st-round pick (top-6 protected), 2023 and 2025 2nd-round picks

Had the Raptors executed this exact same trade before the season started, it would have been sensible. Poeltl addresses Toronto's painfully obvious need for a rim-protector and true center at 7-foot-1, and the team appeared ready and willing to improve on a 48-win season last year. But then the season started, and Toronto's disappointing campaign should've rendered it sellers rather than buyers.

Poeltl makes them better, but the Raptors aren't close enough to immediate contention to justify trading a lightly protected first-rounder for a pending free agent who doesn't move the needle much long term. Toronto will almost surely re-sign the big man in the offseason, which means there is now even more pressure to turn at least one of fellow pending free agents Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr. into more future-minded assets.

In addition, O.G. Anunoby can command max money in the summer of 2024, which, when tied to the fact the Raptors aren't likely to contend over the final year and a half that Anunoby's on a team-friendly contract, is why the team is expected to dangle him in trade talks. You can't pay all of these guys, Poeltl now included, to lock in a mediocre core.

Finally, there's also the matter of whether Poeltl's regression this season is a troubling sign of things to come as he ages, or merely a result of San Antonio's woes.

As for San Antonio, the tanking Spurs secured a first-rounder and three picks overall for a player who wasn't in the team's plans beyond this season. - Casciaro

Portland ships Hart to New York

Knicks acquire: Josh Hart
Blazers acquire: Cam Reddish, Svi Mykhailiuk (rerouted to Charlotte), Ryan Arcidiacono, Knicks' 2023 1st-round pick (lottery protected)

The Knicks have cobbled together a pretty strong corps of perimeter defenders, and they strengthened and deepened that group by adding an energetic, physical, multi-positional wing who fits their M.O. to a T. To get him, they had to part with a frustrating young player in Reddish who'd fallen out of their rotation, two other DNP regulars for salary filler, and a first-rounder that will immediately convert to four second-rounders if it lands in the lottery of this year's draft. Right now, that pick looks likely to convey; the Knicks are 30-26, good for seventh in the East and a half-game back of a guaranteed playoff spot.

One area in which Hart doesn't help the Knicks is their long-range shooting deficiency. New York ranks 23rd in the league in 3-point percentage, and Hart has hit a career-low 30.4% from deep on a minuscule 2.2 attempts per game this season. Lineups featuring all three of him, RJ Barrett, Julius Randle, and Mitchell Robinson will be very tough to score on, but they might have an equally hard time navigating tight confines and putting the ball in the basket at the other end.

That said, the Knicks have overcome that limitation to craft the ninth-ranked offense in the league to date, and they've done so by hammering the offensive glass, attacking the paint, and limiting turnovers - all things Hart excels at. As a one-man fast break, he should also help goose the team's pace (it currently ranks 24th in average time to shoot on offense) and improve its anemic at-rim finishing, which ranks 29th. Hart's contract has a funky mutual option for 2023-24 that makes it likely he'll become a free agent, but he and New York should be able to come to terms on a deal for slightly more than mid-level AAV.

The Blazers clearly felt differently, or else valued the draft capital more than whatever future contributions they might've got from Hart. As a sub-.500 team barely clinging to a play-in spot, that's a sensible course of action. Though given their eternal mandate to keep Damian Lillard happy and build the best possible team around him while he's still in his prime, that pick seems as likely to be flipped in a subsequent move as it does to be made by Portland. - Wolfond

Lakers send Bryant to Denver

Nuggets receive: Thomas Bryant
Lakers receive: Davon Reed, 2025 and 2026 and 2029 2nd-rounders

Bryant gives the West-leading Nuggets more depth and another offensively talented big. The physical center has averaged 12.1 points and 6.8 rebounds on a league-leading 71.2% true shooting. Bryant's an elite finisher inside who has dabbled behind the arc, knocking down 39.2% of his 1.6 3-point attempts per game over the last four seasons. In other words, Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets just got another weapon to utilize as part of an already league-leading offense.

But the flip side to this deal is that Denver didn't need any more offensive juice, and with Jokic, Aaron Gordon, Jeff Green, Vlatko Čančar, DeAndre Jordan, and Zeke Nnaji, among others, the Nuggets' frontcourt is looking mighty crowded. Perhaps using asset capital to address the team's 14th-ranked defense would've been wiser. Then again, the deadline hasn't passed yet.

The Lakers lose a productive rotation player in this trade, which, up until recently, Los Angeles could not afford to do. You might argue they still can't afford to, but with the additions of Rui Hachimura, D'Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Malik Beasley, the Lakers are a deeper playoff contender than they were a few weeks ago. They could probably use some frontcourt depth now, though (the Lakers later acquired Mo Bamba to address said frontcourt depth). - Casciaro