The 2019 NBA trade deadline was all about LeBron James.
Or, rather, it was about the absence of The King in the Eastern Conference.
Since 2011, the James has appeared in every NBA Finals while representing the East with the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers. And when he took his talents to Tinseltown, he left behind a void.
Who would fill it? The answer is still TBD. And that’s why we got to witness one of the more entertaining run of trades in just 48 hours.
After the Sixers gambled on trading for Jimmy Butler months ago, they threw their chips into the pot with a blockbuster for Tobias Harris, giving them a three-point shooting stretch forward they desperately needed. For that, their package included first-round guard Landry Shamet and the Heat’s 2021 unprotected pick.
The Bucks, who already led the East through Thursday, could have stood by with their strong lineup (the Brook Lopez pickup was brilliant!) and deep bench. But they didn’t. They added their own shooter — and at a much lower price than what the Sixers paid for Harris! — in Nikola Mirotic, giving them even more floor spacing for those scintillating Greek Freak drive-and-kicks in the postseason.
And just when we thought that might be it, the Raptors went and made their pitch to Kawhi Leonard in the hopes he’ll stay and compete for a title: They dealt for veteran center Marc Gasol.
Although we just finished writing why the Celtics are the biggest losers of the deadline, they’re still right in the thick of it, having won 10 of their last 11 contests.
You could also make the argument that these front offices see a future where it’s possible the Warriors no longer have Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson, which means committing money and resources to winning a title in the next three or four years isn’t that crazy. Remember when almost no one made deals in 2016 knowing full well the Dubs held all the cards?
That was no longer the case on Thursday. And it’s a good thing for the NBA and its fans that there’s no longer an imbalance in the league’s conferences.
