NBA Trade Deadline: POR/NO

Per Adrian Wojnarowski, the Pelicans are sending Josh Hart, Tomas Satoransky, Nickeil Walker-Alexander, Didi Louzada, a 2022 protected first round pick, and two second round picks to the Trailblazers in exchange for CJ McCollum, Larry Nance, and Tony Snell. Woj also reports that Portland's plan is to focus on building a roster around Damian Lillard. 

My first question is; is this a new focus for Portland? If so, what have they been doing for the last seven years? Surely, this just means that they are trying to restructure the roster around their superstar point guard after failing to do so in years previous. Dame has been all in and has shown loyalty every step of they way, but the question is beginning to loom, can he get a ring in Portland? Short answer: no. They never really had a window, as they peaked at about the same time as Kevin Durant joined the Warriors. Portland had a good team for years, and even made a run to the western conference finals, but it just seemed like they were always one piece away. I just don't know that Portland is an attractive free agent destination, especially to play third fiddle with their previously established backcourt. Could that change as Portland searches for Dame's new sidekick? Will Anfernee Simons be able to step into that sidekick role? Or, will Damian Lillard decide it's time to move on? 

On the other hand, the Pelicans are currently sitting in 10th place in the west, 4.5 spots behind the Lakers in 9th. Trading for a veteran guard will help make up ground as they hold on to their play-in spot for dear life. If the Pelicans can stay competitive with out Zion Williamson, they will be set up nicely for when (if) he eventually returns. Worst case scenario: the veteran pieces don't fit well in New Orleans, the Pelican's record tanks them out of play-in contention, and they find themselves in the 14-12 spot with out their 2022 first round pick. The pick's protections allow for New Orleans to keep it if it lands in the top 5. This pick is currently projected 9th, in which case it falls to the Trailblazers. 

NBA Trade Deadline: SAC/IND

Adrian Wojnarowski dropped one of his Twitter famous “Woj bombs” hours ago, reporting that the Sacramento Kings are sending Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield, and Tristian Thompson to Indiana in exchange for Domantas Sabonis, Justin Holiday, and Jeremy Lamb. This move shows us that the Kings plan to compete for a play-in spot and are “win now” mode, while the Pacers make a move to get younger and escape the purgatory that is the 4/5 seed. 

Sacramento rarely hits on their draft picks.  Tyrese Haliburton was one of their few home runs, so it was a shock to see him be dealt away like that. Playing in his 2nd year, at 21 years old, he has proven that he could be the foundational piece to a rebuild in Sacramento. The question is, how long would that rebuild take before the Kings are truly competitive? With this move, it’s hard to argue that the Kings won’t at least compete for a playoff spot, but at the same time, the ceiling just got a lot lower. It's hard to say what the King's long term expectations are, but short term, they want to be a playoff team. This franchise currently holds the longest active playoff drought and are in desperate need of a winning culture. Could this move backfire down the road? No doubt. 

Indiana had found themselves in an difficult spot after PG’s departure. The team was good every year, but never an actual threat to contend. There will be some initial regression after losing an all star caliber player in Domantas Sabonis, but the future is bright. Shortly after breaking the news of the trade, Woj also commented on Pacer's center Myles Turner and his thoughts on Tyrese coming to Indiana. Woj said, "Turner gets to play center now and appears thrilled with the idea of playing with Haliburton." What center wouldn't want to play with a playmaking guard like Tyrese, who just dished 17 assists in his last game in Sacramento?