The NBA trade deadline has evolved into an exciting, action-packed week for fans of the NBA as of recent years. All-stars are flying off the shelves in blockbuster deals on the regular nowadays, which has given fans hope that their team could potentially acquire a high-caliber player. This was hard to come by in the past and personally, it’s taken me some time to adjust. The 2025 trade deadline has now come and passed. It’s now time to sit back, crack open a beer, and take a look at WTF we just watched unfold.
Call me old school, but I really hate this trend. I’m cool with the game changing and evolving for the better. Shipping off a young, proven All-Star for a pack of baked Lays and a cheese stick does not seem to fit that narrative to me. Look, there’s not much to be said about the Luka trade that hasn’t been said already. He was overweight, his effort was low, he was uncoachable, etc. Everyone in their right mind knows that all the above are fixable (if you’re not a dummy like Nico Harrison). Especially with a superstar like Luka. Let’s not discredit Anthony Davis, he’s no bum. Yes, he’s aging and injury prone, but he can still get after it. That’s not the issue here. The issue is not whether it was a bad trade (which it was); it was the fact that the thought even crossed Nico’s mind. What the hell are you doing, brother? And that press conference practically saying he’s going to bury him and Jason Kidd in the next couple of years, making it clear that they made a bad move? I miss Phil Jackson.
Let’s touch on a few other transactions following the trade deadline that also wouldn’t get accepted in NBA 2K. This trade deadline personally hurt as I’m a Bucks fan and my beloved Khris Middleton got sent off for Greater Value Ben Simmons. Yeah, I’m talking to you Kyle Kuzma, you scumbag. I hope you’re reading this as you fail your physical (for non-serious reasons). At least this one makes sense from an age standpoint, getting younger at the position. But for a player who makes you significantly worse when on the floor? What’s the point? This is probably a reason why I’m a little biased this year of the trade deadline, but it just doesn’t make sense to me. It feels like these GM’s think they’re pulling a “we’re playing chess while y’all are playing checkers” move but in reality, they’re all toddlers playing tic-tac-toe.
The last blockbuster trade was the cherry on top. The classic, All-star on a declining team that forces his way out. This was just written in the stars for Jimmy Butler, and him landing on the Warriors makes it feel even slimier. Also, holy overpay. Jimmy is a dog, don’t get me wrong. Just not a $60Mil/year dog (not anymore at least). Steph Curry thinks it will work out. I really hope he’s wrong. I’m not sure I can take another Warriors ring.
You could say this whole trend is just an evolution of the super team, which it is. What good is a super team if the players switch teams every other year? It’s hard for the casual fan to invest their time and trust into their favorite players when they know they’re going to leave for a big market team in a few years. And for the move to not make any practical sense makes it even worse. Sports GM’s continue to prove that they have no clue how to do their job. Either that, or Adam Silver has a deal with the devil since ratings are low. You must remind yourself that the NBA is an entertainment company and not a sports company. The show must go on, I guess.