The NBA trade deadline is February 6, 2020, at 3:00 PM EST. This deadline is what separates the contending teams, the rebuilding teams, and the teams that fall somewhere in between those two.
Playoff contenders like the Houston Rockets and the Denver Nuggets are looking to add talent to their rosters to compete in a very strong Western Conference. A rebuilding team like the Atlanta Hawks is looking to trade some assets as well as gain some back in order to speed up their rebuilding process. The Minnesota Timberwolves came into this season at least trying to contend a playoff spot. Unfortunately, they have come to the conclusion they can not do so this season, due to the injury issues with Karl-Anthony Towns. They are now currently in the infant stages of a rebuild.
All four of these teams made headlines late Tuesday night when they participated in a 12-player trade, making this one of the biggest multi-player deals the NBA has seen in almost 20 years. Here’s a breakdown of what each team gained and lost in this deal.
Houston Rockets
The Rockets have two All-Star players in James Harden and Russell Westbrook. However, they were desperate to find something more to compete with teams like the Clippers and the Lakers. Houston gained a 2024 second-round pick from the Hawks and added some depth to their team when they acquired center Jordan Bell and forward Robert Covington from the Minnesota Timberwolves. Covington is known for his 3-and-D skill set, which should definitely help make up for some of Houston’s recent shooting woes.
To gain these assets, Houston sent their starting center Clint Capela and veteran center Nene Hilario to the Atlanta Hawks. Additionally, they traded currently injured forward Gerald Green and their 2020 first-round pick to the Denver Nuggets.Â
Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks have one of the worst records in the NBA, sitting just in front of the 12-39 Warriors at 13-38. They already have All-Star talent in young stud Trae Young. In order to be successful in the coming years, they need to build around him. Atlanta has the worst defense in the league, so that gives them a starting point. They addressed this issue when they gained Clint Capela from the Rockets.
Capela’s ability to guard the rim and force shooters into contested shots is exactly what this team needed. The Hawks still have plenty of other issues to address. Getting a strong defender like Capela by only giving up a 2020 first-round pick to and shooting guard Evan Turner to Minnesota gives them plenty of room to work with. Atlanta also gained point guard Jeff Teague.Â
Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets
This season quickly went from good to terrible for the Timberwolves. Now they have to face the inevitable and begin to rebuild their franchise. Minnesota gained Turner and gave up Teague and Covington, but they weren’t done yet. They also received Jarred Vanderbilt, Malik Beasly, and Juancho Hernangomez from the Denver Nuggets. In exchange, they sent Keita Bates-Diop, Shabazz Napier and Noah Vonleh.
Denver has the most depth out of the four teams in this trade. This trade seems to be a stepping stone to a bigger trade. Denver has been mentioned in regards to trade for New Orleans Pelicans Jrue Holiday. The assets they’ve gained might help them do just that.
It seems like things are just getting started ahead of tomorrow’s NBA trade deadline. Many other players are still rumored to be on the move.
