The 2014-2015 NBA season has been exhilarating through the first few months. Some teams have risen to new heights, while others have stumbled out of the starting blocks. Injuries have thrown a wrench into the picture, and up-and-coming stars have stepped into the spotlight. One particular trend has emerged as well, as so far the majority of the action has taken place on the court, with little of note off it. There have been few trades with a real, immediate impact, and only a handful with active players as well. With that said, a couple trades in particular have the potential to swing playoff races, so let’s take a look at all the trades that have taken place so far this season.
October 17
Detroit Pistons trade Will Bynum to Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics trade Joel Anthony to Detroit Pistons
The Pistons got the ball rolling in the NBA preseason by trading guard Will Bynum to Boston for long-time reserve Joel Anthony. Anthony was an impact player in two NBA championship runs in Miami, while Bynum had been with the Pistons for a few years. After the trade, Boston waived Bynum, and Anthony has only seen the floor in a very limited role. No real impact here.
October 24
Philadelphia 76ers trade Casper Ware to Brooklyn Nets
Brooklyn Nets trade Marquis Teague, 2019 2nd round pick to Philadelphia 76ers
In the first of several moves this season, the Philadelphia 76ers traded guard Casper Ware to Brooklyn in exchange for guard Marquis Teague, brother of Atlanta’s Jeff Teague, and a 2nd round pick. Philadelphia’s goal this season appears to be stockpiling future draft picks, and this was the first move in that direction. Both players were waved immediately after the trade, so no immediate impact here either.
October 27
Philadelphia 76ers trade Arnett Moultrie to New York Knicks
New York Knicks trade Travis Outlaw, 2019 2nd round pick, option to exchange 2018 2nd round picks
Keeping with the first trade, the 76ers opted to unload Moultrie’s contract in return for Outlaw’s and another second round pick. They also gained the option to swap second round picks with New York in 2018, which could be a valuable asset in a few years. Both Outlaw and Moultrie were waved after this deal as well, so like the others, no real impact has happened here.
December 11
Philadelphia 76ers trade Brandon Davies to Brooklyn Nets
Brooklyn Nets trade Andrei Kirilenko, Jorge Gutierrez, 2020 2nd round pick, option to exchange 2018 2nd round picks, cash
Finally, a trade where every player wasn’t immediately waved! The 76ers traded forward Brandon Davies to the Nets, where he has played a minor role in the rotation off of the bench. In return, the Nets traded Kirilenko, who hasn’t played in over a month due to a personal matter, in an attempt to clear some cap space. Instead of waiving Kirilenko, the 76ers want him to play and are trying to convince him to join the team, which he is currently refusing to do.
Brooklyn also sent over Gutierrez, who was promptly waived, and another 2nd round pick. That and the option to exchange picks in 2018 are essentially lottery tickets for the 76ers at this point, who are clearly more interested in building a young base for the years to come than winning right now.
December 18
Dallas Mavericks trade Jameer Nelson, Jae Crowder, Brandan Wright, 2015 1st round pick, 2016 2nd round pick, $12.9 million trade exception to Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics trade Rajon Rondo and Dwight Powell to Dallas Mavericks
This, by all accounts, has been the biggest, most impactful trade thus far in the 2014-2015 season. Rondo had been an enigmatic player in Boston and it was widely rumored that he wanted out. Unlike the previous 20 or so trade rumors before, this one actually went through. Rondo is an immediate upgrade at point guard for Dallas, who was struggling with Nelson and Devin Harris running the show. Rondo slides in to excel at what he does best: passing. With scorers Dirk Nowitzki, Monta Ellis, and Chandler Parsons taking up the majority of shots, Rondo’s offensive role morphs back into what he was in Boston with the big 3, a role he thrived in.
For Boston, they probably received about as much as they could have wanted given that Rondo’s contract was up at the end of the year. Wright is an improving, young, athletic forward, and Nelson is simply a fill-in until rookie Marcus Smart is ready to take over. The picks are the real kickers here, as scoring a first and a second round pick along with the hefty trade exception gives them financial flexibility and provides them with more of a base for building to the future. Both teams improved here, and neither should be upset with the deal they made. If Rondo works out in Dallas, we could be talking about this being one of the best trades in recent memory.
December 19
Houston Rockets trade Troy Daniels, 2015 2nd round pick, 2016 2nd round pick, cash to Minnesota Timberwolves, rights to Sergei Lishouk, 2015 2nd round pick to Philadelphia 76ers
Minnesota Timberwolves trade Corey Brewer to Houston Rockets, Ronny Turiaf to Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers trade Alexey Shved to Houston Rockets
Not to be outdone, the Rockets made a blockbuster move of their own, if only in the sense that three teams were involved instead of two. Corey Brewer is a solid rotation player who once upon a time hit some big shots as the Mavericks took down the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. Since then, he has been a rotation player for Minnesota, and now gets a chance to make an impact on another contender. Shved also joins Houston, and will try to crack a deep rotation that has been hampered by injuries.
Houston gave up several draft picks, and to no one’s surprise one of them went to the 76ers. They also sent to Philadelphia the rights to Sergei Lishouk, a 32 year old player who has never come over to the NBA. That is largely inconsequential, but was clearly important in the facilitation of this trade. Ronny Turiaf was already ruled out for the remainder of the season with a hip injury, and was waived by Philly once he arrived.
Minnesota received the bulk of the future assets in this deal. Daniels is a shooter who excelled in the D-league last season and hit a few big shots in the playoffs for Houston. The Timberwolves get two second round picks from Houston, and that gives them more assets to use for themselves or to trade in the future.
December 24
Phoenix Suns trade Anthony Tolliver to Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons trade Tony Mitchell to Phoenix Suns
Finally, the Suns and Pistons pulled off a more minor trade on Christmas Eve. Anthony Tolliver goes to Detroit, where he will likely take some of the minutes vacated by the release of Josh Smith. The Suns needed a big man, and it remains to be seen if Mitchell can provide them anything. In his young career, Mitchell has not made much of an impact, but is considered more of a project at only 22 years old.