How trade deadline affects OKC Thunder amid winners and losers

Reviewing the NBA trade deadline with a view to winners and losers and how moves made affect the OKC Thunder.

With 12 trades and 28 players changing jerseys, there were definitive winners and losers of the NBA trade deadline. Moreover, certain players saw their stock rise or fall.

In the Eastern Conference, every team except the Indiana Pacers and Philadelphia made at least a minor move either leading up to the deadline or shortly before. That said, the moves made by the Raptors, Bucks, and Wizards were very minor.

Conversely in the Western Conference not one of the top five teams made moves including the OKC Thunder.

The fact most of the elite teams didn’t make moves wasn’t necessarily for lack of trying. Rather, teams with players thought to be available either wanted too much in return or elected to hold onto the players in question.

Certainly, the Cleveland Cavaliers and GM Koby Altman were the most active sending out six players while bringing back four. Reportedly one of the openings on the roster will be filled by former OKC Thunder player Kendrick Perkins. In spite of this fire sale in Cleveland, there will be those who deem it a rousing success while others remain skeptical. As a lead into the winners and losers, the one hint I’ll offer is Cleveland did not top my list of winners.

The following offers this scribes opinion regarding successes, failures, and some low key moves which have the potential to pay long term dividends.

With that, let’s dive into who won, who lost, which players took a rise or fall and where the OKC Thunder fell within the mix.