NBA: 5 Biggest Winners from the Mid-Season Trade Window
Just like the regular season so far, on deadline day, the Cleveland Cavaliers stole all the eyeballs as they traded away six players in exchange for four young players and a 2020 second-round pick. Other than the three trade deals made by the Cavaliers, the mid-season trade deadline day was quite disappointing, to say the least.
Almost every player, who was reportedly going to be shipped, stayed with their current teams with the biggest examples being - DeAndre Jordan (LA Clippers), Kemba Walker (Charlotte Hornets) and Tyreke Evans (Memphis Grizzlies).
Having said that, there was still a lot of activity. Some teams were winning with notable trades while others were the beneficiary from smaller, less talked about deals. We take all of those into consideration to pick the 5 biggest winners.
#5 Utah Jazz
The outstanding rookie Donovan Mitchell and his extraordinary play has really helped the Utah Jazz recover from the Gordon Hayward departure. Not just that, he's helped the team's front office make subsequent decisions for the present and future, both of which hugely benefit the franchise. Given the size, athleticism, wingspan for his height, he eats into the minutes of players like Joe Johnson and Rodney Hood, the latter of whom was a huge part of trade talks.
The duo were finally shipped as part of a three-team trade with the Cavaliers and the Sacramento Kings. Johnson was traded to the Kings while Hood was acquired by the reigning East Champions.In exchange, the Jazz received two-way wing Jae Crowder and Derrick Rose from Cleveland.
Plenty of benefits here for the Jazz. They save a lot of money through this trade by giving away the expiring contract of 36-year old Johnson, who was earning $10.5 million a year. They were also able to make sure they get something in return for Hood's expiring $2.3 million contract. The players they absorbed really helped make this a win-win for the team.
Rose is on a 1-year minimum deal, who reports suggest the franchise might release. Crowder is their jewel in this trade. He is a two-way versatile player, who could use the time away from the constant drama that was present in Cleveland. In addition, he comes at a quite a lucrative price after this season for the Jazz - 2-years and $15.1 million.