The NBA trade deadline is over.
...Where none of these teams want Jamaal Tinsley.
All the Amare Stoudemire and Vince Carter rumors to (insert your favorite team) can finally be put to rest.
Losers:
Indiana Pacers – Jamaal Tinsley is still a Pacer. Sure he’s a scumbag, but was a complete banishment really necessary? Two years ago, the Pacers had to unload an arguably worse character in Stephen Jackson, but instead chose to play him until he was dealt. They ended up eating two bad contracts for Jackson (Mike Dunleavy, Troy Murphy), but at least got two starters. The inactive Tinsley now has zero value, and most teams wouldn’t touch him with a 10-foot pole. Excellent work, Larry Bird.
New Orleans Hornets – Hornets forward Tyson Chandler was traded to the Oklahoma City Thu… oh wait, never mind. Hours after Chandler was shipped to OKC, a failed physical sent him right back to the Big Easy. How awkward is this? There’s no way Chandler comes back and gives 100 percent for a team that obviously thought he was expendable. This un-move really has to give Hornets players a lot of faith in the team’s management.
Sacramento Kings — Do the Kings even want to stay in Sacramento? The team ranks near the bottom in attendance and is hemorrhaging money. On Thursday, Sacramento dumped a ton of salary and dealt two of its best scorers– Brad Miller and John Salmons — while receiving no players of starting caliber in return. At 11-44, the Kings have the worst record in the league and have to be banking on winning the draft lottery. Doesn’t the “Las Vegas Kings” have a nice ring to it?
Winners:
Orlando Magic — The Southeast Division-leading Magic made the biggest deal of the day by picking up point guard Rafer Alston. Alston (11.4 points per game, 5.4 assists per game) should fill in nicely for injured starter Jameer Nelson (16.7 ppg, 5.4 apg). All Orlando had to give up was three fringe players and a low first-round draft pick. The Magic should go far.
Miami Heat – The Heat made their deal a few days before the deadline, and it was a good one. By trading Shawn Marion to Toronto for Jermaine O’Neal, Miami ensured it would not get stuck this summer letting Marion walk for nothing in return. While O’Neal is declining, he comes to Miami with something to prove and should be an upgrade for their frontcourt.
New York Knicks — Trade rumors swirled around two of the Knicks’ top young players, David Lee and ”Krypto-Nate” Robinson. Instead, New York dumped $6.2 million in dead weight by dealing Jerome James to Chicago for some immediate scoring help in Larry Hughes. The Knicks then sent little-used forward Malik Rose to OKC for a front-court contributor with an expiring deal — Chris Wilcox. Good deal.
