This year’s trade deadline was one of the most exciting in NBA history, with big names like Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook on the move. The flurry of commotion not only shook up teams’ lineups but also jolted the ticket market. With the dust now settled on the NBA trade deadline pandemonium, where does each squad stand?
Here’s a look at how the most-impacted teams’ postseason reservation prices shifted amid the transactions using insights from SI Tickets.
Dallas Mavericks
Postseason ticket reservation price on 1/30: $24
Postseason ticket reservation price on 2/13: $69
Price change: 187% increase
Reservation prices for Mavericks playoff seats skyrocketed after Kyrie Irving’s arrival in Dallas. The Nets sent the eight-time All-Star to the Mavericks in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith and future draft picks. Irving’s addition to the Luka Dončić–led squad has buoyed Dallas and instilled confidence in the team’s fan base, with ticket reservation prices shooting up 187% between the start of the month and Feb. 13.
Phoenix Suns
Postseason ticket reservation price on 1/30: $69
Postseason ticket reservation price on 2/13: $177
Price change: 156% increase
The Nets also bid farewell to Kevin Durant, trading the star to the Suns in a blockbuster deal. Durant will link up with Devin Booker and Chris Paul, with the 34-year-old expected to make his Phoenix debut after the All-Star break. Though Durant has yet to take the court for the Suns, his trade sent postseason reservations prices soaring 156%, with Phoenix increasingly looking like a top contender come the playoffs.
Brooklyn Nets
Postseason ticket reservation price on 1/30: $117
Postseason ticket reservation price on 2/13: $21
Price change: 82% decrease
The mass exodus in Brooklyn officially ends the Nets’ failed superteam era. As the team looks toward rebuilding, fans’ sights appear to be on future seasons rather than the present, with postseason reservation prices down 82%.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers acquired some new talent during the trade deadline, signing D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt while sending off Russell Westbrook, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Damian Jones, Patrick Beverley and Thomas Bryant. Los Angeles is currently ranked No. 13 in the Western Conference, but it’s hard to completely rule out a squad with LeBron James at the helm. Postseason ticket prices increased nominally amid the swaps, with a Lakers playoff run far off but not totally impossible.
