Billy King, the former Nets and 76ers GM, the man who endured the Dwightmare and a very public (failed) attempt to trade for Carmelo Anthony, understands the chaos of the trade deadline and the pressure to make—or not make—a deal. In 2001 the Sixers were atop the Eastern Conference standings. But Theo Ratliff had recently broken his wrist, and Philadelphia had a hole in the middle. So King sent Ratliff and Toni Kukoč to Atlanta in a six-player deal that brought Dikembe Mutombo to Philly. The result: The 76ers advanced to the Finals for the first time in nearly two decades.
“When you’re bad it’s easy to make a deal,” says King. “When you’re good the risk is so much greater.”
With the NBA seeing unprecedented parity in the standings this year, many teams believe they are good. Championship good. The top five teams in the Eastern Conference are separated by six games. In the West, the fourth-seeded Clippers are just 3.5 games ahead of 12th-place Portland. A good week can position a team for home court advantage. A bad one could push them out of the playoffs.
