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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Sport
Claire de Lune

NBA trade deadline verdict: grading winners and losers after a chaotic week

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Dončić, left, and forward LeBron James, right, follow the action during Thursday night’s game against Golden State Warriors in Los Angeles.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Dončić, left, and forward LeBron James, right, follow the action during Thursday night’s game against Golden State Warriors in Los Angeles. Photograph: Kevork Djansezian/AP

Well, if last year’s NBA trade deadline was a snooze, this year’s could be likened to something closer to a Red Bull laced with amphetamine. This particular deadline was already destined for the NBA history books with the shocking swap of Luka Dončić of the Dallas Mavericks for Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday, marking what many agree is the biggest trade in league history. But the seismic move shifted the proverbial tectonic plates of the rest of the league, too, as other teams followed suit with their own dramatic dominos. The annual February musical chairs have never had a more feverish soundtrack, so let’s break down the preliminary assessment of which teams came out ahead, and which ones got left seatless.

Winners

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