NBA trade deadline deals to make no dent to possible Cleveland-Golden State Finals match-up

Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards barely budged, and Toronto Raptors’ acquisition of Serge Ibaka will not launch them over Cavs in East, writes Gregg Patton.

There were rumours that the Boston Celtics were in talks with Jimmy Butler, right, of the Chicago Bulls. Jonathan Bachman / Getty Images / AFP

NBA trade deadline deals have altered the course of basketball history.

Not this time, at least not for this season.

None of the “wannabe” contenders to the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors pulled off the kind of move that will make the reigning champion Cavs or the 2015 title-holding Warriors quake in their signature footwear.

If a blockbuster deal by Thursday’s deadline was going to threaten the high probability of a third consecutive Cleveland-Golden State Finals match-up, it did not happen.

The Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards barely budged, and the Toronto Raptors’ acquisition of Serge Ibaka will not launch them over the Cavs in the East.

Neither the San Antonio Spurs nor the Houston Rockets look any more capable of dethroning Western Conference champ Golden State, after the Spurs went quietly and the Rockets nabbed only sharpshooter Lou Williams.

As the deadline approached, a flurry of rumours had the Celtics in talks to land at least one impact player. Maybe Jimmy Butler from the Chicago Bulls, Carmelo Anthony from the New York Knicks or Paul George from the Indiana Pacers.

In the end? Nada. Zip. Null set.

“We had a lot of conversations, but nothing that was good enough to [make a] deal,” Boston’s general manager Danny Ainge said.

It was the story of the month. Lots of talk, little action.

Besides, the oft-mentioned trio of Butler, Anthony and George, Derrick Rose of the Knicks stayed put, as well, meaning only one big name star changed uniforms.

DeMarcus Cousins’ departure from the Sacramento Kings was the one newsmaker. The 6-foot-11 franchise centrepiece took his emotionally unpredictable attitude and his freakishly versatile game to the New Orleans Pelican.

That should make for an intriguing pairing with fellow high-scoring, big-rebounding power forward Anthony Davis. But it will only shake up the lower tier in the West where New Orleans is in a massive battle with six teams for the eighth and final play-off spot.

With Boogie [Cousins] and Unibrow [Davis], the Pelicans may have the makings of a winning team, in addition to leading the NBA in weird nicknames. With another key piece or two, New Orleans soon may even build a contender around their two large All-Stars. But for now, the trading deadline did not do anything to shift the balance of power.

Occasionally, it does happen.

Once upon a time, the Los Angeles Lakers picked up Pau Gasol one February, putting the Lakers in three consecutive NBA Finals, with two titles. The Detroit Pistons landed Rasheed Wallace and the Houston Rockets added Clyde Drexler in deadline deals, leading to instant championships.

Three years ago, Boston snatched a 5-foot-9, part-time point guard from the Phoenix Suns in a minor deal at the time. Isiah Thomas is now the cornerstone of the Celtics’ resurgence.

Maybe we will look back in a year or two and argue that the Oklahoma City Thunder really began their post-Kevin Durant rebuild when ferocious defender Taj Gibson arrived from Chicago in February of 2017.

Or that the Dallas Mavericks’ renaissance started this week when they acquired former lottery pick Nerlens Noel from the Philadelphia 76ers.

After all, a 2011 deadline deal eventually led to Cleveland winning its first-ever championship in 2016. Would LeBron James have returned to Cleveland a few years back if the Cavs did not already have at least one star on their roster? Kyrie Irving was the No 1 overall draft pick in 2011, a gift which came to the Cavs in a February 2011 trade with the Los Angeles Clippers.

If there was news this week, we may not know for years.

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