An uneventful 2024 NBA trade deadline has passed, but several teams and players still managed to get what they wanted and needed without giving up a lot.
It is crunch time in the NBA, with over half a season done. Some teams who needed a shake-up of their rosters, namely the Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls, went silent.
Still, a few teams showed some sense of urgency. Even if no high-profile player was made available in the trade machines, these franchises could still squeeze out something to address their immediate needs.
Among those who successfully waded through the market were the New York Knicks. They were arguably the biggest winner in Thursday's trade deadline.
Here are the Top 3 winners in the 2024 NBA trade deadline:
1. New York Knicks
The general manager position with the Knicks is currently vacant, but they have been on a roll lately in terms of wheeling and dealing with players.
The team is receiving praise for their moves, with one even saying they look like "the single-smartest franchise in the NBA."
They went 17-3 (as of this writing) since acquiring OG Anunoby from the Toronto Raptors on December 30, 2023. But their transformation started when they acquired Jalen Brunson for a bargain deal and signed Donte DiVincenzo from the Golden State Warriors over the summer.
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The Villanova alum has been on a tear lately, averaging 25 points in his last five games.
The Knicks are about to get better after acquiring sweet shooter Bojan Bogdanovic from the Detroit Pistons. They also reunited with Alec Burks in the same deal.
It was an excellent decision for the Knicks front office, as they also lost Anunoby to an elbow injury on the same day. Julius Randle is also missing games while Mitchell Robinson is out for the season.
Bogdanovic and his 20.2 points per game will fill the shoes of those two Knicks big men left.
2. Philadelphia 76ers
The Sixers' chances of winning dwindled after the news of Joel Embiid's meniscus injury, but they are hanging in there.
They lost the 35 points per game output of the 2023 MVP, but the moves they made in the trade deadline mean they are trying to fill that hole.
The team acquired streak shooter Buddy Hield in a three-team trade with the Indiana Pacers and the San Antonio Spurs.
Hield, ranked 15th in three-points percentage, averages 12 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists.
His arrival may not address the Sixers' frontcourt problem, but they now have another option from beyond the arc, where they are shooting just 31 percent.
The 31-year-old guard will also help make it easier for Tyrese Maxey to operate in the halfcourt.
3. Evan Fournier
The "Never Google" guy is finally free.
Evan Fournier had the best time of his life with the Boston Celtics, but then he was traded to the New York Knicks where he fell to obscurity.
He had a great time at the Madison Square Garden in his first season, playing 80 games in the 2021-2022 season.
However, he quickly fell out of favor in the rotation, even saying in public over the summer that he would never get any minutes under coach Tim Thibodeau.
Evan Fournier right now pic.twitter.com/0EQ7PXTy8o
— BetMGM 🦁 (@BetMGM) February 8, 2024
Of course, falling to the lowly Pistons is not much of a win career-wise. But at least he would get the opportunity to work his way up instead of being buried on the bench.
Related article: Why Bojan Bogdanovic, Alec Burks Trade Is a Great Move for New York Knicks
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