There were 16 trades on deadline day. Those deals involved a total of 41 players, up to five first-round picks, 20 seconds, the rights to three international players, and a whole bunch of cash changing hands. Including the trades that happened on Wednesday adds five players and three second-round picks to the tally.
But since the deadline, there has been just as much talk about what didn’t happen (Dejounte Murray and Bruce Brown stayed put, as did Kyle Kuzma, Tyus Jones, Malcolm Brogdon, and more; the Lakers kept their powder dry; the Nuggets didn’t add anybody to their bench; the Kings, Warriors, Clippers, Magic, Cavaliers, and other playoff contenders didn’t make any notable moves) as there has been about what did.
And there’s a reason for that: it’s all about the draft. Not because the league is largely convinced that this year’s draft is a dud, though.
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