NBA trade deadline provides few fireworks

By John McMullen
The Phanatic Magazine

In the weeks leading up to the trade deadline, most NBA reporters dish the gossip like Cindy Adams or Perez Hilton.

This year was certainly no different.

If you picked up a newspaper or perused a web site in recent days, you probably thought some big names would be filling out change-of-address forms.

Shaquille O'Neal, Amare Stoudemire, Antawn Jamison, Rasheed Wallace, Baron Davis, Vince Carter and Andre Miller were just some of the names being floated in various trade rumors.

In the end, the biggest names contacting U-Haul on Thursday were Larry Hughes and "Skip 2 My Lou" himself, Rafer Alston.

Yep, an overrated, disgruntled swingman and a former streetball legend were the stars of trade day.

Talk about a letdown.

I was all set to pen a column about the winners and losers of the day and how the balance of power had shifted. I mean, surely if Cavs general manager Danny Ferry landed O'Neal or Jamison to team with LeBron James and Mo Williams, Danny Ainge would be running scared in Boston.

Instead, I am writing about some guy better known for his exploits on And 1's "Mix Tape Tour."

There were no winners or losers at the trade deadline, just flotsam being exchanged for assorted debris.

OK, maybe that's a little harsh. Alston, who was acquired by the Orlando Magic in a three-way deal with Houston and Memphis, is a decent NBA point guard that should prove to be a big help to a very good team reeling from the loss of their own All-Star point guard, Jameer Nelson.

Chicago also made some legitimate moves, acquiring veteran center Brad Miller and swingman John Salmons from the Kings earlier in the week for a package that included Andres Nocioni and the always-injured Drew Gooden.

The Bulls then sent a locker room problem that's has only excelled for bad teams (Hughes) off to New York for a package that included veteran forward Tim Thomas and a guy who has made a career out of being a waste of space, center Jerome James.

Sacramento, the NBA's worst team at 11-44, remained active on Thursday sending forward Shelden Williams and point guard/New Edition front man Bobby Brown to Minnesota in exchange for fourth-year guard Rashad McCants and veteran big man Calvin Booth.

The Kings then acquired Raptors point guard Will Solomon and cash in a three- team deal including the Celtics. The C's sent journeyman center Patrick O'Bryant to the Raptors, and the Kings gave a future second-round pick to Boston.

In the end, perhaps the most intriguing deal of them all was actually rescinded when the Oklahoma City Thunder sent center Tyson Chandler back to the New Orleans Hornets after he failed his physical.

In the original deal announced on Tuesday, Oklahoma City sent forward Joe Smith, center Chris Wilcox and the draft rights to center DeVon Hardin to New Orleans for Chandler, a legitimate NBA big man, albeit a bit of an underachiever with a big price tag and having a down year.

The Thunder did turn around from there and agree to send Wilcox to the Big Apple for the expiring contract of Malik Rose.

I know, I know...I had to catch my breath too.

If only we could rescind this year's trade deadline.