So the NBA trade deadline has come and gone, that’s just great. In the weeks leading up to that fateful Thursday we were lucky to see a swarm of deals go down, some we like, and some not so much. Last week, and of course the deadline itself, was no different. We here at HoopsAddict have been all of perplexed, excited and anxious to climb on our soap boxes and be heard. We’ve laughed, we’ve cried and now we’ve taken the time to break down the deals and give you, our readers, an opinion to read, study and pass off as your own at the water cooler tomorrow (we’re not responsible if you get teased as a result and eventually fired though). Enjoy!

Feb. 17
ATLANTA HAWKS/SACRAMENTO KINGS
To the Hawks: Mike Bibby
To the Kings: Shelden Williams, Anthony Johnson, Tyronn Lue and Lorenzen Wright, second-rounder in 08

What this means for the Hawks: After years of searching for a point guard (or at least needing one) the Atlanta Hawks may have finally found their man and they did it at little cost. Tyronn Lue, Anthony Johnson and Lorezen Wright barely make the Hawks’ rotation as it is and aren’t getting any younger. Meanwhile Shelden Williams is trapped behind Al Horford, Josh Smith, Zaza Pachulia and even Marvin Williams when it comes to Atlanta’s promising front court. But this isn’t just addition by subtraction here. A quick refresher on Mike Bibby: this is the guy that used to be considered one of the best young point guards in the NBA, both with Vancouver and then with Sacramento, the same guy that went shot for shot with Kobe Bryant in the 2002 Western Conference Finals and a guy that can own up to averages of just under 17 points and seven dimes per game over the course of a 10-year career. I know, I know, it’s easy to forget all of that when he’s done virtually nothing this season but sit on the injured reserve for half the year, but trust me, once a basketball player, always a basketball player. If the Hawks can continue to improve around him like they have so far this season without him, Mike Bibby may once again find himself back in the playoffs helping an exciting young team try and find their place amongst the postseason giants like he did with Chris Webber six years ago.
Best player coming in: Mike Bibby
Deal Breaker Rating: 3.5/5

What this means for the Kings: Nothing significant is happening in Sacramento anyway, so what’s the point of hanging on to Bibby as the ship sinks? In Shelden Williams the Kings get a solid young big man to hang on to as they try and tinker around Kevin Martin. The Hawks are an Eastern Conference team that won’t steal one of their playoff spots either should they actually manage to finish on the bubble any time soon, so losing Bibby won’t come back to bite them once the playoffs roll around. The best part of this deal however is the near-10 million dollars the Kings will open up this summer, with no sign of a turnaround coming any time soon, at least they’ll have their hands free to make some moves.
Best player coming in: Shelden Williams
Deal Breaker Rating: 3/5

Feb. 19
DALLAS MAVERICKS/NEW JERSEY NETS
To the Mavs: Jason Kidd, Antoine Wright and Malik Allen
To the Nets: Devin Harris, Trenton Hassell, Maurice Ager, DeSagana Diop and Keith Van Horn, first-rounders in 08 and 10

What this means for the Mavs: Well, they did it, they managed to get their hands on Jason Kidd without having to give up two of their core guys… or Devean George. Barring any more fluke no-trade clauses, the Mavs will have their chances at a title doubled this season with Kidd at the helm instead of Harris. We all know what the addition of a hall of fame point guard can do to one of the best teams in the league so there isn’t really much we can do there but wait and see. After hearing that the Nets refused to bite unless both Harris and Josh Howard would be heading to the Swamp, I was suprirsed to see that they gave in and then gave up Antoine Wright to boot. Trenton Hassell and Desagana Diop, two rotation players, will be missed but quickly forgotten if the Kidd experiement pans out. If the Mavs get the result they hope for coming out of this deal, then the first-rounders in 08 and 10 will be of little value to New Jersey.
Best player coming in: Jason Kidd
Deal Breaker Rating: 4/5

What this means for the Nets: Not positive if this is the best deal they could have gotten for Kidd, but it’s certainly better than what they could have had instead. What surprises me most about Devin Harris is that in a survey conducted during a Mavericks game not too long ago, fans chose him to be the team’s MVP for the first half of the season, ahead of both Josh Howard and Dirk Nowitzki. Harris is young and athletic and will fit in alongside Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson, but without Kidd the roster seems more prone to growing pains as they struggle to fit in with each other. Desagana Diop, Trenton Hassell and Maurice Ager could all find their way into the Nets rotation this season, which, along with Harris, is about all they could have asked for in exchange for an aging, disgruntled vet.
Best player coming in: Devin Harris
Deal Breaker Rating: 3/5

Feb. 20
SAN ANTONIO SPURS/SEATTLE SUPERSONICS
To the Spurs: Kurt Thomas
To the Sonics: Brent Barry, Francisco Elson and a first-rounder in 09

What this means for the Spurs: After signing Damon Stoudamire a few weeks ago the Spurs are back in the news acquiring another established vet that can help bolster their already intimidating attack. Considering the Spurs managed just fine without Brent Barry when he was out with an injury, the Francisco Elson to Kurt Thomas upgrade only makes the Spurs even tougher to dethrone this year. The Spurs had to give up a first-rounder to make the deal go down, but don’t expect that pick to come any time before the mid-20s.
Best player coming in: Kurt Thomas
Deal Breaker Rating: 3.5/5

What this means for the Sonics: Though Kurt Thomas has proved valuable for the young Sonics so far this season, they won’t exactly miss him in the long run. All of the players involved will be free agents this season so neither team really came out in a better position financially. With the emergence of Johan Petro and a frontcourt that already includes Nick Collison and Chris Wilcox, this deal may have been done more to clear up breathing room for them than anything else.
Best player coming in: Francisco Elson
Deal Breaker Rating: 2/5

Feb. 21
NEW ORLEANS HORNETS, HOUSTON ROCKETS, MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES
To the Hornets: Bonzi Wells and Mike James
To the Rockets: Bobby Jackson, Adam Haluska, Sergei Lishouk and a second-rounder in 08
To the Grizzlies: Marcus Vinicuis, Malick Badiane

What this means for the Hornets: Out of the seven players involved in this deal I had heard of only three. Considering two of them (and the best two no less) ended up in New Orleans, it’s hard to even consider Houston or Memphis the winners of this deal. The Hornets have surprised a lot of people this year, and I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that they’ve even surprised themselves. Hah, surprise! Bonzi Wells and Mike James are two players on the downside of respectable careers, but potentially solid contributors nonetheless. Bobby Jackson is a small price to pay for a chance at being a legit contender come playoff time and that’s exactly what Wells and James have been brought in to do.
Best player coming in: Bonzi Wells
Deal Breaker Rating: 3.5/5

What this means for the Rockets: The Rockets swapped Mike James’ brutal contract for Bobby Jackson’s slightly shorter brutal contract. The two aging guards won’t be remembered for much during their stay in Houston, but at least this way coach Rick Adelman can be reunited with a player he coached back when the Sacramento Kings were worth clearing your schedule for. The second-rounder in this year’s draft will be nice too. But all of that said, what the Rockets gave up doesn’t come close to what they’re bringing in.
Best player coming in: Bobby Jackson
Deal Breaker Rating: 2.5/5

What this means for the Grizzlies: Okay, what? Next question. If the Grizzlies subscribe to the theory that you’re only as good as your last performance, at least now they can consider themselves irrelevant as opposed to ridiculous after giving up Pau Gasol for Javaris Crittenton and a bag of potato chips.
Best player coming in: Marcus Vinicius
Deal Breaker Rating: 2.5/5

HOUSTON ROCKETS/MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
To the Rockets: Gerald Green
To the Timberwolves: Kirk Snyder and a second-rounder in 10

What this means for the Rockets: That Gerald Green can represent three different teams in the Slam Dunk competition in three consecutive years. It also means that they can let Green intern with another high flyer in Tracy McGrady until he’s ready to step up and put his athletic ability to good use. Snyder never really found a place in the Rockets rotation so the loss comes with no risk for Houston.
Best player coming in: Gerald Green
Deal Breaker Rating: 3/5

What this means for the Timberwolves: The only way I can justify this deal is if Snyder comes in with a great attitude both on the court and in the locker room and it starts to rub off on the rest of the team. The Timberwolves are young this year, making a prospect like Gerald Green expendable. With Randy Foye, Sebastian Telfair and Rashad McCants all fighting for a spot in Minnesota’s backcourt of the future, the loss of Green may put the rest of competitors at ease and be addition by subtraction. The second-round pick in 2010 seems trivial now, but you never know when something like that could come in handy.
Best player coming in: Kirk Snyder
Deal Breaker Rating: 2/5

TORONTO RAPTORS/DETROIT PISTONS
To the Raptors: Primoz Brezec
To the Pistons: Juan Dixon

What this means for the Raptors: Juan Dixon wasn’t about to get a shot in the Raptors’ rotation any time soon. Criticized for his point guard abilities and his lack of size to play the two, the former Maryland hero has little to offer a team keen on fitting the traditional mold of position by position basketball. Primoz Brezec is a player who proved three years ago that he’s at least good enough to play upwards of 25 minutes per game. Don’t expect him to duplicate what he did in Charlotte now that he’s in Toronto, but if Sam Mitchell wants another big body, he has somebody to work into his rotation.
Best player coming in: Primoz Brezec
Deal Breaker Rating: 2.5/5

What this means for the Pistons: The ‘Stons didn’t have to give up much to get Primoz, other than the sparsely used Nazr Mohammed, so why not? Brezec’s stay in Detroit was relatively forgettable and now GM Joe Dumars can say he turned Mohammed into Walter Herrman and Juan Dixon. Dixon may fit well with Detroit’s bench unit as long as he isn’t expected to be much more than a situational scorer.
Best player coming in: Juan Dixon
Deal Breaker Rating: 3/5

DENVER NUGGETS/PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS
To the Nuggets: Taureen Green
To the Blazers: Von Wafer

What this means for the Nuggets: That they get Taureen Green.
Best player coming in: Taureen Green
Deal Breaker Rating: 2.5/5

What this means for the Blazers: That they get Von Wafer.
Best player coming in: Von Wafer
Deal Breaker Rating: 2.5/5

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS, CHICAGO BULLS, SEATTLE SUPERSONICS
To the Cavs: Ben Wallace, Wally Szczerbiak, Joe Smith, Delonte West and a second-rounder in 09
To the Bulls: Drew Gooden, Larry Hughes, Cedric Simmons and Shannon Brown
To the Sonics: Ira Newble, Donyell Marshall and Adrian Griffin

What this means for the Cavs: The thing about the Cleveland Cavaliers is that they’ve proven that it doesn’t matter how good the players surrounding LeBron James are, so that begs the question why even make a deal if it’s not clearly established that you’re getting the better end of it? Even if Ben Wallace, Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West all get abducted by aliens tonight, the Cavs still won’t be much worse off than they are now, not as long as LeBron James is in the picture. Wallace’s value isn’t what it used to be and he certainly won’t help a team that struggles to put up 90 points far too often. As Kinnon Yee touched on yesterday the Cavs don’t even really need rebounding help at all. In Szczerbiak they get a player that can sit on the wing and knock down jumpers, but you’ll be hard pressed to find someone who can consider him the deal breaker. At point the Cavs now get West who can split minutes with Daniel Gibson, but he is a far cry from Jason Kidd or Mike Bibby, available players that could have actually made a difference in Ohio. The Cavs got the star power at a reasonable price and Ben Wallace will sell a lot of jerseys at the Quicken Loans Arena, but on the court he won’t offer much more than he offered Chicago: which was close to nothing. Between Szczerbiak and Wallace alone the Cavs will pay out close to 30 million dollars for the next two seasons as opposed to the near 20 million dollars they owed to Larry Hughes and Drew Gooden.
Best player coming in: Ben Wallace
Deal Breaker Rating: 3/5

What this means for the Bulls: It didn’t take Chicago long to give up on the Ben Wallace project and now GM John Paxson must be relieved that he found a way to pawn off the beast’s monster contract with two years remaining after this season. In Larry Hughes and Drew Gooden the Bulls get two relatively young players who have at least proven in the past that they can contribute to winning teams, and more importantly for Chicago, it’s not like they can fare much worse than they did in the first half of the season. With coach Scott Skiles gone and now Wallace the Bulls can go back to focusing on being one of the best up and coming teams in the Eastern Conference. Maybe the move can trigger something in Hughes that can help him retake the 22, 6 and 5 form he had in Washington just three seasons ago.
Best player coming in: Larry Hughes
Deal Breaker Rating: 3.5/5

What this means for the Sonics: The fire sale continues. The big boys in Seattle must have confidence in young guns Kevin Durant if they’re so willing to part with some of their best vets in the same week. Just days after sending Kurt Thomas away to San Antonio, the Sonics sent Wally Szczerbiak and the 25 million dollars owed to him over the next two years to Cleveland in return for a trio of players that may help out here and there before hitting the road when their contracts after next season. Sonics GM Sam Presti didn’t try and hit a homerun with this deal and for that I respect him. As the season goes on he must be feeling more comfortable with the rookies he’s chosen to guide the franchise, evident now that he’s stripped them of their Kurt Thomas/Wally Szczerbiak safety net. Losing Delonte West may mean the Sonics are finally happy with Luke Ridnour in the back court.
Best player coming in: Ira Newble
Deal Breaker Rating: 3/5