Amick: Thunder bring in banner haul at trade deadline
As the NBA's trade deadline neared its close on Thursday, time was of the essence.
The Minnesota Timberwolves were turning back time, reuniting with Kevin Garnett after a trade with the Brooklyn Nets that he agreed to with less than 30 minutes left on the clock. Then just as the rest of the league seemed to be running out of time, it was as if the trade machine was hacked.
Deal after deal after deal went down in a matter of minutes, moves that reshaped rosters and will make the final stretch even more compelling. In all, according to the NBA, there were a record 39 players dealt (the previous high since 1987 was 29, set twice).
The Oklahoma City Thunder, meanwhile, may have bought themselves more time on a few fronts.
With the prospect of missing the playoffs remaining real, the Thunder not only added depth but improved their locker-room dynamic in the kind of way that could ultimately give them more time with Kevin Durant. When the reigning MVP told GQ magazine recently that "obviously our players aren't as good as, you know, than they were before," it was enough to restart the conversation about his free agency in the summer of 2016 and the question of whether or not Thunder management could do what it takes to keep him there.
The removal of a disgruntled player (point guard Reggie Jackson was traded to the Detroit Pistons) and the addition of so much applicable talent made this a banner deadline for general manager Sam Presti and his staff. The Thunder landed talented-but-under-utilized big man Enes Kanter from the Utah Jazz, along with veteran point guard D.J. Augustin (a college teammate of Durant's at Texas) and small forward Kyle Singler, and guard Steve Novak in the deal with the Pistons.
Longtime big man Kendrick Perkins was the lone true casualty in the deal, as the 30-year-old who has been there since 2010 was sent to Utah as part of the Kanter move. But the truth is that Perkins' time in Oklahoma City was already nearing its end, as Perkins was in the final year of his contract. The Thunder have needed this sort of segue for quite some time.
With Kanter, veteran Nick Collison and bruising young center Steven Adams, they'll not only have the muscle to bang their way to a deep playoff run but the kind of internal harmony that may have been missing the past few months. Jackson wanted out, and the predictable friction between him and the recently-added Dion Waiters (who they got from the Cleveland Cavaliers in mid-December) was enough to sour the whole situation.
Kanter could turn out to be a classic Thunder story, as the fourth-year center — like Jackson — was desperate to go to a new team and now finds himself with an organization that is widely-lauded for its player development. Despite sharing time with Rudy Gobert, Derrick Favors and Trevor Booker, Kanter averaged 13.8 points and 7.8 rebounds for the Jazz this season. His skill-set should complement Adams, as he is far more offensive-minded than the New Zealander whose defense-first mentality and never-ending edge have become such a big part of what the Thunder do. Adams is currently recovering from a broken hand, but is expected to return in late February or early March.
The Thunder weren't the only team doing itself favors on the free agency front, though. The Portland Trail Blazers, who are hopeful that forward LaMarcus Aldridge re-signs this summer, made a fantastic move to land guard Arron Afflalo from the Denver Nuggets. The Trail Blazers (36-17) have already been an elite team this season, but adding a two-way talent like Afflalo will help in these next few months.
In Phoenix, time had run out for Goran Dragic and the Suns. The veteran point guard finds new life with the Miami Heat. Suns general manager Ryan McDonough survived the whole saga quite nicely, netting two first-round draft picks for Dragic while trading fellow point guard Isaiah Thomas (to the Boston Celtics) and landing a young point guard in Brandon Knight (from the Milwaukee Bucks) who some considered All-Star worthy this season. The Suns sent a future first-round pick to the Philadelphia 76ers as part of the Knight deal.
A wild time indeed.
Follow Sam Amick on Twitter @sam_amick.
GALLERY: EVERY PLAYER TRADED AT THE DEADLINE