What Were The Best NBA Trade Deadline Deals?

The way the NBA has done business has visibly changed over the past decade. NBA trade deadline deals were once the things of legend. Gone are the days that teams will trade for an impact player that might push them over the top towards an NBA championship. Most of the NBA trade deadline deals of 2010 have meant teams are dropping salaries or hoping for draft picks. Here are the highlights of the 2010 NBA trade deadline.

1. Rockets drop McGrady. It is no secret that T Mac has been very disgruntled in Houston for the past year. Electing in 2009 to undergo surgery without the team's permission, T Mac entered the 2010 season with a self-declared "I'm ready to go." Tracy McGrady has failed to impress and had left the Rockets with one of the worst contracts ever. The Rockets picked up a first round draft pick, Jared Jeffries, Jordan Hill, Hilton Armstrong and scorer Kevin Martin from Sacramento.

2. Antawn Jamison joins Lebron. Whatever Lebron wants Lebron gets. Danny Ferry pulled off a draft day deal that sent Zydrunas Ilgauskas to Washington in exchange for the former Tarheel, who joins Lebron and Shaq in Cleveland.

3. Knicks acquire cap room. The biggest trade on draft day should have sent chills down the back of every fan in Miami and Cleveland. When the Knicks acquired Tracy McGrady it is widely known that this is not a long-term deal. McGrady's huge contract is set to expire at the end of the 2010 season, and this will surely give the Knicks the room they need to pursue Dwayne Wade and King James. Could these two superstars end up as Knickerbockers...only time will tell.

4. Charlotte Bobcats acquire Tyrus Thomas. Michael Jordan pulled off what Larry Brown deemed a lottery pick when he picked up Tyrus Thomas from Chicago for a protected first round pick. Look for Tyrus Thomas to give the Bobcats enough to make the playoffs and possibly pull of an upset depending on their seeding.

5. Milwaukee Bucks acquire John Salmons from Chicago. In what can only be described as a dumping of salaries Chicago looks for ammo in the Lebron sweepstakes by sending John Salmons to Milwaukee in exchange for Hakim Warrick and Joe Alexander.

So how did your team do? Only time will tell, but it was another exciting NBA trade deadline day that will have long lasting ramifications on every team involved, and even some who were not.

Sources:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4922833

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/2010-02-18-jamison-trades_N.htm