Impact of the NBA Trades

Over the past few weeks, Teams are on the phone lines trying to find deals that will give them the impact that Rasheed Wallace had when he propelled the Pistons to a NBA championship in 2004. Teams that stand out are the Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, Atlanta Hawks and San Antonio Spurs who all made trades that could potentially lead them to the promise land.

Los Angeles Lakers- To me, this is the biggest trade so far. They traded for Pau Gasol, a versatile forward who can bang inside and has the ability to drain a jumper. They basically got him without trading any key pieces. Kwame Brown, who is probably the biggest draft bust ever was traded and Javaris Crittenton, who was an unproven rookie for a former all-star is great. They now have a chance to go deep in the playoffs and possibly make a trip to the NBA Finals.

Phoenix Suns- Everyone has their doubts about why the GM Steve Kerr traded for "The Diesel" Shaquille O'Neal. Yes, he is aging and people say he is running out of gas, but not me. Although I don't think it will take them to the Finals, it will certainly help the Suns. They have the post-presence they have lacked since parting ways with Kurt Thomas. Shaq will have to rebound, block shots, and be a defensive force that the Suns also didn't have. He will most likely 25-30 minutes a game and his offensive game will benefit with the presence of Amare Stoudemire and Steve Nash. This trade will help the Suns in the playoffs.

Dallas Mavericks- The Mavericks might have gave up a lot to get Jason Kidd, but this will really help them make a championship run. Devin Harris wasn't the guy that was going to help the Mavs get over the hill. The Mavericks want to win now and Kidd is the player that will give them their best shot at it. He is going to make it easier on Dirk Nowitzki and Josh Howard with his ability to score, pass, and rebound. Watch out for the Mavericks.

Atlanta Hawks- The trade for Mike Bibby gives them a chance for a push to the playoffs. Bibby gives the Hawks the veteran point guard and leadership that they didn't have. He gives them a scoring option behind Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, and Al Horford. He should make things easier for the Hawks and hopefully give them that force they needed for a playoff push.

San Antonio Spurs- The Spurs have just traded inconsistent center Francisco Elson and injury-riddled Brent Barry for Kurt Thomas. Kurt Thomas will help the Spurs with his strong ability to rebound and defend against the post. Thomas can also hit the jumper. Thomas will fit right in with Tim Duncan and will really contribute to them come playoffs.