The NBA transfer window looked a bit dull in its early days. However, basketball fans and bettors were in for a huge treat during its closing stages. We’ve seen blockbuster league trades as Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Russell Westbrook, and John Wall found new teams to finish the 2022-23 season in. There’s also a plethora of draft picks moving across teams, reunions, and the acquisition of key players that could turn teams into playoff contenders in a snap.

With the waters calm, here’s a look at the 2022-23 NBA trade deadline highlights and notable player transfers following a chaotic ending that sparked a power surge between the conferences.

But before anything else, Nitrobetting shares the latest news, NBA odds, and special features throughout the 2022-23 NBA season. Let’s get a closer look at one of the hottest NBA trade rumors.

2022-23 NBA Trade Deadline Overview

NBA Trade Deadline Winners pic.twitter.com/C0lCj2L7jw

— Playmaker (@playmaker) February 9, 2023

Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks

The trade that caught everyone off guard was Irving’s move to the Mavs. Although we all knew that the guard wanted out of the Nets since requesting the trade a few weeks back, Dallas was not one of the prime destinations for the 30-year-old. The Mavericks reunited Spencer Dinwiddie with his former team, in addition to Forian Finney-Smith, a 2029 first-round draft pick, and second-round picks in 2027 and 2029, in exchange for Kyrie Irving and Markieff Morris.

Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns

Shortly after the Irving deal, the Brooklyn Nets broke down the second of the big three in a huge move to the Phoenix Suns. The Western Conference team acquired KD for Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, and four unprotected first-round draft picks in 2023, 2025, 2027, and 2029, on top of a 2028 pick swap. Moreover, TJ Warren makes his way to the other side of the conference in the deal.

What does this mean for the Brooklyn Nets?

The Nets landed solid players like Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, and at least five first-round picks to go with draft assets in their deals for the All-Star duo of Durant and Irving. These are solid assets to build around on. But, it would be a mistake to expect something big from this pack. Despite a successful mid-season coaching update and a winning streak, the Nets failed to follow through and convince their superstars to stay put. The Brooklyn experiment proved to be a bad move for the franchise. It ultimately estranged Harden, and now Durant and Irving in the process.

Testing years are coming to Brooklyn from here on. Since working their way through extended rebuilding efforts and now another potential revamp, high-level free agents might be discouraged from signing with the Nets after seeing how badly this operation backfired.

A mega three-way deal

Russell Westbrook leaves his short-lived Los Angeles legacy on turbulent air. His next playing destination is not entirely clear since the Lakers sent him to Utah in a three-team deal. The Jazz is expected to buy out his contract, which means the former OKC star will have numerous suitors on the buyout market.

The other side of the deal features the Lakers acquiring D’Angelo Russell from the Minnesota Timberwolves and Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt from the Jazz. These are crucial pieces that will solve the scoring option deficiency of the lineup. Russell Westbrook joins Juan Toscano-Anderson, Damian Jones, and a lightly protected 2027 Lakers first-round pick to Utah. Last but not least, the Jazz sends Mike Conley and Nickeil Alexander-Walker to Minnesota, which reunites the former with past teammate Rudy Gobert.

Other notable 2022-23 NBA trades

The Los Angeles Lakers are on a roll with the trades here, as they followed up their big moves by moving Patrick Beverley to the Orlando Magic as part of a four-team trade with the LA Clippers and the Denver Nuggets. The Lakers get Mo Bamba, Davon Reed, and a second-round pick. Meanwhile, the Nuggets add Thomas Bryant to their roster and the Clips get Bones Hyland after the deal. It’s a sweet deal that goes with the recent trade acquisition of Rui Hachimura.

Defending champions Golden State Warriors let go of former No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman in a series of deals that sent the 21-year-old to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for former Dubs guard Gary Payton II. The reunion gives the Warriors more defensive depth, while the Atlanta Hawks receive Saddiq Bey from the Pistons as part of another interesting three-team deal. Golden State gets five second-round picks from Atlanta and Kevin Knox from Detroit, all of which will be sent to Portland for Payton in a separate agreement.

The Clippers get some veteran talent to the pool through Eric Gordon. This deal was possible by sending John Wall to the Rockets in a three-team deal with Houston and Memphis. The Clips get three second-round picks, while the Grizzlies add Luke Kennard. There’s more to this deal as the Rockets also get Danny Green. However, reports say that the Rockets plan to waive Wall soon.

After becoming a hot trade topic, the Raptors kept its core team intact and added Jakob Poeltl from the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for Khem Birch. The deal also includes a 2024 first-round pick and second-round picks in 2023 and 2025 going in the Spurs’ direction.

Takeaways

This is going to be a tough pill to swallow for the Western Conference contenders. The Mavs still have plenty to improve defensively, but Kyrie fills more scoring and playmaking void, and Durant will be a nightmare matchup for any team in the West. It remains unclear whether the current top seeds will perform the same way, given the majority of talent from the East. Nevertheless, the Nuggets, Grizzlies, and Kings have plenty of competition ahead of them, and making only minor moves during the trade window means no one will sail through the Conference Finals easily this year.

The other end of the spectrum looks a bit different. The Eastern Conference contenders get more wiggle room with Durant and Irving leaving the space. The Celtics have dominated the Nets in recent years, and avoiding a playoff rematch with Durant is a relief on top of their stellar figures so far. The Bucks also know how difficult it is to contain Durant, and the Sixers don’t have the personnel to match up with him. These are less of a concern now than they were a few days ago. To top it off, the aforementioned teams fortify their lineups with Mike Muscala (Boston), Jae Crowder (Milwaukee), and Jalen McDaniels (Philadelphia).

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This is just one of the many sports betting guides that you can read here at Nitrobetting news. Stay tuned for more 2022-23 NBA season previews and articles, and don’t forget to check out the latest basketball betting odds on our online BTC sportsbook.