The 2024 NBA trade deadline didn't have the blockbuster trades that we've seen in previous years. Instead, there were a ton of smaller deals that could end up tilting the balance of what has been a very open championship race.
A bunch of contending teams picked up quality depth, while most of the bad teams came to terms with their fate and shipped off their veterans.
Here are the biggest winners and losers from Thursday.
TRADE GRADES: Analysis for every trade deadline deal
NBA trade deadline 2024 winners and losers
Winner: Knicks
The Knicks were the hottest team in the league before the trade deadline, winning 16 of their last 19 games. They made even more improvements to their roster by adding Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks. The cost was minimal — some second-rounders, guys not in the rotation and Quentin Grimes.
Bogdanovic isn't the player he was even a few seasons ago, but he can still score in a variety of ways and spread the floor with his spacing. The Knicks have been putting an extremely heavy load on Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle. Bogdanovic can create his own shot to take the load off those two.
Burks is a Tom Thibodeau guy — a gritty defender and a good 3-point shooter who will do whatever is asked of him.
The Knicks now have one of the deepest teams in the league. Given the uncertainty around the Sixers without Joel Embiid and the Bucks with Doc Rivers, they are potentially one Celtics injury away from making the Finals.
MORE: Expert medical analysis on Joel Embiid's injury and road to recovery
Winner: Patrick Beverley, Bucks
Beverley became the first player in NBA history to break his own trade via the Twitter account for his podcast. He scooped Shams and Woj on his move to the Bucks by a full four minutes, which is an eternity on trade deadline day.
This marks the second straight deadline where Beverley trolled the newsbreakers. Last year, he gave a subtle dig at Charania.
I see Woj been in the gym. He giving Shams trouble this year.
— Patrick Beverley (@patbev21) February 9, 2023
Beverley also live-streamed his reaction to the trade, insinuating that Daryl Morey was a liar and putting his shaky relationship with Damian Lillard on full blast. He was providing entertainment all day.
Coming back to the on-court side of things, Beverley was a nice get for the Bucks. They needed help with their perimeter defense, and he instantly becomes their best stopper.
Loser: Hawks
It's no secret that the Hawks were looking to shake things up. Dejounte Murray was the hottest name on the market. The offers weren't to Atlanta's liking, so it will finish this season out without making any moves at the deadline.
That's disappointing for a 22-29 team that needed a pivot. The Hawks had played better recently, winning four in a row last week, but they had lost four in a row before that streak and have lost two straight since.
This is the definition of a mediocre team. Look for changes to come in the offseason.
Incomplete: Mavericks
The Mavericks were one of the most aggressive teams at the deadline. They moved a first-round pick to get Daniel Gafford and used another one, along with a pick swap, to bring in P.J. Washington.
Gafford and Washington are both good players, but they're not natural fits on this roster. Gafford is almost the same player as their current starting center, Dereck Lively II. Washington isn't much of an upgrade on the outgoing Grant Williams.
These moves could end up looking good in a year, or they could reflect desperate moves to keep Luka Doncic happy. The same could be said for last year's swap to bring in Kyrie Irving.
The Mavericks have continued to take big swings on high upside and high downside moves. If none of this works, it will be disastrous for them, mortgaging both their present and future. If the moves hit, then maybe they keep Doncic happy a little longer.
Winner: Grizzlies
We criticize teams all of the time for holding onto their guys too long and letting them walk for nothing. The Grizzlies were determined not to make that mistake.
They weren't big moves, but trading Steven Adams and Xavier Tillman for a combined five second-round picks will add to the team's already-loaded war chest. They still have all of their own first-round picks available to trade. And getting something back for David Roddy was "incredible," in the words of former Grizzlies executive and The Athletic writer John Hollinger.
It's a lost season for Memphis, but the front office is making the most of it.
Winner: Furkan Korkmaz
Korkmaz first requested a trade in the 2018-19 season, per CBS Sports' James Herbert. He led the league in trade demands since then, making one seemingly every year. He finally found his way out, getting moved in the deal bringing Buddy Hield to the Sixers.
His former teammate P.J. Tucker, who wanted a trade away from the Clippers, wasn't so lucky. Tucker will continue to ride the bench rather than requesting a buyout, per TNT's Chris Haynes.
Winner: Dennis Smith Jr.
In the midst of a trade announcement between the Raptors and Nets, Woj mistakenly tweeted that Smith would be a part of the deal. He later clarified that he had made a mistake, and Smith was staying put in Brooklyn.
Smith saw the tweet and had the reaction of the day.
— Dennis Smith Jr. (@Dennis1SmithJr) February 8, 2024
Winner: Spurs
The Spurs only made one minor trade, sending free-agent-to-be Doug McDermott to the Pacers. They still had a big win on the day.
The Raptors owe them a top-six protected pick, which had a 65.5 percent shot of conveying before the deadline. Rather than trying to keep that pick, Toronto made the weirdest move of the day in trading for win-now veteran Kelly Olynyk. The Raptors also lost a point guard, trading away Dennis Schroder and waiving Spencer Dinwiddie, who they received back from the Nets.
Toronto looks like it's making a last-ditch effort to get into the Play-In game, while the Spurs will be the beneficiary of what will likely be a good pick at the end of the lottery.
MORE: Why the Raptors waived Spencer Dinwiddie immediately after trade
Loser: Simone Fontecchio
The Jazz were a feel-good story this season, totally turning their season around from a ghastly 7-16 start. Fontecchio was a nice part of that transformation, starting 34 games for them.
His reward? Getting traded to the league-worst Pistons. To add even more disrespect, Fontecchio didn't even get his name spelled correctly in Wojnarowski's breaking tweet.
It's not all bad news for Fontecchio. He'll be a free agent this summer and should generate interest throughout the league.
Loser: Bulls
Bulls fans have been pleading with their team to do something during the past few trade deadlines. Their front office has stressed that the team can win with continuity. That has led them to be consistently mediocre.
This is an impressive streak of doing nothing:
It's official ...
— Elias Schuster (@Schuster_Elias) February 8, 2024
The Chicago Bulls have made one trade in 893 days.
They haven't made an in-season trade in 1,050 days.
That mediocrity will continue for at least the rest of the season. The Bulls did have interest in some of their players. There was a robust market for Alex Caruso. They could have traded DeMar DeRozan and Andre Drummond as well.
Instead, they will continue their push for a Play-In spot, much to the chagrin of their fanbase.
