A record 37 players found new homes on a wild NBA Trade Deadline yesterday. Here is a review of all of the trades that took place.

Trade

Miami Receives: PG Goran Dragic & SG Zoran Dragic

Phoenix Receives: SF Danny Granger, SF John Salmons & two 1st-round draft picks (via Miami)

New Orleans Receives: PG Norris Cole, C Justin Hamilton & SF Shawne Williams

Why the trade occurred: Goran Dragic has been unhappy with the loaded point guard situation in Phoenix for most of the year and made it clear to the front office that he wanted out.

Analysis: Miami’s new starting five of (Dragic, Wade, Deng, Bosh and Whiteside) suddenly looks much more intimidating in the weak eastern conference. No top 4 seed will want to see the Heat in the first-round of the playoffs. If everyone can stay healthy, I can definitely see them winning their first-round series and push their second-round series to 7 games. The true measure of success of this trade will depend on the Heat convincing Dragic to sign long-term. The Suns needed to get something back for Dragic or else be left empty-handed when he left in the off-season. Danny Granger provides some bench depth, John Salmons is likely to be waived and the first round picks will be in the late teens/early twenty’s. I would think at one point the Suns received more lucrative offers for Dragic, but considering the situation and Dragic’s small list of teams he wanted to go to the Suns got a reasonable return. Norris Cole figures to get some significant playing time with Jrue Holiday still sidelined. Shawne Williams and Justin Hamilton will either be waived or continue to be end of the bench guys.

Trade

Phoenix Receives: PG Brandon Knight, PG Kendall Marshall

Milwaukee Receives: PG Michael Carter-Williams, C Miles Plumlee, PG Tyler Ennis

Philadelphia Receives: What else… draft picks!

Why the trade occurred: After shipping out Goran Dragic to the Heat, the Suns needed a new point guard and wasted little time by getting Brandon Knight. The Bucks then went ahead and replaced Knight with MCW of the Sixers.

Analysis: This was by far the most puzzling trade of the day for me. I understand the Suns needing to get a new point guard, but I was very surprised that they were able to get Knight away from the Bucks who had been having a very strong year and some would even argue should have been an all-star. I think Knight and Bledsoe will form a very athletic back-court and he will have no problem fitting in their system. The Sixers made it very clear that they want to build their team around Nerlens Noel, Joel Embiid and the players in the 2015 draft. The Bucks get MCW who is long and athletic, but I think at this point is a bit of a step-down from Brandon Knight. I am sure Jason Kidd has a plan on how to use MCW, but to make a change at point guard this late in the season is certainly puzzling. Miles Plumlee will get some reserve minutes with Larry Sanders leaving and Tyler Ennis figures to continue to get very limited minutes if any with Jerryd Bayless ahead of him.

Trade

Detroit Receives: PG Reggie Jackson

Oklahoma City Receives: C Enes Kanter, PG D.J. Augustin, SF Kyle Singer & SF Steve Novak

Utah Receives: C Kendrick Perkins

Why the trade occurred: Reggie Jackson wanted to leave the Thunder and be a starter (along the same lines of James Harden, although Jackson is not anywhere near Harden’s talent level) on another team. OKC has wanted big man help all season long and after talks with the Nets for Brook Lopez fell through they got the next best player the could in Enes Kanter.

Analysis: As a Pistons fan, I like the move for Jackson as I think he is a talented player that can benefit greatly from the coaching of Stan Van Gundy. My concern is that a lot of his success has come against the second units of other teams and I’m anxious to see if he can produce as a starter with other teams game planning for him. Kanter is an offensive upgrade over Perkins as teams will have to respect his mid-range jumper. He isn’t the bruising, low-post defender that Perkins is, but should only be a slight decrease at most on the defensive end. D.J Augustin should fit in nicely as the point guard of the second unit and find guys like Dion Waiters and Anthony Morrow for wide-open 3’s off dribble penetration. Novak and Singler add even more depth to the Thunder’s already solid bench and both are strong 3 point shooters which will help improve their currently weak 3 point percentage. Perkins won’t play for Utah and will be a free agent to move to a contender. I believe the Clippers will the front runner for him due to his relationship with Doc Rivers and their need for big man depth.

Trade

Boston Receives: PG Isaiah Thomas, PF Jonas Jerebko & SF Luigi Datome

Phoenix Receives: SG Marcus Thornton & a 2016 1st-round draft pick

Detroit Receives: SF Tayshaun Prince

Why the trade occurred: The Suns continued to revamp their back-court by sending out a player they just signed last summer in Isaiah Thomas. They probably felt that the experiment with Thomas didn’t work out well as he didn’t fit particularly well in their system.

Analysis: Isaiah Thomas is a very solid player that has explosive scoring ability at times. I think his best role is as a sixth man off the bench and provide instant offense for a contending team. I don’t know if the Celtics plan to keep his next season, but he is not a bad player to rent for the home-stretch and has a very trade-friendly contract in the off-season. Marcus Thornton will compete with Gerald Green for SG minutes behind Eric Bledsoe. He is a player that can score, but has proved to be too inconsistent in his career so far leading him to be bounced from team to team. I don’t see him being part of the Suns’ long-term plan. Tayshuan Prince gets the chance to return to Detroit where he won a championship and will likely finish his career there like his former teammate Chauncey Billups.

Trade

Portland Receives: SG Arron Afflalo & SF Alonzo Gee

Denver Receives: PF Thomas Robinson, SG Will Barton, PF Victor Claver, 2016 1st round draft-pick (lottery protected)

Why the trade occurred: Portland has been in search of bench scoring for a long time and they hope Afflalo can be the answer.

Analysis: One of the more under the radar trades of the day that I believe will make a big impact in the playoffs. Portland’s starting five plays the most minutes in the NBA because they have one of the worst bench’s amongst playoff bound teams. Arron Afflalo is a veteran that can score, shoot the 3 and be a very solid on the ball defender against opposition’s 2’s and 3’s. He instantly becomes the #1 option off the bench and will be able to relieve a bit of the scoring pressure from the starting five. Thomas Robinson has talent and this change of scenery to Denver could be thing that can jump start his so-far disappointing career. Barton and Claver will have the same roles as they did with the Blazers and play in a few minutes a night if any.

Trade

Minnesota Receives: PF Kevin Garnett

Brooklyn Receives: PF Thaddeus Young

Why the trade occurred: Kevin Garnett has the chance to go back to the team that drafted him and end his career there.

Analysis: KG will be going back to the last place T-Wolves and play out the rest of his career there. He has said that he would one day like to own the T-Wolves and clearly the city still has a strong place in his heart. The T-Wolves are only playing for lottery ping-pong balls at this point and Garnett will be a player-coach that will mentor the many young players in their locker room including Rubio, Wiggins, Lavine, Dieng, Payne and Bennett. Thaddeus Young is a player that Nets GM Billy King likes and could be a part of their long-term plan. Young has been a good player in the league and should continue his role as a team’s third or fourth option.

Trade

Houston Receives: PG Pablo Prigioni

New York Receives: G Alexey Shved and two 2nd-round draft picks

Why the trade occurred: Mutually beneficial for both teams based on their needs. Rockets get a quality back-up point guard and the Knicks get picks.

Analysis: The Rockets get a pass-first, offensive minded point guard that contrasts with the defensive minded Patrick Beverley. Prigioni will be a defensive liability against the long list of elite western conference point guards, but should still give the Rockets some good minutes off the bench. The Knicks get some more draft picks as they continue to stock pile assets for the future.

Trade

Houston Receives: SF K.J. McDaniels

Philadelphia Receives: PG Isaiah Canaan and a 2nd-round draft pick

Why the trade occurred: Houston had the chance to acquire a young and very athletic wing and they took it.

Analysis: On the surface, this trade makes very little sense. K.J. McDaniels has been one of the very few bright spots for the Sixers this season and one would think that given his youth and athletic ability that he would be a part of the massive youth movement that the Sixers are gunning for. Looking at it deeper, McDaniels and his agent made it known that he had no desire to stay with the team past this season. The Rockets came in a swoop him up for next to nothing and he can step in right away and be a strong wing defender off the bench while continuing to grow day by day as he is only a rookie. If his offensive game continues to develop along with his jump shot, I can see him one day becoming a Shawn Marion type player that is an elite perimeter defender with a respectable offensive game and bundles of athleticism. If he signs a long-term deal, this could end up being a big steal for the Rockets.

Trade

Philadelphia Receives: C JaVale McGee, 2015 Oklahoma City 1st-round draft pick (top 18 protected), rights to F Chukwudiebere Maduabum

Denver Receives: Rights to G/F Cenk Akyol

Why the trade occurred: The Sixers love 7 footers and 1st-round draft picks

Analysis: Shaqtin’ a Fool star JaVale McGee gives the Sixers another 7 footer to add to Joel Embiid and Nerlens Noel. I’m not sure if McGee will actually stick with the team, but if he does it gives them a very tall and athletic front court without much offense. Denver is looking to blow-up the team/rebuild and getting rid of McGee is part of the process.

Trade

Sacramento Receives: PG Andre Miller

Washington Receives: PG Ramon Sessions

Why the trade occurred: New Kings’ head coach George Karl wanted a backup point guard he knew and trusted.

Analysis: Andre Miller played under George Karl back in Denver and the two had some good seasons together. Karl probably wanted Miller to be an extension of him on the floor and be a positive influence in the Kings’ locker room. Sessions is a better scorer than the pass first Miller and will give the Wizards some more scoring off the bench.