A few weeks ago, a league executive told me to expect a relatively quiet trade deadline, one without a blockbuster deal. There were too many cap restrictions, more buyers than sellers on the market, and a general pessimism about deals getting done.
He could not have been more wrong. This week, a tsunami of massive trades washed over the league: Luka Doncic was traded to the Lakers for Anthony Davis, a deal that stunned everybody, including Doncic and Davis; De’Aaron Fox was traded to San Antonio to team up with Victor Wembanyama; and, after a lot of drama, Jimmy Butler was traded to Golden State to team up with Stephen Curry.
It was an intense week. Who were the big winners and losers at the…