O’Neale is a profession 38.1 p.c three-point shooter who is an ideal addition to Phoenix’s roster. He does not want the ball, and Phoenix does not want scoring alongside Bradley Beal, Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. He does play each ahead spots and make open threes when protection collapse on his teammates. O’Neale additionally supplies sufficient protection that Phoenix can play supercharged offensive lineups with Durant at middle for stretches.
They solely gave up 4 minimum-salary gamers and a second-round choose. After all, the actual sacrifice was taking David Roddy and his assured $2.8 million subsequent season, because the second-year ahead has been a catastrophe for the reason that Memphis Grizzlies chosen him at No. 23 within the 2022 draft. However they do not have to make use of him within the playoffs, and so they’ll get lots out of O’Neale.
Philadelphia 76ers
If their aim was to clear as a lot wage off their books by the top of the season, the Philadelphia 76ers have been a transparent winner on the commerce deadline. If their aim was to win video games and advance within the playoffs, not a lot.
However the strikes primarily sign that Joel Embiid’s knee damage is critical. He is out for at the very least the subsequent 4 weeks, and maybe for much longer. Steve Kerr expressed doubts that Embiid could be prepared for the Olympics in July, which implies the playoffs in April are in all probability not going to occur.
If that is the case, Philadelphia did nicely to ship out Furkan Korkmaz, Jaden Springer, Patrick Beverley, Marcus Morris and Danuel Home. They acquired again Buddy Hield and Cam Payne, however their focus is on this summer time. Now they’re going to have some further choose and essentially the most cap house attainable. It is not what they have been hoping for this season, however credit score president Daryl Morey for being ruthless as an alternative of being overly hopeful about Embiid’s well being — or dashing him again early.
Losers
Los Angeles Lakers
After the staff was broadly proclaimed as free company “winners,” together with by this author, the 2023-24 Los Angeles Lakers have been reasonably atypical. They’re 27-25, are getting outscored by roughly one level per sport, with a median protection and a below-average offense. Not like earlier disappointing Lakers seasons, Anthony Davis and LeBron James have been very wholesome thus far, taking part in in 48 and 46 of LA’s 52 video games, respectively.
Maybe it is merely that the Lakers are at all times in the midst of commerce rumors, however it’s a shock that they did not make any strikes on the deadline. They have been rumored to pursue Dejounte Murray and Bruce Brown, neither of whom modified groups. Even with Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent out at the very least one other month, the Lakers are banking on James, Davis and Co. flipping the change when the playoffs arrive. In any case, they made the convention finals out of the play-in event final yr.
Dallas Mavericks
The Mavs made strikes on the commerce deadline that might assist them, however the principle outcome was to reverse unsuccessful strikes they made final summer time. The Mavericks gave Grant Williams a four-year, $53M contract and even traded the San Antonio Spurs a choose swap in 2030 to choose up the small ahead, who did not do nicely in Dallas. Additionally they signed Seth Curry, and took on the contract of Richaun Holmes in a draft-day swap, and he performed solely 23 video games.
Now they’re getting an costly do-over.
