NBA trade drama better than reality TV
The latest episode of Survivor: NBA was quite a cliffhanger. All kinds of intrigue. A hefty dose of griping drama. Some thoroughly unexpected plot twists.
Now that’s a reality show worth watching.
“They always catch me by surprise,” said Toronto Raptors coach Nick Nurse, whose team had a major role in the plot line.
“There’s so much going on all the time.”
Despite complaints from the likes of Kevin Durant and LeBron James, the league’s off-the-court drama leading up to Thursday’s trade deadline was a welcome respite from the long, sometimes dreary regular season — enhancing all the compelling storylines while highlighting a system that really works well for everyone.
Durant may choose to rip the media for its infatuation with what the future holds for him, but we’re guessing the Golden State star doesn’t mind cashing those cheques (worth US$30 million this year) or that he’ll be too upset this summer when he can opt out of his contract and decide where he wants to play for a deal that could require nine figures to fill out.
It’s messy and exhilarating and confusing and silly, best epitomized by Nik and Wade’s Excellent Adventure.
Nik Stauskas and Wade Baldwin IV started the week playing for Portland. Then they got traded to Cleveland, who dealt them to Houston, who quickly sent them packing to Indiana. Of course, the Pacers never had any intention of keeping them, so they could wind up on their fifth team in seven days by the weekend.
Pelicans star Anthony Davis was the big prize, having made it clear a season and a half before his contract is up that he doesn’t want to play for New Orleans any longer. But no deal was reached by the deadline, so Davis will at least finish the season in the Big Easy, an incredibly awkward situation of a lame-duck player going through the motions with a rudderless franchise.
Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, about half the Lakers roster knows they were dangled as bait in a potential Davis trade, so the remainder of James’ debut season in Tinseltown figures to be a forgettable one.
Plenty of teams do have their eyes on a title, however.
There are the Warriors, of course, seeking their fourth crown in five seasons, and still the team to beat. But they’ll have to navigate the loaded Western Conference, which also features James Harden and the Houston Rockets, the surprising Denver Nuggets, and an Oklahoma City team led by triple-double machine Russell Westbrook.
But the East is where the real suspense lies.
Boston, which stood pat at the deadline ahead of what could be a major push to go after Davis this summer, was the pre-season favourite. But the Celtics were only fourth in the conference after a last-second loss to the Lakers on Thursday night.
Up front were the Milwaukee Bucks, with the league’s best record, adding Nikola Mirotic, who gives coach Mike Budenholzer plenty of new options with the big-man lineup.
Right on Milwaukee’s heels are the Raptors, who are all-in on winning their first championship with rent-a-star Kawhi Leonard now joined by Marc Gasol, acquired from Memphis at the deadline.
The Philadelphia 76ers are also in the mix, having landed Tobias Harris from the Los Angeles Clippers to complete the conference’s best starting five.
“Everybody made moves,” said Toronto’s Kyle Lowry. “But at the end of the day, all we can do is worry about us.”