The big names stay in place on NBA trade-deadline day

MIAMI — Paul George stayed put. So did Jimmy Butler, Carmelo Anthony and Derrick Rose.

And as the trade deadline passed Thursday, the NBA landscape seemed remarkably unchanged. In all, seven deadline-day trades were put together by the 3 p.m. Eastern deadline — but no last-minute blockbusters. All-Star DeMarcus Cousins was traded to New Orleans by Sacramento a few days earlier, yet every trade that followed paled in comparison.

“You know where all those big dominoes are? They’re still home, with the exception of one,” Miami president Pat Riley said. “I’m sure there were people that probably made some pretty significant offers. … When you have that kind of player … it takes a lot to say, ‘OK, we’re going to let this guy go.’ You stay with the sure thing there.”

George remained with the Indiana Pacers, despite widespread speculation that the Boston Celtics were pursuing the four-time All-Star. Jimmy Butler stayed with the Chicago Bulls, and the New York Knicks held on to Rose and Anthony — the latter of whom would have had to waive his no-trade clause to make any deal occur anyway.

“I wasn’t concerned,” George said. “At the end of the day, I’m in a good situation. … I heard the rumors, different rumors, but I can’t control what was going to happen one way or another.”

The biggest moves of this trade season came long before deadline day.

Toronto getting forward Serge Ibaka from Orlando last week for Terrence Ross figures to improve the Raptors’ chances in the Eastern Conference, and Thursday’s move to land P.J. Tucker from Phoenix gives them another outstanding on-theball defender. And the deal for Cousins that went down on AllStar Sunday — in New Orleans, no less — gives the Pelicans a frontline like no other in the NBA with him now alongside Anthony Davis. Plus, Cleveland snagged Kyle Korver last month.

But for the most part, favorites and contenders stayed quiet Thursday.

“It is a delicate balance of short-term goals and long-term goals,” Celtics general manager Danny Ainge said. Boston has the chance to swap picks with Brooklyn in this year’s draft, and the Nets right now would be favored to win the lottery and hold the No. 1 pick — something the Celtics would grab, and any big addition made Thursday almost certainly would have cost them that chance.

Perhaps the most interesting moves Thursday were not trades at all. Dallas put five-time All-Star point guard Deron Williams on waivers, and a person briefed on the situation told The Associated Press that when Williams clears he plans to sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers, which would give LeBron James the extra playmaker he covets for the looming title defense.

“Obviously we have a great deal of interest, and we’ve said it for a long time, in a playmaker,” Cavaliers general manager David Griffin said. “I won’t speak to specific names just because nobody’s free currently that’s out there for us to talk about. But, obviously the need for a playmaker still exists … and we feel that we’ll be competitive in that market for sure.”