NBA Trade Season is all-consuming
In the spirit of the onrushing Feb. 9 trade deadline, allow me to introduce the concept of "stories to be named later"
As January comes to a close, I have to laugh at myself.
My 2023 began with big dreams and bold claims. I teased the publication of a full-fledged mailbag “early" in the new year. I also planned, heading into each of the last two Tuesdays, to assemble a fresh batch of Power Rankings.
Nope.
And nope.
I should know by now that January is way too chaotic to stray too far from Trade Deadline coverage. I should know better. But experience clearly doesn't insulate me from a misread or three ... even in my 30th season.
I promise that the mailbag and a piping hot batch of Power Rankings from The Committee (of One) are indeed coming soon — consider them stories to be named later that will indeed publish soon after the trade deadline. At the moment, with nine days to go until the Feb. 9 trade buzzer, it's wiser to focus on pieces like the one I posted late Monday that packaged everything good I heard over the weekend.
Here it is again if you missed it:
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Nostalgia Time
The tremendous tweet below that circulated Monday got my nostalgic attention because I had the privilege of covering Magic Johnson’s comeback with the 1995-96 Lakers as the team’s beat writer for The Los Angeles Daily News.
Press row was right on the baseline at The Fabulous Forum and Magic rumbled for an unforgettable near-triple-double in his return game. The energy in the building pulsates throughout the assembled clips, which include TV commentary from both the national crew that night (Turner’s Bob Neal and Hubie Brown) and the Lakers’ legendary duo of Chick Hearn and Stu Lantz.
Magic’s second game after a nearly five-year absence came a few days later against Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Phil Jackson and the 72-win Bulls. I discussed it here as part of the buildup to The Last Dance docuseries and still rank that Friday night at The Forum as the most anticipated regular-season game I have ever experienced.
Beautiful memories. That was my third season as a full-time NBA beat writer and I think I came up with a decent line in the midst of it all, referring to No. 32 in print as “Magic Mountain” because he came back as a power forward.
Or make that a point power forward.
Numbers Game
🏀 58
A league-record 58 players were moved last season during the final week before the trade deadline, according to research from my pal Alberto De Roa of HoopsHype. With more and more future free agents signing contract extensions before they reach the open market every season, teams leaguewide are increasingly prioritizing trades in their team-building.
🏀 51.3
More evidence to suggest that the trade market holds ever-growing appeal for teams to upgrade their rosters: Over the past four seasons, according to De Roa, an average of 51.3 players were moved during the final week of trade season. Across the 10 seasons prior to 2018-19, that average was just 36.9 players.
🏀 8
In our latest Monday Musings, we noted that Toronto’s Nick Nurse is one of just eight active NBA coaches with a championship on their résumés. The other seven: San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich (five), Golden State’s Steve Kerr (four), Miami’s Erik Spoelstra (two), Milwaukee’s Mike Budenholzer, Indiana’s Rick Carlisle, Philadelphia’s Doc Rivers and the LA Clippers’ Tyronn Lue.
🏀 78.0
As we near the two-thirds mark of the regular season, free-throw shooting leaguewide continues to be better than it’s ever been. The league average at the line, entering Tuesday’s play, was still at 78.0%. There have only been six other seasons in NBA history, according to Basketball Reference, that the figure landed in the 77s, topped by a mark of 77.8% in 2020-21.
🏀 50
Make it 19 games this season, tying last season’s total, in which an NBA player has scored at least 50 points. The list, of course, is topped by Donovan Mitchell’s 71-point game and 60-pointers for Luka Dončić and Damian Lillard. Luka has posted four games with at least 50 points this season; Giannis Antetokounmpo, Devin Booker, Joel Embiid and Dame have two each.
🏀 0
Chicago’s Lonzo Ball (four), Miami’s Ömer Yurtseven (three), Phoenix’s Jae Crowder (two), Denver’s Collin Gillespie (two) and Portland’s Ibou Badji (one) all received All-Star votes from fellow players despite appearing in zero games thus far this season. (H/T to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press for the research.)
🏀 1982
Quite a month for Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid:
🏀 7
Yes: I will have streamed all seven hours blaring on one of my phones by Tuesday night. And yes: I refuse to relent on my pleas to Peacock to make Sky Sports News more frequently available on its app, at the very least, opposed to just making this a Transfer Window Deadline Day treat. I need my Sky Sports News!
I know this isn’t trade related, per se. But any sense of what Russ’ market looks like in free agency this summer?