By Tim Bontemps, Brian Windhorst | ESPN, 2025-02-28 20:00:00
由生成式人工智能翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
三周前，我们见证了可以说是NBA历史上最引人注目的交易截止日。最受关注的是卢卡·东契奇(Luka Doncic)和安东尼·戴维斯(Anthony Davis)的惊天互换，但那笔无人预料到的交易远非唯一改变联盟格局的交易。
其中包括：吉米·巴特勒三世(Jimmy Butler III)与迈阿密热火之间长达数月的闹剧以一笔交易至金州勇士而告终。达龙·福克斯(De’Aaron Fox)从萨克拉门托国王队提出的交易申请被批准，为维克托·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)和圣安东尼奥马刺队创造了他们希望成为下一个冠军二人组的机会。密尔沃基雄鹿队交易了前全明星克里斯·米德尔顿(Khris Middleton)，并交易得到了凯尔·库兹马(Kyle Kuzma)，以加强他们的季后赛之旅。联盟领先的克利夫兰骑士队也在边缘进行了一笔交易，增加了锋卫摇摆人德安德烈·亨特(De’Andre Hunter)，以便更好地对阵卫冕冠军波士顿凯尔特人队。
在我们每周一次的NBA观察中，我们邀请了联盟球探、高管和总经理来评估所有新球员在各自球队中的表现，以及在冲击季后赛的过程中，各支球队的未来走向。
跳转至以下部分： \
为何湖人“摧毁了交易截止日”\
巴特勒的加盟堪比前总决赛MVP \
暗藏的截止日赢家？ Klutch Sports\
边缘交易带来东部重要影响
联盟仍然对东契奇-戴维斯的互换感到震惊
温德霍斯特： 如果你认为你已经听到了足够多的关于当东契奇-戴维斯交易曝光时，整个NBA有多么震惊的消息，相信我，那仍然只是联盟内部真实反应的一小部分。
“湖人赢得了截止日？湖人摧毁了截止日，”一位总经理说。
邦坦普斯： 很难找到达拉斯-沃斯堡都市区以外的任何人会质疑湖人-独行侠的交易对洛杉矶有利。但联盟中的许多人赞扬达拉斯总经理尼科·哈里森(Nico Harrison)坚持自己的信念。人们没有忘记，在交易发生后的两队首次交锋中，他就在周二的洛杉矶比赛中坐在前排。
但这并不能改变东契奇是一位天赋异禀的球员的事实，他比戴维斯年轻好几年。而且，即使他在因小腿受伤缺席数周后正在重建自己的体能和状态，他已经展示了他能做的事情，在他过去的三场比赛中，他总共得到了72分、38个篮板和24次助攻。
“他还没有达到最佳状态，但他已经让贾克森·海斯(Jaxson Hayes)看起来更好了，”一位西部联盟高管说。“你可以看到未来的计划。”
温德霍斯特： 湖人和独行侠可能会在这次交易真正被评估之前采取后续行动。湖人已经尝试了一次——撤回了夏洛特黄蜂队中锋马克·威廉姆斯(Mark Williams)的交易——并且肯定会在今年夏天考虑更多的举动来加强东契奇的适应性。至于独行侠，哈里森可能会成为很多批评的目标，但他有一群忠实的支持者，他们坚持认为人们应该等到戴维斯开始定期比赛，看看哈里森如何在今年夏天改善球队阵容后再下最终判断。
邦坦普斯： 独行侠的问题是他们是否能够保持健康，以便看看这支球队在季后赛中能做什么。戴维斯、丹尼尔·加福德(Daniel Gafford)和德里克·莱夫利二世(Dereck Lively II)都继续因伤缺阵，球队的第13或14人德怀特·鲍威尔(Dwight Powell)是目前唯一可用的内线球员。
达拉斯最好的情况是什么？菲尼克斯太阳队已经输掉了14场比赛中的11场，这让步履蹒跚的独行侠有一些回旋余地来承受伤病，并留在附加赛的混战中。
吉米·巴特勒立即在湾区获得回报
温德霍斯特： 自吉米·巴特勒首秀以来，勇士队的战绩为7胜1负，毫无疑问，他为他们的进攻带来了平衡，并在防守端展现了多才多艺。金州勇士队对彼此的赞扬很高，德雷蒙德·格林(Draymond Green)宣称并再次强调他相信勇士队有能力赢得本赛季的总冠军。
“有趣的是，金州勇士队更喜欢交易得到[凯文]杜兰特(Kevin Durant)，而吉米只想去菲尼克斯，”一位联盟高管说。“现在他们似乎认为他们做出了完美的举动。”
邦坦普斯： 巴特勒能够立即融入勇士队并不奇怪。像他这样在球场内外都如此聪明的球员总是会与斯蒂芬·库里(Stephen Curry)相适应。正如一位高管指出的那样，巴特勒的加入类似于2013年安德烈·伊戈达拉(Andre Iguodala)的到来——在勇士王朝时期，与库里无缝衔接的防守型球员。（伊戈达拉的勇士9号球衣刚刚在周末退役。）
另一位高管指出了自交易以来，像布兰丁·波杰姆斯基(Brandin Podziemski)和摩西·穆迪(Moses Moody)这样的年轻球员——现在是全职首发——的新信心，并赞扬巴特勒帮助激发了这一点。
Klutch Sports在福克斯、英格拉姆的交易中获得了两次截止日胜利
温德霍斯特： 在调查联盟以获取对交易截止日后果的意见时，有一位预期的赢家被宣布。
“赢家是Klutch，”一位联盟高管说，指的是经纪人里奇·保罗(Rich Paul)的公司。“他们差点就满垒全垒打了。”
保罗策划了福克斯从萨克拉门托到他在圣安东尼奥的首选目的地的离开，在那里他可以在今年夏天获得一份大额续约合同。作为同一笔交易的一部分，保罗终于能够让扎克·拉文(Zach LaVine)离开芝加哥——在他自己提出交易要求一年多之后——前往萨克拉门托。在布兰登·英格拉姆(Brandon Ingram)提出从新奥尔良鹈鹕队被交易的请求后，Klutch还能够让英格拉姆在多伦多获得一份为期三年、价值1.2亿美元的续约合同（在最后一年有一个意外的球员选项）。
邦坦普斯： 然而，从团队成功的角度来看，这三人都发现自己身处不确定的境地。当然，圣安东尼奥交易得到福克斯，希望有时间让他和文班亚马在未来几个月一起打球。然而，当文班亚马因肩部深静脉血栓而赛季报销时，这种情况就消失了。
与此同时，拉文已经很好地适应了国王队。但是拉文、马利克·蒙克(Malik Monk)和德玛尔·德罗赞(DeMar DeRozan)同时上场让对方球探怀疑他们是否会坚持这个三人组的首发阵容，或者可能会将其中一人（可能是蒙克）换成科恩·埃利斯(Keon Ellis)，以便让萨克拉门托拥有一个更平衡的首发阵容，而不是一个只有基冈·穆雷(Keegan Murray)作为平均水平或更好的防守者。
然后是英格拉姆，他仍然因脚踝受伤而缺席垫底的猛龙队的比赛，目前尚不清楚他何时会为他们首秀，如果他会的话。
温德霍斯特： 然而，“差点全垒打”指的是湖人队用Klutch的客户戴维斯交易得到东契奇，有效地取代了勒布朗·詹姆斯(LeBron James)作为球队的权力经纪人。无论你想如何看待湖人队中的这个位置，戴维斯在达拉斯显然很满意，并且距离有机会延长合同还有一年的时间，独行侠队非常有动力这样做，因为他们用自己的特权球员交易了他。
较小的交易仍然可能产生重大影响
邦坦普斯： 到目前为止，我们所检查过的所有球员都入选过全明星队，并且将来也可能入选。但是，东部的一些关键角色球员更换了球队，并且可能在赛季剩余时间的走向中发挥重要作用——特别是雄鹿队的库兹马和骑士队的亨特。
鲍比·波蒂斯(Bobby Portis)因违反联盟药物政策而被禁赛25场比赛，这放大了库兹马在雄鹿队的重要性。“你只是用他取代了波蒂斯，”一位球探说，“所以拥有他确实有一些真正的效用。”
人们还认为，库兹马可能会受益于与扬尼斯·安特托昆博(Giannis Antetokounmpo)和达米安·利拉德(Damian Lillard)这样的球星一起打球——就像他职业生涯早期在洛杉矶与詹姆斯和戴维斯一起打球一样——而不是他在重建的华盛顿奇才队中作为一线球员的角色。“这是一种截然不同的情况，”一位高管说。
温德霍斯特： 联盟高管指出了德安德烈·亨特给克利夫兰带来的适应性。骑士队冒险改变了他们出色的球队化学反应，交易了卡里斯·勒韦尔(Caris LeVert)，勒韦尔正处于他在克利夫兰的最佳赛季中，目的是为了在外线获得更大的体型。
“我不认为亨特自从穿上那件球衣后就投丢过球，”一位球探说。
好吧，他投丢了一些。亨特的三分球命中率为57%，并且已经无缝地融入了克利夫兰的体系。自从亨特加入骑士队以来，骑士队的战绩为6胜0负，平均胜分为23分。当他在场上时，克利夫兰队已经是正46分了。
邦坦普斯： 特别是在与波士顿的潜在系列赛中，骑士队的阵容缺少任何能够防守全NBA侧翼杰森·塔图姆(Jayson Tatum)和杰伦·布朗(Jaylen Brown)的人。
亨特会独自阻止他们吗？不会。但是，他和迪恩·韦德(Dean Wade)的组合让克利夫兰的小前锋位置拥有了48分钟的体型和投篮能力，这是勒韦尔和乔治·尼昂(Georges Niang)所不具备的。
“对于与波士顿竞争来说，他是一个完美的人选，”一位球探谈到亨特的影响时说。“他不是[防守端的]终结者。但他至少可以给他们带来麻烦。”
点击查看原文：NBA intel -- Scouts, execs' report cards on Luka, Butler, Fox deals
NBA intel – Scouts, execs’ report cards on Luka, Butler, Fox deals
Three weeks ago, we witnessed arguably the most remarkable trade deadline in NBA history. The headliner was the shocking swap of Luka Doncic and Anthony Davis, but the deal that no one saw coming was far from the only league-altering transaction.
Among them: The monthslong Jimmy Butler III-Miami Heat saga ended with a deal to the Golden State Warriors. De’Aaron Fox’s trade request from the Sacramento Kings was granted, creating what Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs hope will be their next championship duo. The Milwaukee Bucks traded former All-Star Khris Middleton and acquired Kyle Kuzma in a deal to bolster their playoff run. The NBA-leading Cleveland Cavaliers made a move on the margins, adding wing De’Andre Hunter to better match up with the defending champion Boston Celtics.
In our weekly look around the NBA, we asked league scouts, execs and general managers to evaluate how all the new players have looked in their respective homes and what the future holds for all the various teams involved during the push to the postseason.
Jump to a section:\
**Why the Lakers ‘annihilated the deadline’\
Butler add resembles former Finals MVP** \
**Sneaky deadline winner? Klutch Sports\
Margin moves with big East implications**
The league still can’t get over the Doncic-Davis swap
Windhorst: If you think you’ve heard a sufficient amount about how alarmed the entire NBA was when the Doncic-Davis trade became known, trust it’s still just a fragment of the reality of the reaction within the league.
“Did the Lakers win the deadline? The Lakers annihilated the deadline,” one general manager said.
Bontemps: It’s hard to find anyone outside the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex who would dispute that the Lakers-Mavs trade was lopsidedly in L.A.'s favor. But many people around the league credit Dallas general manager Nico Harrison for standing on his convictions. It wasn’t lost on people that he was front and center in Los Angeles for Tuesday’s first meeting between the two teams since the deal.
None of that changes the fact that Doncic is a generational talent who is several years younger than Davis. And, even as he’s rebuilding his stamina and conditioning after being out several weeks due to a calf injury, he’s already showing what he can do, highlighted by a combined 72 points, 38 rebounds and 24 assists over his past three games.
“He isn’t in shape yet and he’s already making Jaxson Hayes look better,” a Western Conference executive said. “You can see the plan moving forward.”
Windhorst: The Lakers and Mavericks are likely to have follow-up moves before this transaction can truly be assessed. The Lakers already attempted one – the rescinded trade for Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams – and will surely look at more moves this summer to bolster the Doncic fit. As for the Mavs, Harrison may be the target of plenty of criticism, but he has a devoted group of supporters that insist people should wait until Davis starts playing regularly and see how Harrison improves the roster this summer before passing final judgement.
Bontemps: The question for the Mavericks becomes whether they’ll be healthy enough to see what this group can do in the playoffs. Davis, Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II all continue to be sidelined with injuries, leaving Dwight Powell – the team’s 13th or 14th man – as the only current usable big.
The best thing Dallas has going? The Phoenix Suns have lost 11 of 14, giving the reeling Mavericks some wiggle room to withstand their injuries and remain in the play-in mix.
Jimmy Buckets immediately paying dividends by the Bay
Windhorst: The Warriors are 7-1 since Jimmy Butler made his debut, and there’s no question he has provided balance to their offense while showing versatility on defense. The praise for one another is high in Golden State, with Draymond Green declaring and then doubling down on his belief that the Warriors are equipped to win the title this season.
“The funny thing is Golden State preferred to trade for [Kevin] Durant, and Jimmy only wanted to go to Phoenix,” one league executive said. “And now they seem to think they’ve made the perfect move.”
Bontemps: It’s no surprise Butler has instantly slotted in with the Warriors. A player with his level of smarts on and off the ball was always going to fit with Stephen Curry. And, as one executive pointed out, the addition of Butler resembles Andre Iguodala’s arrival in 2013 – a seamless defensive-minded fit next to Curry during the Warriors’ dynastic run. (Iguodala just had his Warriors No. 9 jersey retired over the weekend.)
Another executive pointed to the newfound confidence of young players like Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody – now full-time starters – since the trade and credited Butler for helping bring that out.
Klutch Sports gets a pair of deadline wins in Fox, Ingram deals
Windhorst: When canvassing the league to get opinions on trade deadline fallout, there was one expected winner declared.
“The winner is Klutch,” a league executive said, referring to agent Rich Paul’s firm. “They almost hit a grand slam.”
Paul engineered Fox’s departure from Sacramento to his preferred destination in San Antonio, where he is in position to get a large contract extension this summer. And, as part of the same deal, Paul was able to finally get Zach LaVine out of Chicago – more than a year after he made his own trade demand – to Sacramento. Klutch also was able to land Brandon Ingram a three-year, $120 million contract extension (with an unexpected player option in the last year) in Toronto after he got his request to be traded from the New Orleans Pelicans.
Bontemps: All three, however, find themselves in uncertain situations from a team success standpoint. San Antonio, of course, traded for Fox expecting to have a runway to see him and Wembanyama play together for the next couple of months. That went out the window, though, when Wembanyama was lost for the season due to deep vein thrombosis in his shoulder.
LaVine, meanwhile, has settled well with the Kings. But the combination of LaVine, Malik Monk and DeMar DeRozan all playing at the same time has left opposing scouts wondering if they’re going to stick with the trio in the starting lineup or potentially flip one of them (likely Monk) for Keon Ellis to give Sacramento a more balanced starting group rather than one with only Keegan Murray as an average or better defender.
Then there’s Ingram, who remains sidelined with an ankle injury for the bottom-feeding Raptors, and it’s unclear when, if at all, he’ll debut for them this season.
Windhorst: The “almost grand slam,” though, is a reference to the Lakers trading Klutch client Davis for Doncic, effectively displacing LeBron James as the franchise power broker. However you want to process that position on the Lakers, Davis is outwardly content in Dallas and is a year away from a chance to extend his contract, which the Mavs are highly incentivized to do having traded their franchise player for him.
Smaller deals could still have a major impact
Bontemps: All of the players we’ve checked off so far have made All-Star teams and could still in the future. But there were key role players who changed teams in the East and could play a significant part in how the rest of the season will shake out – specifically Kuzma in Milwaukee and Hunter in Cleveland.
Kuzma’s importance with the Bucks was amplified by Bobby Portis’ 25-game game suspension for violating the league’s drug policy. “You just replaced Portis with him,” a scout said, “so there’s some real utility in having him.”
There’s also a belief that Kuzma could benefit from playing alongside stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard – like he did early in his career in Los Angeles with James and Davis – as opposed to his role as a frontline player with the rebuilding Washington Wizards. “It’s a way, way different situation,” an executive said.
Windhorst: League executives pointed to the fit De’Andre Hunter brings to Cleveland. The Cavs risked their excellent team chemistry by moving Caris LeVert, who was in the midst of his best season in Cleveland, in the deal to gain more size on the perimeter.
“I don’t think Hunter has missed a shot since he put on that uniform,” one scout said.
Well, he’s missed a few. Hunter is shooting 57% on 3-pointers and has fit into Cleveland’s scheme seamlessly. The Cavs are 6-0 with an average margin of victory of 23 points since Hunter joined them. Cleveland is already a plus-46 when he’s been on the floor.
Bontemps: In a potential series with Boston, in particular, the Cavaliers’ roster was lacking anyone equipped to defend All-NBA wings Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Is Hunter going to stop them by himself? No. But, the combination of he and Dean Wade gives Cleveland 48 minutes of size and shooting at the small forward spot in a way that LeVert and Georges Niang did not.
“He’s a picture-perfect guy for contending with Boston,” a scout said of Hunter’s impact. “He’s not a stopper [defensively]. But he can at least give them trouble.”
By Tim Bontemps, Brian Windhorst | ESPN, via ESPN