Where every NBA team stands heading into the second half

Added: Nikola Mirotic

Subtracted: Thon Maker, Jason Smith, four second-round picks

Outlook: The Bucks' outlook for the rest of the season is bright. They made one of the best moves of the trade deadline, adding a good three-point shooter and solid rebounder in Nikola Mirotic. The 28-year-old European power forward is a perfect floor spacer for Giannis Antetokounmpo. With the NBA's best record and a net rating close to 10 (10 or more in net rating means that team is one of the best regular-season teams of the decade), the Bucks have the look of a championship-level team. Don't sleep on the Bucks, people!

Added: None (unless you count DeMarcus Cousins)

Subtracted: None

Outlook: As it has been the past four years, the NBA championship is the Golden State's to lose. Just when it looked as though they might be vulnerable, their big offseason acquisition, DeMarcus Cousins, made his debut. In the 11 games since Cousins returned, the Warriors are 10-1. They're starting to throttle the opposition like they have in previous seasons too, beating legitimate teams like the Pacers and Spurs by more than 30 points. Barring an injury to Steph Curry or Kevin Durant, there is almost no way anyone beats this team four out of seven games in the playoffs.

Added: Marc Gasol, Jeremy Lin

Subtracted: Jonas Valanciunas, Delon Wright, CJ Miles, two second-round picks

Outlook: The Raptors were surprisingly active at the trade deadline, allegedly offering Kyle Lowry up in a deal for Mike Conley and Marc Gasol before ultimately landing Gasol for Jonas Valanciunas, Delon Wright and some pieces. The Raptors also signed Jeremy Lin in the buy-out market earlier this week. Despite being in the twilight of their respective careers, both Gasol and Lin can still make an impact in the playoffs. Gasol should be especially useful with his passing ability from the high post and three-point shooting. Toronto might not be the most talented team in the Eastern Conference, but it might be the toughest and most balanced. It shouldn't shock anyone if the Raptors win the East.

Added: None, (Isaiah Thomas?)

Subtracted: None

Outlook: Despite missing Paul Millsap, Gary Harris and Will Barton for significant chunks of the season, the young Nuggets are in second place in the Western Conference. They're essentially playing with found money this season. And they treated the trade deadline as such, refusing to sacrifice any of their young talent in win-now moves. Their challenge for the rest of the season will be figuring out how to keep everyone on their absurdly deep roster happy. (Seriously, they have 12 or 13 legitimate NBA rotation players on their team once Isaiah Thomas returns.) 

Added: Wes Matthews, Wade Baldwin

Subtracted: None

Outlook: The Pacers' outlook the rest of this season is nowhere near as bright as it appeared a couple of weeks ago, before star guard Victor Oladipo suffered a traumatic knee injury. Indiana went from being a dark horse Eastern Conference contender to a team with a second-round ceiling. With Myles Turner and a host of tough wings anchoring their defense, the Pacers will always have one of the better defenses in the NBA. However, their problem will be their lack of a go-to guy down the stretch of tight ball games. Domantas Sabonis has played like a star all season on offense, but he's not someone who can create his own shot. Perhaps Tyreke Evans or Aaron Holiday can combine to fill that role and help the Pacers upset one of the contenders in the first round.

Added: Nothing of substance

Subtracted: Nothing of substance

Outlook: While the Thunder weren't able to pull off any moves at the trade deadline, they will be active in the buyout market and may get defensive ace Andre Roberson back at some point during the stretch run. Regardless of what they do, the Thunder are a force to be reckoned with in the West. Paul George is a legitimate MVP candidate — seriously, he's averaging 29 points, eight rebounds and four assists per game while playing Defensive Player of the Year-type defense. Russell Westbrook, while he still can't hit a jumper, just set an NBA record with 10 straight triple-doubles. Steven Adams, Jerami Grant and the rest of the crew are also playing high-level, two-way basketball. If there's one team in the West that could theoretically give the Warriors problems in a playoff series, it's the Thunder.

Added: Nothing of substance (except a shot at Anthony Davis)

Subtracted: Nothing of substance

Outlook: Because the Pelicans did not trade Anthony Davis, everyone was quick to label the Celtics as a deadline "winner." While that is certainly great for Boston's future, people seem to be ignoring the fact that something is off with this current team. Despite having one of the most talented rosters and arguably the best coach in the league, Boston currently occupies the four-seed in the Eastern Conference. If the playoffs began today, the Celtics would have to play the 76ers in the first round. While they seem to own the Sixers, as seen by Tuesday night's victory over Philly without Kyrie Irving, there's no way the Celtics wants to play a team that talented at the outset of the playoffs. A first-round exit would be devastating for a team that many thought would be a sneaky good matchup against the Warriors in the finals before the season began. It'll be interesting to see if the young players like Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier learn to become stars in their bench roles down the stretch. If they don't, Boston might be in trouble this spring.

Added: Tobias Harris, James Ennis, Jonathon Simmons, Boban Marjanovic, Mike Scott, first-round pick, two second-round picks

Subtracted: Landry Shamet, Markelle Fultz, Wilson Chandler, Mike Muscala, two first-round picks, two second-round picks

Outlook: After cashing in his assets for Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris this season, general manager Elton Brand made it clear: The Process is over. The Sixers think they're ready to compete for championships now. Judging by their first two games with their Big Four of Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Butler and Harris, they might be right. Ironically, the biggest beneficiary of the new Big Four has been the fifth guy, JJ Redick, who was nine of his first 13 from three-point land in the first two games after the Harris trade. Philly has the talent to take anyone in the East and at least make a potential Warriors showdown a competitive series — there aren't many teams who can say that. At the same time, Philly will have to figure out how to play with one another in a short span of time to even make it out of the second round this spring.

Added: Rodney Hood, Skal Labissiere

Subtracted: Nik Stauskas, Wade Baldwin, Caleb Swanigan, two second-round picks

Outlook: As a close follower of the 2017-18 Cleveland Cavaliers, I must forewarn Blazers fans that Mr. Hood is, by no means, a difference maker. Think of him as a left-handed, less consistent version of Jeff Green. He looks like he should be good — he has the skills and athleticism to be a good three-and-D wing in the NBA — but he just doesn't produce the way you want him to most nights. Sure, he can be your team's backup small forward, but don't expect him to fill the multiyear void Portland has had at that position. The Blazers' outlook is pretty similar to what it has been the past few years: They're a second-round team at best. And there's nothing wrong with being a good team. It's just too bad that Damian Lillard seems poised to spend his entire prime on a good, not great, team. He deserves better!

Added: Iman Shumpert, second-round pick

Subtracted: James Ennis, Brandon Knight, Marquese Chriss, first-round pick, two second-round picks

Outlook: The Rockets headed into the trade deadline in need of a three-and-D wing, and they got themselves a solid three-and-D wing with championship experience in Iman Shumpert. Shumpert alone doesn't put them back on the same plane as last season's team, but picking up a good buyout candidate like Markieff Morris could. Morris is a little banged up right now, but a healthy Morris could give them the size and toughness at forward that they've lacked since losing Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute in free agency in the offseason. The Rockets are always going to have an excellent offense with James Harden at the helm, but their ability to defend will ultimately determine how far they advance in this year's playoffs.

Added: None

Subtracted: None

Outlook: Despite making a serious run at acquiring Mike Conley, the Jazz elected to stay put at the trade deadline. Conley certainly would have been an upgrade over Ricky Rubio but not enough to challenge Golden State. Thus, you can't hate on Utah too much for wanting to keep its cap space options open heading into the offseason (when Rubio and Derrick Favors come off the books). As far as the Jazz's outlook for the rest of this season goes, they should absolutely make the playoffs and have a shot at beating their first-round foe, like last season. I know the Jazz were hoping to compete for a spot in the Western Conference Finals this year, but a second-round ceiling isn't bad for a team with the 20th-ranked offense in the NBA. If they really wanted to make the WCF that badly, they would have traded for Conley.

Added: None

Subtracted: None

Outlook: Surprise, surprise. The Spurs decided to not make any moves at this year's trade deadline. But perhaps they should have? After starting the month hot, San Antonio has begun to falter a bit as its 23rd-ranked defense has reared its ugly head. As the seventh-place team in the Western Conference, the Spurs still have a little wiggle room, but they had better lock it up after the All-Star break because the Lakers, Clippers and Kings will certainly make a push for the playoffs. Perhaps Lonnie Walker IV and Derrick White will be able to inject a little youth and athleticism into their rotation once they return from their injuries after the break. We've learned to never underestimate coach Popovich, but this Spurs roster leaves a lot to be desired.

Added: Harrison Barnes, Alec Burks, Caleb Swanigan, second-round pick

Subtracted: Iman Shumpert, Justin Jackson, Skal Labissiere

Outlook: The League Pass darlings of the 2018-19 season made an interesting acquisition at the trade deadline, dealing for Harrison Barnes from the Mavericks. Barnes, who is 26, fits the Kings' timeline but not really their style of play, as he is more of an isolation player. Barnes is still a solid, multipositional defender and a consummate professional who will help the team both on and off the court as it prepares for the franchise's first playoff run in more than a decade. 

Added: Landry Shamet, Wilson Chandler, JaMychal Green, Garrett Temple, Ivica Zubac, Michael Beasley, two first-round picks, two second-round picks

Subtracted: Tobias Harris, Avery Bradley, Boban Marjanovic, Mike Scott

Outlook: Guys, I think the Lakers may have hired the wrong Laker legend to bring them back to prominence. If we're keeping a live score of the Jerry West- Magic Johnson card post-LeBron signing, it reads something like 10-8, 10-8, 10-8 in West's favor after three rounds. Not only do the Clippers have cap space for two max free agents this offseason, but they're also starting to accumulate a treasure chest of draft picks and young assets. The outlook for the rest of the Clippers season is a tricky one, but both paths are good. If they miss the playoffs (they're currently the nine seed), they get to keep their draft pick (which is lottery-protected the next two seasons before becoming two second-rounders). If they make the playoffs, they lose a mid-first round pick but give their young players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and newly acquired Landry Shamet some valuable playoff experience as rookies. They're playing with house money the rest of this season. You're pretty damn good at this, aren't you Jerry West?

Added: Greg Monroe, second-round pick (and Caris LeVert)

Subtracted: None

Outlook: Acquiring Greg Monroe won't change anything, but getting Caris LeVert back in the lineup after a scary foot injury earlier this season should. When LeVert went down, he was playing at a borderline All-Star level. Everyone expected the Nets to fall apart after the injury, but instead, D'Angelo Russell and Spencer Dinwiddie stepped up and kept the Nets afloat as the six seed. If LeVert can be a contributor after the All-Star break, the Nets will assuredly make the playoffs and be a tough out for whomever they draw in the first round.

Added: Not Anthony Davis, Reggie Bullock, Mike Muscala

Subtracted: Ivica Zubac, Michael Beasley, Svi Mykhailiuk, second-round pick

Outlook: Not great. After clumsily whiffing on Anthony Davis, the Lakers made a couple of moves for some three-point shooters and floor spacers. Hey, Magic, I think you should have been signing these types of players this summer instead of Michael Beasley, Lance Stephenson and the rest of the meme team. The Lakers are currently 28-29 and in 10th place in the Western Conference. It's getting close to panic time for LeBron James, as this is the latest one of his team's that has been under .500 since his rookie season. L.A. is in serious danger of missing the playoffs with a rough schedule down the stretch. Could a buyout market player like Markieff Morris help right the ship? Perhaps. However, judging by Magic Johnson's apparent fundamental misunderstanding of what constitutes a good player in today's NBA, I wouldn't be surprised if the Lakers' buyout signing is Carmelo Anthony (aka the same player Michael Beasley was for them).  

Added: Signed Shelvin Mack

Subtracted: None

Outlook: Boooo!!! This franchise has either the worst or second-worst outlook in the NBA (lookin' good, Detroit!) and did NOTHING at the trade deadline. If the Hornets really wanted to make the playoffs this season (which they do), they could have pulled the trigger on the Marc Gasol deal (which apparently got to the 1-yard line but fell apart because of draft pick restrictions). If they really wanted to brighten their future, they could have dealt at least one of their crummy contracts (or even Kemba Walker!). They did neither. Now, just like every year it seems, the Hornets will be fighting for the seven or eight seed. If they make it, they'll get annihilated by the Bucks or Raptors. If they don't make it, they'll have the worst pick in the lottery. Who's worse at putting a team together — Magic or Michael?

Added: Wayne Ellington, Thon Maker, Svi Mykhailiuk, second-round pick

Subtracted: Reggie Bullock, Stanley Johnson

Outlook: As previously referenced in the Hornets slide, the Pistons' long-term outlook is bleak. They have a bad roster besides Blake Griffin and maybe Andre Drummond. They also don't have much in the way of cap space going forward. Griffin, who is playing some of the best basketball of his career, is good enough to carry a bad roster to an eight seed, but no further — that's your outlook for this season, Detroit fans. 

Added: Kristaps Porzingis, Tim Hardaway Jr., Courtney Lee, Trey Burke, Justin Jackson, 

Subtracted: Dennis Smith Jr., DeAndre Jordan, Harrison Barnes, Wesley Matthews, two first-round picks

Outlook: The Mavericks were a clear-cut winner of this year's trade deadline after acquiring Kristaps Porzingis. Now, armed with Luka Doncic and Porzingis, Dallas is set up beautifully for the next decade. The Mavs' outlook on this season is less sunny, but it'd probably be best if they finished with the eighth- or ninth-worst record, as those teams have the best odds of jumping into the top five of the draft on lottery night, and their draft pick conveys to the Hawks this summer if it doesn't fall in the top five.

Added: None

Subtracted: None

Outlook: When your team's second-best player and leader (Jimmy Butler) demands a trade before the season and your head coach gets fired, you chalk it up as a lost season and move on. At least that appears to be the approach the T-Wolves are taking this season, as they made no moves at the trade deadline. Unless they catch fire after the break, Minnesota will miss the playoffs, which is a disappointing result considering the buzz this team had after the Jimmy Butler trade two summers ago. The best the T-Wolves can hope for the rest of the way is for Andrew Wiggins to make a leap and become a more consistent player instead of trying to re-enact Jeff Green's career.

Added: Ryan Anderson

Subtracted: Tyler Johnson, Wayne Ellington

Outlook: At 25-30 and in ninth place in the Eastern Conference, the Heat essentially swapped bad contracts and gave away Wayne Ellington at the deadline. They probably won't make the playoffs, which is pathetic considering how bad the bottom of the Eastern Conference is. At least we'll get some good Dwyane Wade moments, like his block on Kevin Durant's fadeaway  at the end of their recent game against the Warriors. Poor Erik Spoelstra. He deserves better than this. Can we trade him to the Lakers this offseason somehow? 

Added: Markelle Fultz

Subtracted: Jonathon Simmons, first-round pick, second-round pick

Outlook: The Magic had an interesting trade deadline, as they made a savvy long-term move by acquiring Markelle Fultz but didn't use Nikola Vucevic's and/or Terrence Ross' expiring contracts to get them some first-round draft picks or younger assets. Maybe those trades weren't out there for Orlando, but it's more likely that ownership wanted the Magic to compete for the playoffs. (They're currently 1.5 games out of the eight seed.) Consider me skeptical — this is the Magic we're talking about here. Their second-best player after Vucevic is Aaron Gordon playing out of position at small forward. That's not a playoff team; come on!

Added: Stanley Johnson, Jason Smith, five second-round picks

Subtracted: Nikola Mirotic, Wesley Johnson

Outlook: Thanks to Adrian Wojnarowski, the Pelicans' trade deadline activities (or lack thereof) were well-documented and played out in public as they elected not to trade Anthony Davis to the Lakers. One player they did trade, however, was Nikola Mirotic, for whom they received four second-round draft picks. Not a bad haul, but why didn't they trade Julius Randle, who has a player option that he'll certainly turn down? Or E'Twaun Moore? Hell, why didn't they sell high on Jrue Holiday? New Orleans missed an opportunity to hit the full reset button at the deadline and tank for a good draft pick to pair with whatever Davis yields them this offseason. 

Added: Jabari Parker, Bobby Portis, Wesley Johnson, protected second-round pick

Subtracted: Otto Porter Jr., Markieff Morris, second-round pick

Outlook: Let's see. The Wizards got out from under Otto Porter's contract while acquiring two dudes who know how to take a really dope photograph together (Bobby Portis and Jabari Parker). The Porter deal was actually a good move by the Wizards, as they cleared some cap space and gave themselves an opportunity to evaluate Portis (who has played great so far) before they have to decide whether to offer him an extension this offseason. Despite all of the John Wall drama, the Wizards are only three games out of the eight seed heading into the All-Star break. They probably won't make the playoffs, but it was a better trade deadline performance than we've come to expect from Ernie Grunfeld.

Added: Jonas Valanciunas, Delon Wright, Avery Bradley, Tyler Dorsey, CJ Miles, second-round pick

Subtracted: Marc Gasol, JaMychal Green, Garrett Temple, Shelvin Mack

Outlook: RIP to the Grit'N'Grind era in Memphis. Although Mike Conley still remains with the team to help the younger players like Jaren Jackson Jr. continue to develop, the team traded Marc Gasol up north to the Toronto Raptors. The Grizzlies' outlook on the rest of the season is obviously grim from a winning perspective, as they won't be doing much of that for a couple of years. However, that's actually a good thing if they want to retain their draft pick this summer (which is top-eight protected this year, top-six protected the next year, then unprotected). Ideally, they can tank their way into a top-three pick and then trade Conley this offseason for some assets, all while developing Jackson into a superstar. No problem, right?

Added: Nothing of substance

Subtracted: Tyler Dorsey, Jeremy Lin

Outlook: The Hawks were pretty tame at the trade deadline mostly because they didn't have many desirable expiring contracts (although it's surprising they held onto Dewayne Dedmon), and weren't going to trade any of their young prospects. Atlanta's outlook is actually a little better than their fans were hoping for right now because they're playing themselves out of a shot at Zion Williamson by winning too many games. That's OK, though. When you have young prospects like John Collins, Trae Young and Kevin Huerter playing as well as they have lately, they have to be able to grow and develop together even if it means lessening the chances at a once-in-a-generation-type athlete...or is it?

Added: Otto Porter Jr. 

Subtracted: Jabari Parker, Bobby Portis, second-round pick

Outlook: The reviews have been mixed on the Bulls' trade for Otto Porter. On one hand, they have a younger, above-average starter locked in on a long-term deal. On the other hand, they're stuck paying an above-average starter a max contract for the next couple of seasons. Know what would alleviate the Bulls fans' anxiety about whether Porter is the right small forward for their team? Landing one of the top two picks in the draft and taking Zion Williamson or Ja Morant. Tank away, Bulls!!

Added: Brandon Knight, Marquese Chriss, Nik Stauskas, lottery-protected first-round pick, two second-round picks

Subtracted: Rodney Hood, Alec Burks

Outlook: The Cavaliers once again had a solid trade deadline (albeit their team direction was trending the opposite direction after last year's deadline). Cleveland took on a couple of low-risk, high-reward projects in Marquese Chriss and Nik Stauskas. They also acquired a couple of solid draft picks for two average-to-below-average wings (Hood and Burks). Maybe Brandon Knight, who is 27, can step in and be an effective stop-gap point guard to keep Collin Sexton from developing too many bad habits from a high-usage rate. All that being said, the Cavs should be actively trying to lose every game the rest of the season for a shot at a kid who is generating the kind of buzz LeBron James generated as a prospect: Zion Williamson.

Added: Tyler Johnson

Subtracted: Ryan Anderson

Outlook: While this was a "blah" contract swap for the Heat, this deal might help out the Suns more because of their horrendous depth at point guard. Tyler Johnson isn't the long-term fit at point guard in Phoenix, but he at least is a professional who can play the position well enough to allow Devin Booker to continue to develop his off-the-ball skills. (Phoenix has begun to use Booker in a James Harden-lite role, but he's still a good off-ball player and should be simultaneously developing on- and off-ball skills at this point in his career.) As far as an outlook for the rest of this season goes, the Suns should continue to do exactly what they've been doing: tanking and trying to develop Booker, Josh Jackson and Deandre Ayton. 

Added: Dennis Smith Jr., DeAndre Jordan, Wesley Matthews, two first-round picks

Subtracted: Kristaps Porzingis, Courtney Lee, Tim Hardaway Jr., Trey Burke

Outlook: With the Porzingis trade, the Knicks set the wheels in motion for a potentially brilliant plan that could take them from the worst team in the league to being a contender next season. After ridding themselves of Courtney Lee and Tim Hardaway Jr.'s contracts, the Knicks now have two max cap slots for this summer — rumored to be reserved for Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. When you add in the fact that they'll probably have the best odds at landing Zion Williamson (or a shot at trading for Anthony Davis), this offseason will be the most important one since the frozen envelope for Patrick Ewing in 1985. May the tanking gods be with you, New York.