Who won the unexpectedly wild 2023 NBA trade deadline?
The run-up to Thursday's 3 p.m. ET deadline was atypically quiet, with just one trade of significance (Rui Hachimura to the Los Angeles Lakers) completed before Sunday.
Kyrie Irving's request to be traded from the Brooklyn Nets opened the floodgates, sending him to the Dallas Mavericks and MVP teammate Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns in a pair of moves that reshaped the Western Conference landscape.
The final 24 hours before the deadline saw an incredible 16 trades completed involving 49 players (nearly 10% of the league's total) and 25 teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers reshuffling the deck to support stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis and the rival LA Clippers loading up with Eric Gordon, Bones Hyland and Mason Plumlee.
With the dust still clearing, which teams did the most to improve their chances of winning a championship this season? And which will be hurt by the results of their midseason moves or non-moves?
Let's break down the winners and losers of the NBA trade deadline.
Loser: Superteams
Winner: Superteams
Like a villain in a slasher flick, superteams are hard to kill.
