There was a flurry of activity around the NHL on Monday as its trade deadline arrived.
There were plenty of moves just before the NBA trade deadline as well, but that passed nearly three weeks ago.
It hasn’t been that way for very long. The NBA traditionally scheduled its trade deadline after the All-Star break but that changed a couple of years ago.
Players and executives grew weary of speculation regarding trades during All-Star weekend. That culminated in 2017, when a much healthier version of DeMarcus Cousins was dealt from Sacramento to New Orleans just after he represented the Western Conference in the All-Star festivities. The following year, the trade deadline was moved up to 10 days prior to the All-Star Game.
The league and its players have reaped some benefits from an earlier trade deadline. It removes the uncertainty surrounding the also-rans and teams on the fringe of the playoff race a lot sooner.
It also buys more time for those organizations to reach buyout agreements with some veterans who don’t figure in their long-term plans. For the contenders, it allows newly-acquired players a greater chance to gain chemistry with their new teammates and provides the coaches with more time to set rotations and determine their postseason approach.
On the flip side, it amounts to extended tank-a-thons for teams that are not in contention. Those teams are now playing out the string with makeshift lineups for over two months. An earlier trade deadline also kills off the anticipation of what teams might or might not do, which is often as exciting and intriguing to fans as the games themselves.
That brings us to our question of the day: Do you like the fact the NBA moved the trade deadline prior to the All-Star game a couple of years ago? Or would you prefer to see it switched back to later in the season?
Please take to the comments section to voice your opinion. We look forward to what you have to say.
I’m sure it will stay this way. Tanking has been addressed with pingpong ball allotment.
It did seem like the deadline got the jump on me this year.
I like it being earlier for the reasons explained in the article here. Let All*Star Weekend be a time for fun and relaxation. The players should already know where they’re going and their minds can back-channel process the move, instead of fidgeting and being nervous during what is meant to be a time for joy and respite. It confused me on 2K one year and I saved my file past the trade deadline by mistake, but I’m aware of it now. If a player is a likely buyout option or waive, then it also means (like we’ve just seen with DeMarree Carroll/Morris Twins) there’s more time for that, as mentioned up top.
I preferred it later. Never really cared for exhibition games or afew activities packaged as a competition. and having no actual games that weekend means a whole bunch of boredom. It was nice when we at least had some juicy trade rumors to sink our teeth into.
I like it early. Makes all star break more enjoyable for players and hopefully the league keeps the current format.
All stat weekend this season was a huge success but there is still room for growth with that. Better dunk judges? What to do with the celeb game?
All star game is better deadline.