Relive some of Aaron Gordon's best plays in the 2023 NBA Finals!
The 2024 NBA trade deadline falls on Thursday, and all around the league contenders burn the midnight oil looking to add potential upgrades to gain an edge on the competition for the upcoming postseason push.
Sometimes, these moves provide an immediate impact. Other times, the significance of trades manifests over time, as the players and teams adjust.
Here’s a quick look at six recent trades that helped fuel NBA titles:
1. Kawhi Leonard to Raptors
2019: Toronto defeats Golden State 4-2
Trade impact: Seeking a change of scenery from San Antonio, Leonard was traded during the 2018 offseason to the Toronto Raptors in a deal that included Danny Green, who joined his former Spurs teammate in Toronto for another title run.
Leonard’s seminal moment came in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals against Philadelphia, when he hit the game-winning shot over Joel Embiid at the buzzer. That shot bounced off the rim four times, eventually falling as the first buzzer-beater in a Game 7 in NBA history.
Leonard and the Raptors moved on to blast Golden State 4-2 in the NBA Finals, as the forward became the first to win Finals MVP with a team from each conference.
2. Marc Gasol to Raptors
2019: Toronto defeats Golden State 4-2
Trade impact: After the acquisition of Leonard, the Raptors brought in Gasol at the February trade deadline from Memphis in exchange for Jonas Valanciunas, Delon Wright, C.J. Miles and a 2024 second-round pick.
At the time, then Raptors coach Nick Nurse hoped the big man would provide the squad “a settling force” when it reached the postseason.
Despite coming off the bench to start his tenure, Gasol started all 24 games of the Raptors’ championship run, averaging 9.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocks. He pumped up the production with 12 ppg and 7.3 rpg in the Finals, posting a postseason-high 20 points in Game 1.
3. Anthony Davis to Lakers
2020: L.A. defeats Miami 4-2
Trade impact: Like the Leonard saga in San Antonio, the Davis trade to Los Angeles in 2019 came after a standoff between the player and organization, which eventually led to Davis requesting a trade.
The Lakers landed Davis from New Orleans in exchange for a treasure trove of players, picks and cash. The power forward rewarded Los Angeles’ efforts with a 2020 championship from the NBA bubble in Orlando alongside LeBron James.
Davis dropped 34 points in his first Finals outing, then 32 in Game 2 as the Lakers demolished Miami 4-2 in the series for their 17th title. Davis averaged 27.7 ppg, 9.7 rpg and 3.5 apg that postseason.
4. Andrew Wiggins to Warriors
2022: Golden State defeats Boston 4-2
Trade impact: The Warriors moved D’Angelo Russell, Jacob Evans, Omari Spellman and a 2021 first-round pick to Minnesota in February of 2020 for Wiggins, a protected 2021 first-round pick and a 2021 second-round pick.
The trade wouldn’t pay dividends until two seasons later.
Wiggins started 71 games for Golden State in his first full season (2020-21) with the team before putting together a breakthrough campaign in 2021-22 that led to the forward earning his first and only NBA All-Star nod.
During Golden State’s title run in 2022, Wiggins ranked second on the team in minutes and fourth in points, and he often took on the toughest defensive assignments on the perimeter against star players such as Luka Doncic and Jayson Tatum.
5. Jrue Holiday to Bucks
2021: Milwaukee defeats Phoenix 4-2
Trade impact: For the second straight season, New Orleans moved a standout player that would lead his new team to a championship, shipping off Holiday ahead of the 2020-21 season.
In each of the previous two seasons, Milwaukee posted the league’s best regular-season record only to fall short in the playoffs. The Holiday trade proved to be a game changer for the organization and the player, who was competing for a legitimate title contender for the first time.
Milwaukee’s 2021 playoff run marked Holiday’s fifth playoff appearance. Before then, the two-way guard hadn’t advanced past the conference semifinals. He averaged 17.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg and 8.7 apg in helping the Bucks win the 2021 NBA title.
6. Aaron Gordon to Nuggets
2023: Denver defeats Miami 4-1
Trade impact: Denver brought in Gordon, the No. 4 pick of the 2014 draft, at the trade deadline in 2021 from the Orlando Magic for Gary Harris, R.J. Hampton and a first-round pick.
Once a do-it-all forward for the Magic, the high-flying Gordon could take on a more defined role in Denver alongside two-time Kia MVP Nikola Jokic and star guard Jamal Murray. Gordon started 75 games in his first full season (2021-22), which ended in five games of the first round of the playoffs against Golden State.
Year 2 for Gordon in Denver brought the veteran a championship. He averaged 13.3 ppg, 6 rpg and 2.6 apg in 20 games last season in the playoffs.
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Michael C. Wright is a senior writer for NBA.com. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on X.
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