Winners and losers: Orlando keeps Howard, Portland sinks deeper into abyss

It was an NBA trading deadline notable for the players who did not get traded (with the Magic’s Dwight Howard headlining that list) as those who did (Lakers stalwart Derek Fisher, for example). It was, as many front-office executives foresaw, scant on blockbusters, with players like Nene, Andrew Bogut, Monta Ellis and Gerald Wallace the big names being moved.

But still, this year’s deadline did produce some maneuvers of note. And with maneuvers come winners and losers:

WINNERS
Alex Martins. Give Martins, the Magic CEO, a ton of credit—when most of us had written off Dwight Howard as a guy who has had one foot out of Orlando since December, Martins never gave up on the idea that Howard did not really want to leave and that he could be convinced to stay, even as Howard was being tugged by more lucrative business interests in bigger markets.

Of course, the Magic only bought themselves one more year with their big man, and who knows what Howard will do if the Magic suffer another playoff flop? But Martins staked a lot of credibility on keeping Howard, and for now, he got it done.

Pacers. Indiana has sought a scoring guard off the bench, twice coming close to trading for Memphis’ O.J. Mayo and kicking the tires on players like D.J. Augustin and Jamal Crawford. Ultimately, they get Leandro Barbosa, a slashing scorer who is averaging 12.2 points per game this season. They gave up only a second-round pick in return, and Barbosa is in the final year of his contract.

Pacers team president Larry Bird has spoken repeatedly about the value of having cap space when it comes to being able to take on salaries in something-for-nothing trades, and the Barbosa deal is a perfect example.

John Wall. He won’t say it, but the truth is, Wall has not been particularly happy about the quality of players around him in Washington—too much immaturity and unprofessionalism. Wizards general manager Ernie Grunfeld took a step toward turning that around, though, when he shipped out two players the team was not planning on keeping long-term anyway, JaVale McGee and Nick Young, in exchange for Nene.

There’s a bit of a risk for the Wizards, because Nene has struggled to stay healthy this year and is in the first of a five-year, $65 million contract. But Nene is exactly the kind of interior force the Wizards need to pair with Wall.

LOSERS
Blazers. The seven-game road trip on which Portland embarked eight days ago has brought to light serious fissures within the locker room, and any hope of resurrecting the season seemed to be lost in Wednesday’s 42-point blowout loss to the Knicks.

So Portland started the day by putting its trade engine into overdrive, shipping out small forward Gerald Wallace to the Nets and center Marcus Camby to the Rockets. The Blazers were able to grab a draft pick from New Jersey (protected if it is in the top three), but they were not able to get much else—Jonny Flynn and Hasheem Thabeet from Houston, and Shawne Williams and Mehmet Okur from the Nets.

Moreover, the Blazers were unable to deal the two players the team set out to trade to begin with, Raymond Felton and Jamal Crawford. And Portland capped the day by shocking many within the organization with the abrupt firing of coach Nate McMillan. It will be a long 23 games in Portland.

Chris Kaman. The Hornets didn’t want Kaman, to the point that they asked him to stay home as they sought out a trade for him last month.

But New Orleans was unable to get the kinds of assets—draft picks, young players and no long-term contracts—in return for Kaman it was seeking.

Now Kaman has two choices: He can give up some money and agree to a buyout in time for him to join a playoff team (Boston, San Antonio, Miami), or he can collect the rest of his paycheck and languish in New Orleans for the rest of the year. Don’t expect the Hornets to go easy on Kaman when it comes time to let him go, either—remember, David Stern is still calling the shots in New Orleans.

Richard Jefferson. Give credit to the Spurs—not only did they remove themselves from Jefferson’s albatross contract, but they upgraded on the wing by adding Stephen Jackson. That leaves Jefferson, though, to go from the No. 2 team in the West to No. 13. With Andrew Bogut out and possibly not returning this year, the Warriors are looking to the future, and Jefferson probably won’t be seeing the playoffs this spring.