AP: NBA trade deadline passes quietly

2/22/2013

NEW YORK (AP) — The only trade involving Dwight Howard came last summer. The potent scorers that moved did so long ago.

There

was no eye-catching activity left for deadline day, resulting in minor

deals Thursday to the disappointment of those hoping for a frenzy.

Josh

Smith stayed put and the Boston Celtics' core stayed together, leaving

J.J. Redick, dealt to Milwaukee, as the biggest name to be traded.

There were nine moves, nothing approaching a blockbuster and none to jump-start the Lakers.

Players

such as James Harden and Rudy Gay were traded far before the deadline,

but with teams perhaps fearful of new penalties for the biggest

spenders, Thursday was mostly quiet.

"I don't think I've seen

fewer trade deadline deals, ever," said Houston general manager Daryl

Morey, who completed two trades Wednesday. "But I think it's a one-year

blip."

The Atlanta Hawks held onto Smith, and Utah kept both Paul

Millsap and Al Jefferson on a day when much attention was focused on

both situations, since those players have value and could leave their

teams this summer as free agents.

The long-shot deals never

materialized. Howard remained in Los Angeles, just what Lakers general

manager Mitch Kupchak repeatedly said would happen. Howard's unhappiness

and struggles since he was acquired from Orlando last summer fueled

speculation that the Lakers might move him before possibly losing him

for nothing as a free agent.

"It took a while for league to

understand our position was exactly what we stated," Kupchak told

reporters. "I think they finally got it."

Kevin Garnett and Paul

Pierce will continue wearing Celtic green, as will Rajon Rondo when he's

healthy enough to put on a uniform again.

The Celtics did make

one deal, acquiring guard Jordan Crawford from the Washington Wizards

for center Jason Collins and injured guard Leandro Barbosa.

Those

were the types of trades that were left after the big names that were

available had already been moved. Oklahoma City sent All-Star Harden to

Houston the preseason, fearing it couldn't pay what last season's top

sixth man would want after already giving lucrative long-term deals to

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

The Memphis Grizzlies broke up their frontcourt when they sent Gay to Toronto in a three-team deal with Detroit

"I

think normally a point was made, normally you would see big deals being

made. We cannot forget, Andre Iguodala, that deal was made in the

summer. That could have potentially been a trade deadline move," said

Denver Nuggets president Masai Ujiri, referring to the player he

acquired in the four-time Howard trade in August.

"Harden was

traded right before the season started. That could have been a potential

trade deadline move. Rudy Gay was started a couple weeks ago. There was

some cleanup before this date. Apart from a couple guys who were out

there all the time in terms of big names, it just went by. I can't

explain it."

Finances certainly played into it. The collective

bargaining agreement that went into effect in 2011 came with much more

punitive penalties for teams that repeatedly exceed the luxury tax and

limits the options of those over the salary cap, and decisions Thursday

were made with that in mind.

Golden State sent forward Jeremy

Tyler to Atlanta and guard Charles Jenkins to Philadelphia in separate

deals, slicing more than $1.5 million off its payroll after beginning

the day about $1.2 million over the league's $70,307,000 luxury tax.

Rebuilding

after trading Howard, the Magic decided Redick wasn't in their plans

while averaging career highs in points (15.1) and field goal percentage

(45.0). He was traded along with center Gustavo Ayon and reserve point

guard Ish Smith to the Bucks in exchange for guards Doron Lamb and Beno

Udrih, and forward Tobias Harris.

The New York Knicks traded

Ronnie Brewer to Oklahoma City to open a roster spot that will be used

to give Kenyon Martin a 10-day contract. The Hawks couldn't find a good

enough deal for Smith, who had largely been considered the biggest name

that would move, and settled for sending Anthony Morrow to Dallas for

Dahntay Jones.

With so little happening, Morey may have pulled off

the most intriguing move this week when he acquired Thomas Robinson,

the No. 5 pick in last year's draft, from Sacramento in one of his two

deals.

"I thought the main thing that was different at this trade

deadline was there was a big premium on cap space and draft picks,"

Morey said. "Usually, that's the currency that moves markets. They were

at such a premium that every deal was very difficult. It became like a

barter economy instead of a cash economy. That made deals harder.

"I

do think you could say that maybe the CBA might be contributing to

that. But I also think a lot of it is just the phase teams are in. There

are a lot of good teams trying to maybe rebuild, for lack of a better

word.