Least Improved NBA Teams Following Trade Deadline

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Matt Levine works as a contributing writer for Newsweek based in California. His expertise is in covering the NBA but he also covers multiple other sports. He has been with Newsweek since 2024. He graduated in 2021 with a Master of Science degree in Sport Management from Louisiana State University. You can get in touch with him by emailing m.levine@newsweek.com and you can find him on X at @Levine1445.

Matt Levine

Contributing Sports Writer

The NBA trade deadline has come and gone, with multiple teams positioning themselves well for the postseason. We have seen all sorts of moves take place, with this trade deadline being one of the most wild in recent memory.

But some teams didn't do as much as they should have or made some moves that they probably shouldn't have. Here are the top five least improved teams following the NBA trade deadline.

More news: Most Improved Teams From 2025 NBA Trade Deadline

Dallas Mavericks

Simply put, the Mavericks are here because they traded away star Luka Doncic. They may have gotten All-Star Anthony Davis in return but losing Doncic makes them a worse team.

Doncic was the heart and soul of the Mavericks, leading them to the NBA Finals a year ago. But now he is gone and Dallas will need to make sure they win, otherwise, the already angry fanbase will come for the front office even more.

Portland Trail Blazers

Portland was expected to be one of the more active teams in the NBA at the trade deadline. But in the end, they decided to not make any deals whatsoever.

General manager Joe Cronin has developed a reputation as a tough negotiator and teams don't seem to enjoy doing deals with him. Portland should have sold some of their more veteran assets while their stock was still high.

The Trail Blazers have found some success of late, possibly leading to no trades. But the likelihood of them making a playoff run remains low and the team missed out on a big opportunity.

Indiana Pacers

Just to be clear with this one, Indiana is still a very good team. But the lack of moves made at the trade deadline is a little alarming.

Indiana is looking to duplicate the success from last season when they went to the Eastern Conference Finals. But they showed they weren't good enough then and many would favor other teams in the East over them again this season.

The Pacers also have a looming problem with center Myles Turner eligible to enter free agency this simmer. The Pacers could have made a few trades to shed salary or even trade Turner to avoid losing him for nothing. The front office essentially stood pat and the pressure is fully on in Indiana this year.

Honorary Mentions:

Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks made a few moves, trading away De'Andre Hunter and Bogdan Bogdanovic. The team made some curious moves at the trade deadline and now must deal with questions about the future of star point guard Trae Young for the remainder of the season.

Denver Nuggets

Denver needed to make a trade to improve their roster but they stood pat at the deadline. The Nuggets are still very good but to win the West this year, they may need some extra firepower.

More NBA news:

Grizzlies Trading Marcus Smart to Wizards in Blockbuster Deal

Cavaliers Land De'Andre Hunter in Blockbuster Trade With Hawks

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