The NBA trade deadline saw many deals happen league wide, with some star players being moved.

The biggest trade on Thursday was the Philadelphia 76ers’ acquisition of 2018 MVP and nine-time all-star James Harden from the Brooklyn Nets. The 76ers traded three-time all-star Ben Simmons, who has not played all year due to a feud with the team, sharpshooter Seth Curry, veteran big man Andre Drummond, and two-first round picks.

The Sixers, who also received veteran power forward Paul Millsap in the deal, were looking to move Simmons since the summer. This trade should greatly improve Philadelphia’s title chances, which had been dwindling as Simmons continued not to play, while potentially giving title hopes to desperate Brooklyn.

The Nets, who have been mostly without seven-time all-star Kyrie Irving this year, have fallen into the play-in game spot of the Eastern Conference. A half-season removed from the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Nets hope to make a deeper playoff run with their newly invigorated roster.

While many were expecting this trade before the deadline, with many sources keeping fans updated on the status of the star-for-star swap, one deal that was more unexpected was the Dallas Mavericks trading one-time all-star Kristaps Porzingis to the Washington Wizards.

The Wizards, who were looking to move veteran point guard Spencer Dinwiddie, should have a chance in the second half of the NBA season to make one last playoff push with their new star big man. 

The Mavericks, on the other hand, seem to have gotten worse, receiving Dinwiddie, who has been shooting inefficiently from the field, and veteran sniper Davis Bertans, who has been subpar from deep this year.

Another trade from this week that shocked NBA fans was the trade of Indiana Pacers two-time all-star Domantas Sabonis to the Sacramento Kings, with the Pacers getting star sophomore Tyrese Haliburton and three-point shooter Buddy Hield.

While the trade allows the Pacers to retool in preparation for next season, gaining a rising star in the process, the deal appears to be negative for the Kings, who made a win-now move but simply do not have the tools to win games.

One last notable trade from earlier in the week was the New Orleans Pelicans receiving borderline all-star CJ McCollum from the Portland Trail Blazers. The Pelicans, awaiting the return of sophomore all-star Zion Williamson, hope to make the playoffs with the acquisition of McCollum.

The Blazers, who have lacked six-time all-star Damian Lillard for most of the season, seem to be attempting a one-season rebuild, freeing up salary cap space for this offseason, hoping to sign a big-name free agent.

Overall, the 2022 deadline was one of the busiest in recent memory, with many moves being made throughout the league, and with a few major deals sending star players elsewhere.