Was this worst NBA trade deadline in recent memory? You'd be surprised

By foxsports
Published

The 2016 NBA trade deadline has come and passed, with very little excitement and surprises. 

While a handful of players are relocating across the league, virtually every notable name stayed put this year. Many expected Houston's Dwight Howard and Atlanta's Al Horford to get traded at the deadline; instead the biggest move was likely Detroit landing Orlando's Tobias Harris. 

How does this year's NBA trade deadline compare with other deadlines from this decade? 

Biggest Move of 2016 NBA trade deadline: Tobias Harris to Detroit

When Stan Van Gundy landed Tobias Harris from the Magic, he ended up with arguably the most valuable player moved at the deadline.

Harris averages 13.7 points with 7.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists as well as one steal and one made 3-pointer per game. Last season, Harris scored 17.1 points per game. In trading Harris, Orlando was able to allow more playing time for Aaron Gordon. Detroit, however, got a versatile, 23-year-old forward.

Jeff Green was shipped from Memphis to the Los Angeles Clippers in a last-minute deal in exchange for Lance Stephenson. Green is averaging 12.2 points per game with 4.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists.

Other interesting but not exactly thrilling moves: Brandon Jennings to Orlando, Channing Frye to Cleveland, Courtney Lee to Charlotte.  

Overall Grade: 6 out of 10

Biggest Move of 2015 NBA trade deadline: Enes Kanter to Oklahoma City

When Utah traded Kanter to the Thunder to allow more playing time for the developing Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors, Oklahoma City likely got the biggest name of the deadline.

Last season, Kanter averaged 15.5 points with 8.9 rebounds and an impressive 52 percent shooting. But Kanter wasn't the only big name moved last season. 

In one of the more exciting deadlines in recent memory, Miami landed Goran Dragic and Boston acquired Isaiah Thomas. The Pistons acquired Reggie Jackson from Oklahoma City; Phoenix received Brandon Knight from Milwaukee.

Dragic averaged 16.3 points with 4.5 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game last season. Thomas accounted for 16.4 PPG with 4.2 APG and 2.3 RPG. Knight impressed, as well, with 17.0 PPG with 5.2 APG and 3.9 RPG and 1.4 steals per game last season.

Overall Grade: 9 out of 10

Biggest Move of 2014 NBA trade deadline: Rudy Gay to Sacramento

Undoubtedly, Rudy Gay joining the Kings was the biggest move of the 2014 NBA trade deadline. 

Gay, who only briefly played for Toronto before landing in Sacramento, averaged 20.0 points per game with 6.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists. He was valuable defensively, adding 1.3 steals and 0.8 blocks per game. 

Outside of that, however, barely anyone moved at the 2014 deadline. After Gay, the most valuable names moved included a not-so-impressive list of Spencer Hawes, Ramon Sessions, Luol Deng and Jordan Crawford.

With the exception of the trade for Gay, the 2014 deadline was a total snooze fest.

Overall Grade: 7 out of 10

Biggest Move of 2013 NBA trade deadline: Jose Calderon to Detroit

While his NBA career has since fallen off quite a bit, Calderon was the highlight of the most interesting trade of the 2013 deadline.

That season, he averaged 11.3 points per game with 7.1 assists and 2.4 rebounds per game. He shot a career-best .461 percent from the 3-point line, adding 1.8 three's per game. Rudy Gay was also among the most interesting trades of that deadline, moving from Memphis to Toronto. Gay had 18.2 points with 6.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.

Ed Davis, J.J. Redick and Tobias Harris all found new homes that deadline, although none of those moves changed the face of the NBA.

Overall Grade: 5 out of 10

Biggest Move of 2012 NBA trade deadline: Monta Ellis to Milwaukee

Few remember how good Ellis was when he played for Golden State, but he was a huge offensive spark for the Warriors before the Splash Brothers developed into who they are today. 

Ellis averaged 20.4 points with 6.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game in 2012. He was a valuable addition for a Bucks team that didn't have much else going on and struggled to score. Ellis, too, has since lost a step. But he was a huge pickup for Milwaukee in 2012.

JaVale McGee (to Denver) and Nene (to Washington) switched teams and Gerald Wallace shipped from Portland to Brooklyn -- in a move that ended up haunting Brooklyn, as the Trail Blazers used the pick to select NBA star Damian Lillard. 

Overall Grade: 6 out of 10

Biggest Move of 2011 NBA trade deadline: Carmelo Anthony to New York

When basketball fans think about the NBA trade deadline, many retreat back to 2011 when superstar Carmelo Anthony switched teams from Denver to New York.

For all intents and purposes, that's become the "gold standard" for analyzing recent trades at the deadline. The 'Melo trade, however, seems to be more of the exception than the rule. At the time, many called the 2011 trade deadline the best in the past 25 years because of how rare it is to see a big name like Anthony change teams.  

That same year, Deron Williams was traded from Utah to Brooklyn (another move that would haunt the Nets) and Gerald Wallace was moved from the Bobcats to the Trail Blazers.

Overall Grade: 9 out of 10

Biggest Move of 2010 NBA trade deadline: Carl Landry to Sacramento 

Could the 2010 NBA trade deadline have been any less exciting? It almost seems like all of the basketball general managers were trolling, intentionally attempting to be as boring as possible.

Landry was traded from Houston to Sacramento and, somehow, that was the biggest move of the deadline. Landry was decent that season, averaging 16.8 points per game with 5.9 rebounds and 0.8 blocks. He shot .536 percent from the field and added 0.7 steals per game on defense. 

The rest of the trades were mostly just relocating NBA veterans, including: Stephen Jackson, Marcus Camby, Antawn Jamison and Brendan Haywood. 

Overall Grade: 3 out of 10

So while this season hardly had an exciting trade deadline, there was some more game-changing action this season than in some other recent years. It wasn't the trade deadline that many either wanted or expected, but it wasn't exactly the worst in recent memory either.

Bryan Kalbrosky produces digital content for FOXSports.com. For more, follow him on Twitter @BryanKalbrosky