[Izulde]

Orlando Magic receive
SF Charles Garren

Washington Wizards receive
PG Jameer Nelson
Orlando Magic 2020 1st round pick

What this means for the Magic
Garren's a very good scoring option and has respectable ballhandling. Good rebounder with some stealing instincts, even if his defense is a little suspect overall. Extremely consistent player and one of the league's most popular stars after winning the 2014 Slam Dunk Competition. At 27 years old (taken 9th overall in 2012 by the Wizards), he's young enough to take over for Dwight Howard at PF as soon as next season. Howard's 33 and is in the last year of a $20 million a year contract, whereas Garren's inked for two years beyond this one. Great insurance in case Howard doesn't come back or return and the Magic now have the flexibility to let Howard go if they want $20 million off the cap next season.

What this means for the Wizards
Nelson's nowhere near the player he once was. At 37, he's nothing more than a mediocre reserve guard. That said, he's roughly $9 million in expiring money (Washington's currently $4.2 million over the cap) and the financial freedom plus the extra 1st round pick will give the Wizards a chance to continue rebuilding.

Winner: Draw
One of those deals that's a win-win for both teams and about the same magnitude. The increased depth in acquiring Garren alone will help the Magic's depth as they challenge the Hawks for the Southeast division this season.

Toronto Raptors receive
SF Willie Larson
Phoenix Suns 2020 2nd round pick

Phoenix Suns receive
PG Mark Martin

What this means for the Raptors
Larson's a little turnover-prone, but he's a solid all-around player and an extremely versatile reserve, able to play every position but C. He gives Toronto much needed quality depth and could help signal Andrea Bargnani's departure from the Raptors, as the 35 year old's a $10 million expiring contract. High 2nd round pick is likely as well.

What this means for the Suns
Martin's a perfect team player and while the second year man won't ever be a great player, the last pick of the first round from last year's draft has the potential to be a solid reserve guard, possibly a borderline starter at the point.

Winner: Toronto
Phoenix gave up too much to get Martin and the Raptors improved their team significantly immediately and gave themselves some wiggle room and options for this offseason.

Detroit Pistons receive
PG Gilbert Arenas
Washington Wizards 2020 2nd round pick

Washington Wizards receive
C Marcel Mance

What this means for the Pistons
Detroit now has the scariest 3 guard rotation in the league. Arenas may be 37, but he can still score at will. Kenny Graham is the best PG in the NBA and Galen Drayton, the starting SG, is a proven 20+ PPG scorer. It's hard to imagine Arenas as a 6th man, but that's precisely what he is in Motown. The Pistons just became a major, major player in the East. The 2nd round pick is just extra icing.

What this means for the Wizards
Mance is an average all-around C who finally gets to move back into a starting role with the Wizards. He's about $300,000 more off the cap next season than Arenas, but while Washington further positions themselves for even more freed money to become big spenders next summer and are tanking for a better lottery positon, they traded away an icon and the fanbase is furious. On the other hand, they get to look at their future and make Waledmar Althusser a starter now and the German should turn into a very solid player now that he'll get the playing time to develop.

Winner: Detroit
The Pistons rip the Wizards off here. Yes, Arenas was constantly talking to the press about how he wanted a chance at a ring before he retires, but Washington should've gotten more for him than a 30 year old run of the mill C. Especially when they're giving up a draft pick in addition.

I think there's been more trades this season than any other year I've been in the league. True, most were small, but the two relative blockbusters at the trade deadline really put an exclamation point on a busy market.

Big month for us in a lot of ways. We can clinch the top seed in the West and we can hope the Heat don't suddenly surge with Fabian Kruger back to full strength.

It's sad how far Indiana's fallen. We crush them 107-82 as Marcelino Augusto and Mateen Yeaton play their way to 30 and and 26 points respectively. Zelipe Gama gets 17 points and 13 assists and David Jackson has his first double-double in a long, long time, for 15 points and 10 rebounds. Jackson's a silent presence in the statline, but I'm not going to complain about a guy who's shooting 51.3% from the floor. Not after all the other debacles we've had at SF.

The Clippers, conversely, given us all we can handle and we squeak past them 98-95. Marcelino Augusto did a little bit of everything with 16 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists and 5 blocks, David Jackson netted his second straight double-double, 15 points and 11 rebounds, and Zelipe Gama scored 22. Rico Wolfe was tops of the reserves with 13 points.

Portland poses no problems as we pistolwhip them 107-91. Marcelino Augusto leads the charge with 25 points and 13 rebounds, Mateen Yeaton scores 20 and Zelipe Gama completes the 20+ trifecta with 21 points and 10 assists. Louis Mertens keys the second team with 10 assists.

A nice break preludes an even nicer doubleheader sweep. Marcelino Augusto is Mr. Versatile in our 109-89 win over the Spurs with 25 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists and 6 blocks, headlining another three Nuggets in 20+ scoring. The other two were Mateen Yeaton (23 points) and Rico Wolfe with an incredible 21 points and 12 assists off the bench after Zelipe Gama got in foul trouble. Andrew Bogut had a quiet 14 points and 17 rebounds. It's Marcelino Augusto as the best man again in our 108-80 pounding of Phoenix. He scores 34 points, Mateen Yeaton a strong second with 24 points and 11 rebounds before fouling out. Zelipe Gama doubles with 10 points and 13 assists and Rico Wolfe scores 10 points off the bench.

We coast against Charlotte, conquering 110-81 on Mateen Yeaton's 24 points and bench showings of 13 points and 11 points and 9 assists respectively from Victor Gipson and Louis Mertens. I've already resolved that we need to re-sign Mertens and Rico Wolfe next summer. They're critical pieces of our bench puzzle.

Marcelino Augusto ensures the Clippers are toothless in the rematch, putting up 32 points and 10 rebounds in our 101-85 rout. Mateen Yeaton has 21 points and 9 rebounds, Zelipe Gama 15 points and 10 assists prior to fouling out.

Our first loss of the month comes in a 122-115 shootout against the Bucks. It's not often that a 31 point from Marcelino Augusto paired with 24 points from Mateen Yeaton and 12 bench points from Louis Mertens results in a loss, but it did tonight.

We snap back for a 113-92 field day over the tanking Wizards, with all five starters having great games. To wit:

PG Zelipe Gama - 20 points, 13 assists
SG Mateen Yeaton - 33 points
SF David Jackson - 17 points, 10 rebounds
PF Marcelino Augusto - 21 points
C Andrew Bogut - 12 points, 13 rebounds

Marcelino Augusto and Mateen Yeaton literally combine to lead us 106-97 over the Lakers. Augusto has a sensational game of 42 points and 14 rebounds and Yeaton scores 31 points. They were the only two Nuggets to break double-digit scoring. Now that's a sign of major dominance.

108-93's the final over Sacramento and it's the Marcelino Augusto and Mateen Yeaton show again. Augusto fills in an impressive statline of 33 points, 15 rebounds, 7 assists, 5 blocks and 4 steals, while Yeaton leads all scorers with 37 points. The difference between this game and last is they get some small assistance of 12 points and 10 assists from Zelpe Gama.

The Suns shock us 122-117, handing us our second loss and continuing our streaky showing in shootouts. Marcelino Augusto's 33 points and 13 rebounds and Mateen Yeaton's 26 points can't save us when the rest of the team takes the night off, both on offense -and- defense against one of the league's worst teams.

Worse yet, Mateen Yeaton bruises his biceps and it's a significant factor in our narrow 115-112 loss to the Jazz. Marcelino Augusto tries his best with 35 points and 9 rebounds, but neither his outing, nor David Jackson's 24 points, nor Louis Mertens's 11 bench points can prevent us from dropping two in a row.

The month ends with a split back-to-back, meaning we've lost 3 of the last 4. We beat the Spurs 94-79 on Marcelino Augusto's 24 points and 11 rebounds, Zelipe Gama's 21 points and Louis Mertens's repeat 11 bench points, but Portland pulverizes us 101-87 as only Marcelino Augusto (32 points, 10 rebounds) comes ready to play.

Despite the worrying skid, we've clinched the Northwest yet again and our magic number is 1 for the top seed on the 46-26 Mavericks, as we're 55-17. With all the divisional teams at .500, it's looking like once again the Northwest will be sending all its teams to the playoffs. Dallas pretty much has the Southwest locked up and Sacramento's already clinched the Pacific at 42-32, as the Lakers and Warriors are both 29-43.

Toronto's more or less got the #1 overall seed in the playoffs clinched, as they're 60-12 and it'd take a collapse of epic proportions and our winning out to wrest it away from them. Atlanta's got a 6.5 game lead on the Magic at 52-20, while the 44-28 Bucks enjoy a 4 game advantage over the Pistons, who haven't been able to parlay Gilbert Arenas into a division run. Worse yet, Cleveland had a great march and are only half a game back of Detroit. Unlike the West, .500 isn't going to be good enough and it looks like the Celtics are once again going to be left out of the cold, holding the 14th pick.

But a lot can happen in ten games. Like the 25-49 Heat suddenly improving and leapfrogging the Wizards, who have been fantastically tanking at 24-47, leading them to a dead heat. In fact, Miami can still legitimately pass the Wizards, the Bobcats and the Lakers and quite possibly catch the Rockets and Grizzlies. That's 5 teams. Not good.

On the other hand, they could suddenly tank and fall behind the Pacers and the Clippers, with an outside shot at dropping below the Suns.

Nobody's catching New Orleans, though. They're 17-55 and the Hornets have been so terrible since I joined the league in 2007 their best record is 32-50 (2017) and they've only finished out of the Southwest cellar once (2008 when they finished a game ahead of the Grizzlies).

Now that's an impressive streak of futility.

If I ever get fired from the Nuggets or if I decide I want to go somewhere warmer in my encroaching old age, I'd love to get a chance at building the Hornets into a winning team.

Emeka Okafor is no longer demanding to be traded, by the way. He said he'd like more minutes, but he understands and he's just focused on helping us to a repeat title any way he can.

D-League Report
The Timberjacks have staked out a 1.5 game lead over Bakersfield and Idaho, even as Tzvetan Kishishev's numbers continue their slow decline. On the other hand, he's been bothered by a strained hamstring. The good news is, according to our scouts, he's been showing overall improvements in his game. This bodes well for the future.

Marcelino Augusto has passed Nigel Abel for the scoring title and is presently at 26.3 points a game to Abel's 25.2. Mateen Yeaton's safe at 3rd with 24.4, Corey Neal stalking him at 23.7 points a game.