The 2019 NBA trade deadline was an important time for several teams in the league, as squads from the Eastern and Western conference look to either push for the playoffs or set themselves up for the future.  

The NBA’s Eastern Conference is up for grabs for the first time in several seasons since the departure of LeBron James, who is now with the Los Angeles Lakers. That’s why teams like the Toronto Raptors and the Philadelphia Sixers were aggressive during the deadline.

The Raptors arguably made the biggest splash at the trade deadline by acquiring veteran big man Marc Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies for Jonas Valanciunas, Delon Wright, C.J. Miles, and a 2024 second- round draft pick.

Gasol has spent his entire 11-year NBA career with the Grizzlies, and has proven himself to be one of the best centers in the league when healthy. At age 34, Gasol is still effective by providing a solid mid-range shooting touch and strong interior defense.

Although Gasol has lost some athleticism over the course of his career, he will still be able to play his style of basketball since the Raptors have the ability to play him alongside the athletic rim protector Serge Ibaka in the frontcourt.

The Milwaukee Bucks have been on top of the Eastern Conference for most of the season, and they added more firepower when they traded Jason Smith, Stanley Johnson and four second-round picks for forward Nikola Mirotic from the New Orleans Pelicans.

Mirotic has been having a strong season, averaging 16 points and eight rebounds to go along with 36 percent shooting from three- point range. Mirotic’s shooting from the outside will make him a nice fit in Bucks’ Head Coach Mike Budenholzer’s offensive system where big men taking three- point shots is embraced.

Budenholzer’s offense will benefit Mirotic in the same way it helped Bucks big man Brook Lopez, who is averaging a career high in three- point attempts per game and shooting 38 percent from beyond the arc. The biggest factor Mirotic brings to his new team is his ability to draw his defender to the perimeter, creating open driving lanes for Bucks’ All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Dallas Mavericks made significant changes to their team by acquiring young standout Kristaps Porzingis from the New York Knicks after trading Dennis Smith Jr., Wesley Matthews, and DeAndre Jordan. The Mavericks also traded away starting forward Harrison Barnes to the Sacramento Kings for Justin Jackson and Zach Randolph.

Before Porzingis was sidelined with an ACL tear last February, he was a unique and versatile star in New York. At 7-foot-3, Porzingis was able to take smaller defenders into the post as well as shoot consistently from a long distance.

Porzingis is a game-changing force when he is on the floor and has the potential to be a cornerstone for an NBA franchise. Porzingis will form a dynamic duo with rookie sensation Luka Doncic when he returns from his injury. Losing Harrison Barnes may hurt the Mavs for the remainder of the season, but getting rid of his four-year $94 million contract gives them the money to be active in free agency after the season ends.

With several big names set to hit the free agent market, most notably Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson, Dallas has given themselves the ability to offer these stars large contracts, as well as the chance to play with two promising young players.