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NBA: Recapping Thursday's Wild Trade Deadline

Kevin Durant's move to the Phoenix Suns headlined one of the wildest, most dramatic NBA trade deadlines ever.

Kyrie Irving's shock move to the Dallas Mavericks on Monday was just the start, as that set the scene for a blockbuster trade which sent Kevin Durant to Phoenix on deadline day.

The deadline saw the Western Conference became even more top-heavy and the East take a step down. Let's look at the biggest moves and the impact they'll have on the postseason.

Suns seal blockbuster trade

Mat Ishbia may well have peaked as the Phoenix Suns' owner just hours after taking control of the franchise. He made the call to send Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder and four first-round picks to the Nets for Durant.

The Suns immediately joined the championship favorites, moving to +400 to win the NBA Championship this season.

Phoenix are currently sixth in the Western Conference with a 30-27 record, but this move has completely changed their outlook.

Combining KD with Devin Booker and Chris Paul makes them a standout force in the west, while it also makes them the top destination for any players on the buyout market next week.

The Suns are all-in, sacrificing the depth that helped them reach the NBA Finals is 2021 and be the one-seed in the west last season. But they've added one of the best players in the league, trade-off most NBA GMs would take in a heartbeat.

Phoenix at the very least now look to be the standout team in the west, having moved to +190 to win the conference.

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Bucks land key piece

One move which isn't getting a ton of buzz is the Milwaukee Bucks landing Jae Crowder. The Nets rerouted him shortly after the KD trade, with the Bucks giving up multiple second-round picks along with Serge Ibaka, Jordan Nwora and George Hill.

Crowder hasn't featured all season after demanding a trade in October and he got it just hours before the deadline. His arrival in Milwaukee gives the Bucks the PJ Tucker replacement they've been searching for.

Tucker helped the Bucks to the title in 2021 but they didn't re-sign him, leaving a defensive gap which was exposed last season.

Crowder is the perfect fit at the 4 and he should help them improve on last year's second-round exit. He made the Finals in 2020 and 2021 and his playoff experience should be crucial.

The Bucks are +210 to come out of the Eastern Conference after this move.

Raptors go from sellers to buyers

The speculation around the Raptors' core felt never-ending in the last few weeks, with O.G. Anunoby, Fred VanVleet, Gary Trent Jr and Pascal Siakam all seemingly being chased.

Toronto looked set to make a deal, especially with Trent Jr and VanVleet out of contract in the summer. However, the 26-30 Raptors - 10th in the Eastern Conference - bought at the deadline.

They brought back Jakob Poeltl from the San Antonio Spurs, a makeweight in the Kawhi Leonard deal in 2018.

The Raptors have underperformed this season, something HC Nick Nurse has pinned on a lack of rim protection. Having landed a shot-blocker in Poeltl, he has two months to help salvage Toronto's season.

The Raptors are -140 to win over 38.5 Games in the regular season - requiring them to win in 13 of their remaining 26 games.

Big moves in LA

Both LA teams were busy at the deadline, with the Lakers shipping Russell Westbrook to Utah in a three-team trade. They got back D'Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt from Minnestota after shipping a 2027 pick to the Jazz.

In return, Utah sent experienced guard Mike Conley to the Timberwolves, while the Lakers later added Mo Bamba from the Magic.

They have built a better roster around LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and with just 2.5 games between them and 10th spot, they're +125 To Make the Western Conference Play-In Tournament.

Across the city, the Clippers were also busy at the deadline. They got three trades over the line, adding Bones Hyland, Mason Plumlee and Eric Gordon.

Between the three deals, the Clippers only had to give up Reggie Jackson, Luke Kennard and a handful of second-round picks.

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