NBA trade deadline winners and losers

By Rick Morris

WINNERS

1 Cleveland. Everyone else on this list is far behind the Cavs, who added a player who is still at least a borderline NBA All-Star without giving up anything for this season (yes, Z will be back). If you look up and down the respective rosters, it's remarkable how much insanely better these Cavs are than the team that won 66 games last season -- and even that team was light years ahead of the team that Lebron singlehandedly dragged into the '07 Finals. Right now in the NBA, it's the Cavs ... and then everyone else.

2 Houston. They got out from underneath T-Mac's undeserved monster contract and still ended up with Kevin Martin? How'd that happen?

3 Dallas. Losing head case Josh Howard counts as addition-by-subtraction in and of itself, but they got some nice pieces from D.C., especially Caron Butler.

4 Portland. Marcus Camby is a nice and necessary fit.

5 TIE New York and Chicago. Cap room is often fools gold in the modern age if you think you're going to lure away a max player (just ask Crumbs Krause), but the Knicks and Bulls at least put themselves in position to do something with it.

LOSERS

1 TIE Atlanta, Boston, Denver, LA Lakers, Miami, Orlando and San Antonio. How you just sit there holding your proverbial johnsons while Danny Ferry puts the Cavs on the brink of an NBA title? These teams made no moves of consequence and they will probably live to regret their choices in June.

8 Phoenix. Get ready to lose Amar'e for nothing in June, fellas.

9 Sacramento. That was the best you could get for Kevin Martin? Really? Oh, but you freed up some cap room so that all of the players who are regularly clamoring to come play in Sac-Town can now sign with you in free agency. Good luck with that!

10 Toronto. With a disgruntled Chris Bosh months away from free agency and your team teetering on making the playoffs, shouldn't you have either been a significant buyer or seller? The middle ground will get you nothing here.