The Pelicans-Lakers trade saga wholly encompasses the NBA today.

A top-tier, all-time talent demands a trade in the middle of Super Bowl week from a small-market franchise that squandered years of one of the most athletically gifted players in league history to the Los Angeles Lakers a week before the trade deadline by releasing statements through his agent – who is also best friends and business partners with LeBron James – prompting everyone to go insane, Magic to offer his entire roster and Klutch Sports to leak updates to the media every hour, creating a black hole of updates and frenzy, only to ignore the Lakers’ calls in favor of waiting until the summer for a more competitive field of suitors, driving the Lakers to seemingly lose all interest in playing basketball and Magic to complain about being slighted by the Pelicans.

I know, it was a mouthful and a Kerouacian run-on sentence– but the NBA has been drunk and high on benzedrine this whole season.

The trade deadline was no different.

While Anthony Davis’ suspected deal did not amount to anything, there were a handful of deals that changed the biology of several contending teams, and even some that drastically improved the futures of the teams involved.

Let’s look at some fallout of deals that happened, and even some that didn’t.

Western Conference: Lakers miss out, Clippers sell, Rockets and Warriors looking to add in the buyout market

Most teams in the Western Conference concede that there is nothing that they can do at the deadline to dethrone the Warriors, or at least nothing worth vastly changing their rosters for.

The Warriors and Rockets, always looking to upgrade in some form, will certainly be active in the buyout market, as the Warriors will be on the search for another bruising big man and/or a wing. The Rockets have been scrambling to replace Trevor Ariza since he left, so they will be looking for a 3-and-D wing. 

Most of the action came from the bottom of the playoff race, specifically between the three teams vying right now for the eight seed.

The Clippers – sitting in the eighth spot right now – traded away Tobias Harris, Boban Marjonovic and Avery Bradley, setting themselves up for Jerry West, Steve Ballmer and Doc Rivers to make a run at superstar free agents in the offseason.

But they are, right now, half a game up on Sacramento and 2.5 up on Los Angeles, having just pulled off a massive comeback win over the Celtics.

The Kings added Harrison Barnes and his oversized contract to their young roster, and the Lakers added… Mike Muscala and possibly Carmelo Anthony, while trading away their most promising big man in Ivica Zubac. At 28-28, the Lakers look to be the best set-up to make a run over their last 26 games with LeBron in tow, but the Clippers have been exceeding expectations all year, and the Kings are young and hungry. This race will come down to the final weekend, possibly swinging in the April 5 matchup between LAL and LAC, but the Lakers will have to win somewhere between 18 and 20 games to close out the season to even land the eighth seed. While not likely, it is an absolute possibility that the LeBron and the Lakers miss the playoffs; that has been written off, but we should be talking about that. 

No other teams atop the conference made any major moves, but the Thunder, Rockets and Jazz are all falling into where we thought they would be at the beginning of the season, driven by Paul George, James Harden and Donovan Mitchell. If the Warriors continue playing at their current level, the one seed will unreachable, but every spot below them is up for grabs.

It would behoove the Lakers to avoid the Warriors in the first round because outside of them, they will be able to challenge any other West team in a seven-game series.

My projection:

1. Warriors 

2. Thunder

3. Nuggets

4. Rockets

5. Trail Blazers

6. Jazz

7. Spurs

8. Lakers

Second round: Warriors v. Rockets, Thunder v. Nuggets

WCF: Warriors v. Thunder

Champion: Warriors

Big winners: Clippers, Mavericks (setting up for future, acquiring Kristaps Porzingis)

Losers: Lakers, Pelicans (The only winners in the Anthony Davis soap opera are us, seriously how great is the NBA?)

Eastern Conference: Top four set up for playoff runs

In a twist of fate, it seems that the entirety of the Eastern Conference has taken a massive step forward in their dystopian post-LeBron world.

With a Finals trip in sight at the end of the tunnel, the 76ers, Bucks and Raptors all lit their torches.

Philadelphia picked up Tobias Harris, already averaging 20 points per game this season, creating a versatile and explosive starting five that has already posted 130 points per game, 54 percent shooting and a 22.9 net rating when all five are on the court.

Simmons, a gifted passer, is surrounded by shooters, versatile defenders and a dominant big man. The last time we saw the 76ers, they gave the Warriors their only loss in the last 16 games (sans Tobias Harris and Klay Thompson).

Even in a week when they traded away 2017 no. 1 pick Markelle Fultz, who has sadly been a severe disappointment, the Process won the trade deadline.

The Bucks and Raptors, not to be outdone, each added complementary big men that fit their team identities. Marc Gasol, former Defensive Player of the Year, will add to the Raptors already smothering length and add yet another playoff vet to the most distinguished roster in the East that has already beaten the Warriors twice, including once in a rout in Oakland without Leonard. The Raptors have long been LeBron’s punching bag, but have their sights on not only a Finals appearance but a long-term commitment from Kawhi Leonard. 

And the Bucks, sitting atop the East already with MVP frontrunner and physical goldmine Giannis Antetokounmpo with the best record and best differential in the NBA added another shooting big, Nikola Mirotic. 

It is no secret that the Bucks have been building around Antetokounmpo for a few years and have surrounded the unstoppable athlete with a set of shooters and long defenders to offset his below-average jump shooting, adding a 6-foot-10 16.7 point-per-game scorer to the team with the best net rating in the league. 

Mike Budenholzer, who led the Atlanta Hawks to a 60-win season and an ECF in 2014-15, has a Popovichesque team that will be disciplined and tough to beat in the playoffs. 

And remember, the Bucks have already beaten the Warriors once this season (in November, the same night Steph Curry strained his groin). 

The Celtics, sitting at the five seed, possibly have the most talent in the East, and the most accomplished star player in the playoffs, one who several Warriors players have admitted scares them in the playoffs (ptsd from 2016). 

But they look to be reeling, surrounded by noise and, according to Marcus Morris, not having any fun. Danny Ainge did not make any moves at the deadline, choosing instead to lure the Pelicans away from the Lakers trade offer by baiting Jayson Tatum in a potential trade offer this summer, once again showing patience when everyone else in the league moves with haste.

The same team that took the Cavs to seven games in the ECF last year is nowhere to be found; and yet, they are 7-3 in their last 10, have the no. 2 net differential in the East and just pushed the Warriors in a contentious game with a playoff atmosphere. As long as they stay healthy and get anything positive from Gordon Hayward, they are going to be the hardest out in the East. 

My projection:

1. Bucks

2. Raptors

3. 76ers

4. Pacers

5. Celtics

6. Nets

7. Hornets

8. Heat

Second round: Bucks vs. Celtics, Raptors vs. 76ers

ECF: Bucks vs. 76ers

Champion: Bucks

Winners: 76ers, Raptors, Bucks, Sam Hinkie

Losers: Everyone who loves to slander the East for being weak