Ratliff went on to post some impressive block numbers while in Atlanta while Tony Kukoc emerged as one of the Hawks' main scoring threats. Even though it did not help the team in the win/loss column, it made them a more dynamic team.

Boston Celtics

The Celtics are known for their trading, but little of if has come at the trade deadline. Antoine Walker had a very up and down career for the Celtics, but he still helped contribute by hitting three-pointers, even if he did take too many.

This trade would have been a failure if Boston was not able to get Rondo back after they had traded away his rights. Because he is now their starting point guard, this trade can be seen in a different light.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Mo Williams is an important piece for the Clippers this season, but few players are having a bigger impact on their team than Kyrie Irving. Irving is a lock to win the Rookie of the Year award, and the Cavs are surely happy they made this trade to lock up the draft pick.

With Davis now out of the equation, Irving is the unquestioned leader and best player on this team.

Dallas Mavericks

These role players fit in well with the established core of the Mavericks, especially Van Exel and LaFrentz. LaFrentz was a shot-blocker and Van Exel an explosive offensive player. They helped balance out Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash.

Even though the Mavericks broke through for their title with a different core group of players, this trade represented the building blocks for the franchise and the beginning of their playoff runs.

Denver Nuggets

In 1980, the Denver Nuggets swapped former Pacers star George McGinnis back to Indiana for their blossoming scorer in Alex English.

In one of the most lopsided trades in NBA history, English turned into one of the most prolific scorers in the game. McGinnis was out of the league by 1982, while English made the Hall of Fame after his career had ended.

Indiana Pacers

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Indiana Pacers get: Detlef Schrempf

Dallas Mavericks get: Herb Williams

With Reggie Miller and Rik Smits already in place, Indiana was looking for a complementary piece. Enter Schrempf, the reserve forward from the Mavericks who won back-to-back Sixth Man of the Year awards and eventually made his way into the starting lineup and the NBA All-Star Game.

A superb three-point shooter, Schrempf helped the Pacers become one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.

Los Angeles Clippers

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Los Angeles Clippers get: Winston Garland

Golden State Warriors get: Two future second-round draft picks

The Clippers have had very few deadline deals, with only four in their history. One was a disaster when they traded for Dominique Wilkins, who got injured early on for them, and the others were all very small trades.

The best value they ever got back in a trade was for Winston Garland, a player who almost averaged double figures for them over 97 games.

Some call this one of the biggest steals in the history of the NBA. While Memphis is starting to reap some of the benefits with the Marc Gasol's vastly improved play, the Lakers certainly came out ahead in the beginning.

Pau Gasol became the second-best player on two NBA Finals-winning teams and has helped the Lakers legacy live on.

The same trade as before was also the most important deadline deal the Grizzlies have ever made. While at first it looked like the sort of trade that could cripple a franchise, Marc Gasol has continued to improve and was voted to the All-Star team this year for his outstanding play.

It would take a championship for this trade to be ever be even, but at least Memphis got a solid player out of it—more than many teams can say when trading with the Lakers.

Miami Heat

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Miami get: Tim Hardaway and Chris Gatling

Golden State Warriors get: Kevin Willis and Bimbo Coles

With his quickness and sharp crossover dribble, Hardaway became an instant leader on the Heat. Hardaway teamed up with Alonzo Mourning to make a great duo, and the pair carried the Heat into an NBA Finals appearance.

The Bucks certainly got the better end of this massive three-way trade. Cassell teamed with Ray Allen and Glenn Robinson to form a Big Three that would lead the Bucks to within a game of the NBA finals.

While Brandon and Marbury also paid dividends for their new teams, Cassell was easily the best player in the trade and was a dominant force for the early '90s Bucks teams.

The same trade as for the Bucks, except the Timberwolves only had moderate success with Brandon compared to the impact of Cassell.

The main reason this trade worked for Minnesota is that Brandon was the opposite of Marbury, who the Timberwolves were trying to get rid of. Brandon actually meshed well with Kevin Garnett and they played on some good teams together.

New Orleans Hornets

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Charlotte Hornets get: Eddie Jones and Elden Campbell

Los Angeles Lakers get: Glen Rice, J.R. Reid and B.J. Armstrong

Even though Rice won a championship with the Lakers, this deal turned out well for the Hornets. Jones became a defensive leader on the team and led the league in steals the year after arriving in Charlotte.

While the Linsanity experiment is still going in New York, the potential for this to be a great trade is still there for the Knicks. If Carmelo can find a way to coexist with the other big names in New York, the Knicks could turn into a dominant force in the East.

Even though Denver is doing well from this trade with all the pieces they got, the Knicks are still the winner here.

Philadelphia 76ers

In one of the biggest steals of all time, Chamberlain went back to his home in Philly, while the Warriors came away with almost nothing. Of course there was no trade deadline back in 1965, but this trade happened around the All-Star break, making it one of the first times a superstar was traded mid-season.

Chamberlain ended up winning the MVP award three years in a row, and led the 76ers to a championship title in 1967.

The Raptors are yet another team that has largely decided to stand pact at the trade deadline.

The biggest positive that came from this trade was that Alvin Williams emerged as a solid player for Toronto. He teamed with Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady, two of the most exciting players in Raptors history, to form a decent team that made the playoffs.