This year’s trade deadline was one of the craziest in recent memory. Typically there’s tons of hype, with nothing of significance actually happening. This year was different.

Obviously, the trade deadline was going to be centered around the Cleveland Cavaliers. Despite being ranked 3rd in the Eastern Conference, they’ve been one of the most dysfunctional teams in history. With too many egos it was clear that a roster shakeup was needed. But no one expected them to blow up their team.

The Cavaliers sent Isaiah Thomas, Channing Frye, and their 2018 first round pick to the Los Angles Lakers for Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr.; Derrick Rose and Jae Crowder to the Utah Jazz for Rodney Hood; Dwyane Wade to the Miami Heat; and Iman Shumpert to the Sacramento Kings for George Hill.

Of the six players they traded, four of them had been acquired this past offseason. If the trade deadline showed anything, it’s that the Cavaliers have simply given up on trying to make these acquisitions work. So, do these moves make the team any better?

Who really knows. Clearly, Isaiah Thomas was a problem for the team, but trading one of Lebron James’s closest friends, Dwyane Wade, doesn’t seem like it would help the team’s case in trying to convince James to resign with the team this summer.

In addition, acquiring Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. do make the team younger, but it remains to be seen whether they will make the team significantly better. However, they will give the team more to work with following this season. James, Thomas, Rose, and Wade were all set to become free agents this summer and given the turmoil surrounding the team, it was becoming increasingly unlikely that any of them (including James) would resign.

Acquiring Clarkson and Nance gives the team a few young players should they choose to rebuild following this season. Rodney Hood and George Hill should provide stability, but neither will be able to remotely fill the void that Kyrie Irving left this past summer. It appears that Lebron will have to work even harder to make the finals this year, only to be defeated by the Warriors (or whoever manages to make it out of the Western Conference) again.

It’s looking less and less likely that he will remain with the team after this year. As for Rose, Thomas, and Wade, all three appear to be on the back ends of their careers.

Rose is likely to be cut by the Jazz. There are rumors that he may sign with the Minnesota Timberwolves, but who knows how much of a role he’ll play on the team, especially with Jeff Teague and Jimmy Butler already there as established guards.

Wade is back with his original team, where he’ll likely remain for the rest of his career. He has struggled quite a bit this year, but could still be a solid contributor for the team he grew comfortable over the span of 13 years.

Thomas’s situation is the most interesting. 12 months ago, he was in the midst of an MVP-caliber season, but during the playoffs, he aggravated a prior hip injury, causing him to miss the remainder of the playoffs.

The Boston Celtics, uncertain about his future, given the nature of his injury, didn’t want to shell out a 9-figure contract in 2018 for a player that might never reach an all-star level ever again.

So, the team traded him to the Cavaliers for Kyrie Irving. The problem for Thomas now is that his subpar play with the Cavs leeched what little trade value he had left.

He is likely to come off the bench for the Lakers behind Lonzo Ball, a player who has shot nearly as bad this season as he has. Set to become a free-agent this offseason, he likely won’t remain with the team, and will also have a hard time finding a new home, and an even harder time earning a lucrative long-term deal.

Regardless, this trade makes the NBA even more interesting. It still remains to be seen who will represent the East in the NBA Finals. If Lebron’s team can’t make it to the Finals, he’ll be even less likely to remain in the Cleveland. But if he leaves, where will he go?

The Lakers have been a rumored destination and the trade for his now former teammate Thomas ironically clears up cap space for them to sign James this summer.

The Houston Rockets have also been mentioned, but if the team manages to win the championship this year, it wouldn’t reflect well on James to sign with them.

The Golden State Warriors are another team that could target James, but if they did, they would likely have to blow up their core to do so, and who knows whether they’d be willing to part with Klay Thompson or Draymond Green.

No matter what, the NBA is in for an interesting future. Hopefully dwarf-king Isaiah Thomas will be a part of it.