Big names stay put at boring deadline

The big names rumored to be on the move at the NBA's trade deadline went nowhere on Thursday as teams opted for tweaks over blockbusters.

The Orlando Magic (15-39), with the second worst record in the Eastern Conference, pulled the trigger on the day's biggest swap, shipping sharpshooting guard J.J. Redick to the Milwaukee Bucks in a multi-player deal, according to media reports.

Redick, who is among the league's top 3-point shooters, averaging a career-high 15.1 points this season, was sent to Milwaukee along with Gustavo Ayon and Ish Smith in return for Tobias Harris, Beno Udrih and Doron Lamb.

But the Boston Celtics' Kevin Garnett, Los Angeles Lakers' Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard, Toronto Raptors' Andrea Bargnani and Atlanta Hawks' Josh Smith remained in their current uniforms when the trade window slammed shut at 3 pm ET.

All were among the high-end, high-priced talent being shopped around in the media, but making a trade under the NBA's new collective bargaining agreement can be expensive with a punishing luxury tax being partially blamed for the dull deadline day.

Two title contenders, the Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder tinkered with their rosters.

The Thunder grabbed small forward Ronnie Brewer from the New York Knicks for a second round pick, then sent backup point guard Eric Maynor to the Portland Trail Blazers for the rights to Greek forward Georgios Printezis.

The Heat will not have South Beach buzzing about their latest deal, sending backup center Dexter Pittman and a second round pick to the Memphis Grizzlies for the draft rights to Ricky Sanchez, who currently plays for Libertad Sunchales in Argentina.

The Raptors held onto Bargnani, the number one overall pick in the 2006 draft, but general manager Bryan Colangelo still swung a deal as Toronto makes a push for a playoff spot in the East.

Having acquired Rudy Gay in a major deal with the Grizzlies last month, Colangelo added some depth at point guard by gaining Sebastian Telfair from the Phoenix Suns for a second round draft pick and the rights to center Hamed Haddadi.

Telfair, who entered the NBA to great fanfare out of high school, has never lived up to his advanced billing, moving to his eighth team in nine seasons.

(China Daily 02/23/2013 page15)