When asked about the trade, Legler, on the All-NBA Podcast, had the following to say, refusing to hold back on the situation: "Not only would Mark Cuban not have done the deal, Mark Cuban would have fired a person who suggested it on the spot... Because he'd be certain that person has to be doing something in terms of narcotics."

The Trail Blazers would likely want to make room to have more minutes for Donovan Clingan, who they recently selected early in the 2024 NBA Draft. For the Lakers, meanwhile, Ayton could have at least some tangible valuable as a player who has postseason experience and tremendous size on the inside.

But it has certainly been consequential, and I think ESPN analyst Bobby Marks summed it up adequately on the network’s NBA coverage this morning when he said, “The trade deadline is the new free agency.