NBA Betting: Thunder, Heat Make Huge Playoff Push at Trade Deadline 

Heading into Thursday’s NBA trade deadline, things looked pretty grim for both the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Miami Heat. Oklahoma City (28-25 SU, 24-27-2 ATS) was ninth in the Western Conference. Miami (22-30 SU, 23-27-2 ATS) was clinging to eighth place in the East. Their chances of making the playoffs didn’t look very good.

What a difference a day makes. In what turned out to be an incredibly busy afternoon of wheeling and dealing, the Thunder and Heat really turned things around. If you had Oklahoma City at 8/1 on the championship futures market before the deadline, those odds don’t look so chalky anymore. And Miami at 150/1? It could happen.

Here Comes the Cavalry

Oklahoma City had two pressing issues coming out of the All-Star break. They lacked depth, especially in the front court, and they had a disgruntled back-up point guard, Reggie Jackson (15.69 PER). The Thunder killed two birds with one stone by shipping Jackson to the Detroit Pistons and Kendrick Perkins (7.45 PER) to the Utah Jazz in a three-way deal. Here’s what OKC got back.

Point Guard DJ Augustin (15.81 PER)

Small Forward Kyle Singler (9.41 PER)

Small Forward Steve Novak (14.49 PER)

That’s quite a haul. Oklahoma City also had to give up a protected first-rounder, plus 2013 second-round pick Grant Jerrett and the rights to German center Tibor Pleiss, but the cost appears to be worth the benefit. Kanter is the most important piece; he’s good for 18.4 points and 10.4 rebounds per 36 minutes, giving the Thunder a scoring option – something they’ve sorely lacked.

The other three players are useful too. Augustin has proved to be a capable point guard in the right system. Singler (shooting 40.6% from 3) and especially Novak (shooting 48.5% from 3) can hit the three, which covers another weakness that the Thunder struggled with. Their arrival should at least get OKC into the No. 8 slot in the West, if not higher. Then it’s anyone’s game.

Enter the Dragics

Miami still has some work to do before it can be considered an elite team again, but they’ve got one heck of a starting five after landing Goran Dragic (16.67 PER) from the Phoenix Suns – and his brother Zoran for good measure. Miami sent a pair of first-rounders to Phoenix, plus Danny Granger (8.69 PER) and Justin Hamilton (9.80 PER). The Heat also dealt Norris Cole (9.96 PER) to the New Orleans Pelicans for John Salmons (5.14 PER) to open up some more minutes for Dragic.

This should be just the tonic Dragic needs after his talents were being wasted in Phoenix. Provided Dwyane Wade (22.49 PER) and Chris Bosh (19.98 PER) can get and stay healthy, Dragic gives Miami three proven high-quality players, along with breakout center Hassan Whiteside (28.46 PER) and former two-time All-Star Luol Deng (16.76 PER). Now all the Heat needs is a bench.