A few weeks ago, a league executive told me to expect a relatively quiet trade deadline, one without a blockbuster deal. There were too many cap restrictions, more buyers than sellers on the market, and a general pessimism about deals getting done.

The Warriors’ desperation and the Lakers pulling off the heist of the century headlined a wild NBA trade deadline.

The Dallas Mavericks’ shocking trade of 25-year-old superstar Luka Dončić to the Lakers for 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis is one example of the power starting to sway back in the other direction. So was the not-as-stunning-but-still-consequential trade of Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat to the Golden State Warriors.