Last Year’s Key Post-Deadline Transactions

Just because the trade deadline is over doesn't mean we have to wait until the offseason for NBA teams to make more significant moves. Plenty of transactions take place once trading is done for the season, from buyouts to notable 10-day deals and, more recently, signings involving players returning from China.  

One notable post-deadline signing has already taken place, as the Knicks have brought Kenyon Martin aboard with a 10-day contract. Richard Hardy of HoopsWorld looks at some other players who could wind up on new teams in the coming days and weeks. To help give you more of an idea of what sort of moves to expect, here's a glimpse at what happened after last year's March 15 trade deadline:

• March 18: Nuggets sign Wilson Chandler to a five-year deal. The total package is worth $37.858MM, including $6.137MM in deferred compensation. — Chandler spent most of last season playing in China and after his return engaged in protracted negotiations with the Nuggets on the long-term deal. He could have waited to sign until the summer, when other teams could bid on him as a restricted free agent. The Nuggets could simply have signed him for the rest of the season, but that would have meant he'd become an unrestricted free agent in the offseason. Instead, both sides made a lengthy commitment, though injuries have kept Chandler from making much of an impact this season.
• March 19: Greg Oden clears waivers — The Blazers finally cut ties with their oft-injured No. 1 overall pick from 2007. He still hasn't played in an NBA game since December 2009, but he's eyeing a return. 
• March 21: Blazers claim J.J. Hickson off waivers from Kings — Hickson believed he would clear waivers, as most players do, so he was all set to sign with the Warriors before Portland snatched him up. The big man had a sudden revival with the Blazers, more than tripling his points-per-game mark to 15.1 from the 4.7 he put up with Sacramento. He's continued to play well, averaging a double-double this season as Portland's starting center on a one-year, $4MM contract he signed in the summer.
• March 21: Thunder sign Derek Fisher to one-year, $2.33MM deal — Oklahoma City used part of its mid-level exception to land the veteran point guard, and he helped shepherd the team to the Finals. This year, Fisher may be a late-season addition again, as he is apparently eager to return to the NBA.
• March 21: Heat sign Ronny Turiaf to two-year, minimum-salary deal — The Nuggets waived him after receiving him as part of the Nene Hilario/JaVale McGee deal. He started seven playoff games for the Heat, though he only averaged 10.1 minutes per game in a dozen postseason contests last year. The second year of his contract was a player option, and Turiaf declined it over the summer in hopes of a raise. Instead, he wound up signing with the Clippers for the same minimum salary he would have earned with Miami. 
• March 23: Spurs sign Boris Diaw to minimum-salary deal for the rest of the season — Diaw revived his career after a buyout from the Bobcats, and went from the worst team in the league to one that tied for the NBA's best record. He started all 14 playoff games for San Antonio, averaging 6.2 points and 5.2 rebounds, and re-signed with the Spurs for a two-year, $9.2MM contract this summer.
• March 26: Raptors sign Alan Anderson to first 10-day contract — Toronto eventually signed Anderson for the rest of the season, and in the summer the team inked him to a minimum-salary deal for this year as well. He's become an indispensable part of Toronto's rotation, averaging 11.0 points in 25.5 minutes per game in his time with the Raptors.