Just about every analyst and outlet is guilty of it.

We always want immediate reactions to draft picks, free-agency moves and trades. But in the NBA, it often (maybe even always) takes a little time to get a real grasp on how everyone involved made out.

And that's what we have between us and some of the biggest deals of the last half decade now.

With the benefit of hindsight, Bleacher Report's NBA staff combed through some of the biggest trades of the last five years and reevaluated them through the tried-and-true A-through-F grading rubric.

Phoenix Suns Trade for Kevin Durant

The Trade

Brooklyn Nets Receive: Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder, Cameron Johnson, 2023 first-round pick (Noah Cowney), 2025 first-round pick, 2027 first-round pick, 2028 first-round swap, 2029 first-round pick

Phoenix Suns Receive: Kevin Durant, T.J. Warren

Nets Re-Grade: A++++

Brooklyn's superteam setup had entirely unraveled by the time it negotiated the Durant trade. Getting so much for an unhappy 34-year-old who preferred a relocation to one team was always a big deal.

The Nets have since turned it into a larger victory.

Jettisoning Durant paved the way for them to enter a much-needed reset. It took over a season to get there, but they're here now, and they have even more picks to show for it.

Bridges was just flipped to the New York Knicks for five additional first-round picks and another first-round swap. Brooklyn was also able to leverage Phoenix's 2027 and 2029 selections into regaining control of its own first-rounders for 2025 and 2026.

All told, the Nets basically turned KD and two swaps into seven extra first-round picks, the return of the rights to a pair of their own firsts, another two swaps and Cam Johnson. (Crowder was also used to scoop up seconds from Milwaukee in 2028 and 2029—another savvy move.)

Teardowns are often overromanticized, but Brooklyn had no other choice. It made the most, and then some, of a situation that could have torpedoed both its present and future.

Suns Re-Grade: B

If you're at all peeved by Phoenix's current position, the Durant trade must be viewed as the organization's cardinal sin. The Suns weren't doing better in a vacuum with the assets they gave up to land Bradley Beal, and Deandre Ayton was never going to fetch a king's ransom. The Durant deal is what drained their asset pool and set the stage for them to even further mortgage their future.

It was a massive gamble at the time. It seems even riskier now. Phoenix has changed head coaches twice since the move, and despite making some nice acquisitions on the minimum market since, its roster is teeming with question marks and not enough wings.

Catastrophizing this move with the benefit of hindsight is nevertheless an overreaction. The Suns knew they were shortening their overall window in hopes of opening one with access to title contention. Though last season was rife with twists and turns and joylessness, they managed to eke out nearly 50 victories. Durant's stock isn't any lower now than before, except he's a year-and-change older, and the roster features more optionality following the emergence of Grayson Allen, acquisition of Royce O'Neale and highway-robbery signing of Tyus Jones.

For as unsettled as the Suns' place in the contender ranks may be, and fail though they did to win any detail of the Brooklyn negotiations, we can continue to map out a path to championship territory. Their grade cannot be dragged down too far unless (or until) that changes.

—Dan Favale

Cleveland Cavaliers Trade for Donovan Mitchell

The Trade

Cleveland Cavaliers Receive: Donovan Mitchell

Utah Jazz Receive: Ochai Agbaji, Collin Sexton (sign-and-trade), Lauri Markkanen, 2025 first-round pick, 2026 first-round swap, 2027 first-round pick, 2028 first-round swap, 2029 first-round pick

Cavs Re-Grade: B+

Cleveland's grade will be subject to all sorts of revisionist history now that Markkanen has turned into an All-Star. Don't give in to that temptation.

Markkanen wasn't headed down that path as a member of the Cavs. Utah has deployed him as a high-volume play-finisher amid lineups with virtually zero ball-dominance around him and streamlined spacing. His meteoric mid-career rise is a testament to him and the Jazz more than it's an indictment of Cleveland.

The Cavs should actually feel better about their outlay now. Agbaji is already elsewhere, and while the Sexton contract has aged nicely, Utah would have moved him already if he was a hot commodity. The three additional first-round picks and two first-round swaps might sting. But Cleveland landed an All-NBA player who it just signed to an extension. Locking him down through 2026-27 (player option for 2027-28) validates what was already a justifiable move.

Granted, there's still some risk at play. Cleveland's Big Four regressed as a unit last season. It feels like that has more to do with stop-and-start availability. But if Mitchell and Darius Garland aren't in lockstep moving forward or Evan Mobley's offensive development is stymied by playing beside both guards and another center, this deal will be worth yet another look.

And even then, the Cavs are far from screwed. Every member of the Big Four is under team control for at least another three seasons, giving them plenty of time to figure it out—even if that clarity must be achieved through tinkering on the trade market.

Jazz Re-Grade: A

Utah could not have hoped for a better return on Mitchell when factoring in how well Sexton has played and, most critically, Markkanen's star ascent. They were even able to use Agbaji in tandem with Kelly Olynyk to bag a 2024 first-rounder (Isaiah Collier).

Concern starts to creep in and prevents them from nabbing a perfect re-grade on two fronts.

For starters, the distant Cleveland first-rounders no longer seem as juicy. Garland (free agent in 2028), Mitchell (2027-28 player option), Mobley (2030 free agent) and Jarrett Allen (2029 free agent) are all under long-term team control. The Cavs may still have to reorient the core at some point, but they'll have the leverage in trade talks to ensure the floor never gets ripped out from underneath them.

Markkanen's blast-off offsets much of that downside. He should command more as a trade asset on his extension, and if the Jazz elect to keep him, his offensive utility scales to any type of infrastructure they embrace.

But Utah may also be a victim of underestimation. It has outperformed early-season expectations each of the past two years. That necessitated midseason selloffs and shutdowns—none of which resulted in them securing higher than a No. 9 pick.

This leaves the Jazz in a funky position, ostensibly too good to tank without resorting to extremes yet not nearly ready enough to make noise in the Western Conference. Their next re-grade will hinge on what they do next.

Do they have enough youth to lean on Markkanen-plus-kids and increase their draft-lottery equity? Will they get lucky with one of their Cleveland (or Minnesota or Lakers) first-rounders? Can they use the bevy of assets at their disposal to acquire a player better than Markkanen who can serve as their organizational compass? Make no mistake, it's a good problem to have, but if transcending the middle is the goal, it's a problem all the same.

—Daniel Favale

Mavericks Trade for Kyrie Irving

The Trade

Dallas Mavericks Receive: Kyrie Irving and Markieff Morris

Brooklyn Nets Receive: Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a 2029 first-round pick, a 2027 second-round pick and a 2029 second-round pick

Mavericks Re-Grade: A

Opinions on the Mavs' acquisition of Irving at the 2023 trade deadline were mixed. The cost was low, with just a first-rounder returning to Brooklyn for a player with legitimate superstar production. The risk, however, was high: Dallas was taking on perhaps the league's biggest active headache, someone with a reputation for unreliability who'd left three straight teams worse than he found them.

Brooklyn had no choice but to move on from an untenable situation, and it seemingly did well to get any future first-rounders in the bargain at all.

It was so easy to catastrophize Dallas' side. Irving would inevitably flake on the Mavs, or do something off the floor that alienated teammates and fans. At the time, it was reasonable to speculate that if this move went sideways and Dallas looked no closer to contention after burning yet another pick and sending away a player as important as Finney-Smith, Luka Dončić's trade request wouldn't be far behind.

Flash-forward, and none of that could have been further from the truth. Irving settled in as a perfect secondary offensive weapon in support of Dončić. He was roundly embraced by teammates, stayed in line away from the court and was indispensable in the Mavs' run to the 2024 Finals.

Nets Re-Grade: B

—Grant Hughes

Timberwolves Trade for Rudy Gobert

The Trade

Minnesota Timberwolves Receive: Rudy Gobert

Utah Jazz Receive: Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Leandro Bolmaro, draft rights to Walker Kessler, 2023 first-round pick, 2025 first-round pick, 2027 first-round pick, 2029 first-round pick (top-five protected), swap rights on 2026 first-round pick

Wolves Re-Grade: A-

Victory lap time!

I gave the Minnesota Timberwolves' 2022 offseason a B+ on the following thinking:

Rudy Gobert cost a ton to acquire, but he's the player most capable of erasing this team's two most glaring weaknesses: defensive rebounding and defense at the rim.

With the three-time DPOY assuring Minnesota will perform at a top-five level on D whenever he's in the game and an offense that could improve on its No. 7 finish a year ago, the Wolves have a chance to win as many regular-season games as anyone in the NBA.

What that means for the playoffs, where Gobert's effectiveness tends to diminish, is uncertain. The Wolves have made two postseason trips since 2004. They'll happily cross that bridge when they get to it.

It turns out I was a year early on most of that, as Gobert's first season with the Wolves was interrupted by injuries across the roster. Last year, though, Minnesota turned in the best season in franchise history and led the league in defense as Gobert collected his fourth DPOY award.

That validated the trade, and the Wolves are primed to contend for the top spot in the West again this season. Sure, the roster is prohibitively expensive and inflexible. Most top-tier teams are in the same boat.

Jazz Re-Grade: A+

Utah's perspective is simpler.

The Jazz offloaded a costly veteran for an absolute mint, supercharging their rebuild.

Even with Gobert playing as well as he has, the Wolves wouldn't come anywhere close to getting what the Jazz did if they were to trade the big man today. That's a win.

—Grant Hughes

Kings and Pacers Swap Sabonis, Haliburton

The Trade

Indiana Pacers Receive: Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield and Tristan Thompson

Sacramento Kings Receive: Domantas Sabonis, Justin Holiday, Jeremy Lamb and a 2023 2nd round draft pick (Jordan Walsh was later selected)

Grade for Sacramento Kings: A

The Sacramento Kings' list of bad draft picks over the last few decades looks like a CVS receipt, which is why it was shocking to see them trade Tyrese Haliburton, one of their few hits, just a year-and-a-half into his pro career.

Haliburton had finished third in Rookie of the Year voting in 2020-21 and wanted to be part of Sacramento, later crying for an hour after he was traded. Rarely do players share this kind of emotion after a trade, so it was refreshingly honest to hear his reaction to the move.

Of course, things have worked out pretty good for both sides since.

Grade for Indiana Pacers: A+

Haliburton has made two All-Star games in his pair of full seasons with Indiana, led the NBA in assists last year and was named to the All-NBA third team. He landed a five-year, $244 million max contract and led the Pacers to the Eastern Conference Finals last season.

Domantas Sabonis has since led the NBA in rebounding in back-to-back years, was an All-Star in 2022-23 and helped end the Kings' 16-year playoff drought. He signed a monster deal of his own, agreeing to a five-year, $217 million raise and extension last summer.

This is a rare blockbuster that's a win for both parties. Haliburton wouldn't be the same player in Sacramento sharing the ball with De'Aaron Fox, and the Pacers have since traded for Pascal Siakam to take over Sabonis' old spot.

The slight edge goes to Indiana given Haliburton is the best player in the deal, although both franchises should feel really good about this one.

—Greg Swartz

Lakers Trade for Russell Westbrook

The Trade

Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Russell Westbrook, 2024 second-round pick and 2028 second-round

Washington Wizards Receive: Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell and No. 22 pick (Isaiah Jackson) in the 2021 draft

Grade for Los Angeles Lakers: F

We're not going to bury the lede here, as the Los Angeles Lakers trading for Russell Westbrook was a decision that has haunted the franchise for the past three years.

After winning the 2020 NBA title, groin and knee injuries to Anthony Davis led to the Lakers being knocked out by the Phoneix Suns in the 2021 first round, sparking the panic trade for a third star and Westbrook.

What looked like a terrible fit at the time was made even worse by the fact that Westbrook still had two years and $91 million remaining on his contract. His first-year salary ($44.2 million) represented 39.3 percent of the salary cap, or the same as a player making $55.3 million today.

The Lakers would go a pitiful 33-49 in 2021-22, missing the playoffs while Westbrook had a swing rating of minus-3.6, shot 29.8 percent from three and turned the ball over 3.8 times a game.

He was later traded halfway through the 2022-23 season, as the Lakers had to include their 2027 first-round pick to move Westbrook out for a package highlighted by D'Angelo Russell.

Grade for Washington Wizards A-

The Washington Wizards, however, still have Kyle Kuzma (20.2 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 200 games following the trade) who's now on a really good contract (three years, $64.4 million). Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Montrezl Harrell were turned into some modest draft picks and cash.

Of course, simply getting off of Westbrook's massive contract would have been payment enough.

At no point in the process did this have a chance of being a good trade for the Lakers, and it will forever go down as one of the worst trades in NBA history.

—Swartz

Bulls Trade for Nikola Vučević

The Trade

Bulls Receive: Nikola Vučević and Al-Farouq Aminu

Orlando Magic Receive: Wendell Carter Jr., Otto Porter Jr., a 2021 first-round pick (Franz Wagner was later selected) and a 2023 first-round pick (Jett Howard was later selected)

Bulls Re-Grade: D

At the time this deal went down, accelerating the timeline made some sense for the Chicago Bulls. Zach LaVine was an All-Star approaching his prime. Lauri Markkanen looked like a solid, floor-spacing big. Even second-year pro Coby White was showing flashes that he might be a long-term option at the 1.

So, even if a promising young center such as Wendell Carter Jr. and multiple first-round picks felt like a pretty big haul for Nikola Vučević, it didn't seem crazy at the time.

Vuč was a plus for his position as both a passer and outside shooter. And his high-skill game could tie a lot of the talent above together.

What Chicago didn't count on was how quickly the big man's defense and outside shot would fall off as he aged into his 30s. The Bulls have struggled to put great defenses on the floor with Vučević ostensibly serving as the anchor. And his lack of an outside shot has made things crowded on the other end.

Would the entire outlook of the last four years be different if Lonzo Ball's career hadn't been derailed by injuries? Probably, but Vučević also didn't do much to mitigate the absence of Ball.

Magic Re-Grade: A

Meanwhile, Carter might simply be the better player than Vuč at this point.

And the more obvious problem is that one of those draft picks turned into Franz Wagner, who could start making All-Star teams as early as this season.

—Andy Bailey

76ers Trade for James Harden

The Trade

76ers Receive: James Harden and Paul Millsap

Nets Receive: Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, Ben Simmons, a 2023 first-round pick (Brice Sensabaugh was later selected) and a 2027 first-round draft pick

76ers Re-Grade: C+

We have to get James Harden in here somewhere, right?

Since January 2021, the man has been traded from the Houston Rockets to the Brooklyn Nets, from the Brooklyn Nets to the Philadelphia 76ers, and then from the Philadelphia 76ers to the Los Angeles Clippers. Every one of those deals fits within the five-year window established for this exercise.

And while all three are probably worthy of some retrospection, we'll settle on the second one here.

Prior to Harden's most recent move to L.A., it would've been pretty easy to lampoon this from the Philadelphia perspective. He never went past the second round as a Sixer. By the time he was on his way out, he was very publicly and aggressively calling team president Daryl Morey a liar.

Giving up draft capital and a one-time franchise cornerstone in Ben Simmons for that kind of headache seems like, at first glance, a disaster.

But credit Morey for somehow flipping Harden to the Clippers for multiple rotation players and multiple picks a year and a half after he acquired him. Add that to the complete meltdown we've seen from Simmons over the last few years, and for Philadelphia, this deal is, at worst, a wash.

Nets Re-Grade: D

As for the Brooklyn side of this deal, it's easy to ding the Nets right now. The swing for Simmons, barring some dramatic development this season, was a miss. Seth Curry and Andre Drummond are no longer with the team. Brice Sensabaugh never even played a game there (he was traded as a pick for Royce O'Neale).

But there's still an outside chance this is salvageable for Brooklyn. And I do mean outside. Having that 2027 pick probably makes this feel better, but it's protected (Philadelphia keeps it if it lands in the top eight).

—Andy Bailey

Nuggets Trade for Aaron Gordon

The Trade

Nuggets Receive: Aaron Gordon, Gary Clark

Magic Receive: Gary Harris, R.J. Hampton, 2025 protected first-round pick

Nuggets Re-Grade: A+

The Denver Nuggets acquired Aaron Gordon from the Orlando Magic in 2021, and B/R's' initial take was, "On paper, the Nuggets are better with Gordon on the roster. This may not be the transformative move to get Denver significantly closer to a title."

To be fair, Denver wasn't immediately transformed. It was the 2022 offseason trade with the Washington Wizards for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope that immediately led to the 2022-23 championship—but the Gordon trade was certainly a transformative move that got the Nuggets one (KCP) move away from a title.

Gordon's ability to go toe-to-toe defensively with players like LeBron James while finding ways to score on back cuts, duck-ins and the occasional three-pointer perfectly complemented the star duo of Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray.

Now that Caldwell-Pope is, coincidentally, on the Magic, it remains to be seen if Denver is still a top-tier contender. However, the Gordon trade was worth Gary Harris, RJ Hampton and the protected 2025 first-round pick the Nuggets still owe Orlando.

Clippers Trade for Norman Powell

The Trade

Clippers Received: Norman Powell and Robert Covington

Trail Blazers Received: Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow, Keon Johnson and a 2025 second-round draft pick

Clippers Re-Grade: B+

The February 2022 trade of Norman Powell from the Portland Trail Blazers to the LA Clippers wasn't a blockbuster then and has yet to lead to the Clippers' first NBA title.

The Blazers hastened their rebuild, but players from L.A. such as Eric Bledsoe, Justice Winslow and Keon Johnson weren't part of Portland's big-picture plans. The 2025 second-rounder from the Clippers probably won't mean much.

However, the Powell trade helped lead the NBA to make stark rule changes in the 2023 collective bargaining agreement, which limits teams with excessive payrolls from continually making trades to add payroll.

Powell, a borderline starter/sixth-man and champion with the Toronto Raptors, had recently signed a five-year, $90 million contract with Portland.

The Clippers were willing to pay luxury taxes, taking on Powell's lengthy salary for marginal value. They continued on this path in November 2023, taking on James Harden from the Philadelphia 76ers (while the new CBA had transition rules in place, the stricter limitations didn't kick in until the start of this past offseason).

Re-Grade for the NBA: D

The league wanted to prevent teams from endlessly adding salary, and the Powell trade was the prime example to the NBA on how the rules needed to change.

—Eric Pincus