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20. Los Angeles Lakers (24)

What a move!

The Lakers cleared the decks for the summer of 2018 or 2019, opening up two max-salary slots by trading Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. to the Cavaliers for Isaiah Thomas, Channing Frye and Cleveland's 2018 first-round pick.

The future is brighter in L.A., but the deal's impact on the rest of this season is hazier.

Thomas and Clarkson have been similarly (un)productive this season, posting nearly identical scoring averages (14.5 for Clarkson, 14.7 for Thomas) and usage rates (27.5 and 29.0 percent, respectively). Clarkson has shot it more efficiently, but that's not saying much.

Maybe Thomas finds his form, and maybe Frye offers some spacing if he's not bought out. Or maybe both will prove useless.

Ultimately, the Lakers' climb is more closely tied to an 8-2 record over their last 10 games than any of Thursday's deadline action.

19. Los Angeles Clippers (20)

Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune had the Lou Williams extension first, a decision that should have signaled the Clips' intentions to avoid a fire sale in the aftermath of the Blake Griffin trade.

DeAndre Jordan stayed put despite being perhaps the most-discussed trade candidate all season.

A half-game out of the eighth spot in the West, L.A. has won four of its last five contests. A trying seven-game road trip begins Friday, though. With the Utah Jazz surging, the Clippers don't have much margin for error in their playoff pursuit.

18. Detroit Pistons (19)

So much for an adjustment period.

Detroit has won five straight, and four of those victories came after Griffin's arrival. The surprisingly quick synergy between him and Andre Drummond is the headline, but the Pistons are also getting excellent production from Reggie Bullock and Stanley Johnson.

If forcing Johnson into a bigger role is what pulls him off the lottery-bust pile, Detroit may start feeling better about paying Griffin zillions of dollars over the next four years. Emphasis on "may."

James Ennis, acquired from the Grizzlies, bolsters the Pistons' wing depth. Jameer Nelson's arrival from Chicago is less significant. He won't push Ish Smith for minutes at the 1.

17. Charlotte Hornets (18)

The Hornets pasted 49 first-quarter points on the Pacers this past Friday, becoming the first team to do that against any team in an opening frame since the Portland Trail Blazers did it Nov. 25, 1990, according to Elias Sports Bureau. Kemba Walker ended that win with 41 points of his own, and because of that performance (and his general excellence), he's still a member of the Hornets.

The playoffs remain a long shot, but the Hornets are quietly above .500 since Jan. 1, and Nicolas Batum is rounding into form. February has been his best statistical month by a significant margin.

16. Miami Heat (11)

Dwyane Wade is back, but whether the good vibes and sense of closure his return engenders mean anything on the floor remains to be seen. Is this a farewell tour, or will Wade play? And if he plays, does he deserve rotation minutes over the younger, scrappier wings who've gotten the Heat to this point?

Actually, that last question's easy. The answer is "no."

Miami has struggled lately, but each loss in its five-game skid has been of the single-digit variety. We've got to demote the Heat for losing, but the wheels haven't fallen off.