With last week?s trading deadline, more deals were completed than any year before it.  This is exciting for fans, as teams have new hopes, but it could become increasingly problematic for the NBA, because every single executed trade was for salary cap reasons.

One team improves immediately and mortgages their salary cap future, while the other team gets substantially worse for the remainder of the season, but gains financial flexibility.  Long gone are the days when teams would trade equal value for the goal of improved chemistry.  

After Thursday, a new hope emerges in these towns:

Golden State: In Baron Davis? debut he only scored 10 points and only threw 8 assists, but it was clear that Chris Mullin has scored himself a legitimate All-Star, one of the best 2 or 3 point guards in the entire NBA. A player that will make Mike Dunleavy, Mickael Pietrus and Troy Murphy that much better and a player that will give Jason Richardson a reason to believe.

Boston: Antoine Walker comes back to Boston after a year in Dallas and half a year in Atlanta.  Walker and Paul Pierce can both score and the 88?s experience of playing in Atlanta has sobered him up and should make him cherish each moment he spends on the parquet under the Celtics? hallowed rafters.

Milwaukee: Bucks? management decided that they will do everything they can to resign franchise player Michael Redd.  In Ray Allen?s return to the Bradley Center on Sunday, Redd outplayed the former Buck, outscoring him 35-16.  The Bucks might have been a playoff team had T.J. Ford not suffered such a serious injury.

Indiana: A Ron Artest trade was discussed in the media, but the ?Win One For Reggie? crowd couldn?t convince the Donnie Walsh and Larry Bird to part with their suspended player.  They could have conceivable given him to Atlanta for Antoine Walker or to Milwaukee for Keith Van Horn, but Indiana is deciding to forego one last chance with Reggie Miller for many season?s of chances with a nucleus of Jermaine O?Neal, Stephen Jackson, Jamaal Tinsley and Artest, which is the wise move.

Toronto: Not dealing Donyell Marshall will become a non-move Toronto fans will one day thank Rob Babcock for not doing.  Last season Isiah Thomas dealt the expiring contract of Antonio MyDyess for Stephon Marbury, which has already become one of the worst moves in Knicks history, and if Babcock would have done something similar with Marshall, albeit on a smaller scale, it would have handcuffed him and stifled his ability to build a team around Chris Bosh.  Classic situation of taking two bucks tomorrow instead of one today.

After Thursday, a downward spiral emerges in these towns:

Sacramento: Chris Webber turned Sacramento into a major league city and with him gone, it may be a long time until they return.  Geoff Petrie made the wise decision in dealing him, the Kings were not advancing past the first round of the playoffs.  This will give him the mobility to reload the Kings, rather than rebuild the Kings.  They preserved the core of Bibby, Peja and Miller, three players who remain in the prime of their careers, and perhaps Petrie can find that final piece that can get the Kings where they couldn?t get a few years back, but unfortunately that player will be found in the lottery, because they won?t make the playoffs in 2006.

Minnesota Timberwolves: By not making a move at the deadline, the Timberwolves have come to the conclusion that their current core of players (i.e. Sprewell and Cassell) will play out the season and then come off the books and Kevin Garnett will have a new crop of teammates to make a run at the Finals.  They were so close last season, but from day one, this year?s edition has been unable to get going.  They were up at the half on Friday at Seattle, but they were outclassed in the 2nd half by their division rival.

New York Knicks: The Knicks cannot seem to do anything right.  Malik Rose is a nice player, but is notorious for having one of the league?s worst contracts and the Spurs had been trying to deal him for quite a while, and they should have known a long time ago that the Knicks would take on his contract.  They continue to butcher their future with bad contract after bad contract.  Jamal Crawford is the only player on the team with a favorable contract.  Fortunately Tim Thomas and Penny Hardaway will be entering their walk years, so those contracts will begin to look good to teams looking to clear cap space, but then again it is the Knicks, so they?ll probably end up trading them for Elton Brand and a crutch-ridden Chris Webber.