Three weeks ago, the NBA witnessed perhaps the most incredible trade deadline in its history. The headline deal was the surprising swap of Luka Doncic and Anthony Davis, but the move that took everyone by surprise was far from the only transaction that changed the course of the league.

Among the significant deals were: the long-running Jimmy Butler III-Miami Heat saga that culminated in a trade to the Golden State Warriors, De’Aaron Fox’s trade request from the Sacramento Kings that was granted, forming what Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs hope will be their future championship pairing. The Milwaukee Bucks traded former All-Star Khris Middleton and added Kyle Kuzma to strengthen their playoff aspirations. The NBA-leading Cleveland Cavaliers also made a smaller move, acquiring wing De’Andre Hunter to better compete against the defending champion Boston Celtics.

In our regular NBA roundup, we spoke to league scouts, executives, and general managers to assess the performance of all the new players in their new teams and what the future holds for the various teams involved as they gear up for the postseason.

Windhorst: If you think you’ve already heard enough about the shock and surprise the entire NBA felt when the Doncic-Davis trade broke, rest assured that’s just a small fraction of the league’s actual reaction.

“Did the Lakers win the deadline? The Lakers completely dominated the deadline,” one general manager remarked.

Bontemps: It’s hard to find anyone outside the Dallas-Fort Worth area who would disagree that the Lakers-Mavs trade heavily favored Los Angeles. However, many in the league have credited Dallas general manager Nico Harrison for sticking to his principles. It didn’t go unnoticed that he was front and center in Los Angeles for the first meeting between the two teams after the trade.

That said, nothing changes the fact that Doncic is a generational talent and still years younger than Davis. Even as he’s working to regain his conditioning after a calf injury sidelined him for several weeks, he’s already showcasing his skills, with a combined 72 points, 38 rebounds, and 24 assists in his past three games.

“He’s not in peak form yet and he’s already making Jaxson Hayes look better,” a Western Conference executive commented. “You can see the plan coming together.”

Windhorst: Both the Lakers and Mavericks are likely to make more moves before the impact of this deal can truly be judged. The Lakers have already made an attempt — the rescinded trade for Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams — and are expected to explore additional moves this summer to better complement Doncic. As for the Mavs, Harrison may face criticism, but he has a loyal group of supporters who believe people should wait for Davis to return to form and see how Harrison strengthens the roster this summer before making final judgments.

Bontemps: For the Mavericks, the real question is whether they will be healthy enough to evaluate what this new roster can achieve in the playoffs. Davis, Daniel Gafford, and Dereck Lively II remain sidelined with injuries, leaving Dwight Powell, the team’s 13th or 14th man, as the only available big man.

The best thing going for Dallas? The Phoenix Suns have lost 11 of their last 14, which gives the struggling Mavericks some breathing room to withstand their injuries and stay in the play-in race.

Windhorst: Since Jimmy Butler’s debut, the Warriors have posted a 7-1 record, and there’s no doubt he’s provided a balanced offensive presence while showcasing defensive versatility. Praise for him is high in Golden State, with Draymond Green doubling down on his belief that the Warriors are capable of winning the title this season.

“The funny thing is, Golden State initially preferred to trade for [Kevin] Durant, and Jimmy only wanted to go to Phoenix,” a league executive shared. “Now they believe they made the perfect move.”

Bontemps: It’s no surprise that Butler has seamlessly integrated into the Warriors. A player with his basketball IQ was always going to mesh well with Stephen Curry. One executive even noted that Butler’s addition was reminiscent of Andre Iguodala’s arrival in 2013 — a defensively-minded player who fit effortlessly beside Curry during the Warriors’ championship run. (Iguodala had his No. 9 jersey retired by the Warriors over the weekend.)

Another executive pointed out the newfound confidence of young players like Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody, now full-time starters, attributing their growth to