The NBA trade deadline has hit, and quite a few big moves have been made. Most notably, Kevin Durant has joined the Phoenix Suns. Of course, one star player won’t fix all issues on a team, but as with any team, it could help them move up in the standings.

In the Western Conference, the Suns are tied for fourth with the Dallas Mavericks. They could, realistically, move up past them. However, the Mavs acquired Kyrie Irving, so that could give them an additional push too.

The Sacramento Kings, in third place, had a quiet trade deadline with an “emphasis on themselves to get better,” per De’Aaron Fox, shared by Sean Cunningham of Fox 40.

Anything can happen in the playoffs, so sometimes they’re a bit difficult to predict. However, in the Western Conference, the Suns or Mavs could come up as sneaky contenders to the finals. The Denver Nuggets will likely still win the division and have a solid shot at the finals, but their competition and the division as a whole is certainly getting tougher.

Now for my thought on the Eastern Conference:

The Eastern Conference is highly intriguing in general, but the Boston Celtics still seem equipped to reach the finals again. They have their faults, but they’ve been solid more often than not. However, they don’t necessarily seem best-equipped.

One worrying factor about the Celtics, however, is that their core is continuously facing issues and injuries. The bench has shown potential, especially Sam Hauser and Grant Williams lately, but they do occasionally slip up against teams that should be easy to beat.

Most recently, they struggled immensely in the first half against the Detroit Pistons on Monday night. Jayson Tatum is occasionally showing signs of burnout, yet still putting up MVP numbers. They aren’t worrisome quite yet, but they very well could be with the Milwaukee Bucks and the Philadelphia 76ers sneaking up on them in the standings.

The 76ers and Bucks each made some decent trades as well, which could help enhance each team. The Sixers acquired Jalen McDaniels, while the Bucks acquired Jae Crowder. They’re not the biggest trades of the deadline, but they will likely help each team and could be an extra push to the finals.

As the season rounds the corner toward its end, both divisions could definitely bring some unexpected surprises.

Who do you believe will come out of the West? Let us know on Twitter @WeLikeSportzPC .

By : Rylie Smith

@ RylieS_14

*Photo courtesy of NBC Sports*