This year’s NBA trade deadline came down to the minute with several blockbuster trades. Shaquille O’Neal, Pau Gasol and Jason Kidd all have new Western Conference addresses. If you think these three former Rookies of the Year and All-Stars won’t have a huge impact on the way the playoffs shake out, then you don’t really know anything about the NBA, do you?

Yes, I know the Cleveland Cavs were also involved in an 11-player trade, but they play in the Eastern Conference, and their four new players won’t have an impact on the Western Conference race.

Six months ago, if I had told you the Lakers were going to be involved in a major February trade, you probably would have guessed that Kobe Bryant would be the one on the move. The Lakers’ hot start quickly rejuvenated Kobe’s interest in remaining in L.A., and instead the Lakers moved Kwame Brown and some spare parts to Memphis for Pau Gasol.

At the time of the trade, the Lakers had a 28-16 record and were in the playoffs. However, they were in the midst of a 2-5 slump, and, given how tight the Western Conference is, combined with center Andrew Bynum’s eight-week absence, the Lakers didn’t want to slip in the standings.

Gasol gives the Lakers a serious threat in the post that, when coupled with Bynum, will give them a talented frontcourt, as well as the ability to play multiple styles. In fact, Bynum’s injury may have been the best thing for the Lakers this season. If he never went down, I wonder if Gasol would be wearing purple and gold.

The Gasol trade forced the Suns to make a move that provided the team with more of an inside presence defensively. Five days after the Lakers trade, Phoenix moved Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks for Shaquille O’Neal, even though they had a 2.5 game lead on the Lakers and there was no reason to believe they would slow their pace.

Though the Suns played great basketball on the court, they were not happy in the locker room. The words “clubhouse cancer” were commonly used in reference to Marion. For the good of the team and for the sanity of Steve Nash, Marion had to go.

Now, the Suns could have probably gotten a more talented player for the Matrix, but Shaq is the player Phoenix needs. He will keep the Suns loose with his charisma in the locker room.

How do you guard an offensive unit that has two big men that demand double teams and three guys who can drain threes to spread out the court?  Think Steve Nash won’t be able to pick apart defenses with his passing and/or shooting with a lineup like this?

However, this is all assuming the change of scenery and all the doubters light a fire in Shaq to be dominant again. If that doesn’t happen, the Suns have doomed themselves with this trade.

Dallas finally landed Jason Kidd after presenting every trade possible for the  point guard. Kidd’s intensity and leadership are exactly what the doctor ordered in Dallas after consecutive, painful playoff exits.

On the court, however, Kidd and Devin Harris are a wash. What Kidd brings in his playmaking and rebounding ability, he pulls right back in his lack of speed and his terrible shooting.

Dallas, though, will benefit because of Kidd’s locker room presence, but this trade won’t vault them over the Lakers, Suns or Spurs. Also, I’m still not sure they’re better than Denver, Golden State or Utah. Kidd is too slow to guard the point guards of all of these teams.

Utah should also be given some credit for bringing in a new player, Kyle Korver. While he isn’t on the same level as Shaq, Gasol or Kidd, the Jazz are 12-2 since Korver, started playing for them.

The Lakers were probably the biggest winners of the blockbuster trades, though, and should consequently see a trip to the NBA finals. However, this pick may be influenced by the fact that I still think Boston is the best team in the East, narrowly over Cleveland, and the idea of a Lakers-Celtics finals is beautiful.