Not often do you get a blockbuster trade less than a month into the new season, but we do things a little differently over here in the NBA 2K League! Quick trade recap for both teams, then we’ll break down what this means for the league at large, let’s go.

Trade:
76ersGC acquires: 630, 2023 3rd round pick
Pacers Gaming acquires: Reizey, 2023 1st round pick (via Kings Guard)

What This Means For Pacers Gaming:

I have to start with Pacers Gaming because we’ve truly never seen anything like this before. The team searches for a PG for 3 seasons, gets nothing. They finally draft the ROY and MVP #2 overall, become one of the premier teams in the league, then get knocked out of the playoffs in the 1st round. Then THIS season, they stumble to a 1-4 start out of the gate and now are forced to trade that same MVP barely a full month into the season. Not to mention, they brought back the whole team and traded a 1st for Vandi this offseason, specifically to play next to 630! Wild.

Reizey is a good get for them, all things considered. He’s altered his game quite well and has transformed into one of the best SGs in the league this year, including a fantastic performance on stage during The Tipoff. This is going to sound a bit crazy, but I think he’s a much better fit next to Vandi than 630 is. That take totally ignores the context that Vandi was traded SPECIFICALLY to fit next to 630, but from an on-court standpoint, Vandi and Reizey make a lot more sense. Reizey won’t make an impact for 3v3. Vandi has been leading that charge, but this should give them a needed boost in 5v5 and hopefully even out the lineup. Are they better? Probably not. Does the team make a little more sense now in a classical sense? Definitely.

What This Means For 76ersGC:

Look, I know that Reizey played well during The Tipoff. Played very well in fact, maybe the best we’ve seen since Season 2! But, when the East is as wide open as it is, and you have the chance to acquire the reigning MVP for ONE player and ONE 1st round pick?! You’ve got to do it. Have to, you’d be a little crazy not to. However, despite the talent 630 brings to the table, it’s still a big swing.

Dre has been arguably the best PG in the entire league so far this season. He’s putting up a monster sophomore season and also might be the best 3v3 guard in the league if the first couple of days are any indication. I’ll be honest, I’m a bit skeptical of this working. Having two high usage rate guards doesn’t have a ton of registered success in the league, especially when one of them isn’t a natural distributor like a BearDaBeast or even Duck last year with Knicks Gaming. That isn’t to say Dre can’t do it, I’d be stunned if there is anything he truly can’t do in 2K, but it hasn’t been his game so far. Also, from 630’s angle, can he play the SG role the way it needs to be played this year? We know how talented he is, that can’t be questioned, but to win a championship, he’s going to have to really sacrifice to make sure Dre can keep playing like this. I’m not saying he CAN’T do it, but I’m ready to SEE him do it. Regardless, this is a move to win a title. It has eluded Jeff Terrell so far, but with the East where it is and how good the team already is, I’m not surprised he’s taking a swing like this. Let’s see if it pays off.

What This Means For The League:

It’s a stunning trade, no question. It’s pretty rare for a team to spend as many assets as Pacers Gaming did this offseason to build around 1 player. Slow starts happen, we’ve seen teams be terrible in the Tipoff and make deep playoff runs, so I’m surprised how fast both sides moved on from each other. It’s not a bad thing per say, it’s just surprising. I wonder if this sets a new precedent for how early a player can be traded as well. By my memory, this is one of the earliest, if not THE earliest in-season trade ever. Regardless, this league always finds a way to surprise and impress, this is just another example.