The National Basketball Association’s series of blockbuster trades provided enough fireworks to excite numerous fan bases around the league.
 The wheeling and dealing had me so riveted that I almost forgot that there was going to be a big football game in the desert on Sunday night. Kudos to “The Association” for providing great theater during Super Bowl week.
We witnessed a little of everything during the trade deadline uncertainties from potential season altering moves to subtle trades to enhance championship contenders and even some shenanigans between franchises. What we saw was the ultra-competitive Western Conference become an arms race with a sprint to the finish.
 So much has happened, so where do we start in reviewing all of this activity?
 Of course, we start with the biggest move of all, which was Kevin Durant being traded from the Brooklyn Nets to the Phoenix Suns in the midnight hour last Wednesday night. With a new owner in place, the Suns were looking to make a big splash and they did by getting KD, who makes Phoenix an instant championship contender.
Durant now teams up with young star guard Devin Booker, veteran point guard Chris Paul and young big man Deandre Ayton to form a tremendous “Big Four” nucleus. Wow!
 The Nets made headlines a week before the Durant blockbuster trade when they traded star guard Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks. The move pairs Irving with young superstar Luka Doncic in what should be one of the most dynamic combinations in the NBA.
All eyes will be on how these two gifted offensive players will mesh together and how Irving will handle himself as he starts with his fourth franchise in five seasons.
 The Los Angeles Lakers had a very active and productive trade deadline as they basically re-made their roster in an attempt to get into the playoff picture and perhaps make a big postseason run of their own.
The Lakers new additions include guards DeAngelo Russell and Malik Beasley along with forwards Jarred Vanderbilt and Rui Hachimura and center Mo Bamba. The biggest name to leave was guard Russell Westbrook, who was traded to the Utah Jazz, where he will most likely enter the buyout market.
 Staying in Los Angeles, the Clippers were also busy as they looked to improve their second unit. They added additional offensive firepower on the perimeter with the addition of Eric Gordon from the Houston Rockets and Bones Hyland from the Denver Nuggets. They also added some badly needed size in veteran 7’0″ center Mason Plumlee from the Charlotte Hornets.
 The Denver Nuggets, who have the best record in the West, fortified its bench with the addition of center Thomas Bryant, who had some productive moments with the Lakers this season. They are also expected to add veteran guard Reggie Jackson on the buyout market.
 By comparison, the teams in the Eastern Conference were relatively quiet as compared to its Western counterparts. The Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks were both able to add another vital piece to their deep rosters as they continue to battle for the top spot, in the East. The Celtics added sharpshooting center Mike Muscala from the Oklahoma City Thunder while the Bucks added veteran forward Jae Crowder, who brings toughness and 3-point shooting.
*Saunders gets another Super Bowl ring
St. Louisan Khalen Saunders will be fitted for another ring as a Super Bowl champion. The former Parkway Central standout is a defensive tackle for the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs drafted Saunders out of Western Illinois University in 2019.
In that five-year span, he has been to four AFC championship games, three Super Bowls and two Super Bowl championship teams. Saunders enjoyed his most productive season for the Chiefs as he entered the Super Bowl with 3.5 sacks and 48 tackles, which are both career highs. He recorded a sack and an assist in the Chiefs’ victory over Philadelphia in the Super Bowl. Saunders was also a hit during the Super Bowl Week media sessions with his impressions of Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
 *Nick Bolton shines in Super Bowl
 Former University of Missouri standout linebacker Nick Bolton had a team-high eight tackles, plus the biggest defensive play of the Super Bowl when he scored on a 36-yard fumble recovery in the second quarter to tie the game at 14-14. Bolton has been one of the Chiefs top defensive players since being drafted in 2021. Bolton has recorded a total of 282 tackles in two seasons with the Chiefs.
