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For one team -- the Golden State Warriors -- the decision was simple.
For another -- the Sacramento Kings -- it was not so clear.
And for the third -- the Portland Trail Blazers -- a decision that looked and looks, so necessary, obviously was not.
The Warriors did what they had to do and that was trade guard Tim Hardaway, despite the pre-trade deadline assertions of Golden State general manager Dave Twardzik that he did not think a deal would be done.
On the real side, Hardaway needed to be on the first thing smoking out of the Bay Area.
Twardzik sent Hardaway, his "killer crossover dribble" and forward Chris Gatling to the Miami Heat in exchange for power forward Kevin Willis and point guard Bimbo Coles.
But Miami could have been Philadelphia or Toronto, Denver or Minnesota. If there was an NBA franchise in Iraq or Iran, that also would have been cool.
Anywhere should have been Hardaway's destination after replacing the killer crossover with killer commentary about coach Rick Adelman during the past couple of weeks.
Monday before the deadline, Hardaway, in a profanity-laced tirade directed toward Adelman, highlighted the conversation by saying he might have to "slap the ---- out of the coach".
Oh, yes, gotta go, gotta go.
As a coach, talk like that from one of your players cannot be tolerated, especially if there is a real opportunity to make a somewhat sensible deal. Even if Hardaway was just pulling another trade-forcing stunt.
Golden State has a chance to get into the playoffs if they can continue their recently solid play, so the last thing they need is a distraction of Hardaway proportions.
Willis, like Hardaway and Gatling, is a free-agent-to-be in July. The Warriors likely will be able to get under the salary cap before next season and should they choose not to re-sign him, they can use Willis' money to sign another free-agent.
The problems were different for the Kings and their vice president Geoff Petrie. They are in a collapse that makes last season's second-half el foldo look like a momentary misstep.
The Kings just ended an 11-game losing streak Wednesday, but have lost 12 of 13, 16 of 19 and 20 of their past 26 games.
Whew! And they thought seven in a row last season was a tailspin.
The Kings decided that a move was necessary and that starting small forward and potential free-agent to-be Walt Williams was the player that had to go.
Williams' representative, Len Elmore, and Petrie had had preliminary discussions regarding a new deal if the fourth-year player opted out of his contract. Petrie decided Williams was not worth the money (approximately $4 to $5 million per season) it likely would have taken to re-sign the Wizard.
Williams and Tyrone Corbin then were dealt to the Miami Heat for Billy Owens and Kevin Gamble. The bottom line for the deal was the Kings were unwilling to make that type of commitment to Williams, who was not guaranteed to return to them in any circumstance. In Owens and Gamble, the Kings, whose salary cap situation will not allow them to play in the free-agent game this summer, have received players under contract for a couple of seasons.
It was not a move the Kings had to make, but one they decided they needed to make.
The circumstances involving Rod Strickland and the Trail Blazers were much different and much less subtle.
Strickland did not want to play for Portland's coach P.J. Carlesimo and the coach wanted no more of the talented point guard.
The Trail Blazers had been involved in trade talk regarding Strickland and Clifford Robinson for months, but Strickland was the player that really needed to be traded for the best of all concerned.
However, Blazers' management decided the deals they could have made were not good enough and held onto Strickland. They were hopeful Strickland and Carlesimo would be able to reach an accord and at least get through this season.
Wrong!
After learning he was not going to be traded, Strickland walked out of a team shoot-around the day of the deadline and has not returned. Strickland has communicated that he will forfeit the rest of his salary this season and not re-join the Trail Blazers.
It's certainly not the most team-oriented decision made this season by a player. Strickland is showing no regard for his teammates, but clearly his level of frustration is at a personal level of intolerance.
The decision by management to keep a player that had been tremendously alienated by his coach was equally disastrous. Strickland's trade value should not be any higher after sitting out the rest of the season, if he should do so, than it was before the deadline.
Right now, there are no winners in this situation for Strickland or the Trail Blazers.
At least, Golden State retains the cap room it would have had by holding onto Hardaway, and rid itself of a chemistry problem. Willis will become a free-agent at season's end and likely will not be re-signed. Coles is a serviceable point guard.
The Kings have Owens, a solid player still capable of improving his game in the future, and Gamble, a steady performer from the perimeter.
The Trail Blazers, they have just the hope of getting something for Strickland in a couple of months.
Martin McNeal, who covers the NBA for the Sacramento Bee, writes a Pacific Division notebook for ESPNET SportsZone.