How effective are mid-season trades/pickups?

[adidas11]

I guess I was always of the mindset that if a team has to make a blockbuster midseason trade/pickup, then it generally means that the team is flawed, and that the pickup will not pay dividends in THAT particular season.

But then I started thinking back through NBA history.

1989 - Pistons trade Adrian Dantley for Mark Aguirre, and go on to win the NBA le

1995 - Rockets trade Vernon Maxwell for Clyde Drexler, and go on to win the NBA le

2001 - Philly Sixers pick up Dikembe Mutombo, and use his defensive play to get to the NBA Finals

2004 - Pistons pick up Rasheed Wallace, and go on to win the NBA le

2008 - Lakers trade for Pau Gasol, and make it to the NBA finals (after losing Bynum for the entire season due to knee injury)

So is there a general consensus that mid season trades do not work? Or are they very effective given the situation?

Discuss.

[Kai]

I would imagine it varies.

[baseline bum]

Actually, the Rockets gave up Otis Thorpe for Drexler. Vernon Maxwell was kicked off the team in the middle of the first round I believe.

[Ryvin1]

Nazr Mohammed split the 2004–05 season between the Knicks and the Spurs (who acquired him in a trade for Malik Rose). In a combined 77 games for both teams, he averaged 9.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game. He won the 2005 NBA le with the San Antonio Spurs as a member of their starting lineup.

[Daddy_Of_All_Trolls]

How could a Lakers fan not mention 1987 when LA got Mychael Thompson from the Spurs, a former 1st pick in the NBA draft, and won 2 les in a row as a result?

Lately it seems to me most mid season trades are financial for positioning and luxury tax avoidance. Some teams try to tweak their rosters, but a lot didn't this year. Bigger trades were rumored than actually happened. Seems like the same applied last year.