Ray Allen and Gary Payton were involved in one of the biggest deadline deals ever. Jeff Reinking/NBAE/Getty Images

NEW YORK, Feb. 18 -- For some it's a breath of fresh air after weeks of rumors. For others it's an unexpected punch in the gut. But one thing is for sure, the experience is an emotional one for the players involved in a trade.

But while it may feel personal, it's just business for NBA GMs. They're making last-minute efforts to put their teams deep into the playoffs, and possibly into the NBA Finals. Since 1987, only three championship teams (the 1993 Bulls, the 1995 Rockets and the 1998 Bulls) and two finalists (the 1999 Knicks and the 2001 Sixers) made trades at the deadline. And of those five teams, only the Sixers acquired an All-Star.

With the NBA trade deadline just around the corner (Thursday, 3 p.m. ET), NBA.com takes a look at some of the larger and more significant deadline deals of the past 17 years, and rates them in terms of the immediate impact they had on the teams involved.

Hornacek

Utah acquired G Jeff Hornacek, G Sean Green and a 1995 or 1996 second-round draft pick from Philadelphia in exchange for G Jeff Malone and a 1994 conditional first-round draft pick.
How was this big, you ask? A seemingly under-the-radar deal at the time, it turned out to be huge for the Jazz's continued success in the late '90s. Hornacek proved to be a perfect complement to the Karl Malone-John Stockton tandem and proved to be instrumental in Utah's back-to-back Finals appearances.
Note: Philadelphia used the conditional first round pick on Texas B.J. Tyler (No. 20 overall).

Johnson

Phoenix acquired G Kevin Johnson, F Tyrone Corbin, C Mark West, 1988 first and second-round draft picks and a 1989 second-round draft pick from Cleveland in exchange for F Larry Nance, F Mike Sanders and a 1988 second-round draft pick
Stuck behind Mark Price in Cleveland, point guard Kevin Johnson was expendable. The Suns, who traded guard Jay Humphries to the Bucks earlier on deadline day, were more than happy to take the rookie point guard. In his 11-plus seasons with Phoenix, Johnson and the Suns went to the playoffs every season and went to the 1993 NBA Finals. Johnson was also a three-time All-Star. Cleveland also benefitted, receiving the power forward they sorely needed in Nance.
Note: The Suns used that 1988 first-round draft pick to take Dan Majerle.

Atlanta traded C Dikembe Mutombo and F Roshown McLeod to Philadelphia in exchange for C Theo Ratliff, F Toni Kukoc, C Nazr Mohammed and G Pepe Sanchez

Mutombo

In acquiring Mutombo, the Sixers found the missing piece to their Eastern Conference championship puzzle. Mutombo was a seven-time All-Star and three-time Defensive Player of the Year when the Sixers traded for him. He would add another Defensive Player of the Year award in 2001.
Note: None of the players involved in this trade are with either team now.

Miami acquired G Tim Hardaway and F Chris Gatling from Golden State in exchange for F Kevin Willis and G Bimbo Coles.

Hardaway

Hardaway brought his killer crossover to South Florida and helped the Heat to six playoff appearances, including one Eastern Conference Finals berth against the Bulls in 1997. Hardaway averaged double-digit scoring in his five-plus seasons with the Heat and 18.7 points in Miami's conference finals season.
Note: The trade was the beginning of a journeyman's career for Gatling. After spending four seasons in Golden State, Gatling made stops in Miami, Golden State (again), New Jersey, Dallas, New Jersey, Milwaukee, Orlando, Cleveland, Denver and Miami (again).

Cassell

Milwaukee traded G Terrell Brandon to Minnesota and G Elliot Perry to New Jersey in exchange for New Jersey trading G Sam Cassell and F/C Chris Gatling to Milwaukee and F Brian Evans and future draft considerations to Minnesota in exchange for Minnesota trading G Chris Carr, F Bill Curley and G Stephon Marbury to New Jersey and C Paul Grant to Milwaukee.
Call this the trade of three disgruntled point guards. Cassell hated the losing in New Jersey. Brandon hated Milwaukee. Marbury hated Minnesota and wanted to be closer to New York. All three were accomodated. Marbury was closer to home, Cassell joined Ray Allen and Glenn Robinson and went to the playoffs three straight seasons after the trade, and Brandon got his maximum deal from the Wolves.
Note: All three point guards have been traded again, and only Cassell, now of the Wolves, has played for all three teams involved.

Payton

Seattle traded G Gary Payton and G Desmond Mason to Milwaukee in exchange for G Ray Allen, G Kevin Ollie, G Ronald Murray and a conditional 2003 draft pick.
The jury is still out on this one, but it was huge because two perennial All-Stars were exchanged. The Bucks rented Payton for two-and-a-half months and made the playoffs, where they became the only East team to beat the Nets (twice) in their run to the Finals. Payton then signed a free agent contract with the Lakers in the 2003 offseason. In Allen, the Sonics received their shooting guard for years to come. They also received Flip Murray, a throw-in at the time. He's proven to be more than an afterthought, however, as he's averaging 13.5 points this season. Desmond Mason has proven to be a burst of energy off the bench for the Bucks.
Note: The Sonics used Milwaukee's No. 13 pick to select Luke Ridnour.

-- Toronto acquired G Shawn Respert from Milwaukee for C Acie Earl, 1997
-- Phoenix acquired G Terrence Rencher from Miami in exchange for G Tony Smith, 1996
-- San Antonio acquired C Uwe Blab from Golden State in exchange for C Christian Welp, 1990
-- L.A. Clippers acquired G Winston Garland from Golden State in exchange for two future second-round draft picks, 1990
-- Chicago acquired F Ben Poquette from Cleveland in exchange for a future second-round draft pick.

On Feb. 23, 1989, two current NBA general managers were traded at the deadline. The Knicks acquired Kiki Vandeweghe, now Denver's GM, from Portland in exchange for a 1989 first-round draft pick. Meanwhile on the East Coast, Boston acquired C Joe Kleine and F Ed Pinckney from Sacramento in exchange for G Danny Ainge, now the Celtics' GM, and F Brad Lohaus.