Trader Dave didn’t make any purchases, Trader Joe (Judge) didn’t make any sales and the Giants stayed quiet at the NFL trade deadline.

The inaction is a change under general manager Dave Gettleman after the Giants were sellers in both 2018 (Eli Apple, Damon Harrison) and 2020 (Markus Golden) and surprise buyers in 2019 (Leonard Williams).

But the circumstances surrounding Tuesday’s deadline were the same old story.

Monday’s loss to the Chiefs dropped the Giants to 2-6, marking the fifth straight season they have started either 2-6 or 1-7 after eight games — a futile streak unmatched across the NFL. In Gettleman’s four years as general manager, the Giants are 6-26 in games played by Nov. 2.

So, why weren’t the Giants more active in looking toward the future?

“The decisions we made were best for the team long term with where we’re at,” Judge said. “You’ve had the opportunity all the way up through here to make any kind of roster moves or trades. You get a lot of [deadline] calls bouncing around from other teams inquiring about something they may want, or something you may be willing to move.”

There are three possible explanations for staying pat. All would be ugly truths.

The simplest? Jobs are on the line and trading players for draft picks weakens the roster and only helps potential replacements.

“NFL teams don’t become sellers because they’ve lost a couple games,” one league source told The Post. “They are trying to save their jobs and they realize change will only help the team next year.”

The Giants were 2-6 in 2019 when ownership allowed Gettleman — who picked up the “Trader Dave” nickname during the 2021 NFL Draft — to deal two draft picks for a soon-to-be-free-agent Williams. Not re-entering a buyer’s market could be interpreted as tightening the handcuffs on the embattled GM. John Mara recently endorsed Judge to The Post’s Ian O’Connor.

Then there is this explanation, suggested by a different league source speaking in general terms about the operation and not specific to the deadline: The Giants overvalue their own players.

It speaks to the idea that they did not sign a free agent of note in the offseason on the offensive line or at edge rusher because of overconfidence that draft picks Shane Lemieux, Matt Peart, Lorenzo Carter, Oshane Ximines and others would develop into more than their performance so far suggests they can be. Realizing an error, the Giants traded for two offensive linemen (Billy Price and Ben Bredeson) at the end of training camp.

The most sobering explanation, however, could be at the root of why the Giants have the worst record in the NFL over the last five seasons: Their roster doesn’t have enough players that contenders find attractive. The few that would help — receiver Darius Slayton was a common topic of trade speculation — are worth keeping as building blocks. For example, Slayton is under contract through next season at about $1.4 million owed, as Gettleman’s best value pick of his four draft classes.

The Giants hung on to tight end Evan Engram despite reported trade interest for the third straight year. Engram is a free agent after the season and fits the mold of a rental, along with durable starting right guard Will Hernandez. A pair of defensive players — Jabrill Peppers and Lorenzo Carter — on contract years had any potential value erased by injuries.

If the Giants are hoping to get a late-round compensation pick for Engram leaving in free agency, it’s a bit of a crapshoot and won’t come until 2023 rather than 2022.

Judge said last week he always keeps in mind a projected depth chart for a season or two down the line. It’s hard to envision more than one or two of those four in the long-term plans.

“There are a number of players we have as free agents after this year: There is nothing ruling out us being able to bring those players back,” Judge said. “We want to build with guys that are here, continue growing with the guys that are established in our program as being team guys who have the skill set and the makeup to help us be successful.”