Trade Grades for the Deadline Deals
The NBA Trade Deadline has come and gone and while Kyle Lowry remains in Toronto, there were several exciting moves. Some of the major ones include Nikola Vucevic to Chicago, Victor Oladipo to Miami, Aaron Gordon to Denver, Dwight Powell to Portland, Evan Fournier to Boston, George Hill to Philadelphia, Rajon Rondo to the Clippers, J.J. Redick to Dallas, and Lou Williams to Magic City…I mean Atlanta. In this post, I analyzed and graded every trade in March for each team. Trades are ranked based on magnitude of star power in the trade and ones that seemed to be most discussed. An asterisk (*) indicates that the trade was completed prior to the deadline and includes stats up until the date of the trade. All deadline day trades will include statistics prior to games played on the date of the deadline (March 25th). All stats are according to Basketball-Reference unless otherwise noted.
Nikola
Vucevic to Chicago
Chicago
receives Nikola Vucevic and Al-Farouq Aminu
On deadline day, the Bulls were in 10th, but are
within striking distance of the 7th seed. Vucevic will provide a massive upgrade
offensively over Carter and is having a career season, averaging career highs in
PPG (24.5), 3P% (40.6%), FT% (82.7%), DRB (9.8), APG (3.8), USG% (30.0%), and
OBPM (5.5). While Aminu has struggled offensively,
he is a good defensive player, with 0.5 DWS and 1.2 DBPM. That said, how would the defensive
combination of Lauri Markkanen and Vucevic work (assuming Markkanen is in their
long-term plans)? While Vucevic is an
underrated defender, his best defensive seasons were aided by being around a
great defensive forward in Jonathan Isaac and a decent one in Aaron Gordon, but
that’s not how I would describe Markkanen (-1.4 DBPM). I think Carter is a better pairing defensively,
but Vucevic is more confident and, at this time, capable. The thing I’m most curious about is whether
this move will help them enough to make the deal worthwhile. Grade:
B+
Orlando receives
Wendell Carter Jr., Otto Porter, 2021 1st round pick (right to
switch with NOP), 2023 1st round pick
Orlando clearly is in rebuild mode and sold Vucevic at his
highest, which was the right time.
Carter was a player that reminded me of Al Horford is college and, while
he has been a negative and hasn’t improved a ton, he is still averaging 10.9
PPG, 7.8 RPG, career high 2.2 APG, 0.8 BPG, 0.6 SPG, and career high 36.4% 3P%. He had a positive DBPM in his rookie year and
has 1.0 DWS in each of his seasons so far, so there’s hope he can improve. Porter was in there for salary purposes, but
if he isn’t bought out, he is competent if nothing else. The draft picks will be nice for the rebuild,
especially if the Bulls (or the Pelicans) struggle this year, which is a loaded
draft class. Grade: A-
Victor Oladipo
to Miami
Miami
receives Victor Oladipo
I was ready to give whatever team that traded for Oladipo a bad
grade for overpaying, but this is different.
Look, this is not the Oladipo from the 2018 and 2019 seasons prior to
his injury and he has struggled with efficiency (41.1 FG%, 33.3 3P%, and 48.0
eFG%) and defense (-0.7 DBPM), while performing worse with Houston, but he is averaging
20.8 PPG, 4.7 APG, 5.0 RPG, and 1.3 SPG.
He is only 2 seasons removed from an All-Star selection and 3 from an
All-NBA season. Also, Bradley has been hurt,
Olynyk has struggled, and the pick swap won’t likely convey. Best case scenario: he fits and makes Miami a contender, forming
a big 3 with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo.
Worst case scenario: he doesn’t
fit and they don’t resign him. They gave
up nothing to take a low-risk, high-reward move. Grade:
A+
Houston
receives Avery Bradley, Kelly Olynyk, and a 2022 1st round swap rights
(also include BRK pick)
Yes, Oladipo has struggled this year. Yes, I felt that it made sense to trade him
given his impending free agency. Yes,
the Rockets should be looking to obtain assets to build for the future. That said, this trade accomplished nothing of
the sort. Olynyk is a free agent after
this year, is shooting a career low from 3 (31.7%), and is 29, so he is older
than their expected timeline. Bradley
has only played 10 games this year, hasn’t played since February 3rd,
and is 30. There is a team option for
his contract next year, but it doesn’t make sense to pick it up unless he plays
well in Houston and could attract a buyer.
This pick swap will be unlikely to be implemented unless something
shocking happens. In other words, they
were better off holding onto Oladipo and using a sign and trade. They received nothing in return for him in my
opinion. Grade: F
Norman
Powell to Portland
Portland
receives: Norman Powell
Given injuries and inconsistencies, there are two things
that Portland could hope for more than anything: healthy bodies and competent players. Even with the return of C.J. McCollum, they
could still use a strong scorer while McCollum situates to playing basketball
again. Enter Powell, who is having a
career year, with 19.6 PPG, 43.9 3P%, 49.8 FG%, and 60.2% eFG%, all of which
are career years. When McCollum is fully
healthy, expect him to become a valuable 6th man and could pair with
Carmelo Anthony to give a potentially potent bench scoring duo. Frankly, Hood was playing terribly this year,
and while it stinks to give up Trent, Powell has more of an ability to create
his own shots, something that will be valuable whenever Damian Lillard or
McCollum is on the bench. Grade: A
Toronto receives: Rodney Hood, Gary Trent Jr.
Let’s get one thing straight here: Hood was only included in this trade for
salary purposes. He has been horrible
this year and, unless he plays well in Toronto, is unlikely to net any sort of
return during the remainder of this contract.
The main prize of this trade is Trent.
While he is going to be a restricted free agent this year, the
22-year-old wing is averaging career highs in MPG (30.8), PPG (15.0), RPG (2.2),
APG (1.4), and SPG (0.9) while shooting 39.7% from 3 and has a league-leading
5.3% TOV%. He is a minus defender, but
for this year he can be hidden behind several of their stronger defenders. I don’t expect him to be a star, but, as I
expected when he slipped to 37th in the 2018 NBA Draft, he is a guy
who you can trust to take deep shots and not lose the ball. He should pair well with Fred VanVleet. That said, I am surprised they weren’t able
to muster a pick (even a 2nd rounder) out of Portland. Grade:
B
Aaron
Gordon to Denver
Denver receives: Aaron Gordon and Gary Clark
I know that Gordon became a sought after player at the
deadline, but I think he became a bit overrated by that point; everyone who
said he can play either forward position clearly forgot how bad he and Orlando were
when they tried playing him at the 3, everyone calling him an elite defender
hasn’t looked at his advanced stats (-0.1 DBPM for his career, 0.0 for this
year) or watched him play (I wouldn’t consider him better than solid from
watching him), and those who are calling him a strong offensive player have
likely been looking at Eric Gordon’s Basketball-Reference page by mistake. That said, he is only 25, is shooting a career
high 37.5% from 3, and is averaging 14.6 PPG, 6.6 RPG, and a career high 4.2
APG and has compiled a DWS of at least 2.0 in each of the last 3 seasons. The most important thing for Denver: he will likely be able to fill the role that
they lost after Jerami Grant left in free agency. He isn’t the defender Grant is, but he’s a
stronger offensive player and, while he’ll struggle defending the elite wings
of the West, he is an improvement over what they have now. Losing the first-round pick and Hampton are
fine as long as Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murry remain there. Losing a healthy Harris is something that is
underrated due to his strong defense and could hamper their defense against
smaller wing players. That said, Harris is
out indefinitely, so they were without him anyways. I would be more critical of many teams acquiring
him, but the fit is right in Denver, especially since he will be either the third
or fourth option offensively. Grade: B+
Orlando
receives: Gary Harris, R.J. Hampton, and
a protected 2025 1st round pick
While many were treating Gordon as if he were a superstar,
the truth is that he is an athletic player who is still somehow only 25 (even
though it seems like he’s been in the league for a decade) but is probably best
used as the fourth best player on a contending team, which often required more
from him. The fact that they got Hampton,
a top-10 recruit out of high school who fell to 24th in the 2020 Draft
due to playing in Australia, is a massive sign.
His stock likely fell due to his inconsistent playing time, but there
will be no shortage of playing time this season as Markelle Fultz is out. Even when Fultz comes back, I’m curious how a
point guard trio of Hampton, Fultz, and Cole Anthony would fair (probably a lot
of points and not as much playmaking at first, but they would adjust I’m
sure). I don’t expect the pick to be
worth much unless the team falls apart in the coming years. Harris is currently injured, but when he returns,
he will be able to boost his stock by attempting to rediscover any offensive touch
remaining (17.5 PPG and 39.6% from 3 in 2018, 9.7 PPG this year); his defense
is strong, which will help. Giving up Clark
doesn’t mean much, as he was having a rough season defensively and a worse one offensively,
but I am surprised they didn’t try to get another pick (even a 2nd
rounder) given how much hype there was unless Gordon, unless Hampton’s stock is
greater than I believe at this point. Grade: B
Evan Fournier
to Boston
Boston
receives: Evan Fournier
While many Boston writers have focused on the fact that this
won’t fulfill the need that Gordon Hayward left, the truth is that this need
would not be filled this season. At this
point, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are developing into stars and Kemba Walker
is slowly getting into his groove, so a guy like Aaron Gordon isn’t what they
need, but anyone who can help offensively outside of those three. Up until the deadline, after Tatum, Brown,
Walker, and Marcus Smart, who was their 5th best offensive
player? If your answer wasn’t either
Daniel Theis, Payton Pritchard, or Robert Williams, try again; if your answer was
any of those, then this should be a sigh of relief. The Celtics only had to give up 2 2nd
rounders and Jeff Teague (who has been horrible this season) to get back Fournier
during a career season, averaging career highs in PPG (19.7), APG (3.7), eFG%
(56.0%) and OBPM (2.1), while shooting 38.8% from 3 and 52.8% from the 10-16
feet range (a little worse for points per attempt than from 3, but still a good
percentage). Fournier has been a minus
defender so far, but I expect he will be at least capable in Boston with Smart,
Tatum, and Brown on the tougher assignments.
He is expiring this year, but I think he makes sense on a long-term
deal. To add to the excitement: Boston still has around $10M on their trade
exception remaining. In other words, don’t
listen to the delusional fans saying overspending for Aaron Gordon was right;
Fournier fits and is a good bargain. Grade: A-
Orlando
receives: Jeff Teague, 2 2nd
round picks
It was inevitable that Teague would be waived, but I was
wondering how much more than a 1st rounder Orlando would ask for. The answer here was less than I expected,
which caught me off guard a bit. I was
comparing this to the Derrick Rose trade that happened previously in what I
expected would happen. While Rose is a
better guard and playmaker, Fournier is a better shooter, scorer, can play
multiple positions, and has played in the playoffs more than Rose since Rose
left Chicago (only one more series in around 5 seasons, but still). The return for Rose was a 2nd
rounder and Dennis Smith Jr. While there
are likely varying opinions on Smith at this point due to his young age but
struggles, considering him worth a 2nd round pick isn’t unreasonable
(I wouldn’t want him for a 2nd round pick in a lot of circumstances,
but beside the point). In other words, I
would expect that Fournier would be worth more than 2 2nd round
picks. The addition of Teague doesn’t
add value; Teague has played horribly this year and is expected to be
waived. While it’s a decent return for a
player on an expiring deal, I expected more in the return. Grade:
B-
George
Hill to Philadelphia
Philadelphia
receives George Hill and Ignas Brazdeikis
After being rumored to be in the Kyle Lowry sweepstakes, the
76ers seemed to settle for a cheaper option with George Hill instead. He is currently injured, but I expect he will
be back soon (he is currently listed as day-to-day). In the 14 games he played, he averaged 11.8
PPG, 3.1 APG, and 2.1 RPG while shooting 38.6% from 3, 50.8% from the field, a
60.0% eFG%, and an absurd (for a guard) 61.9% from 2. While his 3-point shooting became a point of
focus while leading the league with 46.0% last season, he is also excellent
close to the rim, shooting 70.0% within 3 feet of the rim. Hill will be able to play either guard
position, which will give them more flexibility with when he can play; in
particular, they could either have him be a playmaker while Ben Simmons sits or
move Seth Curry to the bench to have him as a top scorer off the bench while
Hill starts. They did give up a lot of 2nd
rounders, but they get Hill, who will add more depth. The players that they gave up are Ferguson (out
of the rotation), Poirier (out of the rotation), and Tony Bradley (out of the
rotation until Embiid got hurt). They’ll
make do without Bradley until Embiid comes back; the depth that Hill will
provide is more valuable. Grade: A-
Oklahoma City
receives Tony Bradley, Austin Rivers, 2025 2nd round pick, and 2026
2nd round pick (both picks from PHI)
By trading Hill, that meant they traded the two player that I
expected were possible to trade in Hill and Trevor Ariza. I’m not sure if Bradley will be much of
anything in the NBA, but he is only 23, is averaging 5.2 RPG, is a good scorer
close to the rim (73.9% from within 3 feet, 63.6% from between 3 and 10), and
is a plus defender (1.0 OBPM); he also had some good games when filling in for
Joel Embiid. Austin Rivers was expected
to be waived, but instead the 28-year-old who fell out of New York’s rotation
will be the next reclamation project alongside Al Horford to find value in the
trade market next offseason; he is shooting 36.4% from 3 this year, so there’s
something there. The 2 2nd
rounders will add to OKC’s obscene draft stash, which will come in useful in a
few years as their players are a bit more developed. Not a bad return for an injured player. Grade:
B+
New York
receives Terrance Ferguson, Vincent Poirier, the rights to Emir Preldzic, 2021
PHI 2nd round pick, and 2024 MIA 2nd round pick
New York managed to turn a player they were going to waive
(Rivers) and a player who has played 13 career games and 60 minutes in 2 seasons
(Brazdeikis) into Poirier (who they plan to waive), Terrance Ferguson, 2 2nd
round picks, and the rights to Preldzic (who is 33 and I don’t expect to play
in the NBA, but worth saving in case). Best case scenario: Ferguson cracks the rotation, looks like the
strong defender he looked like in year two, and is a key piece for them in the
playoffs. Worst case scenario: the Knicks write him off, don’t resign him (he’s
a restricted free agent), and still wind up with their 2 2nd round
picks. Brilliant move on their part to
turn 2 non-rotation players into 2 picks.
Grade: A+
P.J.
Tucker to Milwaukee*
Milwaukee
receives P.J. Tucker, Rodions Kurucs, and their own 2022 1st round
pick
Milwaukee needed some defensive depth (especially strong
defensive players who could guard big men), and Tucker will likely provide
that. He became a linchpin on defense
for Phoenix and Houston while becoming an interesting 3-and-D player before it
was commonplace. Last season (largely
out of desperation), he played substantial time at center after the Clint
Capela trade and, despite being only 6’5, it worked, as he had a 0.6 DBPM and
2.4 DWS, after finishing with 3.0 DWS in each of his previous 2 seasons with
Houston. That said, he didn’t play well
with Houston this year, only averaging 4.4 PPG and shooting 31.4% from 3. Many speculate he is going through the
motions or struggling without James Harden, but I fear that it has to do with
the fact that he is 35 and had a lot of wear last season. That said, Augustin was struggling, Wilson
barely played, and the picks were not big surrenders; it might be worth the
risk. Grade: B
Houston
receives D.J. Augustin, D.J. Wilson, 2023 1st round pick, and a 2021
top-9 pick swap (swapping Houston’s 2nd round pick with Milwaukee’s
1st round pick)
I think this trade showed one thing: the market for Tucker was not as prolific as
expected and that they were desperate to get rid of him. I think they sold low at this point given how
poorly he has played this season and his age, but there are some intriguing
things to watch from Houston’s end.
Wilson will likely get more playing time after barely finding any in
Milwaukee. I expect Augustin will play
some in an attempt to improve his trade value for this offseason (don’t expect him
to have a market though). Changing the Milwaukee
pick from 2022 to 2023 basically makes it so Milwaukee’s core is now a year
older and less of a chance Giannis Antetokounmpo is still there (I think he will
be there but beside the point), so it’s worth a shot. I haven’t seen a pick swap that swaps a 2nd
rounder for a 1st rounder so that’s kind of cool; it wouldn’t
surprise me if they move up only 5-8 spots though. Kurucs didn’t play, so that isn’t much of a
loss for them. That said, this trade
wasn’t spectacular from there end, but that Wilson and that pick could be
useful. Grade: C+
J.J.
Redick to Dallas
Dallas
receives J.J. Redick and Nicolo Melli
Dallas has played well lately, and now add an elite shooter
to help their offense in Redick. Redick
is shooting a career-low 36.4% from 3, but shot 46.4% from deep over his last
15 games. Dallas has been devoid of
shooting after trading Seth Curry, so Redick will be valuable in filling in the
role of a player who can play off the ball next to Luke Doncic. He also is an underrated playmaker, averaging
2.6 APG over the past 3 seasons. Melli
hasn’t played much or particularly well this season, but he is one year removed
from shooting 33.5% from 3 as a rookie center while being a plus defender. I’m not sure how much he will play given the
large number of big men on the team, but he might wind up doing something for
them. Losing James Johnson will sting
defensively, but they have some defenders who might be able to make up for him;
either way, he only averaged 17.4 MPG. Grade: A-
New Orleans receives
James Johnson, Wes Iwundu, and a 2021 2nd round pick
The biggest win for New Orleans is that they were able to
find a trade partner for Redick and not have to worry about buying him
out. Johnson is on an expiring deal and
Iwundu isn’t owed much next year, so it won’t be a hindrance financially. In the meantime, the Pelicans are in 11th
while having a horrible defense. Johnson
is a strong defender, with a 2.2 DBPM and 0.7 DWS this season. Iwundu might have been horrible offensively in
his career so far, he has consistently been a plus defender. If they want to compete, both players could
be beneficial to New Orleans; otherwise, they got a pick for a player they were
planning to waive otherwise. Grade: A
Rajon Rondo
to the Clippers
Los Angeles
Clippers receive Rajon Rondo
A couple nights ago, I was telling my dad how I did not
consider the Clippers a championship contender because they had nobody who I
trusted with setting up the offense in a close playoff series, which they were
famously involved in last season. Now, I
am eating my words a bit because Rondo will change that. Rondo is not a guy who looks like a game-changer
with his regular season stats, but he always seems to play much better during
the playoffs, feeding the nickname “Playoff Rondo”. The only downside I have with this is that
they gave up the better player in the deal and draft picks, but Rondo’s career
8.1 APG are essential to try to win a championship. Grade:
A-
Atlanta
receives Lou Williams, 2023 2nd round pick (POR), 2027 2nd
round pick, and cash
There were many winners of the trade deadline this year, but
I would argue the winner was Williams.
Not only was he traded to his hometown of Atlanta, but he is now also closer
to Magic City, so it is easier for him to get some wings! In all seriousness, I’m not sold on the
basketball fit. I get that they could
use someone to run the offense when Trae Young sits and Williams averaged more
than 5 APG each of the last 3 seasons, but how will Williams and Young play together
given their defensive liabilities and volume scoring habits. That said, Williams typically plays well in
the regular season and Rondo doesn’t; the goal for the Hawks is to make the playoffs,
and Williams has been better this year than Rondo. Grade:
B
Trevor
Ariza to Miami*
Miami receives
Trevor Ariza
Ariza isn’t a star, but they only gave up a 2nd round
pick and a player that was injured and is now more known for an anti-Semitic word,
cheering from the sideline, and being the sole Heat player standing during the anthem
during the Bubble than anything he ever did on the court. Ultimately, they were going to get rid of
Leonard somehow, so the fact that they could use him in a trade rather than
waiving him is somewhat surprising given recent events. Ariza hasn’t played this season, but he shot
37.2% from 3 last year and 35.2% for his career while consistently being a plus
defender (0.9 DBPM last season). That
said, it has been a calendar year since he played an NBA game, so there’s some
level of risk there, especially for a 35-year-old. That said, it’s a low-risk move. Grade:
B
Oklahoma
City receives Meyers Leonard and a 2027 2nd round pick
It is something of a win that the Thunder were able to find
a trade partner for a 35-year-old who hasn’t played in a year and added a pick
to their massive collection. That said, I
would have tried to negotiate another pick if I would take back Leonard. While the team has waived Leonard and they
didn’t face too much controversy for agreeing to take him back, is one 2nd
rounder worth that risk? Grade: C+
JaVale
McGee to Denver
Denver
receives JaVale McGee
Something that has been largely overlooked is that Denver
needed a backup center as Hartenstein and Zeke Nnaji have been a massive
downgrade from Mason Plumlee. They now
have one with McGee. Say what you will
about his comical mishaps on the court during his first several seasons, but he
has now reinvented himself as a strong defensive backstop who has been reliable
on 3 championship teams. Since he joined
the Warriors for the 2016-17 season, he has been a strong defender each season
(more than 1.0 DBPM each season and more than 1.0 DWS in each full season
since). He isn’t a big name by any means
and the price might be steep, but I would count on him to defend a player like
Anthony Davis for around 15 minutes in the playoffs; that’s what they need
behind Nikola Jokic. Grade: A
Cleveland
receives Isaiah Hartenstein, a 2023 2nd round pick (top 46
protected), and a 2027 2nd round pick
Considering how some other players were valued, this is a
massive return. Hartenstein hasn’t
played much but has shown glimpses on defense in his first two seasons with
Houston; I think it is worthwhile for Cleveland to take a look at him during
their rebuild. I would expect the 2023
pick to convey, which would give them 2 second rounders for a guy they likely
would have waived had he not been moved.
It’s not a major move, but it is a big return given their plan
otherwise. Grade: A+
Nemanja
Bjelica to Miami
Miami
receives Nemanja Bjelica
Miami was hoping to find a replacement for Jae Crowder this
season. So far, Harkless has been
dreadful offensively (he has been a plus defender though) on the rare occasions
that he played, and Silva has been in a similar boat. Enter Bjelica, who wasn’t playing much this
season given the large quantity of big men in Sacramento. Last season, Bjelica shot 41.9% from 3 while
averaging 11.5 PPG and 6.4 RPG, all career highs. While not an elite defender, he has
consistently been an underrated defender, every season prior to this year having
a positive DBPM. Ultimately, the Heat
managed to improve their power forward position without giving up much; that’s
a massive win. Grade: A+
Sacramento
receives Mo Harkless and Chris Silva
Given Bjelica’s struggles and sporadic playing time, there
were questions about what return the Kings could get for him. The answer is Harkless, who has played 11
games and is having his worst offensive season yet, and Silva. Silva is only 24 and has been a plus defender
over his 2 seasons in the NBA. That
said, he has struggled offensively, is another power forward, and I don’t
expect him to receive much playing time for the Kings at any point unless the
team makes another move. I’m surprised
they didn’t manage to obtain even a protected second round pick; maybe the market
was that dry. Grade: D+
Delon
Wright to Sacramento
Sacramento receives
Delon Wright
Sacramento might have been open to trading anyone outside of
De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton and might have traded Bjelica later in the
day, but with this trade, the Kings look to be…buying? I’m never opposed to a team competing for a spot
in the playoffs rather than tanking, but Sacramento is in 12th and
has frequently played like they’re more likely to miss the play-in tournament
than make it. It doesn’t make a lot of
sense for them, but they did upgrade their backup guard position. Wright is averaging 10.4 PPG and 5.0 APG while
shooting 34.8% from 3 (which I expect will be closer to his 37.0% last season
with Dallas for the remainder of the season).
He is a strong defender as well, with 1.6 SPG, 1.3 DWS, and 1.8
DBPM. He is a guy who can play on or off
the ball, which will be nice with either guard on the bench. He is also 6’5, so I wonder if they could try
him at the 3 in select situations. I’m
surprised they were willing to give up 2 2nd rounders, but Wright is
signed for next year too, which might be what they are planning for. I love Wright, but I’m not sure what their
plans are for at this time. Grade: B-
Detroit
receives Cory Joseph, a 2021 2nd round pick (LAL), and a 2024 2nd
round pick
Think about some of the other players that commanded multiple
2nd round picks at the deadline: George Hill, a very good combo guard, Evan
Fournier, who is averaging almost 20 PPG, JaVale McGee, a champion center, and
Rajon Rondo, because, well, he’s Rondo.
While I consider Wright one of the most underrated players in the game
(outside of the analytics world), I wasn’t expecting a team would value him
enough to give up that much. The 2 picks
are nice, especially the 2021 pick with the Lakers dealing with injuries to
LeBron James and Anthony Davis. While
Joseph has struggled mightily this season, both Fox and Haliburton have cited
him as an incredible mentor, which is bound to help Killian Hayes and Dennis
Smith Jr. Even if he is horrible for
them, he is only partially guaranteed for next season so they could release
him. This is a good return for Wright
and will give their younger guys (who are healthy) more opportunities. Grade:
A
Daniel
Theis to Chicago
Chicago
receives Daniel Theis, Troy Brown Jr., Javonte Green, and cash (from BOS and
WAS)
In one trade, Chicago improved a big man, improved a wing,
and got an athletic player to add to their depth. Daniel Theis is the best player in this trade
and will be able to play along each of their big men due to his shooting (34.7%
from 3 this year) and his defense (6.8 WS for his career, at least 0.7 DBPM
every year), so he will be a nice role player for them. Brown hasn’t played much this year, but he has
always projected to be a better playmaker, defender, and shooter than Hutchison;
he’s also only 21 and is 3 years younger than Hutchison. Green hasn’t played much in Boston, but he’s
an incredible athlete and has always been a plus defender, so he’ll be useful
if they need the depth if they keep him.
And with all this improvement, they received cash as well; it doesn’t
usually work that way. Grade: A+
Boston
receives Moe Wagner and Luke Kornet
Look, let’s be honest about what this deal was: Boston ownership wanted to get under the luxury
tax after acquiring Evan Fournier.
Losing Theis will sting, as he played well for them down the stretch in
the Bubble. They decided to go the route
of trusting Tristian Thompson (who has been a bit underwhelming on the offensive
end and not good on defense) and Robert Williams (who has been great so far,
but will likely struggle against some of the better big men). The league’s emphasis on size came after Anthony
Davis, Nikola Jokic, and Bam Adebayo plowed through the playoffs, but the only
center who hurt Boston’s chances in the playoffs was Adebayo (while Joel Embiid
thrived, the rest of his team did not). Kornet
has been out of Chicago’s rotation frequently this season and will likely be
waived if Boston picks up a different big man, but has shown he can shoot
previously. Wagner fell out of Washington’s
rotation, but might be helpful filling in since there are worse options than
him defensively (0.9 DBPM) and shooting (31.0% from 3). That said, they gave up the best player in
the trade and got back two who might not crack the rotation; even if they miss
the tax, that will hurt their team. Grade: C-
Washington
receives Daniel Gafford and Chandler Hutchison
I have no idea why Washington flipped Brown for Hutchison; they
got an older player who is worse at shooting, playmaking, defense, and staying
in the rotation throughout is career.
That said, Gafford is a good defender (1.4 DBPM, 0.6 DWS) and is strong
close to the rim (78.6% within 3 feet); he also is only 22 and could be
intriguing for them. That said, I think
Wagner is a better player than him, so I don’t expect he will remain in the
rotation by the end. I question why they
gave up two players to get two who are worse while all were on inexpensive
deals. Grade: D-
Matt
Thomas to Utah
Utah receives
Matt Thomas
Utah gave up a second rounder to get an elite shooter. While Thomas hasn’t played big minutes in
either of his two seasons (9.4 MPG in 67 games), he has shot 41.5% from 3 this
season and 45.7% for his career. In this
era of the NBA, you can never have too much shooting, and he will just be nice
as an additional depth piece to get a deep shot when needed. The price wasn’t much, so that’s a pretty
good deal. If nothing else, he is likely
better than most they would get with a 2nd round pick. Grade:
A-
Toronto receives
2021 2nd round pick (GSW)
It was initially perceived as a precursor for a Kyle Lowry
trade, but on its own it is a little puzzling.
He is under contract for next season, so there wasn’t a ton of
motivation to trade him. They have had
depth issues all year with Covid-19, so you would think Toronto would value
depth more than a lot of other factors before making this trade. That said, it is nice to get a 2nd
round pick in exchange for a player who doesn’t play much. Grade:
B-
Torrey
Craig to Phoenix*
Phoenix
receives Torrey Craig
Phoenix didn’t have to give up much for a player who was
looking like a smart signing for Milwaukee during free agency after he fell out
of the rotation there. I don’t know what
kind of role he will play in Phoenix, but he is an ok shooter (32.0% from 3 in three
seasons with Denver, 36.4% in 18 games with Milwaukee) and a solid defender
(3.0 DWS with Denver, 0.3 with Milwaukee).
If nothing else, he will be nice to have for 10-15 minutes a game when
needed and more if injuries pile up.
They only gave up cash for him, so that’s a steal in my book. Grade:
A+
Milwaukee
receives cash considerations
This is effectively saying they messed up in free agency,
now that D.J. Augustin and Craig have been traded. I have no idea why he fell out of the
rotation there, but it happened and all they have to show for it is some
cash. I’m not sure what they will do with
the spot that is open as a result of Craig; it is nice that they have it, but
several other teams have an open spot as well.
It’s shocking that they were unable to get anything in exchange for
Craig. Grade: F
Hamidou
Diallo to Detroit*
Detroit receives
Hamidou Diallo
While both players are up for restricted free agency this
year, Detroit made it clear that they are valuing athleticism in their
rebuild. Prior to playing a game at
Kentucky, Diallo was expected to be a lottery pick due to his freak athleticism. He fell to 45th after one year at
Kentucky due to how unrefined he was and that he didn’t have one elite skill
outside of athleticism. That said, he has
shown he can be aggressive and a strong finisher; he is averaging 11.9 PPG and 5.2
RPG while shooting 69.7% within 3 feet of the rim. He has also been a solid defender (0.4 DBPM)
and is showing improvements as a playmaker (2.4 APG). That said, Diallo has been horrible shooting
(29.3% from 3, which is a career high), and since his free throw shooting has been
bad since college, it is difficult to see him develop into an average
shooter. That said, he’s only 22, and
the Pistons have time to develop him. If
it works, he could be great player. Grade: A-
Oklahoma
City receives Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk and a 2027 2nd round pick (HOU)
There is the chance that Diallo winds up being a great
player, which is largely why they got the 2nd round pick to add to
their absurd collection. That said,
while he is a flashier player than Mykhailiuk, this is the right deal. The trio of Lu Dort, Darius Bazley, and
Diallo were never going to work due to all of them being weak shooters, with Dort
being the only one shooting above 30%.
Enter Mykhailiuk, who is still 23 (only one year older than Diallo) and
a worse athlete, but was prized since the 2018 NBA Draft for his shooting
ability. He was underwhelming with
Detroit this year from deep (33.3%), but he is only one season removed from
shooting 40.4% from deep on 5.1 attempts per game while averaging 9.0 PPG. I’m not sure how much better he will be able
to get, but he will be a better fit with those two. Grade:
A
Terence
Davis to Sacramento
Sacramento
receives Terence Davis
While Davis was named to the All-Rookie 2nd team last
season, he has taken a step back this season, as a drop in minutes (16.8 to 14.2)
has resulted in sizeable drops in points (7.5 to 6.9), assists (1.6 to 1.1), and
rebounds (3.3 to 1.9), in addition to drops in field goal percent (45.6% to
41.4%), 3-point percent (38.8% to 36.1%), offensive box plus/minus (0.1 to
-1.8), and defensive box plus/minus (0.7 to -1.3). Despite all of this, his usage rate has
increased (19.0% to 21.6%), which is a bit of a red flag that everything else
has fallen. I don’t really get why the
Kings would take a chance on him since he is a restricted free agent after this
year, but I guess it might be worth a shot if he can rediscover himself. Grade:
B-
Toronto
receives a 2021 2nd round pick (MEM)
Without a Kyle Lowry trade, this move leaves the Raptors
with an additional draft pick and an open roster space. That said, who is signing there given how bad
they have been this year? Maybe somebody
really loves Tampa, but I don’t see it. Getting
a draft pick might be nice, but I really don’t get this trade from their end. Grade:
C-
Marquese
Chriss to San Antonio
San Antonio
receives Marquese Chriss and cash considerations
This was a deal for Golden State to duck under the luxury
tax, but San Antonio did receive Chriss.
While most trades of these nature are salary dumps resulting in buyouts,
the Spurs will have a spot open due to Aldridge being bought out. Despite being a free agent and out for the
year, it might be enticing to keep Chriss.
While a reclamation project for Golden State last year, he averaged 9.3
PPG, 6.2 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.1 BPG, 0.7 SPG, and shot 58.4% from 2; he was also a
plus defender for the Warriors last year, with a 0.6 DBPM and 1.3 DWS, while being
the leader out of players who finished the season with Golden and played more
than 10 games in BPM (0.6) and WS. While
the Spurs have several guards and wings for the future, their size is largely resting
on Jakob Poeltl, so Chriss could help. They
also got paid to take him if they decide to waive him instead. Grade:
A
Golden State
receives the rights to Cady Lalanne
Most of the time, this kind of dump that also includes cash
results in a top-55 protected 2nd round pick. I like this one more; the pick would be
unlikely to convey, so getting the rights to someone might be nice. Make no mistake, I don’t expect Lalanne will
come back to play in the NBA anytime soon (he hasn’t played in the U.S. since
2016 and is currently playing in South Korea).
That said, he was a D-League All-Star in 2016 and an All-Star in the
Korean Basketball League this year. What’s
more important for them is that they aren’t paying a player who is injured and
wasn’t guaranteed to be resigned anyways.
Grade: A
Brad
Wanamaker to Charlotte
Charlotte
receives Brad Wanamaker, a 2022 2nd round pick (top 54 protected, TOR),
and cash considerations
Without LaMelo Ball for at least a majority of the season,
the Hornets could use some guard depth.
At a minimum price (a pick unlikely to convey), they obtained Wanamaker,
who is primarily a point guard but can play off the ball well enough as
well. He has always been a plus defender
and, while he has struggled a bit this year, he is one season removed from
averaging 6.9 PPG and 2.5 APG in 19.3 MPG while shooting 36.3% from 3 and a
league leading 92.6% from the line while with the Celtics. It likely won’t be a massive impact deal, but
there’s practically risk involved. Grade: B+
Golden State
receives a 2025 2nd round pick (top 55 protected)
It is sounding like the Warriors plan to use Nico Mannion as
their backup point guard for the remainder of the year, so it made sense to shed
some money on their luxury tax bill and receive a pick that is unlikely to
convey. That said, it is weird that they
gave up an additional pick to do so (I don’t expect this pick to convey, but
still). That is honestly the only thing
that will hurt their grade in this one. Grade: B-
Mfiondu
Kabengele to Sacramento
Sacramento
receives Mfiondu Kabengele, a 2022 2nd round pick (top 55 protected,
ATL), and cash considerations
And to the trade that started off the final few days of the deadline: a salary dump deal. As a note, Kabengele is being waived by the
Kings and wasn’t likely to get playing time with either team down the stretch,
so my grades are dependent on one factor that is different than most of these
kinds of trades: how on earth did
Sacramento receive a pick out of this move as well? Usually, these deals are a team gives up a
player and cash (the amount to waive a player) and the other team gets a 2nd
round pick (the minimum that can be included in a trade). I don’t expect either pick to convey, but it
is interesting to see. Grade: A
Los Angeles
Clippers receive a 2022 2nd round pick (top 55 protected)
See my note under Sacramento. Grade:
C
What did you think about this year’s trade deadline? Were there any deals that stood out to
you? Any grades you agreed or disagreed
with me on? Let me know in the comments!
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