Here’s a recap of this year’s NBA Draft trades. One thing that is interesting here (and it speaks to the talent level next year) is that not a single 2017 first round pick changed hands last night.
Orlando Magic receive: PF Serge Ibaka
Oklahoma City Thunder receive: SG Victor Oladipo, PF Ersan Ilyasova, rights to PF Domantas Sabonis (#11)
Analysis: This is an interesting move for the Thunder as they were awfully close to knocking off the Warriors and potentially making a run at the finals. It can be viewed two ways: 1) The Thunder want to surround Kevin Durant with as much talent as possible or 2) The Thunder are bracing for Durant’s departure this summer. Either way, the Thunder win big with this trade.
Cleveland Cavaliers receive: Rights to PG Kay Felder (#54)
Atlanta Hawks receive: Cash considerations
Analysis: Great deal for the Cavs who spend around $2.5M to buy the rights to Felder, a tough little guard with big talent. We can replace Delly as the team’s third point guard this season and slowly build to being a bigger part of the team’s rotation in a couple of years.
Golden State Warriors receive: Rights to G/F Patrick McCaw (#38)
Milwaukee Bucks receive: Cash considerations
Analysis: This is just the Warriors being the Warriors, adding another versatile player for next to nothing. McCaw ranked as one of the draft’s top 2-way players and no one would have been surprised to see him come off the board 20 picks before this.
Brooklyn Nets receive: Rights to SG Isaiah Whitehead (#42)
Utah Jazz receive: Rights to PG Marcus Paige (#55), cash considerations
Analysis: The Nets get a dynamic college scorer in the Brooklyn-born Whitehead for pennies. We’ll ignore that they took another SG earlier in the draft because the team is so devoid of talent right now. Paige is an undersized SG forced to play the point. It’s going to be an uphill climb for him to make the Jazz roster.
Portland Trail Blazers receive: Rights to SF Jake Layman (#47)
Orlando Magic receive: 2019 second-round pick, cash considerations
Analysis: Not a lot to see here. Layman is actually a fairly talented player who is kind of Chandler Parsons-lite. He has the skill-set to help a team with his outside shooting, but he’s not overly aggressive.
Oklahoma City Thunder receive: Rights to SF Daniel Hamilton (#56)
Denver Nuggets receive: Cash considerations
Analysis: I’m more interested in this trade than most people because I happen to have a real affinity for Hamilton. He gets knocked because he can’t easily be put in a box and categorized, I just consider him a basketball player and trust the Thunder will know how to use him.
New Orleans Pelicans receive: Rights to PF Cheick Diallo (# 33)
Los Angeles Clippers receive: Rights to PG David Michineau (#39), rights to C Diamond Stone (#40)
Analysis: If Cheick Diallo figures out that he should focus solely on rebounding and playing defense, he’ll become a long-time, valuable NBA player and the Pelicans win this deal. If he doesn’t, he’s cut in a year. In a draft full of surprises, Michineau going 39 was one of the biggest for me. I would have guessed he would go undrafted as he simply can’t shoot right now. Stone is a poor man’s Jahlil Okafor.
Boston Celtics receive: 2019 first-round pick (via Clippers)
Memphis Grizzlies receive: Rights to PF Deyonta Davis (# 31), rights to SF Rade Zagorac (#35)
Analysis: The Celtics consolidate some picks and add ammo for the future while the Grizzlies absolutely steal Deyonta Davis at 31 and get another solid player in Zagorac at 35. I can see why both teams made the move, but unless that pick ends up in the top 10, I’m calling this a win for the Griz.
Phoenix Suns receive: Rights to PF Marquese Chriss (#8)
Sacramento Kings receive: Rights to C Georgios Papagiannis (#13), rights to PF Skal Labissiere (#28), 2020 second-round pick; draft rights to SG Bogdan Bogdanovic (#27 in ’14)
Analysis: This trade was the catalyst for some of the draft’s finest moments, from the absolute head scratcher of a pick that was Papagiannis at #13 to DeMarcus Cousin’s “Lord give me the strength” tweet in response to it. It’s hard to give up Chriss, but put a gun to my head and I’d tell you the Kings won this trade. Chriss coupled with earlier draftee Dragan Bender give the Suns a lot of frontcourt help, this is a move that’s clearly about the future for the Kings. Papagiannis was over-picked, but his skill-set is interesting, Skal is loaded with upside and Bogdanovic could be a nice wing option when he comes over in a year or two.
