Draft Day Trades

Thought this would be a busy day for trades but not so much. Indeed, seemed kinda lackluster (the most high profile player on the move was Grievis Vasquez, you know him and love him but your mom doesn't, thus not a blockbuster trade). Oh well, the player movement season is now underway (July 10 technically, but the rumors have already begun) and there were a handful moves last night.

Wizards get #15 (Kelly Oubre); Hawks get Tim Hardaway Jr; Knicks get #19 (Jerian Grant). I kept getting confused as to who was going where when this was first announced. After figuring it all out, it makes sense to me. The Hawks get a veteran who can play right now rather than trying to bring along a rookie, yes Hardaway was disappointing last year but the situation was deteriorating from the get go, none of which was Hardaway's fault, I think he can play and he's probably better right now than Grant or Oubre. The Wizards get the high risk/reward guy, could be a dynamic scorer that begins to replace Pierce or he could be out of the league in 2 years, either way the Wizards are probably in the right place to roll the dice with Oubre. Knicks get the most reliable good rookie in the deal, moved a contract they apparently no longer wanted and Grant is a reasonable replacement for Hardaway. A good deal for all three teams I'd say

Wolves get #22 (Tyus Jones); Cavs get #31 (Cedi Osman), #36 (Rakeem Christmas). The Wolves get one more dynamic young rookie (hometown hero to boot) to throw into the youth movement (I'd say one more lottery and then its go time for this Wolves crew) rather than trying to figure out what to do with two 2nd rounders who fit neither the roster nor the bench. Cavs, on the other hand, need cheap young bodies that can be easily buried out back if need be or just as easily stuffed onto the end of the roster. They chose one foreigner to stash away (don't think he'll be ready for another year or two) and one marginal NCAA prospect that'll probably be D-leaguin' it for the foreseeable future.

Raptors get #46 (Norman Powell), the Clippers 2017 1st rd pick; Bucks get Grievis Vasquez. The Raptors are blowing it up, everyone's available and Vasquez was the first to get out alive. The Raptors add Powell (a pretty good value at #46, I'd say he's got a decent shot at making the team) and a bonus pick next year for a 2nd string PG, not a bad move for them. The Bucks have a lot of young guards (3rd year MCW, 2nd year Tyler Ennis, rookie Rashad Vaughn), and though Vasquez is not the type of defender J Kidd seems to prefer, offensively he's a steady hand with the ball, decent playmaker, decent shooter, a 2nd string PG you can rely on. Feels like they overpaid a bit but Vasquez is probably EXACTLY the guy they wanted and therefore worth a little more. Good move for the Bucks, Vasquez and Vaughn are two good pick-ups for only future (as opposed to present) considerations.

Blazers get Mason Plumlee, #41 (Pat Connaughton); Nets get Steve Blake, #23 (Rondae Hollis-Jefferson). Nets get a reasonably-priced veteran PG and a highly motivated (if one dimensional) rookie with no real pressure to perform this year. Nets need to peel off salary for the next two years or so til they can get back into the free agency game. Plumlee wasn't in their future so to turn him into a backup PG and a rookie contract is a plus. The Blazers, too, are in re-build mode but from the opposite direction: the Nets have too many expensive players, the Blazers' expensive players are exiting en masse. If Aldridge isn't around then Plumlee will play (and make people miss Aldridge) and the Blazers need all the players they can get. Connaughton could maybe surpass McCollum but I doubt it, he's more likely a D-leaguer or post-Summer League trade bait,

Grizzlies get Andrew Harrison; Suns get Jon Leuer. Harrison thought he was joining the Wildcat roundup out west but it was just a stop on his way to the Grizzlies. Telling you, I believe in Harrison, as a big combo guard he's probably a good fit for the Grizzlies. Not sure the Suns need Leuer, not a bad player, he's not a salary dump kinda guy, but I don't see where he fits the Suns. Guess he's emergency depth.

Nets get Juan Pablo Vaulet; Hornets get 2018 2nd rd pick, 2019 2nd rd pick, cash considerations. No idea who Juan Pablo Vaulet is but the Nets just gave away their last two draft picks for the next 5 years to get him. The Nets need to get younger and cheaper, this guy definitely lets them do that, considering what they paid I assume he's ready to play now, not some stash job. This is one of those deals that if Vaulet turns out to be any good at all, then it'll be a good deal for the Nets; but if he's not, then this is another one of those deals you point to when everyone's trying to figure out why the GM just get fired.

Blazers get Daniel Diez; Jazz get cash considerations. I do not know Diez, The Blazers need bodies more than the Jazz do, that alone makes this deal seem obvious.

Clippers get Branden Dawson; Pelicans get cash considerations. I was impressed with Dawsen on Michigan State's Final Four run this past March, he looked like a decent shooter and handler, decent athlete, just a generally solid dependable player. Mich St dudes tend to last, I think he's a good pickup for the Clippers, thought he was a good pickup for the Pelicans, while their roster is already overstuffed with outside shooters, I'd have given Dawsen a shot at supplanting some of those guys but I guess they'd rather have the cash.