Spurs, Raptors, Sixers, and Nets Earn A's: Breaking Down The NBA Trades

New York acquires Darko Milicic from Memphis for Quentin Richardson.

Darko is slow, can’t shoot, and isn’t a prototypical shot blocker so it’s confusing as to why the Knicks acquired him. Dealing off Richardson removes a log jam on New York’s wings and frees up more playing time for Wilson Chandler and Danillo Gallinari. In that case, the deal is a success.

Grade: C+

Memphis acquires Quentin Richardson from New York for Darko Milicic.

Quentin Richardson gives the Grizzlies depth on the wing, and becomes their best low post player. With youngsters Marc Gasol, Hasheem Thabeet, and Hamed Haddadi competing for minutes and on-job experience at the center position, there was no reason to hang on to Milicic.

Grade: B+

New Jersey acquires Rafer Alston, Courtney Lee, and Tony Battie from Orlando for Vince Carter and Ryan Anderson.

After the trade, the Nets have only two roster spots and $6.6 million dollars invested in 2010-2011, giving them an enormous amount of flexibility to resign their own youngsters, while targeting the mega free agents on that off season’s horizon.

Since the Nets weren’t contenders anyway, the deal puts New Jersey in full rebuilding mode—something Vince Carter was not going to be a part of. But after Devin Harris’ quantum leap and Brook Lopez’s promising first year, New Jersey shouldn’t be moribund with talented youngsters and a luminous future.

If Rafer Alston griped about backing up Jameer Nelson in the NBA Finals, he’ll get a karma-induced slap in the face, backing up Harris on the bottom-feeding Nets.

Tony Battie shouldn’t figure to get major playing time ahead of Josh Boone, Eduardo Najera, and Yi Jianlian. Courtney Lee is a legit talent, who can create his own shot and defend. He’ll quickly become New Jersey’s featured wing scorer.

With Harris, Lee, Lopez, and the boatload of cap flexibility they have, the Nets should be a very interesting team once fall of 2010 arrives. They just have to suffer through this coming season’s growing pains.

Grade: A+

Orlando acquires Vince Carter and Ryan Anderson from New Jersey for Tony Battie, Rafer Alston, and Courtney Lee.

Ryan Anderson’s a hard working defender with three point range who’ll quickly make Magic fans forget about Tony Battie while adding to Orlando’s long-distance firepower.

Rafer Alston proved during last season’s Finals that he’s full of excuses and not even a championship-caliber backup.

Courtney Lee has a talented future and is the prize heading back to New Jersey.

But Vince Carter is the feature player of the deal, and his presence brings question marks and uncertainties.

Carter is a talented scorer with diminishing athleticism, and an ever-present fear of taking contact. He has unlimited range, is unselfish, and can even post up some. However, he spends too many stretches—minutes, games, weeks—going through the motions, playing lazy uninspired basketball.

He also plays with no competitive edge (except against Toronto) and has a history of disappointing in the postseason.

He’s a worse defender than Lee, and if he teams with Hedo Turkoglu, they will make Orlando a perimeter defensive sieve.

Still, the trade isn’t all bad.

• Assuming Hedo Turkoglu stays put, Carter will be a third or fourth offensive option, a position he should thrive in.
• Less responsibilities will mean less pressure.
• He has more talent than Lee, and should be able to run Orlando’s high screen/roll game to satisfaction.
• He’ll rebound, something the Magic don’t do well outside of Dwight Howard.

However, these imply that Turkoglu will remain on the team and continue to be Orlando’s main offense creator.

If Turkoglu isn’t resigned and Carter is asked to be the featured perimeter playmaker, the Magic are in trouble.

• Because Carterhas less vision than Turkoglu and isn’t as tall; he’s a strictly worse playmaker and decision maker for Orlando’s offense.
• The difference in Hedo’s pressure shooting and Vince’s are the difference in night and day.
• Carter’s a slightly worse finisher and gets to the line less often than Turkoglu, even though Carter takes more field goal attempts.
• Turkoglu rarely loses focus, especially late in games.

If Carter is an add-on to Orlando’s core that went to the Finals, then he’ll make the Magic more explosive and more versatile, traits that could easily allow them to repeat as Eastern Conference champions and contend for another NBA crown.

But if Carter’s a replacement to Turkoglu, then expect the hocus-pocus that made Orlando magical go poof and disappear.

Grade: C-

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