Initial Grades for Every NBA In-Season Trade This Year
Bucking an annual tradition, the NBA's most significant trades have been consummated well in advance of the midseason deadline.
Although a flurry of last-minute deals tends to steal the show shortly after the All-Star break, this year's biggest movers and shakers worked the phones early and often in order to gain a competitive edge.
From Rajon Rondo's long-awaited departure from the Boston Celtics to a three-team blockbuster involving maddening scorers of all shapes and sizes, there have been plenty of landscape-shifting exchanges worth evaluating now that traded players have experienced trial runs with their new employers.
Using a sliding A-F grading scale adjusted for player performance, advanced statistical impact and future offerings, it's time to examine what types of returns the league's busiest teams are starting to see on their investments.
Austin Rivers Joins Pops in Hollywood
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Boston Celtics Grade: C
Los Angeles Clippers Grade: D
Phoenix Suns Grade: C+
Trade Details: Los Angeles acquired Austin Rivers; Boston acquired Chris Douglas-Roberts, Shavlik Randolph and a future second-round pick; Phoenix acquired Reggie Bullock
It was a foregone conclusion that the Los Angeles Clippers were going to make a run at Austin Rivers once the Boston Celtics made him available.
Searching for untapped backcourt potential, the Clippers took a relatively minor gamble on Rivers, whose 2015-16 player option was declined by the New Orleans Pelicans prior to the season.
While Rivers has shot a half-decent 33.3 percent from three in just under 17 minutes per game with the Clippers, the acquisition felt entirely unnecessary to begin with. The Clippers needed—and still need—wing depth in the worst way, and Rivers isn't solving any glaring rotational holes.
The flat-footed 22-year-old continues to look slow when rotating on the perimeter and his roster spot could have been better occupied by a wing with the length necessary to defend multiple positions.
As for the superfluous moving parts, Chris Douglas-Roberts has been waived in a deal that amounted to nothing more than a player-for-pick swap. Danny Ainge has clearly been taking notes from Sam Hinkie.
Phoenix comes out on top for taking a low-risk flier on former first-round pick in Reggie Bullock, who flashed promise as a spot-up three-point shooter before getting dealt.
Philadelphia and Brooklyn Exchange a Whole Lot of Nothing
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Brooklyn Nets Grade: Incomplete
Philadelphia 76ers Grade: Incomplete
Trade Details: Brooklyn acquired Brandon Davies from Philadelphia in exchange for Andrei Kirilenko, a 2020 second-round pick, Jorge Gutierrez and the right to swap 2018 second-round picks
There's not much to see here.
Andrei Kirilenko has been suspended by the Philadelphia 76ers for failing to report to the team as he continues to tend to family matters, while Brandon Davies and Jorge Gutierrez were both waived by their respective acquiring parties.
At this point, the Sixers are simply banking on a desperate contender shelling out minor future draft considerations in exchange for Kirilenko as the trade deadline approaches as a way to justify the moving and shaking.
"While it was expected that the Sixers would waive Kirilenko after the deal, the source tells Gonzalez that the team would like to keep the former All-Star in hopes of using him to acquire more assets at the trade deadline," CSN Philly reported shortly after the deal was finalized.
Kudos to Sam Hinkie and Billy King for giving us the most irrelevant—and simultaneously complex—deal of the season.
Cleveland Cavaliers Acquire Timofey Mozgov
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Cleveland Cavaliers Grade: A
Denver Nuggets Grade: A-
Trade Details: Cleveland acquired Timofey Mozgov from Denver in exchange for two protected first-round picks
The rare win-win.
While it remains to be seen what the Denver Nuggets will do with the two protected first-round picks they received from the Cleveland Cavaliers via the Memphis Grizzlies and Oklahoma City Thunder, stockpiling assets certainly can't hurt for a franchise stuck in Western Conference purgatory.
To be clear, the selection from Memphis only pays out in advance of 2016 if it falls between picks No. 6-14 before turning into a top-five protected pick in 2017 and 2018. The Oklahoma City pick is top-18 protected this season and top-15 protected the following two seasons.
So while those safeguards may prevent Denver from seeing an immediate payout, it did well to capitalize on the pseudo-expiring nature of Mozgov's contract (he has a team option worth $4.9 million next season).
As for the Cavaliers, they've gone 11-3 since acquiring the Russian behemoth.
According to NBA.com, Cleveland has posted a defensive rating of 102.9 since Mozgov's arrival, which is roughly two points better than the team's overall mark of 105.0. Furthermore, opponents have shot 3.1 percent worse than the league average with Mozgov as their primary defender inside of six feet since he landed in Northeast Ohio, per SportVU player-tracking data.
He's also recorded an offensive rebounding percentage (13.4) that ranks among the league's top 15 in that span.
For a defense that ranks 28th in opponents' field-goal percentage at the rim and 23rd in paint points allowed, Mozgov's impact can't be overstated.
The J.R. Smith-Dion Waiters Three-Team Bonanza
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Cleveland Cavaliers Grade: B+
New York Knicks Grade: B
Oklahoma City Thunder Grade: D
Trade Details: Cleveland acquired J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert from the New York Knicks; Oklahoma City acquired Dion Waiters; New York acquired Lou Amundson, Alex Kirk, Lance Thomas and a 2019 second-round pick
Dion Waiters may bring “toughness and that swagger," to the Oklahoma City Thunder, according to Kevin Durant, via The Washington Post's Michael Lee, but he hasn't contributed much from a statistical standpoint since arriving in the Southwest.
Not only is Waiters shooting roughy 36 percent from the field and under 27 percent from three in blue and orange, but he hasn't been able to make an advanced statistical impact of consequence.
During the 357 minutes Waiters has been roaming around the perimeter with his hands up begging for the ball, he's dragged Oklahoma City's offensive efficiency rating down below a point per possession.
In Cleveland, the story differs a bit.
Although J.R. Smith is still the streakiest of scorers, he's helped Cleveland maintain an offensive rating of 106 during his 528 minutes on the floor in wine and gold. Smith's also drilling a steady 36.8 percent of his catch-and-shoot attempts from beyond the arc, which has been a refreshing change from Waiters' conversion rate of 25.2 percent on such shots.
There's also the matter of Iman Shumpert's aggressive stylings, which have helped fortify Cleveland's perimeter defense. It's a small sample size considering Shumpert didn't return from a shoulder injury until Jan. 23, but Cleveland's defense has allowed a meager 98.4 points per 100 possessions with the flat-topped pest hounding opposing ball-handlers.
The Knicks came away unscathed and should be praised for dumping Smith's contract, which has a player option worth $6.4 million for the 2015-16 season. Lance Thomas—who was recently signed on for the remainder of the season—has also been quietly steady for New York. Over his last 10 games, Thomas is averaging 9.5 points, four rebounds and 1.8 assists while shooting 49.5 percent from the field.
Dallas Deals for Rajon Rondo
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Boston Celtics Grade: B
Dallas Mavericks Grade: B+
Trade Details: Dallas acquired Rajon Rondo and Dwight Powell from Boston in exchange for Jameer Nelson, Brandan Wright, Jae Crowder, a 2015 first-round pick, a 2016 second-round pick and a $12.9 million trade exception
On paper, the Dallas Mavericks improved tremendously by snagging Rajon Rondo in a relatively inexpensive swap with the Boston Celtics. However, Rondo's month-plus in Big D has revealed some strange trends.
Through 22 appearances, Dallas has posted identical offensive ratings (107.0) with Rondo on and off the floor. That's not a figure that should sound too many alarms considering it would rank as the league's sixth-best overall, but it's definitely noteworthy given his prowess as a selfless distributor.
ESPN Insider's Tom Haberstroh recently explained the phenomenon in detail:
"The numbers underscore the many congestion issues with Rondo on offense. As I delved into on last week's BIG Number episode, Rondo lineups haven't done well in the scoring department as his defender sinks into the paint and makes it harder for his teammates to get open. In particular, Ellis goes into attack mode far more next to Harris than Rondo, getting to the line more often and getting more buckets.
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Instead, the major improvement for Dallas has come on defense. Since Rondo's debut on Dec. 20, the Mavericks rank ninth in defensive efficiency (100.6)—a four-point improvement from the 26 games prior to his arrival.
Boston's end of the deal is harder to grade from a personnel standpoint since Jameer Nelson and Brandan Wright have since been traded to the Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns, respectively. However, Danny Ainge's ability to capitalize on the declining value of Rondo's expiring deal while picking up another first-round pick should be commended.
Memphis Grizzlies Nab Jeff Green
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Boston Celtics Grade: C
Memphis Grizzlies Grade: A
New Orleans Pelicans Grade: C
Trade Details: Memphis acquired Jeff Green, Russ Smith and a 2014 second-round pick; Boston acquired Austin Rivers, Tayshaun Prince and a future first-round pick; New Orleans acquired Quincy Pondexter and a 2015 second-round pick
The Memphis Grizzlies are 10-1 since acquiring Jeff Green from the Boston Celtics.
And while basic counting stats may not be kind to Jeff Green's brief tenure with the Memphis Grizzlies, advanced numbers shed light on the tremendous impact he's had on the team's overall offensive potency.
"Adding a guy like Jeff just gives us that much more versatility," Mike Conley said, according to The Associated Press' Kyle Hightower (via USA Today). "He can come off the bench and play three, play four, he's athletic, a lot of things we've been looking for in a player. He fills that void."
Sifting through lineup data, the five-man grouping of Green, Beno Udrih, Courtney Lee, Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol has recorded a net rating better than plus-11 points per 100 possessions. And among Memphis lineups that have played together for at least 50 minutes, that unit's offensive rating ranks No. 1 overall.
"He's learning how to play off other guys," Grizzlies head coach Dave Joerger said, per Hightower. "He's a good cutter, (coming) out of being a smart player and playing a good cutting system in college."
With his usage rate in Memphis at its lowest point since 2010, it's becoming clear that Green doesn't need the rock in his hands in a volume scoring capacity to have a profound impact. That's huge for a team that already runs so much of its offense through Gasol in the high post, Randolph on the low blocks and Conley in the pick-and-roll.
As was the case with the Rajon Rondo agreement, Boston's end of the deal is difficult to grade.
On one hand, getting any return value for Green was a positive, but the future first-round selection won't pay out until 2017 at the earliest before protections (1-10 in 2017, 1-12 in 2018, 1-8 in 2019 and 1-6 in 2020) kick in.
At worst, that pick becomes unprotected in 2021 and still winds up being more useful than Austin Rivers ever could have been.
Brandan Wright to the Phoenix Suns
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Boston Celtics Grade: C+
Phoenix Suns Grade: B
Trade Details: Phoenix acquired Brandan Wright for a protected future first-round pick
If you're keeping score at home, that's three future first-round picks paid out to the Boston Celtics in three separate deals prior to the Feb. 19 trade deadline.
According to ESPN's Jeff Goodman, "the pick is protected within the first 12 selections for the next two seasons and then turns into a pair of second-rounders in 2016 and '17. Boston also created a trade exception worth $5 million in the process by sending out Wright's $5 million contract while taking back no salary."
Since the significance of the eventual credit Boston receives from Phoenix remains to be seen, it's hard to etch their grade in stone. However, Danny Ainge's hustle has to be respected, so above-average marks feel appropriate while Boston awaits the payout.
Out in the desert, the acquisition was wholly necessary even if Brandan Wright is still trying to entrench himself as a defensive stalwart. It was a low-risk move, too, considering Wright's set to become an unrestricted free agent after earning $5 million this season.
From a tactical standpoint, Wright gives Phoenix a legitimate shot-blocker whose 7'4'' wingspan can turn even the most aggressive penetrators away at the rim. And since the Suns rank 26th in opponents' field-goal percentage at the rim, per SportVU, Wright's the sort of presence that can provide some peace of mind and disrupt half-court sets with ease.
The on/off splits haven't been kind to Wright's impact as an intimidator below the free-throw line just yet, but it's worth noting Phoenix's offense has been nearly nine points better with him smashing home lobs in the pick-and-roll.
All statistics courtesy of NBA.com and are current as of Feb. 2 unless noted otherwise. All draft pick information furnished by RealGM.com. All salary information retrieved from BasketballInsiders.com.
