Deron Williams To New Jersey Nets: Post-Trade Grades For Nets, Jazz and Warriors
With the Carmelo Anthony trade wrapped up, other dominoes around the league are beginning to fall.
Multiple reports confirm the Jazz have made a deal to send Deron Williams to the New Jersey Nets, and other players are expected to be on the move before Thursday’s deadline.
Herein, an analysis of the two agreed-upon trades A.C. (After Carmelo).
Plus a look at some other players who could change addresses shortly.
New Jersey Nets Acquire Deron Williams in Three-Team Trade
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The terms:
Nets get: PG Deron Williams (from Utah), C Dan Gadzuric, PF Brandan Wright (from Golden State)
Jazz get: PG Devin Harris, PF Derrick Favors, two first-round draft picks (from NJ)
Warriors get: PF Troy Murphy (from NJ)
Deron Williams Trade: New Jersey Nets
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Obviously, New Jersey comes out as the big winner assuming this deal goes down.
They exchange a good point guard in Devin Harris for a great one in Deron Williams, for the price of a rookie (Derrick Favors) who may or may not develop into a worthwhile NBA big man.
In addition, if the Nets can re-sign Williams beyond next season, they immediately put themselves in contention for other big-name free agents down the road.
As for their acquisitions from Golden State, Dan Gadzuric is a warm body, but Brandan Wright is a young big man with potential who could negate the loss of Favors.
They were mostly acquired for their expiring contracts, freeing cap room over the offseason for New Jersey.
The Nets do lose two first-round picks, but considering next year's draft class appears rather unimpressive, those picks are likely overvalued.
Grade: A
Deron Williams Trade: Utah Jazz
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Considering the position they had been in with regard to Deron Williams, the Jazz could’ve done a lot worse with this trade.
With a contract extension for Williams not forthcoming, Utah faced the very real possibility of losing—without getting anything in return—their best player since John Stockton's retirement.
Devin Harris isn’t anywhere near Williams’ elite level, but he’s a viable NBA starter who has many good years ahead of him.
Favors is a gamble—he could develop into a star the way Jermaine O’Neal did after a couple of years in the league, or he could fizzle altogether—but Favors' potential is reason enough for Utah to be content with the deal.
Grade: B
Deron Williams Trade: Golden State Warriors
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The Warriors’ portion of the deal is obviously a side-note, and a rather pointless one at that.
The Warriors don’t lose much of anything—Dan Gadzuric and Brandan Wright weren’t playing anyway—but they also don’t gain anything as they’re expected to buy out Troy Murphy’s contract and make him a free agent.
Golden State had hoped to get a second-round pick from New Jersey, but as the current reports of the trade don’t mention such a pick, it appears the Warriors traded nothing for nothing.
Grade: C
New Orleans Hornets Acquire Carl Landry from Sacramento Kings
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The terms:
Hornets get: PF Carl Landry
Kings get: SG Marcus Thornton, cash
Carl Landry Trade: New Orleans Hornets
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New Orleans has been working hard to upgrade the roster for a playoff run, and they finally close a deal that should serve that goal nicely.
Landry isn’t going to start for a playoff team, but he’s the kind of high-energy backup that everybody wants to have going into the postseason.
He doesn’t have great length, but he brings toughness and scoring punch.
Grade: B+
Carl Landry Trade: Sacramento Kings
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Even with Tyreke Evans still out with a foot injury, it’s not obvious what the Kings saw in this deal. T
hornton is a terrific athlete who knows how to score, but he’s suspect enough on defense that the Hornets have been giving his minutes to Marco Belinelli and Willie Green.
Either the Kings are planning to bring him off the bench in the future (where he won’t be as exposed defensively), or they think he can become a good enough defender to start.
Either way, giving up a glue guy like Landry for him seems like a move the Kings will regret.
Grade: C-
On The Move: Troy Murphy
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As discussed earlier, Murphy is likely to be bought out by the Warriors once the Deron Williams trade is finalized.
And once he becomes a free agent, he won’t be hurting for possible destinations; some teams being thrown around include Orlando, Boston, Miami and Dallas.
Obviously, the amount of money teams can offered will have a lot of say in the matter. That said, Murphy's choice could also come down to which team he thinks has the best chance of winning with.
If he wants a ring, and if they make a competitive offer, the Boston Celtics seem like the most plausible scenario.
On The Move: Danilo Gallinari
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In the wake of the Carmelo Anthony trade, the Nuggets are shopping newly-acquired F Danilo Gallinari.
The Nets, Clippers, Raptors and Cavaliers have all expressed interest, but whether any deal gets done remains a major question mark.
The Nuggets are interested in adding draft picks, and any of the teams on that list would be able to offer good lottery odds.
On the other hand, Denver could be better served by waiting to move Gallinari until after the season, when they would know how the ping-pong balls landed.
Expect Gallinari to stay put and help Denver’s push to stay in the Western Conference playoff picture.
If he is moved, the Clippers are the favorites at this stage.
On The Move: Ramon Sessions
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With Devin Harris off the market, Sessions becomes the best available point guard, meaning that Cleveland could get some more tempting offers for his services.
The Hawks appear to be the front-runners, but they may have to sweeten a package that’s likely to focus on 22-year-old PG Jeff Teague.
New York likes Sessions as a possible backup to the aging Chauncey Billups, but it’s unclear what they would want to give up in exchange.
And don’t count out Portland, who could package Andre Miller in a deal for Sessions.
Ultimately, the Hawks are still the likely endpoint for Sessions, who will get to show what he can do in the playoffs as a backup to Mike Bibby.
