2013 NBA Draft: Analyzing the Top 3 Draft Day Trades
For weeks heading into the draft, there were numerous trade rumors surrounding all of the lottery teams swapping picks for players they coveted. The draft is easily one of the busiest days of the year for NBA executives. Teams spend hours and hours of homework on players in hopes of selecting the next Kevin Durant, instead of a Greg Oden.
After Thursday night and one of the more surprising, entertaining NBA drafts in recent history with some top prospects falling, a flurry of trades and staggering Bill Simmons commentary, we can understand why teams prepare the way they do.
It all started with the No. 1 pick when the Cleveland Cavaliers shocked the NBA world by taking UNLV forward Anthony Bennett. Maryland center Alex Len and Kentucky big man Nerlens Noel were reportedly the front runners to go to Cleveland, but Cavs owner Dan Gilbert went in another direction. This pick set the stage for the rest of the entire draft.
Let’s look at the top three trades that went down on draft night.
Brooklyn Nets receive: Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry
Boston Celtics receive: Gerald Wallace, Kris Joseph, Kris Humphries, Reggie Evans, Keith Bogans (via sign-and-trade) and three future first-round picks
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports! first reported the developments of a potential blockbuster trade involving the Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics earlier on Thursday afternoon and it was agreed upon late Thursday night once Kevin Garnett informed Nets team sources he would waive his no-trade clause. The trade will be completed July 10.
What It Means for Brooklyn
This is a clear attempt from Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov to go all-in for the next year or two to win a championship. The billionaire owner will have to swallow a hefty luxury tax bill next season, but he will have a lineup consisting of Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Pierce, Garnett and Brook Lopez.
Team leader Deron Williams will have some new teammates next season. Photo Credit: Mark Runyan, Basketball Schedule
Without question, the Nets will be better, but will this move get them past teams like the Indiana Pacers or New York Knicks in the second round of the playoffs? Much of their success will ride on the health of Pierce and Garnett come playoffs. With a veteran-heavy core, the Nets will need to rely on stellar bench play during the regular season to keep them in contention for the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
What It Means for Boston
Danny Ainge is tearing everything down only to build it back up. Nobody should be surprised that he was willing to give away the last of his championship veterans in order to start over. This is the format that teams are using now and many are attempting to create as much cap space as possible and accumulate draft picks for next summer. Coach Doc Rivers was the first to go and now Pierce and Garnett join him as former Celtics who will have new homes come the start of the season. This trade netted three future first-round draft picks and the $12 million expiring contract of Humphries. Boston gets stuck with Wallace’s contract, but they should still be able to have significant cap space to sign a big-name free agent next summer. Is Ainge preparing to move Rajon Rondo as well?
Philadelphia 76ers receive: Nerlens Noel, protected 2014 first-round pick
New Orleans Pelicans receive: Jrue Holiday, 76ers second-round pick (42nd overall, Pierre Jackson)
What It Means for Philadelphia
Very rarely do you see a team trade a young player right after he makes the All-Star team, but that is what the 76ers did. This move does give them the option to re-sign center Andrew Bynum and pair him along the front line with Noel or just develop Noel as the team’s center.
Even though he didn’t go no. 1, Noel is in a great situation in Philadelphia. Photo Credit: SportsAngle.com
It also gives them a protected first-round pick next year in a draft class heavy with potential superstars. The team is banking on Holiday’s spot getting filled by Michael Carter-Williams. Evan Turner, the team’s best player, will love playing with a pass-first point guard in Carter-Williams.
What It Means for New Orleans
Jrue Holiday is going to be a perfect fit in the backcourt with Eric Gordon. If Gordon can stay healthy, Holiday will find ways to get him the ball. The Pelicans have quietly put together a solid core of Holiday, Gordon, Al-Farouq Aminu, Ryan Anderson and Anthony Davis. In a competitive Western Conference, they may still be a year or so away from making the playoffs. Landing Holiday, though, gives the franchise its point guard and solidifies the position, proving that the team has doubts about 2012 first-round draft pick Austin Rivers’ development going forward.
Minnesota Timberwolves receive: Shabazz Muhammad, Gorgui Dieng
Utah Jazz receive: Trey Burke
What It Means for Minnesota
Muhammad could be a natural fit playing alongside a point guard like Ricky Rubio. There are concerns about what he can contribute to a team without scoring, but all in all Muhammad should not have fallen to the 14th pick. The Timberwolves may end up will a steal in this deal if Muhammad is able to contribute right away and compete for playing time. They also get a center in Dieng who they can work behind Nikola Pekovic, assuming he re-signs with the team.
What It Means for Utah
The Jazz acquire the Naismith Player of the Year award winner in Burke and they can expect him to battle for a starting spot immediately.
Burke could be a great fit for the Jazz. (Photo by Tony The Tiger under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license)
Burke may have slipped to the No. 9 pick, but there is much to like about what he brings to the floor as a competitor. Questions arise about his size and lack of elite athleticism as a point guard, but top intangibles and leadership qualities can overcome that (look at Chris Paul). The Jazz’s priority should be to feature Burke in a system where he is the ball-dominant point guard, either looking for his own shot one on one or setting up his teammates.