The general expectation at the 2015 NBA Trade Deadline is that stars will be dealt and the league will forever be altered. While that occasionally proves true, there’s also the tendency for teams to make a salary dump or deal for an upside player.
Exhibit A.
According to Chris Dempsey of The Denver Post, the Denver Nuggets have traded JaVale McGee to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Sources: The #Nuggets are closing in on trading center JaVale McGee, in addition to the Afflalo deal.
— Chris Dempsey (@chrisadempsey) February 19, 2015
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports that the Nuggets will also send a first-round pick acquired via the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Sixers.
Denver has agreed to send JaVale McGee to Philadelphia, along with a first-round pick via OKC, league source tells Yahoo Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 19, 2015
According to Steve Kyler of BasketballInsiders.com, the Nuggets will receive the rights to Cenk Akyol, who was pick No. 59 in the 2005 NBA Draft.
6'5 Turkish guard Cenk Akyol's draft rights being sent to Denver as part of the JaVale McGee swap.
— Steve Kyler (@stevekylerNBA) February 19, 2015
Here’s a full breakdown of the deal:
This is a financially-driven trade on the Nuggets’ behalf.
McGee is set to make $12 million in 2015-16 and is receiving $11.25 million in 2014-15. The issue with that isn’t necessarily talent, but instead the fact that he’s played in a grand total of 22 games over the past two seasons.
The Sixers proved willing to take on McGee’s contract at the introduction of help in the draft.
The pick dealt is a protected first-round selection which Denver acquired in the Timofey Mozgov trade. It originally belonged to the Thunder, but was later dealt to the Cleveland Cavaliers before ending up with the Nuggets and now the 76ers.
It’s Top 18 protected in 2015, Top 15 protected in 2016 and 2017. If it hasn’t been collected by then, it becomes a second-round pick in 2018 and 2019.
By dealing Arron Afflalo and McGee, the Nuggets have created $18 million worth of trade exceptions.
Next: What does your team need at the 2015 NBA Trade Deadline?
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