Portland Trail Blazers: Grading The Brian Roberts Trade
The Portland Trail Blazers continued their strong 2016 NBA Trade Deadline in a deal with the Miami Heat, knocking off everything on their checklist.
The Portland Trail Blazers, like every team in the NBA, headed into the 2016 NBA Trade Deadline with a game plan and things they wanted to accomplish. But having a game plan is one thing; executing it is another. For the Blazers, it was adding future assets while reaching the salary floor. There are many teams that would be envious of how well the Trail Blazers executed their game plan.
The Blazers are holding onto a playoff spot in the Western Conference currently by only 0.5 games, but there were some people that thought they would move a veteran such as Gerald Henderson to try and restock their allotment of draft picks. Well, the Blazers were able to restock their draft picks without having to move Henderson, and put a big dent in the money they would have owed in reference to the salary floor.
The Trail Blazers got things rolling when they were a part of a three-team deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic. For taking on Anderson Varejao‘s contract, the Trail Blazers netted a future first round pick. Even though they will waive Vareajo, his contract will help get them near the salary floor.
That wasn’t the only move that the Trail Blazers made on the day, as they continued adding to their stable of draft picks and salary in a deal with the Miami Heat. The Heat sent Brian Roberts and a second round pick to the Trail Blazers in exchange for cash considerations. The Heat were able to accomplish their goal in this trade, getting under the tax threshold by flipping the recently acquired Roberts and avoiding the displeasure of having to pay taxes.
At the same time, the Blazers also benefited greatly by acquiring Roberts. From a salary standpoint, the Trail Blazers got within $800,000 of the salary floor, saving about $10 million according to general manager Neil Olshey. They also added a second round pick, giving them two picks acquired today. Also, Roberts is on an expiring contract, so the value was worthwhile as he will come off the books after this season.
On the court, Roberts also gives the Trail Blazers some insurance in the backcourt. Damian Lilliard is one of the most durable players in the NBA, but they had nothing behind him in the way of point guard depth, as Tim Frazier was the only other point guard on the roster. Shooting guard C.J. McCollum plays point guard with the second unit when Lillard was resting on the bench, but now they have a legitimate backup option that could help run the offense in case something occurs, such as an injury.
More hoops habit: 2016 NBA Trade Deadline: Grades For All 30 Teams
This is a winning trade on all fronts for the Blazers. They acquired a draft pick and helped save more money this season while acquiring a player that could help them during their playoff push. The Blazers were certainly winners on what ended up being a relatively quiet NBA Trade Deadline.