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NBA Trade Grades: Clippers land Danilo Gallinari in 3-team sign-and-trade

By Gerald Bourguet

DENVER, CO - JANUARY 19: Danilo Gallinari #8 of the Denver Nuggets controls the ball against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Pepsi Center on January 19, 2016 in Denver, Colorado. The Thunder defeated the Nuggets 110-104. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - JANUARY 19: Danilo Gallinari #8 of the Denver Nuggets controls the ball against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Pepsi Center on January 19, 2016 in Denver, Colorado. The Thunder defeated the Nuggets 110-104. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images) /
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NBA Trade Grades
LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 14: Diamond Stone #0 of the Los Angeles Clippers blocks out Anthony Bennett #13 of the Brooklyn Nets during the second half of a game at Staples Center on November 14, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

Atlanta Hawks

With Millsap gone and the Hawks clearly veering toward a rebuild, the new front office under general manager Travis Schlenk did well to get involved in this sign-and-trade to help the Clippers acquire their free agency prize.

By taking on Jamal Crawford ($14.2 million salary in 2017-18, $3 million guaranteed in 2018-19) and Diamond Stone ($1.3 million in 2017-18, restricted free agent in 2018-19), the Hawks give Lob City just enough room to bring Gallinari aboard while pocketing a first round pick themselves.

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That pick — coming from the Rockets — is top-three protected and does not figure to be very valuable. Houston finished with the third-best record in the NBA last season and just added Chris Paul and P.J. Tucker, meaning that 2018 pick will likely fall in the 25-30 range (barring significant injuries or a mind-boggling lack of chemistry between CP3 and James Harden).

However, the Hawks also get to see what they have in Diamond Stone, a 20-year-old center who played in a grand total of seven games for Lob City last season. At the cost of taking Crawford’s salary into its books, Atlanta at least gets some sort of compensation for letting Paul Millsap go, albeit indirectly as part of a separate transaction.

Crawford wants to play for the Los Angeles Lakers, so in the event of a buyout, the Hawks won’t even have to worry about playing a former three-time Sixth Man of the Year whose game has fallen off in recent seasons.

The Hawks can only get so high of a grade for snagging the raw Stone and a late first-rounder, but with a rebuild in mind, every little bit helps for a team that just traded Dwight Howard and could’ve lost Millsap for nothing.

Grade: B+

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