NBA Trade Grades: Phoenix Suns deal for Troy Daniels

Memphis Grizzlies

This seems like a pretty unfair deal for the Grizzlies, especially since that top-55 protected pick is highly unlikely to convey. However, this deal was really more about clearing out a roster spot, which is important with restricted free agent JaMychal Green still unsigned.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t quite exonerate them from handing over their best 3-point shooter on a silver platter, especially since it was their own poor planning that led to an overcrowded roster in the first place.

Troy Daniels has struggled to establish himself as an NBA rotation player, but his career 40.6 percent shooting from 3-point range was valuable for a Grizzlies team that was 17th in 3-point percentage last year — especially as head coach David Fizdale implements more of a pace-and-space offense with the Grit-N-Grind culture.

Last year in 67 games for the Grizz, Daniels put up 8.2 points in 17.7 minutes per game, and though he only shot 37.4 percent from the floor, he converted 38.9 percent of his looks from downtown.

Now the Grizzlies ship him off — and one of their 2018 second round picks — for nothing, just to clear $3.4 million in cap space and make room for Green and Ivan Rabb. That’s less than ideal, even for a journeyman who will be joining — as Devin Booker prematurely pointed out — his fifth team in his NBA career.

Grade: C