NBA Trade Grades: Thunder sending Carmelo Anthony to Hawks in 3-team deal
Oklahoma City Thunder
It’s the end of an era for the Oklahoma City Thunder, and by “era,” we mean “exactly one year.” It’s unfortunate to see the Big 3 go down in flames like this after a disappointing first round exit, and it’s never a good thing to have to attach a first round pick to jettison an expiring contract. All things considered though, this deal could’ve gone much worse for OKC.
Last year, it became heavily apparent the only way Anthony would be able to help the Thunder is if he embraced a sixth man role where he could dominate the ball and lead the second unit. He was unwilling to do so, the ball stuck in his (and everyone else’s) hand, and the 34-year-old posted the worst numbers of his career: 16.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and only 1.3 assists per game on 40.4 percent shooting.
Aside from the on-court addition by subtraction, by getting rid of the last year and $27.9 million on Anthony’s contract, the Thunder are about to enjoy some immense luxury tax savings without having to waive and stretch him:
Tremendous save for OKC: Thunder get massive salary and luxury tax savings -- nearly $100M -- w/o stretching Anthony's $28M. That deal would've left $9M-plus on books next three years, so Schroder $15.5M per year becomes bargain -- and an asset that could stay or be traded again.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 19, 2018
Though three years and $46.5 million is a hefty price to pay for a less talented spiritual successor to Reggie Jackson, Schroder will at least be worth a shot to a Thunder team that could use an upgrade behind Russell Westbrook.
No offense to Raymond Felton, but Schroder could become a dynamic point guard off the bench who brings a ton of energy, pace and pick-and-role manipulation the court, filling the role of sixth man to afford Westbrook more frequent breathers.
The Thunder have been on the hunt for added bench scoring and playmaking this summer. Taking on Schroder carries some long term money, and some possible headaches, but solidifies the second unit.
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) July 19, 2018
Though Schroder’s numbers were a product of being the No. 1 option on a bad Hawks team, he still averaged 19.4 points, 6.2 assists and 3.1 assists per game last year. He’s not a good shooter or defender, and there’s still his felony aggravated battery charges to sort out, but if he buys into his new role, it could benefit both parties.
There’s no guarantee he’ll do so given his public comments about wanting to start in Atlanta back when Teague was around, but with that being said, Jeff Teague was no Russell Westbrook. Hopefully Schroder will accept the pecking order in OKC, embrace his new role and be able to help a more competitive team out in the Western Conference.
If Schroder buys in, that's another strong piece in OKC since he profiles as an ideal change-of-pace guard off the bench.
— Adam Fromal (@fromal09) July 19, 2018
That's a massive if, though. https://t.co/mkQGEj0SRD
The Thunder could always try to move Schroder if this doesn’t work out, so while it’s a risky move, it saves them from a hefty luxury tax bill, gets rid of a player who wasn’t helping matters on or off the court, brings in a sixth man/upgrade at backup point guard, and even gives them a young player with upside in Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (age 23).
This deal isn’t perfect, because a disgruntled Schroder could wind up recreating last year’s toxic locker room, and would still have another two years on the books — at an inflated price — after that. Giving up a first round pick to dump a player is always a regrettable evil too.
With that being said, Schroder is a very good pick-and-roll player, he fills a need for the Thunder, Melo is gone and at least the pick isn’t until 2022 (and is lottery-protected to cover their bases). In a mutually beneficial trade, this might be as good as a Carmelo Anthony salary dump gets in 2018.
Next: 2018 NBA free agency tracker: Grades for every deal so far
Grade: B+