NBA Trade Grades: Suns dump T.J. Warren to Pacers

On the day of the 2019 NBA Draft, the Phoenix Suns agreed to dump T.J. Warren to the Indiana Pacers. Here are NBA Trade Grades for both sides.

The 2019 NBA Draft feels primed for a massive slew of player movement, deals featuring draft picks and both wins and losses for multiple franchises scouring the trade block. The Phoenix Suns and Indiana Pacers got things started off Thursday with an unexpected, head-scratching move.

As first reported by ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Suns have agreed to dump T.J. Warren and their No. 32 overall pick in this year’s draft to the Pacers. Phoenix, in return, will receive cash considerations.

The impetus of this puzzling move for the Suns is clearing out cap space, while the Pacers will absorb Warren into their open cap room on July 6 (when the trade can officially be completed) and also snag an early second round selection.

If Suns fans are getting nasty flashbacks of the mid-2000s when owner Robert Sarver dealt away first round selections in consecutive years for the infamous “cash considerations,” it’s only natural; there’s an all too familiar vibe here.

Bearing all this in mind, how did each side fare in the exchange? Does Suns general manager James Jones have something up his sleeve? To sort it all out, here are NBA Trade Grades for both sides.