Winners Of Draft Day Trades

Thirteen deals took place during the 2007 NBA Draft, but the majority of them will have minimal impact on the current state of the teams involved. Only six Draft Day Deals saw current NBA veterans or first round picks exchange cities. Due to the obscure names that normally accompany second round selections, this column will only focus on the deals that warranted first round attention. While this analysis will ignore the deals made for those taken in the second round, that does not necessarily mean they are unimportant to the future success of the respective franchises.

Each deal will first be identified, followed by an analysis from each team’s perspective, and concluded with the winner of the trade being crowned.

1) Seattle trades Ray Allen and the rights to the 35th pick (Glen Davis) to Boston for Wally Szczerbiak, Delonte West, and the 5th pick (Jeff Green), and a future second rounder.

Stepping back from this blockbuster deal, it appears that it will forever go down as “The Ray Allen for Jeff Green Trade.” However, it may be the other cogs in the deal that could make or break the deal for one of these two teams looking to rebound from their poor season.

The Celtics were in a position where they were unsure what to do with their fifth overall selection. Already equipped with a team laced with youngsters, it made little sense to put another unproven rookie on the floor with Paul Pierce. After failing to secure the much-coveted first or second overall selection during the Draft Lottery, the Celtics realized they had no choice but to obtain a sidekick for The Truth. Initially targeting Kevin Garnett, the Celtic plans were foiled. Not only did The Big Ticket veto the deal that was supposedly agreed to in principle, but the Timberwolves felt they needed to add someone with more star power than an Al Jefferson or a Gerald Green.

In obtaining the soon-to-be 32-year-old outside shooting sniper, the Celts only had to relinquish the fifth overall pick – which they weren’t enamored with owning in the first place, Wally’s ridiculous contract (2 yrs/$25M), and one of their many quality young guards in Delonte West.

It is true that the list of quality shooting guards that have experienced continued success past the age of 32 begins and ends with future Hall of Famer Reggie Miller. And it is also true that Ray Allen is coming off ankle surgeries, but Boston must be excited about the potentially deadly triangle they are now equipped with by adding a capable scoring sidekick to enhance the opportunities for Paul Pierce and Big Al Jefferson to exploit defenses in the East.

In addition to the deal, the Celts were able to get their hands on another burly body for their frontcourt. Once thought of as a lock for a lottery selection, Glen “Big Baby” Davis dropped off the charts after deciding to stick around for another year at LSU and growing concerns over his weight problems had lowered the draft stock of the fleet-footed big man. At the 36th pick, he could prove to be a steal in this draft.

On the flip side, this move is a bit intriguing for the Sonics. They were able to secure two of the top five picks in one of the deeper drafts in recent history, while only giving up an expensive shooting guard who may have seen his best days as a pro. The thing that makes this move so interesting is that they used the fifth pick to select the multi-talented Jeff Green, rather than injecting life into their struggling franchise on the verge of relocation by selecting immediate fan favorite Yi Jianlian. Not only would Yi have offered a cultural spectacle for the fans of Seattle similar to the way hometown hero Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners did at the turn of the century, but would also allow the franchise to benefit immensely from the international stardom and marketability that Yi would bring to the table. It also doesn’t hurt that Yi is a big man with incredible agility and fluidity to his game, something the Sonics are currently devoid of in the paint.

Looking at the glass half full, Jeff Green has the tools to emerge as a star in the league. When paired with Kevin Durant, the two could spearhead the ascent up the Northwest Division standings for years to come. Delonte West has proven to be a very tenacious defender with a streaky shot and is as much a gamer as anyone in the league. His effect on the team will show on the floor and he will team with Luke Ridnour to help the two top five picks settle into the league nicely.

The wild card of this deal is Wally Szczerbiak. If he can come back from his injury-plagued season and be the steady veteran scorer he was capable of two years ago, his contribution to the squad will be instrumental in keeping this franchise in contention out West. Their glaring hole at two-guard would be filled in perfectly if he is able to regain his form and game he possessed in Minnesota…but that is a big if, and unless this unlikely scenario unfolds, the verdict has just been read:

Winner: Boston Celtics

2) Portland trades Zach Randolph, Dan Dickau, and Fred Jones to New York for Steve Francis and Channing Frye. Portland also trades the rights to the 53rd pick (Demetris Nichols) to New York for a 2008 second round pick.

There were two parts to this deal between these two franchises trying to turn around their luck of late. Both teams looked past the talent level in order to remove enormous headaches in attempt to gain some control over the locker room while tinkering with the chemistry of each squad.

Judging by the explosion of cheers from the Knick fans in attendance at the WaMu Theater on Draft Night 2007, it is apparent what they think of Isiah’s latest move. It is obvious that the focus of this deal for the Knicks was to rid themselves of the selfish shell-of-his-former-self Steve Francis and his bloated contract (2 yrs/$34M). While 28 of the other 29 General Managers in the league saw this as an impossible task, lucky for Isiah, he called the right one. While it may seem like the Blazers and GM Kevin Pritchard are ‘unintelligent’ for taking the overpaid Francis, it was also their primary concern to unload the troubled Zach Randolph along with his laundry list of previous crime, hoodlum-esque actions, and his long term loaded contract (4 yrs/$61M).

The cap relief the Blazers will see from ridding themselves of Randolph will not show for the next two years, but in the summer of 2009, when Francis and Raef LaFrentz and their combined $30M come off the books, the Blazers will be in perfect position to start locking up the future stars of tomorrow – Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Greg Oden – to long-term deals that will keep them on top for years to come. The Blazers are expected to buy out the contract of Steve Francis in order to preserve the chemistry of their budding team and avoid constant bickering from the often difficult combo guard.

Along with The Franchise, Portland also received the former Knick power forward, Channing Frye, who brings with him a sweet mid-range jumper and a ton of upside. However, Frye was falling out of favor in New York as critics were concerned his defense was particularly shoddy and his toughness resembled that of a Fainting Goat. Frye will continue to work hard and provide the Blazers with yet another great character guy and a strong big man shooting option off the bench for years to come.

As for the Knicks end of the deal, they were able to obtain the player with the most talent in the deal. Coming off a career high 23.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per game in Portland, it is strongly believed that Zach Randolph could become a dominant force in the East. With Eddy Curry already manning the post, this acquisition guarantees that the Knicks have a formidable presence down low for all 48 minutes of every game.

When both Curry and Randolph are on the floor, Randolph will draw defenders to him and help reduce the abusive double- and triple-teams Curry faced last season. Randolph also has the ability to step out, face his man, and is equipped with both quick deceptive moves off the dribble as well as a sweet mid-range jump shot. While his off-court antics have demonstrated his immaturity and reason to believe he disrupts team chemistry, it cannot be denied that he is a strong force in the paint. Both he and Curry were amonst the leaders in drawing fouls last season. Also, Randolph’s 10.1 rebounds per game last year will help the Knicks down low since, outside of the scrappy David Lee, they did not have a big man average over 7.0 rebounds per game.

Along with Randolph came two expiring contracts in Fred Jones (1 yr/$3.3M) and Dan Dickau (1 yr/$2.8M), both of whom are expected to be dangled throughout the season for another big splash move that can put them in contention for the Eastern Conference crown.

The second round acquisition of Demetris Nichols could prove to be a steal at the 53rd overall selection for the Knicks since it only cost them a future second rounder. Nichols was deadly from downtown in his workouts and particularly in the Orlando Pre-Draft Camp, where he shot 9 of 13 from three-point land. The Orlando Camp is also the place where Isiah tabbed the unheralded, yet surprisingly effective, fan favorite and defensive menace Renaldo Balkman, a year ago.

Since the Knicks ultimately gained four major assets while completing a major addition by subtraction with the riddance of The Franchise, they are obviously the ones sitting pretty at this time…that is, until Isiah is awoken in the middle of the night by the NYPD with Randolph in the slammer for another dance with the demons of the night.

Winner: New York Knicks

3) Golden State trades Jason Richardson and the rights to the 36th pick (Jermareo Davidson) to Charlotte for the right to the 8th pick (Brandan Wright).

With the Charlotte Bobcats sitting on mountains of cap space, a well-stocked youthful frontcourt, and an overwhelming need at the shooting guard position, they decided to strike a deal with the Warriors for one of the game’s most dynamic scorers. From a birds-eye view, it appears that both teams got what they were looking for in this deal.

The Bobcats had money to spend and had a need for scoring and playmaking, especially at the off-guard position. They have gone to war previously with Matt Carroll being their most productive starter in that slot. Through the past four years, they have added plenty of depth to their frontcourt with the likes of Sean May, Emeka Okafor, Primoz Brezec, and even Walter Herrmann. However, initially unable to deal their multiple first round picks, they saw potential star power forward Brandon Wright slip to them at the eighth selection. They couldn’t possibly pass on him, especially with no sure-thing shooting guards available in this draft. Instead they dealt Brandon Wright to the Bay Area for the two-time slam dunk champion Jason Richardson, and offensive juggernaut that is capable of dropping 30 points on any given night. In one fell swoop, Michael Jordan was able to upgrade his weakest position with one of the leagues most dangerous guards.

For the Warriors, this was also a tremendous deal for them. Already equipped with a glut at the two and three positions, they were more than willing to dump the remaining 4 yrs/$51M on his contract, and hand the starting position over to either Monta Ellis or Mickael Pietrus. Somehow the once-considered-inept Chris Mullin of the Warrior front office was able to deal away the tremendously excessive and outlandish contracts of Mike Dunleavy Jr., Troy Murphy, and Jason Richardson in a mere handful of months. This is a truly amazing feat in itself.

However, the key to this deal is not only that the Warriors added perhaps the third best prospect in the entire draft, but they now hold a major trade chip in their futile attempts to deal with the Milwaukee Bucks for the highly coveted Yi Jianlian. Golden State was feverishly trying to move into the top ten in order to have the opportunity to pick the Chinese star, but was originally thwarted on Draft Day. With the Bucks lack of interior scoring and athleticism, Wright could be on his way to Milwaukee sometime this summer. One way or another, Mullin has again shed enormous contracts while adding an amazing youthful playmaker that can run the floor and provide a strong presence in the paint.

Winner: Golden State Warriors

4) Miami trades the 20th pick (Jason Smith) to Philadelphia for the 21st pick (Daequan Cook), a 2009 second round pick, and cash.

This is one of those deals where it seems both teams win because they each are able to address their respective biggest need in one fell swoop. The Sixers were equipped with only Samuel Dalembert, Steven Hunter, and Shavlik Randolph coming off a major injury in their frontcourt. The Heat are on the verge of losing Jason Kapono and are left with no one to back up Dwayne Wade at the two-guard position. Therefore, this swap gives Philadelphia a big man who can be an offensive force who can also score in transition that it’s lacking, while the Heat get one of the youngest two-guards with superior athleticism and a uncanny ability to light up the scoreboard similar to Daniel Gibson. Since both of these picks are very talented, unproven and labeled with the highest risk-to-reward ratio at their respective positions, it’s really a crap shoot to venture a conjecture as to which will ultimately fare better in the league.

Winner: Miami Heat

5) Phoenix trades the rights to the 24th pick (Rudy Fernandez) to Portland for cash.

This is the fourth straight year the frugal Phoenix Suns have sold off their first round pick. First Luol Deng, then Nate Robinson, then Sergio Rodriguez and Rajon Rondo. Now Rudy Fernandez. While it saves the team minimal dollars against the cap down the road, each one of those players taken with original Suns selections could have easily helped strengthen the depths of the Phoenix roster. The fans are the ones who must be getting fed up with this recent strategy, since even they can realize that the major deficiency of the squad was their overall depth. Quietly, the Blazers continue to build their future championship roster by adding one of the most sought after guards in the entire draft.

Winner: Portland Trail Blazers

6) Philadelphia trades the rights to the 30th pick (Petteri Koponen) to Portland for the rights to the 42nd pick (Derrick Byars) and cash.

This is an interesting deal. Word around the Garden on Draft Night was that Koponen was poised to become one of the better point guards in the draft, if not the best. He has a similar skill set to that of Chicago’s Kirk Hinrich, with the penchant to lead a team to victory while providing annoying defense and timely hoops. However, many believe he will remain overseas for another season.

Meanwhile, Derrick Byars could turn out to be one of the major steals in recent draft history. He was ranked as the 20th best player in the entire Draft and slipped all the way down to 42. He provides a game similar to that of Jared Dudley of BC, but with more athleticism and potential. But with the glut of talent that Philadelphia has at the wing position already, it is possible he may have to learn to play bigger than his frame at the four position, along with fellow draftee Thaddeus Young.

This deal appears to be a solid move on behalf of both teams, but the fact remains that the Blazers are already loaded with talented young point guards. They also nabbed another tremendous steal late in the second round in point guard Taurean Green, which all but guarantees they don’t mind Koponen grooming his game for another year overseas in Finland.

Winner: Philadelphia 76ers