Rant NBA Roundtable (1/9): Which Teams Got The Best Of Recent Trades?

By Dan Schultz @DSchultz89 on January 9, 2015

In case you hadn’t noticed, it has been a wild couple of weeks in the NBA as it relates to players changing teams. I can’t remember the last time there was this much activity so early in the season, and NBA fans are loving it, as evidenced by the reaction to the three-way deal between the Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks and Oklahoma City Thunder that literally broke Twitter.

To weigh in on all these trades, Anthony Irwin (@AnthonyIrwinNBA), Lee Golden (@GoldenPerspectv), Dan Schultz (@DSchultz89) and I (@CourtZierk) put on our analyst hats.

Court: Guys, what do you think of the Cavs-Knicks-Thunder trade? Who got the best of it, and why?

Dan: I believe the Thunder got the best of the deal in trading for Waiters to help their bench and lack of depth. Ironically, I believe this move shows that they will never quite get over the James Harden trade they made a couple seasons ago, and will continue to find players like him to try to fill that void — a task that will ultimately prove to be impossible. That said, I think Waiters will fit in nicely there.

Lee: I actually think the Cavaliers got the better end of the deal. Iman Shumpert is a guy who can supply the defensive intensity that this team needs as well as athletic talent. The Cavs are a fast-paced team. Shumpert and J.R. Smith can help create fast-break opportunities, an area where Cleveland has struggled in.

Court: Believe it or not, I think the team that got the least out of this trade actually got the most. Unlike Dan, I think that Waiters will end up hurting the Thunder more than helping, and while I like Shumpert filling a void in Cleveland, the fact that the Knicks are finally waving the white flag and found someone willing to take on Smith’s salary is the biggest win of all.

Anthony: Not to sound like the wet blanket here, but I think it’s too early to tell what effect the players moved will have on their new teams. In that sense, I agree with Court that the Knicks won the deal right now. It’s crucial that they continue to find flexibility with similar moves. In terms of Cleveland and Oklahoma City, I’m not really a fan of any of the players moved. Could Smith or Waiters actually make their new teams worse?

Court: I think Waiters definitely has the potential of making the Thunder worse. Their ball movement is among the league’s worse, and adding yet another guy who needs shots to make an impact on the game is absurd. Smith? Who knows? He is a complete wild card. He can be the most dominant player on the court, but he can also be the most foolish. You never know what you’ll get.

Dan: But look at how the Thunder play basketball. How often do you see them actually run plays? A lot of their sets are isolation clearouts for either Westbrook or Durant. Granted, both of those guys are better than Waiters, but given Waiters’ skillset, the Thunder are perfect for him. I could see it going terribly if his attitude gets in the way again, but I think a change of scenery will do him so good.

Court: Cleveland also sent two first rounders to the Denver Nuggets for Timofey Mozgov to shore up their front-line. What do you think of the trade, and why do trades seem to happening this far away from the deadline?

Anthony: This is a very one-sided that deal for Denver. Mozgov is pretty good, but the Cavs were willing to give up two firsts for him? Come on. I also think it says something about this season that teams are making moves like this so far before the deadline. This trend could continue as the year progresses, too. It’s in the buyers’ best interest to get guys with enough time to work them into rotations.

Court: I am pumped about the trade, but not for the reasons you may think. I love that the Nuggets got two first-round picks in return, but they are heavily protected and may not be as great of assets as they seem. However, it does officially mark the front office’s willingness to admit defeat and turn this into a full-scale rebuild, which is exactly what the Nuggets need. It is a bit unusual that there’s been so much activity this early, but there are so many teams that consider themselves contenders that it’s not too surprising.

Lee: I feel like it’s a win-win trade. The Cavs were in dire need of a big man who could fill in as a brick wall. However, I do not think we e will see a huge leap in their defensive efficiency until Shumpert becomes 100 percent healthy. Deciding to make a trade one-third of the way into the season is ideal because whether it is injuries or lack of personnel, the new additions will have an adequate amount of time to learn the systems and build chemistry.

Dan: I’m not sure about win-win. I would side more with Denver stealing away two first-rounders, but I get why Cleveland did this. Denver is probably not going to make the playoffs given how deep the West is, so this makes perfect sense for them. Cleveland needs a couple rim protectors though, and Mozgov will not solve that entirely. I still think they need to make another move for a big man. The East is weak, but if the Cavs want to win a title, it is going to take a lot more than adding Mozgov.

Court: There are now rumors that the Memphis Grizzlies are interested in Jeff Green or Luol Deng. What would you think of either of those players in Memphis? I would love to see this deal. Green is exactly what the Grizzlies need, an additional scoring presence on the wing to take some of the pressure off of Courtney Lee. They could probably get it done with Tayshaun Prince’s expiring, Jordan Adams and a pick. He could be the final piece to their championship puzzle.

Anthony: Most importantly, Green wouldn’t have any pressure to perform as the team already runs so smoothly without him. I’d like the move and he’d probably come at a much cheaper asking price than Luol Deng. If the Grizzlies make this move, it’s hard not to pick them to come out of the West. That said, I feel I have said that about roughly half the Western Conference.

Lee: I’d actually prefer to see Deng in Memphis. He’s a more efficient shooter and I think he fits their style of play better. The Grizzlies like to play slow, half-court basketball, and I feel that would be beneficial for Deng, who’s 39-years-old in Tom Thibodeau years. Green would help the team too, but I think they need a great spot-up shooter versus a guy who’s better at slashing.

Dan: I agree. Deng is a much more consistent player to me, while Green is the ultimate “trick or treat” guy. He’ll puts up 20-plus points one night, then a dud the next game. With that said, I am not sure what Memphis could give up to get either player. Their bench is not especially deep, and if they are really hurting at small forward, why not give Quincy Pondexter a try at starting for a string of games? Prince is a good defender, but Pondexter has games where he can knock down three or four outside looks.