Trade Grades
Click here for link to New Orleans Pelicans Trade Grades
Pelicans get: PF Jarnell Stokes
Heat get: "Highly protected" draft pick, $$$
A very minor move that could speak volumes about Miami's aspirations for this season. The Heat shave $2.1 million off their luxury tax bill here, while also opening up a small $845,000 trade exception. Combined with the previous trade, owner Micky Arison could save up to $8 million.
The draft pick, however, is protected to the point where it will never reach Miami. Stokes is also essentially a non-factor in this deal, as he was only in the team's D-League in Sioux Falls. The 22 year old had averaged 3 points and 1.8 rebounds in 19 games for the Grizzlies in his rookie year.
My point about the trade speaking volumes is that, when you look at this combined with the Andersen trade, combined with the subsequent Brian Roberts trade, it is clear that Miami's only goal is to clear cap space. And with the Dragic-Wade pairing not going as planned, Bosh dealing with a second wave of blood clots, and the uncertainty surrounding C Hassan Whiteside's future, there is actually some sense to prioritize money over wins at this point, as awful as that sounds.
Grade: A-
Click here for link to New Orleans Pelicans Trade Grades
Pelicans get: PF Jarnell Stokes
Heat get: "Highly protected" draft pick, $$$
A very minor move that could speak volumes about Miami's aspirations for this season. The Heat shave $2.1 million off their luxury tax bill here, while also opening up a small $845,000 trade exception. Combined with the previous trade, owner Micky Arison could save up to $8 million.
The draft pick, however, is protected to the point where it will never reach Miami. Stokes is also essentially a non-factor in this deal, as he was only in the team's D-League in Sioux Falls. The 22 year old had averaged 3 points and 1.8 rebounds in 19 games for the Grizzlies in his rookie year.
My point about the trade speaking volumes is that, when you look at this combined with the Andersen trade, combined with the subsequent Brian Roberts trade, it is clear that Miami's only goal is to clear cap space. And with the Dragic-Wade pairing not going as planned, Bosh dealing with a second wave of blood clots, and the uncertainty surrounding C Hassan Whiteside's future, there is actually some sense to prioritize money over wins at this point, as awful as that sounds.
Grade: A-