The 2014 NBA Draft lived up to the hype that preceded it. Lots of high-end talents were drafted, surprises were all over the first round, and there were several high-risk trades. Today we'll focus on those boom-or-bust deals, and grade them for each team.
Mavericks Acquire: Tyson Chandler, Raymond Felton
Knicks Acquire: Jose Calderon, Samuel Dalembert, Wayne Ellington, Shane Larkin, No. 34 Pick (Cleanthony Early), No. 51 Pick (Thanasis Antetokuonpo).
Mavericks Grade (C): Dallas gets the best player in the deal (Chandler), a rim protector who has won a title with the Mavericks and is very popular. He's a good veteran presence but brittle and in decline. Felton could be a good player, or he could be the overweight mess that plagued the Knicks' offense in a weak East. The two players the Knicks drafted with those picks appear to have floors of useful role players, so overall it seemed like a lot to give away.
Knicks Grade (B+): The Knicks got themselves a guy in Calderon who can run an offense and make a lot of 3-pointers. He can't play D, but neither could Felton. Dalembert can replace 70 percent of what Chandler did, Ellington can make shots, and the two players they took in Round 2 will help. Early may even start. The Phil Era is off and running.
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Nuggets Acquire: Arron Afflalo
Magic Acquire: Evan Fournier, No. 56 Pick (Roy Devyn Marble)
Nuggets Grade (A): This is a total fleecing. Fournier might be a decent player, possibly even a starter, but Afflalo is one of the best shooting guards in the NBA and he was on a reasonable contract.
Magic Grade (D): It doesn't make sense. Why not just wait for free agency to kick in, then deal Afflalo to a desperate team that whiffed? The move seemed designed to clear room for Australian guard Dante Exum, but.....well more to come.
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Rockets Acquire: 2015 1st Round Pick
Pelicans Acquire: Omer Asik, $1.5 million
Rockets Grade (C): This trade draws a shrug. The extra first next year is nice, but I don't see them landing Carmelo or LeBron, so they gave away a helpful player.
Pelicans Grade (B): The pick is tough to lose, but this can help Anthony Davis stay healthier. Now he can freely play power forward and save more energy for offense.
Bulls Acquire: Doug McDermott (No. 14), Anthony Randolph
Nuggets Acquire: Jusuf Nurkic (No. 16), Gary Harris (No. 19), 2015 2nd Round Pick
Bulls Grade (C): The Bulls took a big risk here with McDermott, whose scoring may hit the skids at the NBA level because of his lack of athleticism. He will be able to shoot at the pro level, but so can Gary Harris who can also create his own shot.
Nuggets Grade (B+): These days 7-foot-3 centers like Nurkic seem to be going extinct, but adding Harris to this team is huge. They now have a loaded backcourt and a number of assets to potentially send Minnesota's way for Kevin Love.
76ers Acquire: Rights to Dario Saric (No. 12), 2015 2nd Round Pick, Future 1st Round Pick
Magic Acquire: Elfrid Payton (No. 10)
76ers Grade (B): Saric looks like he will be a very nice player, but it's risky to wait two-to-three years for him to come to America. The other assets are nice though, so overall not a bad deal at all. Sixers could be a powerhouse in 2017.
Magic Grade (B-): Payton is a nice player, and they needed a guard to replace Afflalo, but it's confusing that Orlando didn't just snag Exum at No. 4 then take a forward at No. 12 while avoiding giving up two future picks. Bizarre night for the Magic.
Hornets Acquire: P.J. Hairston (No. 26), Semaj Christon (No. 55), Future 2nd Round Pick
Heat Acquire: Shabazz Napier (No. 24)
Hornets Grade (B): P.J. Hairston is going to instantly upgrade Charlotte's standing in the East, as he provides the long range shooting they sorely lack.
Heat Grade (C-): This isn't so much a knock on Napier, who very well could be a microwave option off the bench for Miami, but Hairston was the perfect fit for this aging crew. He could add a Ray Allen-esque shooting touch with the ability to put the ball on the floor and attack the rim. Instead, they got a similar-ceiling scorer with none of the defensive potential.
Jazz Acquire: 2016 2nd Round Pick
Grizzlies Acquire: Jarnell Stokes (No. 35)
Jazz Grade (C): It's fine. Nothing more to say.
Grizzlies Grade (B): No one can see the future and what Stokes' career will be, but he's a Grizzly through and through. A massive post presence he'll get boards and become a big part of their frontcourt rotation.
Timberwolves Acquire: $1 million
Nets Acquire: Markell Brown (No. 44)
Timberwolves Grade (C): Might as well have added a player.
Nets Grade (C+): Brown's not bad, but his path to playing time looks rugged.
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