The New Orleans Hornets sent Trevor Ariza and Emeka Okafor to the Washington Wizards on Wednesday in exchange for Rashard Lewis and the No. 46 pick in the 2012 NBA Draft.
Wizards’ Trade Shows Lack Of Faith In NBA’s Market Fixes
April 21, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; Washington Wizards point guard John Wall (2) during the second half against he Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE The Washington Wizards’ trade for Emeka Okafor and Trevor Ariza -- two proven vets who are undeniably overpaid, derive their value from hard-to-measure defense and are good enough to demand major minutes -- completes the club’s shift from one rebuilding completely through the NBA draft to one ready to start winning some games. The Wizards have been bad for a long time. Back in 2009, the Wizards, Clippers and Kings were the three worst teams in the league. Only the Clips, thanks to the weirdest trade saga ever, have climbed out. Washington won’t be picking in the top five next year after this trade.
But it’s certainly not a trade that mandates a playoff berth, either. The Wizards didn’t trade for an All-Star, and this erases a lot of planned cap space that could have been used in attempts to pry younger, better players away from their clubs. Our Mike Prada broke down the salary cap implications of the deal over at Bullets Forever, SB Nation’s Wizards blog. Essentially, this trade combined with the Nene deal consummated in March erases any major cap space that Washington would have had heading into the 2012 or 2013 free agency periods. (This is the case even if the club uses the amnesty clause on Andray Blatche, as expected.)
Read Article >Wizards-Hornets Trade: Ernie Grunfeld Says Deal Won’t Affect Washington’s Draft Plans
However, in the conference call, Grunfeld said the deal does not change the Wizards’ draft plans. Here’s what he told the assembled media, including SB Nation.
“It doesn’t affect the draft,” Grunfeld said. “Teams are going to draft who they want to draft in front of us anyway. I think we’ll know who the No. 1 pick is going to be, and if teams are lacking a certain player, they know who they’re going to pick anyway. I don’t think this trade has to do with anything [in the draft], as far as that’s concerned.”
Read Article >Wizards-Hornets Trade Increases Likelihood Washington Will Select Bradley Beal In 2012 NBA Draft
Florida Gators shooting guard Bradley Beal is a lottery lock and a top-5 talent in the eyes of many, and he could be headed to Washington as a result of Wednesday’s trade. If the Wizards don’t have a large gap between Beal and the other available players on their draft board, it makes sense, but many are going to see the selection as a reach for need if it does happen.
For more on the Wizards, head over to Bullets Forever and SB Nation DC. For more on the upcoming NBA Draft, stick with SB Nation’s NBA Draft page.
Read Article >Hornets Trade Emeka Okafor, Trevor Ariza To Wizards For Rashard Lewis, No. 46 Pick
Getty ImagesThe move gives the Hornets even more cap space in what should be an eventful draft. They now own the No. 1, No. 10, No. 34 and No. 46 picks. The Wizards, in return, get some much-needed help for their front court. Okafor averaged just under 10 points and eight rebounds in 28.9 minutes per game last season. Ariza averaged 10.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 32.9 minutes per game.
For more on the Wizards, head over to Bullets Forever and check out SB Nation DC.
Read Article >
