For a future first round pick. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Adreian Payne will go to Minnesota for a future first-round pick.</p>— Chris Vivlamore (@CVivlamoreAJC) <a href="https://twitter.com/CVivlamoreAJC/status/565228070123372547">February 10, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
This is a very interesting trade as he is not getting and minutes in the Hawks but he played decent in their summer league games. Of course logical thinking will suggest the future 1st rounder will be heavily protected but this could also mean its the end for Anthony Bennett. Worst No. 1 pick ever?
Kwame had a pretty decent season at the age of 21: 11 ppg, 7.4 rpg on 49% shooting. I don't think Bennett will produce like that this year.
A big difference. Oden is hurt from the get go, same as many other picks in the NBA history like Sam Bowie - someone can say that's the Blazer's 2 worst picks ever. Bennett is healthy and given all the opportunities to play and he just sucks.
Not his fault Cleveland was stupid enough to take him 1st overall. Also, I nominate Bargnani for worst #1 overall pick
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Two possibilities for opening of Atlanta roster spot: Ray Allen, or Gary Neal reunion with Mike Budenholzer once he's bought out w/ Wolves.</p>— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WojYahooNBA/status/565231166379536384">February 10, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
I wanted Payne in this last draft for the Rockets. He can shoot and rebound and has experience. I felt he would be a good stretch 4 here. I do know that the Hawks had soured on him and I trust Bud to know if Payne can contribute now. I don't mind the trade from the Wolves perspective in a vacuum, but they really should hold onto their draft picks. They have some promising young players from the last couple drafts, but they will be lucky if half of them are contributors on a playoff team. This also tells me the Rockets are waiting for a bigger fish, they could have made a deal for either Williams or Payne and didn't do so.
Back to this trade, if the T-wolves gave up their picks in 2017 is lottery protected, I think this is a great trade for them. It's highly likely the league will have some sort of lottery reform / changes in the next few years. Holding a "possible" high draft pick will have pretty high risk under this situation. To cash in right now will not be a bad idea, I think they did well in this trade.
Does the first eventually turn into two 2nd rounders? If it becomes unprotected down the road, great deal for the Hawks, in my opinion.
"Future lottery protected picks"...brings up the point that we don't know how the lottery is going to work a couple of years down the road. Case in point. The Rockets made the NOP trade knowing the likelyhood of the Pelicans not making the playoffs this year in a LOADED west. If Silver gets his way in 2016/17 it could be the top 16 teams making it, and in this case, NOP WOULD be in the playoffs. That is of course just one example. But GMs have to keep those things in mind when making these trades.
