Thoughts on the Nets-Rockets-Lakers Trade

If you haven't heard by now, the New Jersey Nets, Houston Rockets, and Los Angeles Lakers have agreed in principle on a three team trade.  New Jersey receives a 2011 first round pick from Los Angeles, a 2012 first round pick from Houston, and Sasha Vujacic.  Houston receives Terrence Williams and Los Angeles receives Joe Smith.

The deal makes sense for all three teams.  New Jersey deals a player in Williams who, while very talented, has been a bit of a disappointment and headcase (he was recently sent to the D-League as punishment for excessive tardiness) for an expiring contract in Vujacic and two more first round picks with which to use as assets, possibly in a trade for Carmelo Anthony.  New Jersey now has four first round picks within the next two years (one each from Houston/L.A./Golden State and their own) with which to entice Denver, as well as their lottery pick from this year, Derrick Favors.  Along with several expiring contracts, that's a much more appealing offer than one New York, team Carmelo reportedly wants to be traded to, could put together, as the soonest first rounder New York can send out in a trade is in 2014.

Houston's Daryl Morey has also struck again, essentially dealing a lottery protected pick for a guy drafted #11 overall last year, and at the position of biggest need for the Rockets.  Williams is a player who needs guidance, and a team like Houston, with players like Battier (whom Williams admires), is more capable of giving it than a young rebuilding team like the Nets.  Morey has now acquired two lottery picks from last years draft (Jordan Hill and now Williams) for less than if he had the picks in the first place.  In a minor second trade, the Rockets are sending little used guard Jermaine Taylor to the Sacramento Kings with cash for a 2nd rounder they likely won't ever receive.  This saves them from keeping Taylor's contract on the books if they had waived him to make room for Williams.

On the Lakers end, the deal was almost purely financial.  As they are over the Luxury tax, Vujacic's deal of about $5.5 million would've cost them double that amount (you pay one dollar for every dollar you are over the tax), so by subtracting that amount with Smith's contract, the team saves about $8.7 million. That's quite a bit of savings.  There's also the fact that unlike Vujacic, Smith is a veteran who can actually provide some solid frontcourt minutes for a Lakers team that has a propensity for bigs that get hurt.  This will be Smith's 13th different NBA team (tied for an NBA record), so he knows his way around the league.

So for now I'm calling this trade a clear win for the Rockets and the Lakers, and a wait and see approach for New Jersey.  It all depends on what they use the picks for.