Sportsfrog.com

Another NBA draft has come and gone and, if you follow the league, it seems like a lot of things that happened last night (and early this morning) are confusing. Some unusual picks, sure, but what is more perplexing are some of the deals that go down, or at least the reasons behind some of the trades.

The first one of the night that baffled me was the Indiana-Portland trade with #11 Jerryd Bayless and Ike Diogu going to Portland for #13 Brandon Rush and Jarrett Jack. I understand that Bayless was sliding and Sacramento, who had the #12 pick, could easily have gone for Bayless if he was on the board. Indiana took Bayless for Portland (Chad Ford at espn.com says it was a pre-arranged trade). However, if the Pacers really wanted Rush, why get rid of an asset they had never really given a shot (Diogu) in order to get a point guard when they just traded for one (TJ Ford) and have another disgruntled one (Jamaal Tinsley) whose contract of about $21 million for the next three years, generally sour disposition, and inability to stay healthy make him next to impossible to move? In that Ford trade, they gave away a low-post scoring forward (Jermaine O’Neal), so why not hang onto Diogu and see what he can do? Why not just take Rush at #11 and be done with it?

Memphis and Minnesota made another perplexing one after most on the East Coast went to sleep and I was out at the drugstore. Memphis sent #5 pick Kevin Love north along with Mike Miller, Brian Cardinal, and Jason Collins. The Timberwolves sent back #3 overall pick OJ Mayo, Antoine Walker, Marko Jaric, and Greg Buckner. The Grizzlies are trying to clear cap space, but at what cost? Collins has one year left on his deal and Miller and Cardinal each have two (the total tab is $21.5 million this season and $16.5 million next season). In Walker, Jaric, and Buckner, they took back about $19.7 million this year, $11.1 million the following year, and another $11.9 million the year after that (the Grizz will decline Walker’s option after this season, but Jaric has three years and Buckner has two plus a player option he’ll activate because he won’t get almost $4.3 million from someone else). So, let me make sure I understand this. The Grizzlies, in a cost-cutting maneuver, took on almost $12 million in salary for the 2010-2011 season to save a couple million this year and about $5.5 million the year after? And they gave up their best veteran player in Mike Miller? And they added someone else to their already crowded backcourt instead of filling in a deficient frontcourt (Kwame Brown and Darko Milicic look like serious contributors at the four and five next season) with a guy whose draft rights they held? OJ Mayo is going to need to be a superstar and stay in Memphis long-term to make this deal anywhere near good.

Anyway, let’s get the draft winners and losers (in no particular order) after the bump…

WINNERS:

New Jersey
The Nets held tight and left the draft with three established talents who all played very well against strong competition. Brook Lopez was a possibility at #3 who fell all the way to #10 and Ryan Anderson was a highly productive power forward at California who was snapped up at #21. While neither are great athletes, these two may be the most offensively talented big men on the Nets’ roster right now. Adding Chris Douglas-Roberts was a good move, as well, adding a player who can eventually extend his range, but in the meantime can score inside the arc.

Boston
The Celtics added the gifted JR Giddens from New Mexico. Giddens had some trouble off the court during his college career, but I imagine the recently crowned champions led by Kevin Garnett won’t have any problems reining him in. The trade to get Bill Walker from Washington was a good one to bring in another talented player. While Walker is an injury risk, nabbing a talent like him was a smart move. He can develop without being needed as a contributor and possibly take over for Ray Allen when his contract expires in two years.

Minnesota
One year after getting worked over by the Celtics, Kevin McHale made a trade where they brought Kevin Love, who they could have simply drafted, along with Mike Miller, who gives them an established outside shooter and playmaking skills from a swingman spot. Miller should flourish with opposing defenses concerned with Al Jefferson and Love down in the post.

Portland
They traded for Jerryd Bayless, who will likely combine with Brandon Roy for a multi-talented backcourt where neither plays in the traditional roles of point or shooting guard. They added Ike Diogu, who will go in direct competition with Channing Frye for backup minutes at power forward. Not a bad idea for a couple guys facing the end of their rookie contracts. The Blazers also drafted Nicolas Batum to hold his rights if he plays overseas and added future drfat picks with some extra ones from this year.

Seattle
Russell Westbrook may be the answer to the two-headed point guard problem in Seattle and, at the very least, allows them to trade either Luke Ridnour or Earl Watson, both of whom have two years guaranteed on their deal. Trading for DJ White was a smart move, bringing in a highly productive player who can punish opposing players with his strength.

LOSERS:
Los Angeles Clippers
With a presumed starting lineup of Chris Kaman, Elton Brand, Corey Maggette, Cuttino Mobley, and Brevin Knight (with Tim Thomas and Al Thornton coming off the bench), wouldn’t you have picked Jerryd Bayless at #7 overall even though he is more of a combo guard than a true point? Exactly. That’s why the Clips grabbed Eric Gordon of Indiana, who is likely a little small for the two and has an inadequate handle to run the point. Now, the Clippers still have to figure out who will get all those offensively talented players the ball.

Milwaukee
I am a big fan of Joe Alexander. Of course, since they traded for Richard Jefferson and the three years left on his contract just before the draft, the Bucks need Alexander to become a power forward. By all accounts, Alexander is a hard worker and amazing athlete. Will adding 15-20 pounds to his frame (currently listed at 6′8″, 220) rob him of some of the athleticism he has?

Charlotte
This is subject to change if they can deal Raymond Felton for help down low, but they are filed here because they drafted DJ Augustine, an undersized point guard, when they could have gotten Brook Lopez to (finally) help Emeka Okafor down low. Alexis Ajinca is a European big man who produced very little in France (under five points per game) and simply impressed in workouts.