We nearly made it through the NBA draft lottery without a trade.
And the night’s first deal – Greivis Vasquez from the Raptors to the Bucks – didn’t even involved a pick in the first three quarters of the 2015 draft.
Marc Stein of ESPN:
ESPN sources say Milwaukee sends 2017 first-round pick via the Clippers and the 46th pick in tonight's second round to Toronto for Vasquez
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 26, 2015
I really like Vasquez in Jason Kidd’s system. Vasquez is a long point guard who can trap and disrupt passing lanes, though he’s not an ideal athlete for the scrambling scheme. Offensively, he’s a solid distributor who will involve Milwaukee’s deep crop of wings.
But this is a decently high price to pay for Michael Carter-Williams’ backup.
Vasquez will eat more than $6 million into the Bucks’ cap room this summer. Though he’ll likely be better than either of those draft picks, they’ll be paid less and offer more upside.
That Clippers pick is top-14 protected in 2017, 2018 and 2019. In the unlikely event it’s not conveyed by them, it becomes the Clippers’ 2020 and 2021 second-rounders.
Sometimes, though, you just have to get a player you know helps you. Milwaukee did that.
The Raptors added flexibility, which seems more in line with their goals.