Analysis: Wizards acquire Andre Miller in three-team deal
In a trade deadline that has largely been dominated by small, meaningless deals so far, the Wizards, like the Warriors last night, have filled their need for a serviceable backup point guard - the disgruntled Andre Miller - without giving up much.
Sure, Jan Vesely was Washington's No. 6 overall pick just three years ago and essentially giving him away seems bad, but he's also averaged just 3.5 points and 3.4 rebounds in 15 minutes per game through his first three NBA seasons and the Wiz had already declined the fourth-year option on his rookie scale contract, so the two parties likely would have parted ways for nothing this summer, anyway.
As for Eric Maynor, the 26-year-old has posted a 6.1 PER in 215 total minutes played, and when you consider that the second round pick Washington threw into the deal was New Orleans' 2015 pick, again, it becomes quite evident that the Wizards gave up very little here. In addition, while Maynor owns a $2.1-plus million player option for next season, Miller's 2014-15 salary is only $2 million guaranteed.
Even if the 37-year-old 'Professor' continues to produce at the underwhelming level he has in Denver this season, he'd still represent an upgrade over Maynor and Garrett Temple as a backup to John Wall with little risk attached to him, and that's good news for a Wizards team that has legitimate aspirations of sneaking into the second round of the playoffs in the laughable Eastern Conference.
The Nuggets, who are 6.5 games out of eighth in the West and have more of a chance of joining the race to the bottom of the standings than they do of making the playoffs, gave up a veteran that wanted out and a 2016 second round pick to take a flyer on what looks to be an ill-fitting misfit toy in Vesely, but one with still present potential, nonetheless. Fair enough.
And as for those tanking, asset-piling 76ers, Sam Hinkie adds two more second round picks (New Orleans' 2015 via Washington and Denver's 2016) in exchange for taking on that aforementioned Maynor contract. That gives Philly four second round picks acquired today alone to add to their plethora. Second rounders in bulk aren't sexy, but they are assets nonetheless, and when you're a rebuilding team purposely going nowhere today, any deal that sees you add a future asset without giving anything up in return (besdies taking on some salary) is a deal worth making.
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