Trade Grade: Douglas To Miami; Brooks, Crawford To Warriors

Crawford headlines the three team trade.

It’s one of those trades that leaves you scratching at your scalp. There is no block busting going on in the latest three-team deal to “sweep” the NBA by storm. The Boston Celtics have agreed to swap back-ups with the Golden State Warriors and Miami Heat.

Here’s how the trade affects each team:

Miami Heat – Grade: A

If you’re Miami, why not? Joel Anthony was averaging 0.5 points a game. Sure, he wasn’t  getting a lot of minutes, but 0.5 ppg? Adam Morrison could have notched that from the bench. Anthony was a wasted roster spot. He’s also due $3.8 million this year and has a player option for next year at another $3.8 million. With Anthony gone, Greg Oden being activated today and Chris “Birdman” Anderson still soaring, the Heat seem to have effectively solved their big-man problem. Some believe the Heat only traded Anthony to toss dollars at Andrew Bynum. How intriguing would that be? Bynum, Oden and Anderson team up to take down Roy Hibbert. Miami doesn’t lose anything in this deal, and it saves about $4 million for each of the next two years — Anthony would have cashed in on his option. Miami gets Toney Douglas from Golden State, but he’ll be in the same role he had with the Warriors. He’ll come in and play for garbage minutes because Norris Cole and Mario Chalmers aren’t going away any time soon.

Boston Celtics – Grade: C

I get it, Danny Ainge. Rajon Rondo is the “future.” I believe you believe that. Marshon Brooks was only getting seven minutes a game in Boston despite the fact he was once the “future” for the Brooklyn Nets — before they wanted to evolve into a retirement community. Brooks is making about $1.2 million, but he’s a free agent after the season and I don’t see why the Warriors would bring him back to keep Stephen Curry’s seat warm. Jordan Crawford is another young, energetic player who can provide some needed scoring off the bench. He’s due about $2 million this year but has about a $3 million qualifying offer at the season’s end. Again, this seems like a salary dump. The Celtics just wanted to get rid of a guard log jam. They still have Jerryd Bayless and Phil Pressey to back up Rondo. They also got a first round pick from Miami, but that pick belongs to Philadelphia unless the Sixers make the playoffs. If the Sixers fall into the lottery, Boston would end up with Philly’s second-round pick this year and next year. So, again, the Celtics wanted to clear room in their piggy bank.

Golden State Warriors – Grade: B+

If you’re the Warriors, you just improved your basketball team. Curry is a sniper from deep and can serve the ball up like a waiter at a five-star restaurant. But Curry also has his history of injuries, and you can never have enough insurance. Douglas was another playing getting miniscule minutes, so the Warriors sign, seal and deliver him to Miami and wind up with two young, athletic guards. Curry and Klay Thompson combine as the best shooting back court in the NBA. Brooks and Crawford could be the best back-up back court in basketball. They aren’t sharp shooters like the “trey twins” — how I refer to Curry and Thompson — but they’re scorers who can provide points off the bench. The good news is, if they don’t work out, Golden State can just let them walk. No harm, no foul. However, this probably ends all talk of trading for Kirk Heinrich. This trade makes sense for the Warriors.

With the trade deadline right around the corner, expect to see many trades similar to this one as teams begin to piece together their rosters for a shot at the title.