Terrence Williams is headed to Houston, Sasha Vujacic and a few draft picks are headed to New Jersey, and Joe Smith is headed to Los Angeles. From the NY Daily News…
With Carmelo Anthony and rebuilding in mind, the Nets agreed Tuesday to a three-team trade to ship out problem child Terrence Williams for two first-round draft picks and Sasha Vujacic.
Under the deal, the Nets acquire a 2011 pick from the Lakers and a 2012 pick from the Rockets and Williams goes to Houston. The Nets also send veteran Joe Smith to the Lakers, who give up Vujacic and his expiring contract. There could be other parts to the deal, including an exchange of cash.
Although the deal has been agreed upon by all parties, it cannot be announced until Wednesday, when Smith becomes trade-eligible. Free agents acquired over the summer cannot be traded until Wednesday.
Link.
This deal makes sense for all teams involved, but I think the Rockets are the big winners. They acquire a very talented young player in Williams while giving up next to nothing. Williams has been a bit of a headcase thus far, but he swears that his time in the D-League tought him a lesson regarding the importance of professionalism. I think the trade could also serve as yet another wake-up call, and if he does get his head screwed on straight he’s going to be a very good player. It’s a low-risk high-reward scenario for the Rockets.
I figure the Nets made this trade to give themselves the best possible chance of acquiring Carmelo Anthony. They can now offer Denver a variety of draft picks along with Derrick Favors, who’s shown flashes of brilliance in his rookie season. New Jersey is in rebuilding mode, so creating more room for the young guys to grow by dealing the 35-year-old Joe Smith makes sense. I feel like they certainly could’ve given Terrence Williams another chance, but if the picks that they received will help them get Melo, then I can’t knock the deal.
The Lakers lose a one-dimensional shooter who hasn’t contributed anything since the 08/09 season and add a veteran big who can knock down a jumper and commit a couple hard fouls. When you’re competing for a title you can never have enough guys like Joe Smith. I’m sure this was a no-brainer for LA… very solid deal.
