In the news|June 30, 2015 09:56 EDT
NBA Draft Day 2015 Trades, News: Matt Barnes Lands with the Memphis Grizzlies
With the NBA Draft done and free agency period commencing next week, teams have already started with the wheeling and dealing of the offseason.
Nobody expected the Charlotte Hornets to keep Matt Barnes when they got the rights to him in a trade that involved Nicolas Batum and Spencer Hawes, and now the veteran forward has landed on a team that appears to be the best fit for him"”The Memphis Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies got Barnes for Luke Ridnour, after the veteran guard was traded by the Orlando Magic to Memphis for the rights to 2013 second round draft pick Janis Timma.
Ridnour was then immediately traded by the Hornets to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Jeremy Lamb. The Hornets have been the busiest team of the offseason so far, trading Lance Stephenson for what would eventually be Hawes and Lamb. The Thunder also got a 2016 second round pick in the deal.
The Milwaukee Bucks got some much-needed perimeter punch when it traded for Greivis Vasquez from the Toronto Raptors. The Bucks sent a 2017 first-round pick, and the No. 46 pick in the 2015 Draft (which ended up being Norman Powell) to the Raptors. Vasquez fits in the mold of Bucks coach Jason Kidd's preferred tall point guards, and should help a young Milwaukee team with this veteran leadership.
As reported by Bleacher Report, the Washington Wizards wanted to get their hands on Kansas forward Kelly Oubre, but was unsure if he'd still be available when they drafted at No. 19. They made sure to get their man by trading their No. 19 pick along with two second-round picks for the Atlanta Hawks' No. 15.
The Hawks eventually traded the 19th pick (Jerian Grant) to the New York Knicks for Tim Hardaway Jr.
The Portland Trail Blazers starting frontcourt will be entering free agency in July, and they covered their bases on draft night trading Steve Blake and their No. 23 pick (Rondae Hollis-Jefferson) to the Brooklyn Nets for athletic big man Mason Plumlee and the No. 41 pick (Pat Cannaughton).