Several trades went down during the 2021 NBA Draft. Some were successful; others got fleeced.
The 2021 NBA Draft class has developed into one of the more underrated collections of young talent in the league. While top-2 picks Cade Cunningham and Jalen Green have fallen short of expectations for one reason or another, several draftees have already emerged as game-changing players on winning teams.
Evan Mobley, the No. 3 pick, is the obvious highlight. He finished top-3 in Defensive Player of the Year voting last season and his first All-Star berth is a matter of when, not if. The same can be said for Orlando's Franz Wagner, who is already scoring efficiently at all three levels as a 6-foot-10 playmaking wing.
And on the list goes — Josh Giddey, Alperen Sengun, Trey Murphy, Davion Mitchell, Quentin Grimes. All are impactful role players or more, most of them in winning situations.
Of course, like every draft night, 2021 also featured several trades. Some were more notable than others, but we'll hand out a grade for all of 'em. With the benefit of hindsight, who passed and who failed?
NBA Draft trade grade: Clippers get Brandon Boston Jr.
Brandon Boston Jr. is a former five-star recruit who spent his brief college career at Kentucky. There was more buzz around him than your average pick at No. 51, and he was joining the star-studded Clippers for good measure. Next to Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, there was a lot excitement about Boston's potential as a spark-plug scorer on the wing.
The Clippers have used Boston sparsely through two seasons. He appeared in 22 games and averaged only 11.3 minutes per contest last year. Both numbers are trending in the wrong direction compared to his rookie campaign. The signs aren't great here — Boston might not stick in LA much longer. That said, at least he's something. What did Cash Considerations accomplish in New Orleans?
Clippers: C+
Pelicans: F
NBA Draft trade grade: Grizzlies acquire Santi Aldama
Santi Aldama was a surprise pick in the first round. The sophomore out of Loyola was rarely seen in his rookie season with the Griz, but he caught on in year two. Aldama appeared in 77 games (including 20 starts) last season for the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.
He's a skilled big who took over half his shot attempts from 3-point range with a 35.3 percent success rate. Memphis will continue giving him minutes in the frontcourt, but he could find playing time hard to come by once Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke are back healthy. Plus, there are other up-and-comers in the Memphis frontcourt vying for minutes, such as David Roddy and Jake LaRavia.
Jared Butler was rated higher than Aldama on most draft boards, so Utah felt like the big winners on draft night. Now, however, injury concerns have made it hard for Butler to stick. He signed a two-way contract with the Thunder last season, but Utah is stuck hoping those second-round picks amount to more than Aldama.
Grizzlies: B+
Jazz: C-
NBA Draft trade grade: Pacers strike gold with Isaiah Jackson
The Wizards acquired the No. 22 pick in a separate trade and promptly shipped it to Indiana for Aaron Holiday and the No. 31 pick. At the time, it made sense. Holiday was viewed as a plus defender who could share the backcourt with Bradley Beal. Washington only moved down nine spots in the draft to acquire him too.
In hindsight, the Wizards probably wish they'd held onto the No. 22 pick. Isaiah Jackson, a bouncy 6-foot-10 big from Kentucky, has latched onto the Pacers' rotation with his energetic defense and finishing ability. He averaged 7.2 points and 4.5 rebounds in 16.5 minutes per game as an NBA sophomore.
Washington traded Holiday away midseason and Isaiah Todd has been little more than a theoretical player through two years.
Pacers: A
Wizards: D
NBA Draft trade grade: Hornets get starter in Mason Plumlee
The Hornets took Mason Plumlee on as a salary dump, but he addressed an immediate need and was serviceable as the starting center for two years before the team traded him to the Clippers in February. He netted them assets in that trade and, frankly, he was one of their most reliable players beforehand.
J.T. Thor has shown real flashes as a rangy defender who can run the floor with Charlotte's guards. As for Detroit, if you're asking yourself "who on earth is Balsa Koprivica?" that's because Balsa Koprivica is currently playing for Partizan Belgrade in Serbia — not the Detroit Pistons.
Hornets: A
Pistons: F
NBA Draft trade grade: Suns acquire Landry Shamet
Landry Shamet has been a reliable, if slightly overpaid reserve for the Suns. He signed a four-year, $42.5 million extension with the club, but Phoenix had the foresight to not guarantee the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
In two years with the Suns, Shamet has averaged 8.4 points in 20.6 minutes on .387/.371/.856 splits. His consistency tends to waver, but he's a legitimate movement shooter who can space the floor for Phoenix's primary creators and even operate as a stopgap point guard from time to time.
The Nets probably feel good about the trade in hindsight. Jevon Carter didn't really blossom until leaving Brooklyn for Milwaukee midway through the 2021-22 season, but he was the best player in the deal. Day'Ron Sharpe has struggled to carve out significant playing time behind Nic Claxton and Ben Simmons, but he's a serviceable backup big with room to grow.
Suns: C
Nets: B-
NBA Draft trade grade: Lakers swing big with Russell Westbrook trade
The Lakers' infamous swing for Russell Westbrook did not go to plan. Even at the time, it felt especially risky. Westbrook was coming off a triumphant season with the Wizards, but his poor fit as a non-shooting, ball-dominant point guard next to LeBron James was not hard to predict.
Westbrook wasn't all bad for the Lakers. He averaged 18.5 points and 7.1 assists in his first full season with the team before transitioning willingly to a bench role in year two. The Lakers also managed to get a pretty decent haul for Westbrook's expiring contract in February, netting Jarred Vanderbilt, Malik Beasley, and D'Angelo Russell for the price of only one future first-round pick.
That said, the Lakers' shortcomings over the last two years would have been notably less prevalent with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Kyle Kuzma on the roster. KCP is the volume shooter and competent defender LA still didn't really have in the playoffs, while Kuzma has developed into the kind of off-ball 20-point-per-game scorer who would thrive attacking the seams in the defense LeBron creates.
The Wizards didn't manage to accomplish much with Caldwell-Pope before his departure for Denver, and Kuzma is a strong candidate to leave in free agency after two renaissance years in D.C. Washington's inability to capitalize on an obviously victorious trade does not reflect well on their management, but the Lakers basically spent the entirety of Westbrook's stint with the team desperately trying to undo the damage his arrival caused.
Wizards: C+
Lakers: F
