Today the Toronto Raptors traded starting point guard Jarrett Jack, forward David Andersen, and point guard Marcus Banks to the New Orleans Hornets in exchange for guard Jerryd Bayless and Peja Stojakovic.
The first reason that this trade is a little suspicious to me is that the Hornets are making trades even though they are currently the top team in the league. Usually when a team is on top they are not quick to pull the trigger on trades because it could off-set the balance of the team, so it seems like they knew that this deal was in their favour.
The only current starter in this deal is Raptors point guard Jarrett Jack. Although Jack is on the worse side of starting point guards in the league, he is prone to turnovers and is usually a shoot first point guard. Despite this, he is still the best player being moved today, amounting to over ten points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists per game. On a second unit he can come off the bench and provide an offensive spark with his driving ability and strong defensive play.
David Andersen is a rarely used forward that is getting more playing time every night. With a solid mid-range game, he has the ability to catch fire from the bench and get a team ten points and collect five rebounds in limited minutes.
Marcus Banks is a veteran point guard that almost never sees the floor other then in blowouts. He is a decent bench player when filling in for injuries and is good at helping younger players develop their game.
The Hornets are giving up much less than the Raptors in this deal. They are giving up former sharp shooter Peja Stojakovic. Stojakovic still has his shot, but in his 12th season, his skill level is winding down and his role is diminishing. Currently averaging 7 points, 1 rebound, and 1 assist per game, he comes off the bench behind former Raptor Marco Belinelli. On most nights last season, Belinelli played less than 5 minutes and was not a major contributor elsewhere, but has still beat out new Raptor, Peja Stojakovic for the starting job this season.
Finally, the deal breaker for the Raptors, Jerryd Bayless. Bayless is a young undersized shooting guard that is likely going to man the point for the Raptors. Bayless is turnover prone and a shoot first guard like Jack, but at his young age Jay Triano will try to change Bayless’ habits and make him a solid starting point guard. In just over 13 minutes per game Bayless was averaging 4 points, 1 rebound, and 1 assist per game.
The Hornets really won the trade with the Raptors today and all Raptors fans can say is that this trade is a work in progress hinging on the future play of Jerryd Bayless.
