Grade the Trade: Clips Nation Staff Weighs in on Wilcox Deal

If you haven't heard, the Clippers are sending C.J. Wilcox and cash to the Orlando Magic for Devyn Marble and a 2020 second round pick.  Marble's salary isn't guaranteed, and he is likely to be cut by the Clippers, freeing up a roster spot.  Essentially, the Clippers dumped Wilcox's guaranteed salary for a future second-rounder, and can now look to do any number of things going forward.

What do our writers think of this trade?  Check it out:

Lucas Hann: C. In my mind, Doc gets a B for some nifty cap management that will (likely) help him add a wing veteran to bolster the Clippers' rotation.  He gets a D for doing it in a way that will cost the Clippers Wilcox (25 years old) and Dawson (23 years old), when the same goal could have been accomplished by trading Paul Pierce (39 years old), or cutting him and stretching his salary.  None of those 3 guys are likely to help next year--so it's logical to keep the young guys who have some sort of future upside.  The average?  A C.  It's a mediocre move that makes some sense but has some flaws.

Jonathan Hu: C. I do not like it, but I understand it. It is a reflection of the reality that Wilcox was not getting minutes with Rivers and Crawford back (understandable). Regardless of the value we perceive Wilcox may have....he frankly had not proven anything, even in D-League play. So claims that Wilcox was our "best trade chip" are hollow and more accurately just reflect that the Clippers picked the core to invest in and its periphery is not very valuable.

Thomas Wood: B. I don't think Wilcox is an NBA player, but a second rounder nearly a half-decade away isn't likely to be one either. At least now the Clippers can sign someone with a better chance of contributing this season. It's another logical minor move in a summer full of them.

Kenneth Armstrong: B. I guess this all depends on what comes next. As of right now, I buy the logic; however, one more veteran's minimum contract is not putting this team over the top into the true-true contenting class.

Ray Samora: D. It's hard to grade this trade without knowing what the next move is for the Clippers. Right now, they have 13 guaranteed contracts, 1 non-guaranteed contract (Dawson), and 1 unsigned rookie (Michineau). If the Clippers keep Dawson and sign Michineau, then the Clippers will have a full roster. There is a chance that the Clippers just traded Wilcox, who has 2 years of NBA experience, for the ability to sign a rookie PG with no NBA experience. As for the 2nd round pick the team will receive, Doc Rivers has not yet shown that he can draft a player that he feels comfortable with since joining the Clippers, and I doubt that will change by 2020. If the Clippers have another move to make that this trade has opened up, then the grade can move to a C or higher, but t's just too early to tell.

Robert Flom: C.Right now, I would have to give this trade a C, or neutral. The bulk of the grade will be determined by who exactly Doc picks up to fill Wilcox/Marble's spot on the roster. The whole purpose of the trade (in my opinion) was to clear that spot for a veteran who can fill a greater need (hopefully at small forward), and I am curious to see who Doc has lined up.  Standing on it's own, this was a bit disappointing. CJ is blocked by four or five players from the rotation, but I thought he showed promise, and trading yet another previous 1st round pick away (this time for a paltry 2020 second round pick) is saddening.

Steve Perrin: D. You can't grade the Wilcox trade without grading the Wilcox pick. If one gives the Clippers an F in the 2014 draft, then you could give the trade an A since they got a future second, a roster spot and maybe some repeater tax relief out of a failed pick. If one gives the Clippers an A for the Wilcox pick (which is obviously absurd) then the trade is an F. The point is, you can't discuss one without the other. At least they didn't have to give up an asset to get rid of Wilcox they way they did with Reggie Bullock (and yes, they got Austin Rivers back but it's not as if anyone else actually wanted him at the time). In reality, I think both the draft and the trade are D's -- you would like more to show for the 28th pick two years later. It all makes the Brice Johnson pick vital -- it's now been six years since the Clippers got anything but dead weight from a draft.