Last night's draft and trades were so crazy it's hard to digest it all, but one thing is sure: The Atlantic Division just profoundly changed. Philadelphia needs to be commended for having an incredible night that potentially sets them up beautifully for the next decade. Noel plus another first rounder in 2014 is a steal for Jrue Holiday. I don't understand New Orleans' thinking at all, and I feel Pelicans' fans will long rue this day. It's absolutely stunning Noel dropped to #6, even if his health is in question, and Sam Hinkie absolutely nailed it last night with his moves.
The Boston-Brooklyn deal was surprising, yet at the same time feels almost inevitable when you think about it. If Brooklyn can stay healthy the next two years they should be very good, but the Nets' payroll is insane, and they have pretty much mortgaged their future all for the hope of somehow being able to squeak by Miami the next year or two. This is how Billy King and the Nets operate, and while with their payroll it is somewhat understandable, it is also terrible long-term thinking, and the definition of high-risk management.
If the Nets burn out in a few years, full of bloated contracts, they have forsaken the right to draft young players who potentially could ressurrect the franchise. And that is why Danny Ainge and the Celtics did this trade. It's not so much about the 2014 first round pick as it is the 2016, (potential) 2017 and 2018 picks. Gerald Wallace's big, bad contract is a serious price to pay, but the Celtics' thinking is that it is worth it given all the draft pick options they have been handed.
So I laud Hinkie particularly, and also Ainge, for recognizing that there is no point in going half-way with a rebuild, and for understanding that when you want to become exceptional, you first usually have to weather through the muck. June 27, 2013 is going to be remembered for a long time.
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