I wanted to at least mention last week's Hornets-Wizards trade, because it epitomizes how badly Washington has handled its roster for years. Finally in the position to get Rashard Lewis' huge contract (which originally had been Gilbert Arenas' huge contract) fully off their books after 2012-13, Ernie Grunfeld and gang instead decided to add over $20 million onto their '13-14 payroll by trading for two completely replaceable players.
The Wizards simply could have been on the hook for Lewis' $14 million (guaranteed) salary this upcoming year. They could have bought him out and gone on focusing on the draft. Instead Washington decided to make this trade and pay Emeka Okafor and Trevor Ariza $43 million over the next two seasons. Folks, that's bad business.
Okafor and Ariza are probably okay to have on your team - if their combined salaries don't exceed $10 million annually. Otherwise they are just vastly overpaid. There is a reason Washington has sucked for years, and it's mainly because they always overpay players who are not that good. Grunfeld is truly a horrendous decision-maker in that regard. He always overvalues veterans. It's somewhat amazing he still has a job.
For New Orleans the trade is a nice way to clear salary, and a no-brainer. As a bonus they also get a second round pick - which they could potentially use on an intriguing prospect like Jae Crowder or Marcus Denmon. But the main praise for this trade comes from their laudable feat of being able to get rid of two highly overpaid players with only relatively minor collateral damage. $14 million down the hole is a hell of a lot better than $43 million. Unfortunately, I have the feeling that the Hornets will now proceed to overpay Eric Gordon...
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