The Philadelphia 76ers somewhat shockingly moved swingman K.J. McDaniels to the Houston Rockets at Thursday's trade deadline. The deal was first reported by Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski. Grades for buddies Daryl Morey and Sam Hinkie are as follows:
Rockets receive K.J. McDaniels
Houston saw an opportunity and pounced on it. Canaan is an explosive backup point guard, but he's not in McDaniels' league in terms of ceiling. The high-flying forward has work to do to make his outside shot consistent, but has already shown how much of an impact he can make on defense. While the rookie out of Clemson is known mostly for his ridiculous dunks and blocks, he projects as a solid 3-and-D wing who can also protect the rim. That's rare, that's valuable, and that's worth spending money on this summer.
You have to assume the Rockets will be willing to invest significantly in McDaniels in the offseason. This isn't just about the long-term plan, though -- he should be able to find some minutes in the rotation immediately. This is a rotation-caliber player now, who will be a good student for Houston's player development staff.
The risk is that another team could offer McDaniels even more than Morey is willing to commit, and this could turn into a rental.
GRADE: A-
Sixers receive Isaiah Canaan, second-round pick (from Denver, according to the Houston Chronicle's Jonathan Feigen)
Philly must have thought it was going to lose McDaniels in free agency, so it decided to get some value in return. Canaan should see significant playing time, since the Sixers traded Michael Carter-Williams to Milwaukee and Tony Wroten is hurt. Another (!) second-round pick for Philadelphia doesn't hurt, either. This is fine, but it'll be hard for Sixers fans to understand if McDaniels makes good on his potential elsewhere.
Last thought: it would be hilarious if Hinkie decided to give McDaniels a big offer sheet this summer. He'll have the cap space to do so.
GRADE: C
