The deal
76ers get: Forward Wilson Chandler, future second-round pick and the right to swap future second-round picks
Nuggets get: Cash considerations
Get more trade grades for every deal here
Denver Nuggets: B
Will Barton's return on a contract worth far more than the non-taxpayer midlevel exception seemed to portend Chandler's possible departure via trade. At that point, the Nuggets could no longer get entirely out of the luxury tax merely by trading reserves Darrell Arthur and Kenneth Faried.
While Arthur and Faried might have been waived immediately, depending where they went, Chandler isn't nearly as bad a value for his salary. We do know, based on Chandler's decision to pick up his $12.8 million player option, that he didn't feel he could match that on open market. But Chandler is probably viewed as something like an $8 million to $10 million player, meaning he required only second-round pick compensation to move.
Before the deal, Denver was looking at around $146 million in salary committed to 14 players, which would have translated to a luxury-tax bill north of $55 million if the Nuggets signed second-round pick Jarred Vanderbilt to fill their final roster spot. Moving Chandler trims that tax bill to about $20 million if they replace him with a veteran, and less than that if they leave the 15th spot open (or use it on No. 58 pick Thomas Welsh).
As importantly, moving Faried would now likely get Denver out of the tax. So don't be surprised if that still happens.
Barton replacing Chandler as a starter at small forward is something of an upgrade. Though he doesn't offer nearly as much defensive versatility, Barton has become a better 3-point shooter in addition to the superior shot creation he provides. The question is, who fills Barton's role as backup small forward?
Michael Porter, this year's first-round pick, would be ideal -- if he's able to play following last year's back surgery and talk of a redshirt season. Juancho Hernangomez, who saw action at both forward spots, seemed to fall out of favor with head coach Michael Malone. The Nuggets could maybe try Malik Beasley and Trey Lyles in that role, but neither is a natural small forward. So Denver may yet try to add a veteran at that position making the minimum.
Philadelphia 76ers: C-
Taking on Chandler's salary uses up basically all of the 76ers' remaining cap space after agreeing to a one-year deal for JJ Redick at far less than his cap hold. So essentially, Philadelphia's choice was between signing a free agent for one year at a similar amount -- perhaps Tyreke Evans, who agreed to a one-year, $12 million deal with the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday -- or getting Chandler and a second-round pick (plus the chance to swap second-round picks).
Given those options, or even the choice between Chandler plus the picks and Wayne Ellington, I would have opted for the free agent. I don't think the picks the 76ers got are as valuable as the difference between Chandler and Philadelphia's likely targets.
Though he has been tagged as a 3-and-D player, Chandler isn't particularly good in either area. His 36 percent 3-point shooting last season was nearly right at league average, and his minus-0.4 defensive rating in ESPN's real plus-minus ranked 56th among small forwards.
On the plus side, Chandler's size (6-foot-9) and ability to cover multiple positions should allow him to fit well in the Sixers' defense. Brett Brown will have even more flexibility to interchange matchups and use creative lineups with Chandler taking minutes that went to the smaller Marco Belinelli and the slower Ersan Ilyasova during the postseason.
Philadelphia could still have a sliver of cap space to sign second-round picks (perhaps including 2017 pick Jonah Bolden) to contracts longer than two years. Otherwise, the 76ers are down to the $4.4 million room exception, which will presumably go to signing a veteran backup (and insurance policy) for Joel Embiid.