The Phoenix Suns grabbed a second pick in the first round as they continued their pursuit of shooting, while the Boston Celtics cleared additional cap space. Let's break down the implications of this trade.
The deal
Celtics get: 2020 first-round pick (via MIL)
Suns get: 2019 No. 24 pick (Ty Jerome), Aron Baynes
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Boston Celtics: B+
There are a couple of components to this trade from the Celtics' standpoint, both of them intriguing.
First, having picked up an extra pick early in the second round by trading down from the No. 20 pick to this spot, Boston was ideally positioned to push it back a year. Although the Milwaukee Bucks' 2020 first-rounder will more likely than not fall lower in the draft than No. 24, an unused pick will still be easier for the Celtics to trade at some point in the next year than any player they took with this selection.
Boston will again have up to three picks in the 2020 first round: the team's own selection, one from the Memphis Grizzlies that is top-six protected and now this one, which is protected for the top seven picks. (In other words, barring catastrophic injuries, the Celtics will get Milwaukee's pick.)
Secondly, Boston adds to the potential cap space created if Al Horford and Kyrie Irving sign elsewhere as unrestricted free agents. At this point, the Celtics could retain the rights to restricted free agent Terry Rozier and still have more than $25 million in projected cap space. And if they renounce Rozier to chase a replacement at point guard, Boston would have room for a max offer to a player with nine or fewer years of experience.
How exactly the Celtics will use their newfound flexibility remains uncertain, but the veteran Baynes made less sense on the roster after it pivoted to a younger core. So moving his $5.5 million salary should be considered part of the value of this deal to Boston.
Phoenix Suns: C-
The timing of this move is a little surprising for the Suns, who created cap space by dealing T.J. Warren and the No. 32 pick to the Indiana Pacers earlier in the day. Taking Baynes' salary into that space and adding the pick puts Phoenix back down to $12.5 million with cap holds for restricted free agent Kelly Oubre and unrestricted free agent Richaun Holmes. It's far less clear that will be enough for the Suns to sign a starting point guard.
There may be more moves in store for Phoenix. Waiving and stretching guard Tyler Johnson could be a possibility if he picks up his $19.2 million player option. Or the Suns could be anticipating the possibility of Oubre signing elsewhere. For now, though, the combination of the two trades -- Warren and the 2020 Bucks pick for Baynes and moving up eight spots from No. 32 to No. 24 -- seems like a losing proposition for Phoenix.