Dallas Mavericks get: James Johnson
Detroit Pistons get: Delon Wright
Oklahoma City Thunder get: Trevor Ariza, Justin Jackson, draft compensation
Dallas Mavericks: B+
The Mavericks' part of this deal has particularly interesting implications for the 2021 offseason. Moving Wright's $8.5 million 2021-22 salary means Dallas would have approximately $35 million in cap space if newly acquired Josh Richardson declines his $11.6 million player option next year.
The maximum salary for players with seven to nine years of experience based on the current 2021-22 cap projection is $33.7 million. So the Mavericks are projected to be in position to make a max offer to Giannis Antetokounmpo when free agency opens next summer. (They would need to do a little more work to get to the $39.3 million projected max for Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, both of whom will be eligible for the 10-plus-year max if they decline player options.)
The timing of this move is interesting, coming immediately in the wake of the Milwaukee Bucks' sign-and-trade deal for restricted free agent Bogdan Bogdanovic falling apart. Optimism in Milwaukee that Antetokounmpo would respond to that move by signing the supermax contract extension the Bucks can now offer has turned instead to aggressiveness from other teams. (Note also the Miami Heat sticking to their plan of not handing out contracts with guaranteed money in 2021-22.)
In the here and now, the Mavericks might think Johnson has as much chance to help them in 2020-21 as Wright and Jackson. Wright lost his role in the backcourt between the re-signing of point guard Trey Burke and the addition of Richardson, a 3-and-D wing who's a better fit next to Luka Doncic than Wright proved.
Johnson could play a role specializing in defending the league's burlier forwards, most notably LeBron James. With other West contenders losing pieces and aging this offseason, Dallas can reasonably expect to be in position to play a team like the Lakers or Clippers in the second round of the playoffs. If Johnson proves out of shape and ineffective, his expiring $16 million salary will give the Mavericks options at the trade deadline.
According to my ESPN colleague Tim MacMahon, Dallas also valued freeing up a roster spot. The Mavericks now have 11 guaranteed contracts plus a pair of 2020 second-round picks (No. 31 overall pick Tyrell Terry and No. 37 pick Tyler Bey), leaving them two spots to fill out the roster using the remainder of their non-taxpayer midlevel exception.
Detroit Pistons: B
Pending details on the pick compensation, this looks like Detroit's most sensible deal of the day. There's a role for Wright in the Pistons' backcourt, where he can play alongside either Derrick Rose or No. 7 pick Killian Hayes in addition to giving Detroit another reliable option at point guard if Rose deals with injuries or Hayes isn't ready yet for NBA competition. (It's also insurance if the Pistons trade Rose before the deadline.)
In a lead ballhandling role, Wright has proved quite valuable. In 13 starts during the 2018-19 season, primarily with the Memphis Grizzlies late in the season, Wright averaged 14.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.2 assists. He recorded three triple-doubles in the season's final week. Wright's remaining contract (two years, $17.5 million) is reasonable for a backup guard with the capability of starting.
As a side benefit, Detroit also saves $3.8 million by turning Ariza's contract into Wright's. That might be just enough for the Pistons to make the two signings reported Friday (forward Jerami Grant and center Mason Plumlee) without needing to stretch the contracts of both Dewayne Dedmon and Rodney McGruder. Keeping McGruder's salary off the books for the next five seasons would make those moves slightly more palatable.
Oklahoma City Thunder: B+
Johnson becomes the fourth player this week to be both acquired and traded by Oklahoma City, joining Danny Green, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Ricky Rubio. It's only fitting the Thunder landed Ariza, who is already on his fourth team of the week (after Portland, Houston and Detroit).
I have to assume the Thunder have plans to trade Ariza, making $12.8 million in the final season of his contract, onward again. I'm a little surprised the Mavericks didn't just end up with Ariza rather than Johnson given the former was a starter last season and the latter a little-used backup. However, Oklahoma City might have wanted too much in return for Dallas to make that swap.
Jackson has a better chance to stay put with the Thunder. He showed promise during his first half-season with the Mavericks after the 2019 trade deadline before inexplicably slumping to 29% 3-point shooting last season. If Jackson rediscovers his touch after hitting 35.5% in 2018-19, he could be a rotation player.