Santi Aldama (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)
Several trades went down during the 2021 NBA Draft. Some were successful; others got fleeced.
The 2021 NBA Draft class has developed into one of the more underrated collections of young talent in the league. While top-2 picks Cade Cunningham and Jalen Green have fallen short of expectations for one reason or another, several draftees have already emerged as game-changing players on winning teams.
Evan Mobley, the No. 3 pick, is the obvious highlight. He finished top-3 in Defensive Player of the Year voting last season and his first All-Star berth is a matter of when, not if. The same can be said for Orlando’s Franz Wagner, who is already scoring efficiently at all three levels as a 6-foot-10 playmaking wing.
And on the list goes — Josh Giddey, Alperen Sengun, Trey Murphy, Davion Mitchell, Quentin Grimes. All are impactful role players or more, most of them in winning situations.
Of course, like every draft night, 2021 also featured several trades. Some were more notable than others, but we’ll hand out a grade for all of ’em. With the benefit of hindsight, who passed and who failed?
NBA Draft trade grade: Clippers get Brandon Boston Jr.
Clippers Get
Brandon Boston Jr. (No. 51 pick)
Pelicans Get
Cash Considerations
Brandon Boston Jr. is a former five-star recruit who spent his brief college career at Kentucky. There was more buzz around him than your average pick at No. 51, and he was joining the star-studded Clippers for good measure. Next to Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, there was a lot excitement about Boston’s potential as a spark-plug scorer on the wing.
The Clippers have used Boston sparsely through two seasons. He appeared in 22 games and averaged only 11.3 minutes per contest last year. Both numbers are trending in the wrong direction compared to his rookie campaign. The signs aren’t great here — Boston might not stick in LA much longer. That said, at least he’s something. What did Cash Considerations accomplish in New Orleans?
Clippers: C+
Pelicans: F
NBA Draft trade grade: Grizzlies acquire Santi Aldama
Grizzlies Get
Santi Aldama (No. 30 pick)
Jazz Get
Jared Butler (No. 40 pick)
2 future 2nd-round picks
Santi Aldama was a surprise pick in the first round. The sophomore out of Loyola was rarely seen in his rookie season with the Griz, but he caught on in year two. Aldama appeared in 77 games (including 20 starts) last season for the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.
He’s a skilled big who took over half his shot attempts from 3-point range with a 35.3 percent success rate. Memphis will continue giving him minutes in the frontcourt, but he could find playing time hard to come by once Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke are back healthy. Plus, there are other up-and-comers in the Memphis frontcourt vying for minutes, such as David Roddy and Jake LaRavia.
Jared Butler was rated higher than Aldama on most draft boards, so Utah felt like the big winners on draft night. Now, however, injury concerns have made it hard for Butler to stick. He signed a two-way contract with the Thunder last season, but Utah is stuck hoping those second-round picks amount to more than Aldama.
Grizzlies: B+
Jazz: C-