It was a down year for trades compared to last season, but seven NBA teams still managed to pull of multiple swaps during the 2015/16 regular season. None were more active than the Heat, whose months-long salary shedding effort, which dates to the summer, resulted in four trades that brought back only a single player.
A trio of other teams made three trades apiece for varying reasons, from Cleveland’s all-out effort to win the title to the Magic’s cap-clearing philosophy to the Grizzlies’ draft-pick collection. There would have been 10 teams to make multiple swaps this season, but the voided deal between the Pistons, Rockets and Sixers nixed what would have been the second trade for each of those clubs.
Our trade recap for this season shows every trade that took place between opening night and the trade deadline, with links to further details and trades from previous seasons and offseasons. However, it can be tough to see exactly what teams that made more than one move ended up getting and giving up. That’s where this post comes in.
We’ve listed the assets gained (In) and lost (Out) for each team with multiple moves during the 2015/16 regular season, with a “Passing through” category that shows players and picks that a team traded for and later traded away, where applicable.
HEAT (4 trades)
In:
- Beno Udrih
- New Orleans’ 2018 second-round pick (top-55 protected)
- $75K cash
Out:
- Chris Andersen
- Mario Chalmers
- James Ennis
- Miami’s 2017 second-round pick (top-40 protected)
- Boston’s 2019 second-round pick (top-55 protected)
Passing through:
CAVALIERS (3 trades)
In:
- Channing Frye
- Portland’s 2020 second-round pick (top-55 protected)
Out:
- Jared Cunningham
- Joe Harris
- Anderson Varejao
- Cleveland’s top-10 protected 2018 first-round pick
- Sacramento’s 2017 second-round pick (top-55 protected)
- $934,614 cash
Passing through:
- Cleveland’s unprotected 2020 second-round pick
GRIZZLIES (3 trades)
In:
- Chris Andersen
- Mario Chalmers
- James Ennis
- P.J. Hairston
- Lance Stephenson
- Clippers’ 2019 first-round pick (lottery protected).
- Charlotte’s 2018 second-round pick
- Brooklyn’s 2019 second-round pick
- Miami’s 2017 second-round pick (bottom-40 protected)
- Boston’s 2019 second-round pick (top-55 protected)
Out:
- Jeff Green
- Courtney Lee
- Jarnell Stokes
- Beno Udrih
- $542,714 cash
MAGIC (3 trades)
In:
- Jared Cunningham (waived)
- Joe Harris (waived)
- Ersan Ilyasova
- Brandon Jennings
- Cleveland’s unprotected 2020 second-round pick.
- Sacramento’s 2017 second-round pick (top-55 protected)
- $934,614 cash
Out:
- Channing Frye
- Tobias Harris
- Portland’s 2020 second-round pick (top-55 protected)
CLIPPERS (2 trades)
In:
- Jeff Green
- The rights to Maarty Leunen.
Out:
- Josh Smith
- Lance Stephenson
- Clippers’ 2019 first-round pick (lottery protected).
- The rights to Sergei Lishouk
- $456,921 cash
PELICANS (2 trades)
In:
- Jarnell Stokes (waived)
- Denver’s unprotected 2016 second-round pick
- Philadelphia’s unprotected 2017 second-round pick
- $721,300 cash
Out:
- Ish Smith
- New Orleans’ 2018 second-round pick (top-55 protected)
TRAIL BLAZERS (2 trades)
In:
- Brian Roberts
- Anderson Varejao (waived)
- Cleveland’s top-10 protected 2018 first-round pick
- Miami’s 2021 second-round pick
Out:
- Cleveland’s unprotected 2020 second-round pick
- $75K cash
The RealGM traded picks database was used in the creation of this post.
Which of these teams made out best from its trade activity? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.
Grizzlies won they gained a lot of nice pieces for a couple expiring contracts
They certainly did well, though how they replace Courtney Lee’s shooting is an unknown. I like what the Heat did to get out of the repeater tax. Deft work.