Raptors trade Greivis Vasquez to Bucks for future 1st and No. 46 pick
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The first trade of draft night is in the books.
The Milwaukee Bucks have acquired point guard Greivis Vasquez from the Toronto Raptors for a future first-round pick and the No. 46 pick in Thursday's draft.
The pick in question is the Los Angeles Clippers' 2017 first-rounder and is top-14 protected through 2019, after which it would turn into two second-round picks. The No. 46 pick may not have enormous value, but getting a pair of assets for Vasquez - who would have been on the books for $6.6 million in 2015-16 - is a nice haul for the Raptors.
It's a Business......
— Kyle Lowry (@Klow7) June 26, 2015
The Bucks need help on the offensive end, and this is a relatively low-risk bet on a player with one year left on his deal. The Bucks were interested in Vasquez in free agency last summer before he re-signed with Toronto, and his defensive shortcomings should be easier to hide with so many long, effective defenders around him.
Vasquez struggled last season, averaging 9.5 points and 3.7 assists in 24.3 minutes while shooting 40.8 percent from the floor. The Raptors' acquisition of Lou Williams ate into his role and he couldn't consistently find the flare that made him surprisingly effective for long stretches the year before.
Betting on the 28-year-old to rebound in a situation that can make better use of his shooting - he's a 35.6-percent career 3-point shooter - and playmaking - he led the league in total assists in 2012-13 - is a decent gambit.
The Bucks overpaid a bit with what should be a late first in a strong draft and a mid-second in a thin draft, but it's a justifiable swap of assets given their need for offense from their backup guard positions. Following up by drafting Rashad Vaughn seems somewhat redundant, but the Bucks had defense figured out and need to add some creative pieces to goose the offense. Vasquez helps to that end.
Meanwhile, the Raptors get a pair of assets for a superfluous piece and open up even more cap space in the process, potentially making them a player in free agency. They then used their No. 20 pick on Delon Wright, effectively replacing Vasquez.
Masai on Greivis trade: "We wanted to have some flexibility, open up a bit of space just to keep our options open as we go into free agency"
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) June 26, 2015
The Raptors used the No. 46 pick on Norman Powell.