NBA Roundtable: Trades, Kevin Durant Injury Issues And Disappointments

The Miami Heat traded Mario Chalmers to the Memphis Grizzlies for a ham sandwich and a high-five (Beno Udrih and Jarnell Stokes). Who won this trade and does it move the needle at all for either team?

Jason Coldiron: I don’t really think anyone won this trade, save perhaps Mario Chalmers, who looks to get more playing time in Memphis. Miami is happy to lower their cap bill, Memphis is happy to improve slightly, but the trade will not effect the fate of either team.

Evan Caulfield: To me, the Grizzlies won this trade big time. They desperately needed a proven backup point guard and got just that in Chalmers. So far in his first three games, Chalmers has averaged 18.7 points and 2.3 assists on 52.2% shooting from the field. Not bad, considering Memphis only gave up a ham sandwich.

Matt Ziegler: I think Memphis won this trade. Chalmers barely moves the needle, but should welcome the change of scenery. He was always given more than his fair share of the blame when Miami struggled, and I think a lot of that was the situation and teammates he had. There will be less pressure in Memphis – before Dragic, he was being counted on for more than someone of his skill level would normally be tasked with.

Nicholas Hughes: The real winner of this trade is Mario Chalmers. Up until last season’s acquisition of Goran Dragic, he was the starter on a yearly title contender. In this new, re-vamped edition of the Miami Heat, Chalmers has been relegated to trying to produce given minimal playing time off of the pine. The emergence of Tyler Johnson with the Heat, and the return of ball-dominant superstar D-Wade, have made Chalmers unnecessary on their roster.

Now with the Grizzlies, he’s getting far more opportunities and he’s already begun to cash in on them. He’s an ideal fit for the Memphis rotation as he can bring the ball up court or play off of Marc Gasol in the post. A couple nights ago, he dropped in 29 points in 23 minutes of action, and while no one should expect him to do this on a nightly basis, he is capable of steady production in his new role.

Brandon Osborne: I would say that both teams won as the Grizzlies landed a point guard who can score and the Heat shredded some much necessary money.

Michael Saenz: I think both teams got what they needed from this deal. The Heat are going to save money and get to play Tyler Johnson extended minutes, and the Grizzlies get a backcourt scorer that they desperately needed. Chalmers should win the starting two-guard spot over Tony Allen soon.

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