NBA Trade Deadline 2015: Utah Jazz trade grades

The trade deadline has come and gone, but the lingering Monday Morning quarterbacking will continue for a while. A lot of sites gave their trade deadline winners and losers, but only a few gave actual grades. So, let's take a look at how the Utah Jazz were graded by the national media for their work yesterday:

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ESPN: A -

I've long believed the Jazz would move Kanter before the deadline because the front office doesn't value his skills as highly as the market. The question was whether a good return would materialize. Lo and behold, Utah got the first-rounder it could reasonably expect in return plus a few other goodies.

Because Oklahoma City traded its first-round pick (top-18 protected) to Cleveland (and then Denver, and now Philadelphia), the Jazz won't see this pick until two years after that trade is complete -- 2017 at the earliest. In the meantime, Utah can get an extended look at [Grant Jerrett]. A true stretch 4 has been Dennis Lindsey's white whale since he arrived in Salt Lake City, with the 2013 second-round pick the latest effort. Jerrett has played just 26 minutes in the NBA (and is a cover-your-eyes 1-of-13 on 3-pointers during that span), but he's shot a more respectable 38.1 percent in the D-League. Even if he doesn't work out, Jerrett comes at a bargain price of less than a million dollars next season, a major savings compared to Novak. (He also has two nonguaranteed seasons tacked on to the end of his contract.)

The Jazz also get Tibor Pleiss, who's not your typical international player thrown into a deadline deal simply to satisfy the requirements that both teams get something. Pleiss has real value; the Thunder tried to bring him to the NBA this season, per Yahoo! Sports, and planned to do so this summer when his buyout becomes less prohibitive. He projects as a possible backup center based on translated European stats. Perkins was part of this deal strictly for salary-matching purposes, and ESPN's Royce Young reports that he will be waived by Utah.

- Kevin Pelton, ESPN, 2015

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Sports Illustrated: A -

This was nice work by Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey to make a first-round pick appear out of thin air. Kanter made no secret of his unhappiness in Utah, and his play wasn't exactly bowling anyone over. The player/team relationship seemed destined for a split this summer, and any minute given to Kanter instead of Gobert down the stretch of this lottery-bound season would have been a wasted minute.

In addition to the first-round pick, Utah adds German prospect Pleiss, who is currently playing a major role for Spanish powerhouse FC Barcelona. The 25-year-old Pleiss has expressed interest in jumping to the NBA in the past, and the Jazz would do well to pursue bringing him over as soon as possible.

Ditching Novak's future money helps ease the financial pain of buying out Perkins, as coach Quin Snyder wasn't making use of Novak anyway. Utah also gets a free look at Jerrett, a 6-foot-10 stretch forward who never got a shot in Oklahoma City after being picked in the second round of the 2013 draft.

All in all, Utah walks away with one big asset (the first-round pick), one smaller asset (the second-round pick) and two potential assets (Pleiss and Jerrett) in exchange a marginal player who had one foot out the door and some short-term financial pain. That's a pretty solid haul for a young team that's in talent acquisition mode as it attempts to find its footing.

- Ben Golliver, Sports Illustrated, 2015

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CBS Sports: B

Utah acquiesced to Kanter's trade demand and didn't get anything that'll help the team immediately. The Jazz will reportedly waive Kendrick Perkins, receiving only a couple of picks for a big man who they selected No. 3 overal in 2011. While Kanter became expendable due to the rapid rise of Rudy Gobert, it is a bit perplexing that they dumped him like this. They got out of the $3.8 million they owe Novak next season, though, and financial flexibility and future picks are never bad things.

In the big picture, Utah is fine. It has an enviable collection of young players with potential, and it will have their own lottery pick in this June's draft. Kanter didn't have a long-term future with the franchise, and he was clearly unhappy with his place on the pecking order.

- James Herbert, CBS Sports, 2015

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Bleacher Report: B

According to Windhorst, the Utah Jazz are getting Kendrick Perkins, a protected first-round pick from the Oklahoma City Thunder, a second-round pick from the Detroit Pistons, Grant Jerrett and Tibor Pleiss for Enes Kanter.

It may not seem like a lot, especially if the OKC selection is heavily protected and won't be conveyed for years. But as Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey tweeted, "Two picks and cap space for Enes Kanter, who Utah may have had no intention of re-signing anyway, is a really solid haul for the Jazz."

In a vacuum, Kanter is worth more. But since the young big man wanted out of Salt Lake City and can easily be replaced-and possibly improved upon-by Rudy Gobert, it's impressive that Utah even got this much for his services.

As the Deseret News' Jody Genessy reported, Perkins is likely to be bought out, and he'll almost immediately find a new home with a contender. In other words, don't be surprised when he reunites with Doc Rivers in Los Angeles.

But this isn't about anything other than acquiring draft picks and addition through subtraction. With Gobert thriving as a per-minute stud and emerging as arguably the most dominant rim-protecting force in the Association, he needed more time on the court. He was ready.

Now, he'll get all he can handle.

- Adam Fromal, Bleacher Report, 2015

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FanSided: C+

According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, here's Utah's haul from the Enes Kanter trade: a protected future first round pick from OKC, Kendrick Perkins, Grant Jerrett, the rights to Tibor Pleiss and a second round pick from Detroit Pistons. That's not exactly the first round pick and talented young player the Jazz had allegedly been asking for, but it's not terrible either.

The Jazz will likely negotiate a buyout with Perkins, which means they basically got two picks for Kanter. Not great, not terrible. It doesn't take a genius to see the Thunder won this trade, however.

- Gerald Bourguet, FanSided, 2015

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NBC Sports: C

OKC helped themselves with this deal, in more ways than one. Jackson was disgruntled, and had already turned down a four-year, $48 million contract extension. As a restricted free agent this summer, he was going to seek an offer sheet much larger than that, and wanted to be a starter somewhere else. By sending him out of town, and securing front line offensive help in Enes Kanter as well as a serviceable replacement in the form of D.J. Augustin, the Thunder successfully addressed more than one of their weaknesses. And, ridding themselves of Kendrick Perkins in the deal is simply icing on the cake.

The Pistons, meanwhile, added some much-needed young talent, and should be able to give Jackson the role he is seeking, especially for the remainder of this season with Brandon Jennings sidelined due to injury.

Kanter, too, will be a restricted free agent this summer, and was unhappy in his role in Utah. But it feels like the Jazz could have done a little bit better in terms of getting assets in exchange for what he brings.

- Brett Pollakoff, NBC Sports, 2015

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Yahoo! Sports Ball Don't Lie: C

In context that includes the entire franchise history, turning a top-three overall pick who puts up great per-minute stats into an expiring contract and potential first-round pick from a very good Thunder team is a bum move. Kanter was drafted in 2011 and never quite fit in with (read: he was terrible alongside) Derrick Favors, but you'd like to get a little bit more out of this, right?

For the purpose of Thursday alone? There just wasn't much the Jazz could do. They weren't going to throw big money at Kanter when he hits restricted free agency this summer just to watch him struggle next to Favors. That was probably the case even prior to Rudy Gobert's emergence, and any little bit helps. Even if it's just a guy in Perkins that you're going to waive, and unappealing draft picks.

- Kelly Dwyer, Yahoo!Sports Ball Don't Lie, 2015

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Sooooooo, the Jazz finish up with a Grade Point average of 2.8, and a letter grade of a B-.

I gave the team a C or a D or something. I wasn't happy. I'm still not. But I'm not looking at this team as a bunch of assets looking for units. The national writers love that the Jazz got two picks back for Kanter. But they weren't high on Kanter. They weren't in love with him. They weren't rooting for him. And that's where the Jazz fan opinion and national opinion has to differ. We remember the nervous little kid who developed a blinking problem / tick . . . who came out of his shell to post pictures of himself hold beautiful girls and showing off his abs. A guy who did a mic drop to getting a 20/20 game on a night when we needed it most.

Somehow we weren't able to keep him happy, and he wanted out. He's out now. I wish you all the best Enes. Take care, my sweet summer child.