ESPN Trade grade... D?

Insiders Trade Grade
New Orleans: D
When Noel dropped to the sixth pick, the Pelicans found themselves with an opportunity. Since Noel made less sense in New Orleans alongside Anthony Davis than almost anywhere else, a trade was nearly inevitable. Pelicans GM Dell Demps decided to use Noel as a lure to fill point guard position for years to come with Jrue Holiday, an All-Star for the first time last season at the age of 22.

Holiday is an upgrade on Greivis Vasquez, who could be either a trade asset or a quality reserve in the last year of his contract. And he's still got room to grow with years until he reaches his prime. However, the cost was immense. In addition to the rights to Noel, New Orleans had to send its first-round pick in 2014 to Philadelphia. The Pelicans aren't out of the Andrew Wiggins sweepstakes, since the pick is top-5 protected, per ESPN.com's Marc Stein. But New Orleans is still looking at potentially giving up two top-10 picks.

Talent-wise, those players might -- might -- be a wash with Holiday. The secondary issue is financial. Both Noel and next year's first-round pick would be on cost-controlled rookie contracts for their first four seasons. Holiday's rookie contract is already up, and he'll begin a four-year, $41 million extension next fall. So Holiday has to be better than not only Noel and next year's pick, but also whoever the Pelicans could have signed with the $5 million a year difference in their combined salaries. That's unlikely to be the case.


Philadelphia: A+
Since the 76ers hired Sam Hinkie in mid-May, we've been waiting for some indication of his vision for the franchise. Well, we unmistakably got it Thursday. Hinkie is ripping apart a team that was stuck in the middle of the Eastern Conference and heading -- at least temporarily -- for the bottom. That's the message in trading away Holiday, Philadelphia's best player, for a pair of first-round picks.

With the loaded 2014 draft class 12 months away, this is the time to rebuild. Noel is the ideal centerpiece in that regard. In time, Noel -- rated far and away the best player in this year's draft by my WARP projections -- could be a star and every bit as good as Holiday. In 2013-14, coming back from ACL surgery, Noel is unlikely to contribute. A 76ers team with no Holiday, and presumably no Andrew Bynum, could be among the contenders for the No. 1 overall pick. Depending where New Orleans' pick lands, Philadelphia could easily have a pair of top-10 picks in what is considered the deepest draft in years.

With those picks joining Noel and the 76ers' own first-round pick, Syracuse point guard Michael Carter-Williams (No. 11 overall), Hinkie could have his new core in place by this time next June. Philadelphia will have flexibility to build around those young players, since the Sixers have just two non-rookie contracts (forward Thaddeus Young and guard Jason Richardson) that extend past next season.

While Philadelphia won't be a major player in free agency in the coming years, Hinkie can use that cap space to add additional assets using the model popularized by the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder model requires adding elite talent in the draft. In Noel, and possibly next year's picks, the 76ers are off to a good start.

Holiday for Noel would have been a decent move for Philadelphia. Add in the 2014 first-round pick and this deal is an enormous win for the 76ers.

I completely disagree!