NBA Trade Deadline 2021: Wizards acquire Daniel Gafford and Chandler Hutchison from the Bulls for Troy Brown and Moritz Wagner, according to report

The NBA trade deadline has involved some significant players like NBA All-Star center Nikola Vucevic getting traded from the Orlando Magic to the Chicago Bulls for one-time Wizards forward Otto Porter and JaVale McGee, another one-time Wizards player getting traded from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Denver Nuggets for Isaiah Hartenstein and two future second-round draft picks.

None of the key players on the current Washington Wizards roster is expected to be traded, though you never know. But they did make a minor move today, trading Troy Brown and Moritz Wagner to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Daniel Gafford and Chandler Hutchison according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Gafford is a 6’10 forward who is averaging 4.7 points and 3.3 rebounds in his second season, while Hutchison is a third year player averaging 1.9 points per game in 7 appearances. Though they are reserves, I still feel like Washington lost the trade given that they had smaller roles with Chicago than Brown and Wagner had, or should have had in Washington.

Brown averaged 4.3 points and 2.9 rebounds per game in the 2020-21 season in a disappointing third-year that was riddled DNP-CD’s. It was disappointing because he averaged 10.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game for Washington last season and figured to have a more significant reserve, if not possibly a starting role. Brown was also given the fourth year of his rookie scale contract right when the season started.

Wagner, like Brown is a third year player. Though he was not given a fourth year option to his rookie scale contract and was likely out of Washington next year anyway, he still averaged 7.1 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. In Chicago, Wagner will probably see less playing time since Vucevic will easily take the starting role in the post, but he would have likely contributed more than I expect Gafford to in Washington.

After all, Robin Lopez and Alex Len will have most of the minutes at the center position this season while Rui Hachimura will be the starting power forward. But at least Deni Avdija could get some more playing time now that Brown is gone.

What are your thoughts on this trade? Let us know in the comments below.