Skip to main content

Reports: Knicks acquire Grant, Wizards get Oubre in trades

The Washington Wizards are trading the Atlanta Hawks the No. 19 pick in this year's draft and two future second-round picks for Kansas forward Kelly Oubre, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
  • Author:
  • Publish date:

The Washington Wizards are trading the No. 19 pick in this year's draft and two future second-round picks to the Atlanta Hawks for Kansas forward Kelly Oubre. Atlanta selected Oubre with the No. 15 pick in this year's draft. 

In another deal, the New York Knicks will send shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr. to the Hawks for Notre Dame point guard Jerian Grant. The Wizards selected Grant for the Hawks with the No. 19 pick in this year's draft.​

Both trades were first reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

Hardaway Jr. just completed his second season with the Knicks since being selected in the first round of the 2013 draft out of Michigan.

Over 70 games this season, Hardaway Jr. averaged 11.5 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists while shooting 38.9 percent from the field and 34.2 percent from three-point range.

Below are SI.com's pre-draft breakdowns of Oubre and Grant

​•​ MORE NBA: SI's Top 60 | Most critical off-seasons

Kelly Oubre

Bio: A few months after losing Andrew Wiggins to the NBA draft, Kansas added another highly regarded wing in its incoming recruiting class. Oubre played limited minutes early in the season as he got acclimated to the college game but eventually became a bigger part of the rotation. His best game came near the end of the regular season, a 25-point performance on 5-of-10 shooting in a win over TCU. In all, Oubre played a considerable role for a Jayhawks team that won 27 games, clinched a share of their 11th straight Big 12 regular-season title and earn a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tourney.

Strengths: Oubre possesses the potential to develop into a versatile perimeter defender. His combination of length (7’2 ½” wingspan), athleticism and awareness should allow him to guard multiple positions in the NBA. Oubre also can create turnovers—he posted the fifth-highest steal percentage among Big 12 players during conference play last season, according to kenpom.com—and holds his own on the defensive glass. On the other end of the floor. Oubre is primarily a spot-up shooter. He hit 35.8% of his three-point attempts last season and averaged more than a point per possession on spot-up opportunities, according to Synergy Sports.

Weaknesses: Oubre could develop into a solid floor-spacer in the NBA, but his jump shot was inconsistent at Kansas. Over his final eight regular season games, Oubre connected on only 18.8% of his treys. Oubre also didn’t display a consistent ability to create good shot opportunities inside the arc. He sank 38% of his mid-range shots and converted fewer than 50% of his two-point attempts. Oubre didn’t distinguish himself as a playmaker, either, as he recorded 1.4 assists per 40 minutes (adjusted for pace), fewer than frontcourt teammates Perry Ellis and Jamari Traylor. Though Oubre presents upside as a two-way wing, he will likely need some time to develop before making a significant impact.

​•​ MORE NBA: Draft hub | Trade roundup

Jerian Grant

Bio: Grant blossomed into one of the top point guards in college basketball during his senior season at Notre Dame. An SI.com first-team All-America, Grant helped the Fighting Irish win 32 games, finish third in the ACC, clinch a No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament and reach the Elite Eight, where they fell to No. 1 seed Kentucky. He missed the majority of his junior season after withdrawing from school in December due to what he called an “academic matter.” A native of Bowie, Md., Grant is the brother of current Philadelphia 76ers forward and 2014 second-round pick Jerami Grant, the son of former NBA forward Harvey Grant and the nephew of Horace Grant, a four-time NBA champion.

Strengths: Grant helped Notre Dame morph into one of the most efficient offenses in the country last season. Though he led the Irish in scoring, Grant was also the team’s best facilitator, posting an assist rate that ranked among the nation’s top 40. As capable as Grant is at setting up teammates, he is also as capable of creating his own looks. In 2014-15, he averaged more than 18 points per 40 minutes, adjusted for pace, and made better than 57% of his two-point attempts. Grant particularly excelled in transition last season, as he averaged more than 1.2 points per possession on those situations, according to Synergy Sports. In addition, his size projects well for an NBA point guard.

Weaknesses: While he established himself as a capable scorer and playmaker at Notre Dame, Grant doesn’t project as a top-flight long-range shooter. He connected on 34.5% of his three-point attempts during his time at Notre Dame, and only 31.6% during his senior season. Grant recorded one of the highest steal rates among ACC players during conference play in 2015 and has the potential to become a solid perimeter defender because of his size and athleticism, but he didn’t distinguish himself favorably on that end of the floor during his time at Notre Dame. Though Grant had more time to hone his game in college, he is 22 entering the draft—significantly older than many top prospects.