The Rockets and Suns finalized a deal late Thursday that sent Ryan Anderson and rookie De’Anthony Melton to Phoenix in exchange for Brandon Knight and Marquese Chriss. At this stage of the off-season it’s a significant move, with Houston shedding a bit of salary and at long last unloading Anderson to hedge bets on two former first-round pick. Let’s grade the deal.
Houston: B
The Rockets’ desire to deal Anderson, a veteran stretch-forward with defensive deficiencies, had been a poorly kept secret over the past couple summers. While Houston initially relied on him to space the floor after he signed a hefty deal in 2016, it became apparent quickly that he wasn't ill-suited to chase around more athletic forwards, despite being one of the league’s elite three-point shooting big men.