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From BR: The wonkiest 3-team trade ever?


Dying to hear what Bedgers think about this one:

"Charlotte Hornets Receive: PF/C Meyers Leonard, SG/SF Evan Turner (two years, $36.5 million).

Memphis Grizzlies Receive: SG/SF Nicolas Batum (three years, $76.7 million)

Portland Trail Blazers Receive: SF/PF Chandler Parsons (two years, $49.2 million)

Is this not one of the most bizarre three-team migraines you've ever seen? It is a masterpiece on the "LITERALLY WUT" scale, if I do say so myself. You're welcome. Brace yourself, though, because it also makes some sense. The Hornets should pounce at the chance to escape the final year of Nicolas Batum's contract. It doesn't matter whether they're trying to avoid a rebuild. They are. And they will fail. They'll wind up reshuffling the deck sometime soon. Paying Meyers Leonard and Evan Turner a combined $58.4 million through 2019-20 beats shelling out $76.7 million for Batum over an extra season.

The Grizzlies would be playing with fire, and we should love it. They tried using the No. 4 pick, which turned into Jaren Jackson Jr., to lop off Chandler Parsons' money before the draft, according to The Athletic's Michael Scotto. They have since doubled down on a more immediate timeline by paying Kyle Anderson and trading for Garrett Temple. Acquiring Batum is an extension of that approach. The Grizzlies are getting another playmaker and switchy wing defender for Parsons, who has been unable to remain healthy since joining the cause. Footing the bill for Batum's $27.1 million salary in 2020-21 stings, but they're into Mike Conley for $34.5 million that year (early termination option). They'll be perfectly set up to start over that summer if they let this new-look nucleus run its course. Or this dice roll could work out. Spacing remains an issue unless Batum rediscovers his 2013-14 form, but the Grizzlies will have the look and feel of a top-five defense with him, Anderson, Conley and Jackson on their side.

The Blazers accept their invitation to this party for the money. Consolidating Leonard and Turner into Parsons trims more than $9 million off their bottom line over the next two seasons. It helps, too, that Portland tried to sign Parsons in 2016. He has appeared in just 70 games since then, and bad feelz could linger from his Twitter beef with CJ McCollum. But he canned 42.1 percent of his three-point attempts last season and is shooting 37.7 percent from deep for his career. He'll be a more natural fit for the offense than Leonard or Turner when he's not coping with knee injuries."