(The original article was published on July 9, and the author is Kevin Pelton from ESPN website. The content of the article does not represent the translator's views)

After the NBA free agent market was officially opened, while the teams focused on signing players, the trading market across the league was also surging. Before the free agent market opened on June 30, big-name players such as Durant, Jaylen Green and Bain had changed their goals. And as the curtain of the free agent market opened, the trading momentum has not diminished at all. Just a few minutes after the market opened, the Nets reached an agreement with the Nuggets to trade Cameron Johnson to the Nuggets for Michael Porter Jr. and the unprotected first-round pick in 2032. While waiting for more trading dust to settle, let's take a look at the latest trading ratings first.

Spurs gained high-quality space-type inside Olynick

Spurs won: Kelly Olynick

Wizards won: Marachie Blanham, Blake Wesley, 2026 second round pick (the lowest pick among the Mavericks, 76ers and the Thunder)

Spurs rating: B

Olynick brought a new dimension to the Spurs. This team previously only had Wenban Yama, an inside player with an outside shooting ability, with an outside shot. Olynick, who is 2.11 meters tall, can not only partner with Wenban Yama, but also form a frontcourt combination with new player Cornett. His three-point shooting percentage this season and his career three-point shooting percentage of 37% can effectively open up the opening space.

Wenban Yama itself is an extremely threatening three-point shooter, averaging 3 three-pointers this season and a three-point shooting percentage of 35%. But the Spurs would rather Vampan Yama participate in offensive tactics than simply acting as a fixed-point pitcher. Olynick's joining allows the Spurs to maintain their position in the five-in-one position during tactical execution. Considering that Lotto rookies Castle and Dylan Harper are not space players, this reinforcement is particularly important.

The subtext of this deal is that the Spurs are beginning to take their competitiveness improvement seriously next season. This means that the team can no longer leave room for growth for 2022 first-round picks Blanham and Wesley, who have not made substantial contributions to the team's victory so far. This season, they only played 1,100 minutes in total (the total playing time of the two in the 2023-24 season is nearly 2,500 minutes), and have gradually fallen out of the rotation lineup.

What is more intriguing is the impact of this deal on another Spurs' first-round pick Jeremy Sohan in 2022. The 19-year-old rookie who started 53 games in the season was once regarded as the Spurs' future core, but lost his starting position after being injured in January this year. If Olynick proves that he can better help the Spurs achieve their first playoff breakthrough since 2019, will Sohan completely fall out of the rotation of coach Mickey Johnson? This possibility is worth paying attention to, especially as Sohan is about to enter the final year of his rookie contract.

Wizards Rating: B

Wizards have always been a career transfer station for Olynick. The inside player was traded by the Pelicans to the Wizards together with McCollum, and the deal was not officially completed until last Sunday. It is logical to send Olynick to a more competitive team with many veterans such as McCollum.

Whether Branham and Wesley can stay in the Wizards for a long time is still unknown. Currently, the Wizards have 15 players with guaranteed contracts, plus Justin Champany (although his salary of $2.3 million is not guaranteed, he has basically locked in the lineup). When the roster needs to be reduced to 15 players before the regular season begins, the Wizards must make a choice. Of the two players, Wesley is more likely to enter the Wizards rotation. Blanham's playing time has decreased year by year since he averaged 10.2 points per game in the rookie season; Wesley has surpassed his playing time this season, showing his potential as a ball-holder and playmaker. If he can improve his scoring efficiency, he will be more valuable.

Original text: Kevin Pelton

Compiled by: Li Taibai