The first trade of the day is in, as the Portland Trail Blazers have acquired Arron Afflalo and Alonzo Gee from the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Victor Claver, Thomas Robinson, Will Barton, and a lottery protected first-round draft pick, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.
The pick will be 2016 first-round lottery protected and will become a 2017 lottery protected pick if not conveyed, according to Wojnarowski. After that, it will become two future second-round picks.
The Los Angeles Clippers also had heavy interest in Arron Afflalo, but the Blazers were the only ones willing to squander a first-round pick for him.
Afflalo, 29, has been averaging 14.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game this season. He is expected to come off the bench in Portland as the backup for Wesley Matthews and Nicolas Batum.
The Blazers continue to shore up their bench, and Afflalo is a terrific addition, as the swingman could provide plenty of three-point shooting and perimeter defense.
For the Nuggets, it is unclear whether they will keep all the players they have received in this trade. Their goal was to get a first-round draft pick, and they got just that.
The Nuggets are still shopping Wilson Chandler for a first-round pick as well. They also continue to listen to offers for Ty Lawson but are unlikely to trade him.