Two seasons ago, Dontell Jefferson earned a call-up to the Charlotte Bobcats, Walter Sharpe was beginning his NBA career after being selected as a second-round pick by the Detroit Pistons and Lance Allred (pictured) was just a year removed from becoming the first ever legally deaf player to play in the NBA after earning a call-up to the Cleveland Cavaliers.Today, the three will all be finding new homes in the NBA Development League as teams begin to tinker with their roster less than two weeks into the regular season.
In what will amount to being a three-way trade and then a separate two-way trade, the Utah Flash will trade Jefferson along with New Orleans Hornets' Summer League forward Carlos Wheeler to the Idaho Stampede for Allred and the Dakota Wizards' 2011 second-round pick in the D-League Draft. In return, Dakota will receive Sharpe, who was selected by the Stampede with the first of the second round in this year's draft.
Neither Allred or Wheeler have played in the D-League this season, though both are expected to report to their new teams upon official completion of the trade which will take place when Wheeler signs a new contract with the league.
In Jefferson, the Stampede get one of the top defensive point guards in the D-League to pair with the sharpshooting Salim Stoudamire in the backcourt. After surrendering an average of over 113 points per game during their 0-3 start, Jefferson's defensive instincts will definitely be appreciated. Jefferson played in just two of Utah's first three games as the Flash chose to lean on the talented trio of Orien Greene, Kevin Kruger and Andre Ingram for their point guard rotation.
As deep as the Flash are in the backcourt, they haven't had a true big man, leading to 6-foot-9 Brandon Costner starting at the center position in their most recent game. In trading for Allred, they get a veteran D-League center who knows the ins and outs of the Development League after spending the last four seasons with the Idaho Stampede. His best season, statistically, came in 2007-08 when he averaged 16.2 points and 10 rebounds on his way to a call-up. Allred played with the Indiana Pacers this preseason, then chose to begin the regular season in Greece before returning to the D-League after three games with Marousi BC. Allred will play just a half hour from his family home and also returns to the state where he played his college basketball at the University of Utah as well as Weber State.
The Dakota Wizards just recently won their first game in the D-League after starting the season 0-4, leading to the addition of Sharpe. The 32nd overall pick of the 2008 NBA Draft, the 6-foot-9 Sharpe played just eight games with the Detroit Pistons before being released and being out of basketball last season. For the Stampede, Sharpe averaged 19.7 points and 9.7 rebounds in a team-high 39.3 minutes of action.Both trades are expected to become official later Monday.
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