Grading the trade of two separate moves, the Suns' trade for Brandon Knight and the Suns' trade of Isaiah Thomas to Boston. Both moves taken together to put the trades in context of one another. For more, check out the Suns' move of Goran Dragic to Miami in our Grade the Trade. 

PHOENIX SUNS RECEIVE BRANDON KNIGHT, 2016 TOP-TEN PROTECTED FIRST-ROUND PICK VIA CLEVELAND, AND MARCUS THORNTON

SEND ISAIAH THOMAS, TYLER ENNIS, MILES PLUMLEE, LAKERS' 2015 TOP-FIVE PROTECTED 1ST-ROUND PICK

GRADE: B-PLUS

This goes hand-in-hand with the Suns' trade of Goran Dragic to Miami for Danny Granger (who they will buy out, according to reports), John Salmons (who they will buy out, according to reports), and two first-round picks from the Heat. You have to consider the whole series of moves for them to get a feel for it.

The Suns cleared their point guard decks outside of Eric Bledsoe. If Dragic and Thomas were ball-dominant guards, Dragic a pure point and Thomas a pure-scoring-point, Knight is a supremely better fit at combo guard. Knight is shooting 40 percent from three this year, is athletic, has good vision and has been Milwaukee's best player this season.

He's losing the ball in his hands from, and there are indications he'd rather play point guard. But there's no reason he and Bledsoe can't thrive to the same degree that Dragic and Bledsoe did, just in a different manner. He can play more off-ball, and will get his run of the team when Bledsoe sits. In an up-tempo system, Knight can really do some damage, and he'll have a fellow Kentucky Wildcat alongside him in Knight.

The Suns are going to need to find another point guard (seriously, read that and realize how crazy today was) because they traded their backup and their backup backup. Ennis was movable, and Thomas was a bad fit it turns out. (File that under "Things it would have been nice to know before they signed him and wound up pushing Dragic out because of it before trading both of them.") This gives them a more stable rotation and they clearly traded Knight with the idea that they'll pay him in restricted free agency.

This was a huge gamble, but they were up against the wall after floating Thomas' name so heavily and then following Dragic' indication he wouldn't re-sign. They can keep Knight, a player they want who can still play the dual-point system they run. Whatever Knight makes in restricted free agency will still be less than what Dragic will make this summer, and if Dragic was leaving anyway, they were likely to overpay for a replacement if they traded Thomas. It's asset management.

Marcus Thornton still has the ability to knock down shots which is big for Phoenix and in Hornacek's system, he could thrive. Thornton's on an $8 million expiring contract, so they're not stuck with him by any measure. Picking up another big would have been helpful, but mostly this was about saving themselves from disaster due to their point guard situation.

The biggest hit is losing the Lakers' pick, which has a very good chance of going top-ten in this draft. But the Lakers are very much in line to finish inside that top-five, and instead the Suns get a sure-fire late first-rounder.

MILWAUKEE BUCKS RECEIVE MICHAEL CARTER-WILLIAMS, TYLER ENNIS, AND MILES PLUMLEE

SEND BRANDON KNIGHT

GRADE: B

Two birds in the bush is apparently worth more than one in the hand. If point guards are birds, I mean.

The Bucks apparently decided they didn't want to go "in" with this core. With Jabari Parker out for the year and Giannis Antetokounmpo just barely out of his teens, the Bucks are in no hurry. Knight was going to put them in a tough spot, either having to commit big money to a point guard they apparently weren't sold on, or overpay for a veteran replacement. They have the veterans to continue on their run this season (Jerryd Bayless) and now they get a pure point in Michael Carter-Williams. Williams is a brilliant passer, defender, and athlete who can't shoot -- so Jason Kidd's going to love him.

Ennis has unknown potential, we haven't gotten to see him at the pro level. Plumlee had a good season last year and with the Bucks about to buy out Larry Sanders, they need another center to go with Zaza Pachulia. With MCW, Giannis, Bayless, and John Henson, the Bucks have all of the running athleticism. They can likely still make the playoffs this year and while they're not as dangerous as they were before trading Knight, they also don't care much about that.

This was about the future, and while Knight earned whatever money they would have given them, it's hard to blame them for looking at the bigger picture. Not giving up a pick was nice, too.

BOSTON CELTICS RECEIVE ISAIAH THOMAS

CELTICS SEND 2016 CAVALIERS' PROTECTED FIRST-ROUND PICK

GRADE: A

The Celtics get the highest-profile name in the two deals, landing the firebug Thomas to run their up-tempo style offense. Thomas is an ISO-heavy guard who has trouble running the offense and settling down, and is a defensive issue not because of skill or effort but just because of size.

But Thomas is also an emotional leader and a guy who can step up and make plays. He's going to rack up numbers in Boston and run the system well. He and Marcus Smart will work well in a combo-guard lineup and Thomas will set up Kelly Olynyk exceptionally well. They moved one of their picks, which is too bad, but they also have about 1,100 left. Thornton wasn't a long-term option for them and if the Celtics manage to get a guy like Karl Towns or Jahlil Okafor in the draft, Boston will be in good shape with a starting point guard. Thomas' deal is cap friendly so they can move him again if they need to move him.

Boston got a guy who helps them. This is a win.

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS RECEIVE LAKERS' TOP-FIVE PROTECTED FIRST-ROUND PICK

SIXERS SEND MICHAEL CARTER-WILLIAMS

GRADE: C-MINUS WITH POSSIBILITY OF IT LOOKING LIKE AN A-PLUS LATER

This is my shocked face. The Sixers traded good players and all they got back was a pick. I am stunned. Look at how surprised I am.

But no, the Sixers did what they do. They had wanted to get rid of MCW for over a year, despite him winning Rookie of the Year. The K.J. McDaniels to Houston trade seems borderline criminal, but they didn't give much up in this. The Sixers just kicked the can down the road. They added more picks (along with the other 40 they've traded for).

The Lakers are a horrible team with Kobe Bryant out for the season, Julius Randle out for the season, Nick Young their best remaining player, and he's clashing with his coach. There's no upside for them, so it's very possible they keep the pick in the top-five. If so, it becomes top-three protected the next season in 2016. The Lakers could very well be terrible again next year if they swing out in free agency. If that happens, the Sixers could wind up with at-worst a lottery pick, and possible a top-five pick. That's great return for the worst Rookie of the Year of the past decade.

But it's still the Rookie of the Year. It was a good player. The Sixers punted, again, kicking the can down the road. You don't have to start building until you're ready, and MCW has his warts. But you just get the feeling that the Sixers are so obsessed with the process that they're throwing out good results.

If that Lakers pick turns into a great player, then well-done, it was worth it. But the inherent value of trading Carter-Williams for another player they'll have to develop in the future is disappointing. It's not a disaster. But it's not great.

The well-traveled Brandon Knight is headed to Phoenix. (Getty Images)
The well-traveled Brandon Knight is headed to Phoenix. (Getty)