On late Saturday afternoon, a negotiation that had been in the works since shortly after the draft ended finally came to fruition, signifying what may be the biggest blockbuster deal in league history. The trade sends big man Michael Chiste to play with his boys in the Mile High City, rookie Brandon Buchanan to a rebuilding Raptors team desperate for a sign of new life, and three-time champion Andrew Owers to be reunited with Casey McClure & Marc Ortiz for the first time since their championship days in Philadelphia. One could argue that all three teams involved are improved as a result of the compromise.

The Raptors have had a brutal start to the season. A mysterious non-contact injury to their General Manager Rob Wonyetye was a morale killer, not to mention the crushing 19-point defeat at the hands of the up-and-coming Blazers. Overall, Toronto needed change and sending away a washed up Andrew Owers for a young athletic rookie in Brandon Buchanan could have a positive impact on the energy this team needs to make a comeback this season. Although we have had what can barely be considered a sample of Buchanan’s play this year, Lakers GM Rob Burns has only had positive things to say about the rookie, specifically complimenting his hustle and team-first mentality. Additionally, Buchanan may be able to take on some serious ball handling obligations on his new team, as the Raptors are struggling to find a consistent backcourt presence thus far. Clearly, Buchanan’s role on his new team will be drastically different from that on his prior organization, as he leaves the defending champs for a team looking to rebuild two games into the season. Buchanan should not have to wait long to play against the team that dealt him away, as Denver and Toronto are scheduled to play in the late game on the Father’s Day special tonight.

The Nuggets’ plan to bring in their big man rookie Michael Chiste was ruined on draft day when veteran GM Casey McClure unexpectedly snagged him in the fourth round. Clearly, Miami has a knowledgeable scouting team. However, with this trade going through, John Mollica now has the team he envisioned going into the season. With Chiste, we’ve had just as small of a sample of his play as we have Buchanan’s, but the consensus around the league is Chiste has a lot of potential. There is no question that he alongside Brandon Kemmerer will create a dominating twin-tower-like force in the paint. The Nuggets, who were already the favorite to repeat as champs, may just have gotten even stronger.

Andrew Owers was probably the most ecstatic about the trade. Upon receiving the call from his long-time best friend and Miami Heat General Manager Casey McClure, the former league MVP stated he was “so happy to be coming to Miami.” In fact, just moments later, Owers, Casey, & league commissioner Mike McClure literally departed for the actual city of Miami to celebrate. The Pirates lost to the Marlins despite Owers’s relentless heckling of the Marlins’ center-fielder, but the important thing was Owers was a part of the Miami Heat organization. Andrew’s arrival to the Heat also adds to the Heat’s “OG” identity. Currently, there are eight active players in the league that played in the BGBL’s 2013 inaugural season. Six of those eight players are playing for the Miami Heat (McClure, Owers, Ortiz, Mesches, McClure, & Gannon). On top of that, this team is the first team in league history to contain three former league MVPs (Mesches, McClure, & Owers). Although the 2019 Miami Heat are nearly equivalent to the 2013 BGBL All-Star team, in today’s league, a championship would be no cake walk. However, the sentiment amongst the organization is Andrew Owers’s presence greatly increases their chances of bringing the city of Miami its first ever title.