Denver acquired Chris Whitney from Washington Wizards for George McCloud; $500K cash.
The Nuggets received Chris Whitney from Washington on October 24, 2002, sending George McCloud and $500,000 in cash. Both players were established veteran guards or wings, but the cash payment was a separate component of the Wizards' return. Denver wanted a ball-handler it could put into its backcourt without waiting for a draft choice to mature. Washington accepted a different veteran and money instead of another future-player contingency.
Whitney had a history as an NBA point guard, which gave Denver a recognizable roster function from its incoming player. The Nuggets needed organizational depth and an experienced distributor at a moment when their roster was changing. This did not create a new primary franchise guard for years, but it supplied a professional option the club could use in the near term. The B- grade recognizes that targeted utility without inflating it into a landmark transaction.
George McCloud brought existing NBA wing experience to Washington, while the $500,000 was an immediate, separately quantifiable financial return. It wasn't an unexercised second-round pick, and the money shouldn't be erased simply because it didn't score points. The Wizards' C acknowledges both items but assigns Denver the stronger completed basketball return from Whitney's ability to fill a defined point-guard need. The deal stayed small in scope for both clubs.
Nuggets Win. Denver earns B- for acquiring veteran guard Chris Whitney, while Washington receives C for George McCloud and $500,000. The Wizards collected a cash benefit, but the Nuggets gained the more useful immediate backcourt player in the recorded comparison.