New Orleans Solved a Point-Guard Need With Greivis Vasquez
The Christmas Eve 2011 swap was a straight player-for-player deal: New Orleans sent Quincy Pondexter to Memphis and received Greivis Vasquez. The Hornets were short on experienced point guards after the Chris Paul trade, and the move gave them an immediate ball-handler without spending another draft asset. Vasquez played all 66 games in the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season, started 26, then moved into the full-time starting job the next year. The transaction matched a clear roster need and quickly produced a larger role than New Orleans had been getting from Pondexter.
Vasquez Became a Full-Time Starter and a Major Creator
Vasquez's second New Orleans season created the gap in the deal. The Pelicans' franchise media guide credits him with 78 starts in 2012-13, 13.9 points per game and 704 assists. Across his two seasons with the franchise, he logged 144 games, 104 starts and 1,063 assists. He was not a franchise centerpiece, but New Orleans turned a reserve wing into a starting point guard who handled a large share of the offense and then retained trade value when the roster changed again in 2013.
Memphis Still Got Real Rotation Value From Pondexter
This was not a one-sided failure for Memphis. The Grizzlies' media guide credits Pondexter with 168 regular-season games over parts of four seasons, including 59 appearances in 2012-13 while shooting 39.5 percent from three. He fit the defensive, low-usage wing role Memphis needed around its core and was part of multiple playoff teams. Injuries later interrupted his run, but the Grizzlies received useful rotation minutes rather than an empty return. That is why the canonical B- is much more appropriate than treating the deal as a major loss.
The Difference Is Role, Production and Preserved Value
Both players helped their new teams, but Vasquez had the stronger realized outcome. New Orleans received a starter and lead passer for two seasons, then included him in the 2013 multi-team transaction that brought Tyreke Evans to the franchise. Pondexter was a useful wing in Memphis, yet he never held an equivalent offensive role and his availability became uneven. The canonical grades capture that distinction without exaggerating it: New Orleans won the exchange, while Memphis still received a credible contributor who fit its contending roster.
Final Verdict
Pelicans Win — Memphis B-, New Orleans A-. Greivis Vasquez became a full-time starter in New Orleans, produced 704 assists in 2012-13 and later retained value in the Tyreke Evans transaction. Quincy Pondexter gave Memphis legitimate wing depth, including a strong three-point season in 2012-13, so the Grizzlies did not come away empty. The difference is that Vasquez carried a much larger role and delivered more immediate creation before becoming another usable transaction asset. New Orleans earned the better result, but both teams received meaningful NBA value.