There are no doubters left on the DeAndre Hopkins trade, if there ever were.
MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference was last week and the Arizona Cardinals won a big award.
The team was awarded the Transaction of the Year for their trade for DeAndre Hopkins.
From the team:
The Arizona Cardinals acquisition of All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins has received the Alpha Award for “Best Sports Transaction of the Year” from the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. The announcement was made at the group’s 2021 gathering on Friday.
In March of last year, the Cardinals agreed to a trade with the Houston Texans that brought Hopkins and a 2020 fourth-round pick to Arizona in exchange for running back David Johnson, a 2020 second-round pick and a 2021 fourth-round pick.
During his first season with the Cardinals in 2020, Hopkins was voted to his fifth Pro Bowl, earned second-team All-Pro honors and established a single-season franchise record with 115 receptions. He tied for second in the NFL in both catches and 100-yard games (seven) while his 1,407 receiving yards ranked third in the league last season. His game-winning TD catch in the closing seconds vs. Buffalo – the unforgettable “Hail Murray” play – was also selected as the 2020 Bridgestone Clutch Performance Play of the Year at NFL Honors in February.
The Alpha Award is presented annually for the previous year’s best transaction across all sports as voted upon by the Sloan Sports Conference Board of Directors.
The two-day Boston-based event – which took place in a virtual format this year – provides a forum for top industry professionals to discuss the role of analytics in sports.
Previous “Transaction of the Year” Award Winners
Year Team Player Acquired/Traded
2020 New York Yankees D.J. LeMahieu
2019 Oakland Raiders Khalil Mack
2018 Houston Rockets Chris Paul
2017 Golden State Warriors Kevin Durant
2016 Leicester City Claudio Ranieri & Robert Huth
2015 Los Angeles Kings Marián Gáborík
2014 Boston Red Sox Jake Peavy
2013 Los Angeles Clippers Chris Paul
Let’s give Steve Keim credit for being able to continue to make great trades.
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