DeAndre Hopkins trade wins honor at Sloan Sports Analytics Conference

Trading for DeAndre Hopkins sent shockwaves throughout the NFL landscape as soon as Arizona Cardinals GM Steve Keim pulled off the deal.

Turns out, the trade that sent David Johnson, a second-round pick and a 2021 fourth-round pick to the Houston Texans for Hopkins and a fourth-round pick was named the Transaction of the Year at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference on Friday.

Hopkins was an instant difference maker for the Cardinals, racking up more than 10 catches and more than 100 yards in two of his first three games with his new team.

When all was said and done, he finished with a franchise record 115 catches, seven 100-yard games, was voted to his fifth Pro Bowl and named Second Team All-Pro.

The transaction was named the Alpha Award winner at the conference, which takes into consideration transactions from all sports, including major European soccer.

Previous winners of the award include two trades that involved current Phoenix Suns starting point guard Chris Paul when he was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in 2013 and the Houston Rockets in 2018.

The award was given to the New York Yankees in 2020 for their trade to pick up infielder D.J. LeMahieu.

The Oakland Raiders are the only other NFL team to win the award for their 2019 trade of Khalil Mack to the Chicago Bears, which began in 2013.

In that trade, the Bears gave away two first-round picks, a third-round pick and a sixth-round pick.

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