Cavaliers, Thunder shake things up with trade
Photo Credit: CSNPhilly.com
The Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder made a bold move on Monday night, executing a three-team trade that also included the New York Knicks. The Cavaliers acquired J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert from the Knicks, in addition to a protected first-round pick from Oklahoma City. The Thunder received Dion Waiters in the deal, while New York got the non-guaranteed contracts of Lance Thomas, Alex Kirk and Lou Amundson. The Knicks also received a 2019 second-round pick from Cleveland and waived Samuel Dalembert to create the necessary roster space.
The Cavaliers and Thunder both take on some risk in this deal. Smith and Waiters are cut from a similar cloth, as both are inconsistent chuckers with a little knucklehead in them. The positive for Cleveland is Smith has had some success in the past playing alongside Carmelo Anthony, and if he can buy into his new role as a spot-up shooter, perhaps he can flourish alongside LeBron James.
Shumpert is the real prize for the Cavaliers, because they badly needed a wing defender to help take pressure off James and Shawn Marion. Shumpert has shown the ability in the past to be a lock down defender, although he has battled inconsistency since he tore his ACL in 2012. Shumpert has also had his moments of competency on the offense end, but again, he has lacked consistency.
This isn’t a move that will save Cleveland, who just lost to the lowly Philadelphia 76ers without James and Irving. There are still gaping holes on the roster, and the Cavaliers are no longer the favorite to win the 2015 NBA title thanks to their recent issues, according to Bovada. But if the deal pans out, the Cavaliers have a useful young player in Shumpert and perhaps a rejuvenated Smith.
For the Thunder, Waiters could provide a jolt of scoring to the bench. Jeremy Lamb hasn’t panned out, and Reggie Jackson could be on the trade block in advance of his restricted free agency in the summer. Jackson was initially rumored to be a part of this trade, but that didn’t materialize.
However, Waiters was mostly terrible in Cleveland, and his ball-dominant style might not mesh with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. The ideal scenario is Waiters turning into a James Harden Lite, but the youngster needs to prove that he can be effective as a role player. Hijacking possessions from Durant and Westbrook wouldn’t be a good look.
While Oklahoma City is currently out of the postseason picture in the Western Conference, the consensus thinking is they’ll make a run and make the playoffs as long as they stay healthy. The Thunder’s 8/1 odds to win the title are fifth-best in the West even despite their sub-.500 record. Waiters could help improve those odds if he buys in, but things could easily go the other direction if he brings his Cleveland issues with him to Oklahoma City.
Finally, there’s New York. The Knicks entered this season with hopes of making the playoffs after a 37-45 debacle last season, but they’ve been a spectacular disaster this season. New York is 5-32 and has the worst record in the league, even worse than the blatantly tanking Philadelphia 76ers. This trade was a tanking move by the Knicks, and they could potentially lose 70 games if Carmelo Anthony shuts it down due to his knee injury.
Shumpert wasn’t coming back next year, and dumping Smith opens up more cap space for the summer. Waiving Dalembert saves money for this season, as does the waiving of the non-guaranteed contracts acquired in the deal. New York will have over $30 million in cap space next summer, in addition to a high draft pick that could net them a stud player like Jahlil Okafor. The trade also created trade exceptions worth $6 million and $2.6 million that also add flexibility.
It’s tough to say there’s a true winner in this trade, but each team has legitimate reasons for pulling off the deal. The Cavaliers and Thunder are taking a chance on young talent, while the Knicks are looking ahead to the future.
