By Remy Johnson
Nobody can ever call the NBA trade deadline boring again.
The Cleveland Cavaliers shook up their roster by trading away six of their players Thursday.
The Cavs traded Isaiah Thomas, Channing Frye and a 1st-round pick to the Lakers for Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. Cleveland then was involved in a three-team deal with the Kings and Jazz. The Cavs sent Derrick Rose and Jae Crowder to Utah and shipped Iman Shumpert to Sacramento while acquiring Rodney Hood and George Hill.
Just when you thought they were done, Cleveland sent Dwyane Wade back to Miami for a heavily protected 2nd-round pick.
The Cavaliers are 32-22, which puts them third in the East, but only three games separate them from being 7th in the conference.
It was evident that the Cavs needed to make some moves but nobody thought they would be this active.
Cavaliers-Lakers Trade Breakdown
It’s a shame that Isaiah Thomas laced up his sneakers only 15 times this season before he was traded.
He was looked at to be the guy that could replace Kyrie Irving but the Cavs quickly found out that wasn’t the case. Thomas came back from hip surgery in January and didn’t look like anything close to the player we saw in Boston last year.
He has the worst net rating of any player averaging at least 15 minutes, (minus 8.8) and the Cavs averaged 17.5 points more per 100 possessions with him on the bench.
He’s averaging 36-percent shooting from the field and an awful 25-percent shooting from deep.
Simply put: the Cavs made the right move by trading him.
They brought in two 25-year-olds in Clarkson and Nance who both possess great athleticism.
While Clarkson has issues shooting the ball, he’s a better defender than Thomas. (Who isn’t)
Clarkson’s effectiveness off the ball will be a big thing to watch when he’s on the floor with LeBron but he should be fine in a reserve role.
Nance isn’t the shooter that Channing Frye is and probably never will be but he’s an active body who can make plays above the rim.
The Cavs got younger and more athletic with this trade, which is a step in the right direction.
Verdict: Good Trade
Cavs-Jazz-Kings Trade Breakdown
Along with Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder and Derrick Rose also experienced a short-lived tenure in Cleveland.
The Cavs brought in Crowder for his defensive abilities but he wasn’t enough to turn around an atrocious defense.
The team had hoped Derrick Rose could provide a spark off the bench, but an ankle injury he suffered in October halted any momentum he had.
George Hill will help the Cavs in terms of perimeter defense and he’s good in catch-and-shoot situations, averaging 47-percent from deep, according to NBA.com.
Rodney Hood is a versatile wing who can shoot the three, defend, and put the ball on the floor to create opportunities for himself or others.
While there were some risks with these moves, on paper, I’d have to say that the Cavs came out looking good.
Verdict: Good Trade
Cavs-Heat Trade Breakdown
I saw this move coming from a mile away.
I knew that Dwyane Wade would end up in a Heat jersey once again, but it comes as a mild surprise that the Cavs shipped him mid-season. Wade is averaging 11 points a game and could still help Miami in a reserve role come playoff time.
I can see LeBron James written all over this move. He wanted to send his good friend back home to Miami. Where he can live comfortably, without having to wear a big coat and snow boots. The Cavs also got a 2nd-round pick in the deal.
Not bad.
Verdict: Who wouldn’t want to go back to Miami??????? It’s cold in Cleveland!
Final Analysis
On the surface, all of these appear to be good moves. The Cavs got younger and deeper while addressing some of the glaring issues on the team.
However, if you check the calendar, you’ll realize that it says February.
Uh, yeah.
February is the middle of the NBA season, which means that the Cavs, who had little-to-no chemistry in the first half of the season, will have the same level of chemistry in the second half of the season.
This isn’t NBA 2K. You can’t just swap half of your active roster and expect everything to be back to normal.
Expect the Cavs to have growing pains once again.
I see Cleveland slipping to 5th in the conference, drawing a tough matchup with the Bucks, Wizards or Heat.
I don’t envision a LeBron James-led team losing in the first round, I wouldn’t put my money on seeing Cavs-Warriors part 4 in June.