3-WAY TRADE LANDS CAVS 2 PLAYERS, FIRSTROUND PICK
They also receive two players, part with veteran guard.
The Cavaliers’ stockpile of future assets grew significantly Tuesday night when a three-way trade with the Kings and Rockets netted two players and Houston’s lottery-protected first-round pick in 2019.
The Cavs sent guard Alec Burks and his expiring $11.5 million contract to Sacramento. The Rockets dealt guard Brandon Knight, forward Marquese Chriss and the first-round pick to Cleveland in exchange for guards Nik Stauskas and Wade Baldwin, both acquired in Sunday’s deal with the Trail Blazers for Rodney Hood. The Kings, meanwhile, sent guard Iman Shumpert to the Rockets.
A league source confirmed the terms first reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Cavs have now dealt Burks, Hood, Stauskas, Baldwin, Kyle Korver, Sam Dekker and George Hill and netted two first-round picks and six second-rounders, along with Knight, Chriss and John Henson. They are replenishing what was gutted to build a championship-caliber roster for four years with LeBron James, who departed in July for the Lakers after leading the Cavs to the 2016 title.
All the front office’s moves come with an eye toward the summer of 2020, when the Cavs’ big salaries will be off the books. During the rebuild, there is also the desire to stay under the luxury tax threshold, which is projected as $123.7 million this season.
The Cavs (11-43) also want to remain in contention for the No. 1 pick in the draft. The teams with the three worst records have a 14 percent chance of winning the top spot in the lottery. Going into Wednesday’s action, the Cavs had the third-worst mark behind the Knicks (1043) and Suns (11-44).
Burks, 27, had spent his entire career with the Jazz until he was traded to the Cavs on Nov. 29 in the Korver deal. After Tuesday’s home loss to the Celtics, he seemed unfazed by speculation he had played his last game in the wine and gold.
“I don’t believe in rumors until something happens,” Burks said. “If nothing happens, then I’m not going nowhere. If something happens, it happens. I enjoy my time here and hopefully it keeps going.”
Burks said he didn’t want to hear from his agent about what’s being discussed.
“Nah. Unless he’s telling me to get on a flight, that’s all I want to know,” Burks said.