PYEONGCHANG 2018
OUTLOOK BRIGHT AS CANADA BEGINS GAMES WITH PERHAPS ITS BEST OLYMPIC TEAM EVER.
When the Cleveland Cavaliers began their NBA trade deadline day with a stunning deal sending Isaiah Thomas to the Los Angeles Lakers, the reaction from around the league wasn’t exactly positive.
“Cleveland helped the Lakers get LeBron ( James),” texted one executive.
The Cavaliers entered the day knowing they needed to make at least one deal before the deadline passed. After a month of losing and infighting, blowout losses and damaging stories about the state of the locker- room and the relationship between James and owner Dan Gilbert, no team in the league required more of a shake-up.
Still, few expected this much of a shake-up, and for it to begin with a trade with the Lakers, a move that could potentially help lure James and another star to Los Angeles this summer. But after the initial confusion over the Cavs shipping Thomas west for two young players, Cleveland kept dealing — and the picture grew clearer.
Over the course of an hour, the Cavs brought in Rodney Hood from the Utah Jazz and George Hill from the Sacramento Kings to go with the acquisitions of Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. from the Lakers, shipping out Thomas, Channing Frye, Jae Crowder, Derrick Rose, Iman Shumpert, Dwyane Wade and the team’s 2018 first-round pick.
The result? The Cavaliers are once again the favourites to return to the NBA Finals in the Eastern Conference after remaking their roster with a desperately needed blend of youth, athleticism, shooting and defence.
Outside of Cleveland, Thursday’s deadline was a dud. A few deals were made, mostly spare parts exchanged for secondround picks or bad teams taking flyers on former lottery picks ( Emmanuel Mudiay to the New York Knicks and Elfrid Payton to the Phoenix Suns).
The Toronto Raptors sent fringe prospect Bruno Caboclo to Sacramento for G- League guard Malachi Richardson, a move designed mostly to free up cash to sign potential veterans expected to be bought out of their contracts in the coming days.
Otherwise, it was much ado about nothing.
Two hotly discussed players, DeAndre Jordan and Avery Bradley, remained with the Los Angel- es Clippers, who will try to make the playoffs after agreeing to a contract extension with Lou Williams on Wednesday. Even pieces such as Tyreke Evans and Marco Belinelli — players widely expected to move — wound up staying with the Memphis Grizzlies and Atlanta Hawks, respectively. Across the league, teams decided it was worth hanging on to such players.
That wasn’t the case in Cleveland. The Cavaliers, knowing they needed to do something to help convince James to stay, decided to swing for the fences.
Before the moves, though, there was confusion about what Cleveland was trying to accomplish. By taking on Clarkson and Nance, the Cavaliers gave the Lakers the ability to approach US$ 70 million in cap room this summer ( assuming they stretch the remaining US$36 million on Luol Deng’s contract and don’t keep Julius Randle). That will have Los Angeles easily within striking distance of being able to offer max contracts to both James and Oklahoma City Thunder star Paul George. It’s a scenario the Lakers have been gam- ing out for over a year.
But the Cavaliers clearly decided they weren’t going to waste what could be James’ final season in Cleveland. By making deals for young players with years remaining on their contracts, they also are able to provide James with pieces that can help them if he chooses to re-sign.
On a team with an aging roster and little athleticism, adding a trio of 25- year- olds ( Clarkson, Nance and Hood) will feel like a breath of fresh air.
Clarkson is averaging 14.5 points per game and three assists this season, and while he’s only a career 33- per- cent threepoint shooter, the combo guard gives Cleveland a dimension in its backcourt it previously didn’t have.
Nance is a good defensive big who has the ability to play above the rim and may be a better starting option than Tristan Thompson. Either way, the Cavaliers got a much- needed boost to what has been one of the worst defences in the league this season.
Hood had fallen out of favour in Utah, but he is precisely the kind of player that has always thrived alongside James. The swingman was averaging 16.8 points per game for the Jazz this season while shooting 38.9 per cent from three- point range — a number that could easily go up playing with the Cavaliers.