One Trade That Every Team Should Do
Cleveland gets: PG Pablo Prigioni, SF Travis Wear
New York gets: C Brendan Haywood, 2015 second-rounder (less favorable of Portland or Chicago)
Finances: Not much to see here. Prigioni has 2 years and $3.4 million remaining on his deal, fair numbers for someone of his level. Haywood has a very odd sort of contract, but all-in-all it’s pretty much just an expiring $2.2 million deal, and Wear’s deal is worth just $500,000 and ends after this season. Prigioni’s $1.7 million could be a factor in an offseason where Cleveland will be working against the cap, though it is such a small number that it likely won’t be an issue. Nothing to see here. Move along.
The Fit: Cleveland has long been in the market for a backup point guard to Kyrie Irving, and although there are better names on the trading block, namely PG Jameer Nelson (DEN), the only real asset the Cavaliers have to part with is that second-round pick, likely not enough to net themselves Nelson. Prigioni is a solid consolation prize, however, as he is averaging 5 points, 2.5 assists, and 1 three in just 18.5 minutes per contest. He can run the second-unit when Irving needs a breather, and should Irving go down with an injury, Prigioni can step up as a temporary starter, while superstar SF/PF LeBron James would do most of the ball-handling and distributing, anyways. Prigioni addresses a need for Cleveland, and could be the final piece in their quest for the championship.
Why the other team does it: President Phil Jackson has been aggressively trying to clear the books for this offseason in an effort to maximize cap room in an effort to go all-in towards signing big name free agents, and Prigioni will likely just be another domino to fall in that attempt. Even that small $1.7 million could take away precious cap space for a team that is competing for the league’s worst record, and netting a second-rounder for him doesn’t hurt, either. Wear means next to nothing in this trade, and Haywood’s deal expires at season’s end anyways. Should Cleveland be willing to cough up their last draft pick in the foreseeable future in exchange for Prigioni, Jackson shouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger.
Cleveland gets: PG Pablo Prigioni, SF Travis Wear
New York gets: C Brendan Haywood, 2015 second-rounder (less favorable of Portland or Chicago)
Finances: Not much to see here. Prigioni has 2 years and $3.4 million remaining on his deal, fair numbers for someone of his level. Haywood has a very odd sort of contract, but all-in-all it’s pretty much just an expiring $2.2 million deal, and Wear’s deal is worth just $500,000 and ends after this season. Prigioni’s $1.7 million could be a factor in an offseason where Cleveland will be working against the cap, though it is such a small number that it likely won’t be an issue. Nothing to see here. Move along.
The Fit: Cleveland has long been in the market for a backup point guard to Kyrie Irving, and although there are better names on the trading block, namely PG Jameer Nelson (DEN), the only real asset the Cavaliers have to part with is that second-round pick, likely not enough to net themselves Nelson. Prigioni is a solid consolation prize, however, as he is averaging 5 points, 2.5 assists, and 1 three in just 18.5 minutes per contest. He can run the second-unit when Irving needs a breather, and should Irving go down with an injury, Prigioni can step up as a temporary starter, while superstar SF/PF LeBron James would do most of the ball-handling and distributing, anyways. Prigioni addresses a need for Cleveland, and could be the final piece in their quest for the championship.
Why the other team does it: President Phil Jackson has been aggressively trying to clear the books for this offseason in an effort to maximize cap room in an effort to go all-in towards signing big name free agents, and Prigioni will likely just be another domino to fall in that attempt. Even that small $1.7 million could take away precious cap space for a team that is competing for the league’s worst record, and netting a second-rounder for him doesn’t hurt, either. Wear means next to nothing in this trade, and Haywood’s deal expires at season’s end anyways. Should Cleveland be willing to cough up their last draft pick in the foreseeable future in exchange for Prigioni, Jackson shouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger.