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Cleveland Cavaliers: Trade Grades

Kyle Korver

1/16/2017

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Click here for link to Atlanta Hawks Trade Grades

Cavaliers get:
 SG/SF Kyle Korver
Hawks get: SG/SF Mike Dunleavy, PG Mo Williams, protected 2019 first-rounder

I must say, Korver is the exact type of acquisition that the Cavs needed if they are to defend their crown this season. In the wake of SG J.R Smith's fractured thumb, which could keep him out almost until the end of the regular season, Cleveland could really use some fortifications in wing depth and three-point shooting. This is especially so if the Cavs planned to continue with their "drive-and-kick" offense template with LeBron and open up the floor for their stars.

Korver, though 35 now, fits his niche on the Cavs' offense perfectly, averaging 9.5 points and knocking down 1.2 threes per game at a very efficient 40.9% clip from long range; that number only rises to 49% on "wide open" threes as classified by NBA.com -- looks that Korver could very well see plenty of with opposing defenses often distracted by the Cleveland superstars. Furthermore, Korver represents no financial burden, being on an expiring $5.2 million deal.

However, Dunleavy (traded to Atlanta here) was connecting on 1.3 threes per game at a 35.1% clip -- 5.8 percentage points lower. A considerable margin, no doubt, but was it really worth coughing up a future first-rounder on Cleveland's part? It should be made clear that although Cavs GM David Griffin was targeting the right guy in Korver, acquiring him was by no means a steal of a deal.

Grade: B/B+
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Channing Frye

6/22/2016

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Trade Grades
Click here for link to Orlando Magic Trade Grades
Click here for link to Portland Trail Blazers Trade Grades

Cavaliers get: 
PF Channing Frye
Magic get: 
SG Jared Cunningham, second-round pick
Blazers get: 
C/PF Anderson Varejao (waived), top-10 protected 2018 first-rounder (via Cleveland)

That first-rounder was pretty much the last tradeable asset the Cavs had, so they better hope this current roster configuration works out this time. Dumping Varejao's unsightly 2 year/$20 million contract, considering his averages of 2.6 points and 2.9 rebounds per game, is certainly a plus.

But Frye is really the player to evaluate here, and his 3 year/$20.5 million contract, while pricey, isn't quite so outrageous like Varejao's. His raw stats of 5.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per game point towards a down year; however, according to advanced statistics, Frye is putting up 10.9 points and 6.7 rebounds per game with a solid true shooting percentage mark of 58.6%. Frye is an efficient stretch-four that is an optimal fit to play next to LeBron.

​While that sounds all well and good, the Cavs really did have bigger needs than another stretch four (isn't that supposed to be your job, Kevin Love?). Between Love, PF/C Tristan Thompson, C Timofey Mozgov, and LeBron often shifting over to power forward, another big man was much more of a want rather than a need. On the other hand, the wing depth is surprisingly thin behind SG/SF's Iman Shumpert and J.R Smith, and that should have been the primary need for Cleveland's front office to address. Oh well.


Grade: B+
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Brendan Haywood

6/22/2016

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Trade Grades
Click here for link to Portland Trail Blazers Trade Grades

Trail Blazers get: C/PF Brendan Haywood (waived), SF/SG Mike Miller, 2019 and 2020 second-round picks from Cleveland
Cavaliers get: cash considerations, $10.5 million trade exception, $2.85 million trade exception

The who-gets-what that you see above might be a little confusing, so let me explain: this trade was a salary dump by the Cavs, plain and simple. On a side note, Haywood was waived by Portland for financial reasons, meaning he is a free agent and no longer on the team. Cleveland also did this deal for financial reasons, namely for those two hefty trade exceptions that you see above. The numbers are derived from the players’ contracts that the Cavs traded away, Haywood with a $10.5 million deal, and Miller at $2.85 million. With a $10.5 million trade exception, Cleveland can acquire a player, only via trade, with a contract up to $10.5 million, and have it not count against the salary cap. For a team that is always working against the luxury tax and constantly looking to make improvements,those exceptions (which cannot be combined into one larger trade exception) are absolutely huge. If GM David Griffin fails to acquire a quality player within a year (when they expire), then the Cavs just lost two role players and a couple future draft picks for nothing. However, for a guy that has made something out of nothing in the past, we’ll trust that he can make something out of something.

Grade: A
​
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Tyus Jones

6/22/2016

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Trade Grades
Click here for link to Minnesota Timberwolves Trade Grades

Timberwolves get: Draft rights to PG Tyus Jones (#24 pick)
Cavaliers get: Draft rights to: SG Cedi Osman (#31) , PF/C Rakeem Christmas (#36)

Did the Cavaliers need to make this trade? No, absolutely not. In fact, keeping Jones would’ve been an optimal fit in Cleveland, as he would have been the perfect backup to superstar PG Kyrie Irving. However, the Cavaliers decided that they had holes to fill elsewhere, and made an excellent trade value-wise by shipping off the outstanding Duke PG for two intriguing prospects.

Jones has all the makings of a pure and true point guard. He has an elite basketball I.Q, knowing when to shoot and when to pass, and excelling at both. His passing vision is second to none, and he can score in any way: three-pointers, slashing, off the dribble, etc. The Duke standout is also very tough, not to mention his ability to make clutchshots. Though he lacks some physical tools that other prospects boast, nor does he have much quickness or speed, the reigning NCAA Tournament MVP can make an impact both immediately and has high upside long-term. He would’ve competed, and probably defeated, Matthew Dellavedova for minutes at backing up superstar PG Kyrie Irving. However, we all know that Delly is a serviceable backup point guard, and you can’t blame the Cavaliers for prioritizing their wing and their frontcourt.

Osman is one of those guys that really can play three positions for you: PG, SG, and SF. He has great size at 6’6” for wherever he is in the lineup, and can distribute the basketball with the best of them. He’s also always playing 110% at all times with a high motor, and has a great feel for the game overall. However, the #1 pick of round 2 lacks a three-point shot, and also lacks physical tools such as strength and athleticism. The lack of a jumper might be an issue when playing next to LeBron, but Osman still has a skillset that the Cavaliers can utilize well.

Christmas boasts elite length (7’3” wingspan) and athleticism, which help him in becoming an outstanding defender. He also puts his length and athleticism to use in rebounding, which he excels at as well. His offensive game, the jump-shot in particular, needs work, but he has steadily improved and features an incomplete yet rapidly growing post game. Christmas will also need to play with more effort on both ends of the court, and lacks some fundamentals as well. Above all, he’s 23 years old, making his upside and ability to develop that much smaller, as he’s a few years older than most other prospects. However, Cleveland isn’t focused on long-term upside given their title contender status, and would rather just have immediate impact players.

I love almost everything about this trade for Cleveland: the value in getting #31 and #36 for #24 in general, the selection of the prospects, as both Osman and Christmas were minor steals considering where they were drafted, and the financial motivations: fortifying your rotation with uber-cheap rookie deals is the perfect strategy, considering all of the Cavaliers’ salary cap troubles. It’s far too simple-minded to just look at how the Cavs gave up the reigning tournament MVP for a pair of second-rounders, as once you think a little deeper, this is an excellent trade for Cleveland.

Grade: A-
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