The Ringer - Everything You Need to Know About the 2018 NBA Trade Deadline2018-02-12T06:20:02-05:00http://www.theringer.com/rss/stream/166374672018-02-12T06:20:02-05:002018-02-12T06:20:02-05:00The Cleveland Cavaliers Trade Deadline, a Drama in Three Acts
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<p>The Cavs had all the makings of a great drama: a moody king, a spurned and struggling soldier, and many anonymous sources. Behold this theatrical rendering of the events leading up to and through the deadline.</p> <h3 id="l0ywaG">Dramatis Personae </h3>
<p id="kfrKIe"><strong>King James</strong>,<strong> </strong>the ruler of the Land</p>
<p id="C1vzuv"><strong>Wade</strong>,<strong> </strong>the King’s oldest friend</p>
<p id="tKrDNc"><strong>Gilbert</strong>,<strong> </strong>a wealthy real estate speculator</p>
<p id="c6Tcxd"><strong>Love</strong>,<strong> </strong>a veteran soldier who is often blamed for defeats</p>
<p id="SDRGtY"><strong>Windhorst</strong>,<strong> </strong>a well-informed herald</p>
<p id="yMg8me"><strong>Isaiah</strong>,<strong> </strong>a struggling soldier</p>
<p id="EHw0cP"><strong>Smith</strong>,<strong> </strong>a mirthful soldier</p>
<p id="r0DqnO"><strong>Lue</strong>,<strong> </strong>captain of the armies</p>
<p id="C3RL4K"><strong>Tristan</strong>, husband of Khloé</p>
<p id="J52yLl"><strong>Crowder</strong>,<strong> </strong>a failed soldier</p>
<p id="wkTE7x"><strong>Altman</strong>,<strong> </strong>the young general of the armies </p>
<p id="lhFT19"><strong>Kyrie</strong>,<strong> </strong>the prince who escaped </p>
<p id="XTyP2K"><strong>The Sources</strong>,<strong> </strong>two anonymous informants</p>
<p id="apmWmi"><strong>Cavaliers Twitter</strong></p>
<h3 id="DGc0t4">Act I, Scene I </h3>
<p id="B4MP5x"><em><strong>The Quicken Loans Arena, after the Cavaliers have fallen to the Thunder, 148-124</strong></em></p>
<p id="D10pma"><em>Enter King James, Isaiah, Smith, Crowder, and Wade.</em></p>
<p id="q0W0pY"><strong>King James</strong></p>
<p id="KejFAk">Be still and be quiet lest hot words set our</p>
<p id="8AROWx">House aflame! Fire can forge a stronger steel</p>
<p id="SzQ6Ju">But let us take care! Gentle with each to</p>
<p id="Z5QYBt">Each must we good subjects be! Give your</p>
<p id="Fhf5Il">Shoulders to our burden or the weight of </p>
<p id="ZQ1yBZ">Defeat heaped upon defeat must be the</p>
<p id="0rKDA9">End of us. Sage Cleobulus praised moderation. </p>
<p id="PEuwdc">So should we moderate our passions</p>
<p id="VLMe1U">And seek not one person on whose neck to</p>
<p id="7jRTJG">Hang the blame. Mark you that banner of wine</p>
<p id="aMpfrX">And gold. Together, not yet two years prior, </p>
<p id="MXRYsp">We, in triumph, raised it. Together we shall</p>
<p id="eUtGG9">Raise another and another and another. </p>
<p id="6foucL">So speak! Speak! Do not hoard your thoughts like</p>
<p id="8qpKtz">Treasure. This day I am not your king, I am</p>
<p id="a6xSAL">Your brother. Speak! Who first?</p>
<p id="E7Tr1U"><em>Isaiah stands and raises his hand.</em></p>
<p id="F6pVPn"><strong>Isaiah</strong></p>
<p id="n3ddki">Friends, teammates, Cavaliers!</p>
<p id="qhViqI"><strong>Smith</strong></p>
<p id="HXaRqc">Who speaks? What apparition gives voice</p>
<p id="UlcHHs">Now? I hear words but see nothing! </p>
<p id="fnovdH"><strong>Tristan</strong></p>
<p id="EIAAuY">Aye! What sorcery! </p>
<p id="rjrbjf"><strong>Isaiah</strong></p>
<p id="KODlbE">Sweet friends, it is I! </p>
<p id="mRVs95"><strong>Smith</strong></p>
<p id="g6Q0Xg">Hark! There it is again! But who speaks these</p>
<p id="hiHKzb">Words? It is a ghost, I say! Woe! Woe!</p>
<p id="2yKDHE">The chasm between life and death is bridged! </p>
<p id="jyc0te">Flee, friends, flee! </p>
<p id="MYDEpK"><strong>Isaiah</strong></p>
<p id="Nhz73K">Nay! Nay! It is I, a man, your teammate!</p>
<p id="gm6uee">Here!</p>
<p id="NQqBjv"><strong>Tristan</strong></p>
<p id="dyc5mo">Nay, Smith. Look down there! The subject of our</p>
<p id="py4UKZ">Imagination!</p>
<p id="JFxPVX"><strong>Smith</strong></p>
<p id="DcJ0NU">Ah! I mark him, Tris. Young master, children</p>
<p id="RfGUPB">Are not allowed about so late at night. Where</p>
<p id="qyVZ9R">Are your parents? </p>
<p id="GsKkul"><strong>Isaiah</strong></p>
<p id="9s2lLH">Ha ha. Your wit is well and truly honed </p>
<p id="YELA7j">As the edge of a blade. </p>
<p id="8KImzN"><strong>Smith</strong></p>
<p id="oqUTSB">Come, sir. Stand atop this box so that we may</p>
<p id="r8jTEw">All the better mark you. </p>
<p id="GjmcvS"><strong>King James</strong></p>
<p id="ojC6CS">Enough now, Smith. Isaiah, speak. </p>
<p id="bgM5jj"><strong>Isaiah</strong></p>
<p id="nKZJiR">Good King. Sirs, our struggles, like a shattered</p>
<p id="WgSCQ1">Vessel, contain no secrets. </p>
<p id="hyMjA7">Simple as rain, plain as a pike. </p>
<p id="RxzERa">We do not defend; we blunder and lurch.</p>
<p id="GhJqxz">But there is worse, friends, much worse. </p>
<p id="nv998U">Kevin Love, dear friends, where is he?</p>
<p id="z0N1QF"><strong>King James</strong></p>
<p id="lgzuOS">Ill, good sir. He is unwell. </p>
<p id="4rPsqs"><strong>Isaiah</strong></p>
<p id="d5V1ht">I name him a liar. ’Tis true that </p>
<p id="kFbcJn">Illness strikes like lightning; one cannot </p>
<p id="uivox0">Tell where or when it might strike. But</p>
<p id="peyGus">Love’s malady was fear of the Thunder; a shookness</p>
<p id="91laFy">Of the mind, not a sickness of the body. </p>
<p id="xv4q1G">He lies, I say. </p>
<p id="6LTGaI"><em>Exit King James, Isaiah, Smith, Crowder, Tristan, and Wade.</em></p>
<h3 id="IwFmLE">Act I, Scene II</h3>
<p id="ZyJwOW"><em><strong>The Land on a dark and stormy night</strong></em></p>
<p id="cy0Cma"><em>Enter Windhorst. </em></p>
<p id="gCaBUz"><strong>Windhorst</strong></p>
<p id="qqaNt5">When darkness takes its rightful seat</p>
<p id="yMNbZG">To mine ears on stocking feet do</p>
<p id="syu4dd">Whispers of ill tidings creep. </p>
<p id="drxkuP">How cruel a lash is jealousy that drives </p>
<p id="PZGX7l">Men from the bosom of nurturing sleep</p>
<p id="qHAJSU">To disgorge the poisoned contents of their hearts? </p>
<p id="HjMcxC">Grievance, aye; I name thee ink and mine inkpot</p>
<p id="ckj6dF">Drowns in that bloody, blackened stuff.</p>
<p id="zeRXNq">Four seasons since the King returned from Southern </p>
<p id="blJUIT">Fields to break the curse of half a hundred years, </p>
<p id="K2r5B5">And raise fair Nike’s banner high above the Q</p>
<p id="T2ZEW9">Yet the mirth and smiles of triumph have all</p>
<p id="aQkRBG">Given way to endless gloom. But, soft!</p>
<p id="UbGYSx">Who comes this way to wag a restless tongue? </p>
<p id="N2plYe">Speak!</p>
<p id="D9GrSK"><em>Enter The Sources.</em></p>
<p id="PMJM5O"><strong>First Source</strong></p>
<p id="tvXuUK">Hail, herald of the Land! We bring tales ’neath</p>
<p id="xqI9CW">These cloaks! Tales, not tails, though ’tis true like cats</p>
<p id="1UWCca">We hold our secrets behind a cryptic face. </p>
<p id="rhYimB"><strong>Second Source</strong></p>
<p id="DhBgRl">Tales of dissension and woe! Of accusations</p>
<p id="RtCUAc">And skullduggery most foul!</p>
<p id="MpiuEh"><strong>First Source</strong></p>
<p id="oZ7S63">Of height shaming. </p>
<p id="T02trk"><strong>Windhorst</strong></p>
<p id="h0065F">Wow, height shaming? </p>
<p id="w9h4Ym"><strong>First Source</strong></p>
<p id="ZbO5JF">Aye! Did you see the manner by which Love</p>
<p id="OxGIhu">Handed me the ball? As if I were his son?</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">RT <a href="https://twitter.com/skalakattack?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@skalakattack</a>: Kevin Love just grabbed that rebound and handed it to IT like a toddler, and I am howling <a href="https://t.co/yfjQD07qWN">pic.twitter.com/yfjQD07qWN</a></p>— Anthony™ (@AnthonyG729) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnthonyG729/status/957057567775174656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 27, 2018</a>
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<p id="mjTxI2"><strong>Windhorst</strong></p>
<p id="lrIxQ2">Good gentle sirs, please. Mine quill can only scratch</p>
<p id="6SLzqD">And scribble but so fast and not as quick </p>
<p id="VSoJV1">As mouths! Tell me, is it true that you did</p>
<p id="9BHyKy">Label Love a liar, a feigner, a faker? </p>
<p id="4LkhWN"><strong>First Source</strong></p>
<p id="KGuZMN">Most true!</p>
<p id="GI72fR"><strong>Windhorst </strong></p>
<p id="ciquX6">And, tell me pray, the reason thoust left Love like</p>
<p id="yYptmU">A fallen cherub, lying on the court? </p>
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<p id="tBWAkD"><strong>Second Source</strong></p>
<p id="GdTBVI">I do not like him. That is all. </p>
<p id="k113dM"><em>Exit Windhorst and The Sources.</em></p>
<h3 id="Y26ks9">Act II, Scene I</h3>
<p id="7nylfb"><em><strong>Cavaliers Twitter, Online </strong></em></p>
<p id="mjWDf9"><em>Logs on.</em></p>
<p id="9SMa74"><strong>@Pavlovic4Lyfe</strong></p>
<p id="wbiZtn">Why must Kevin Love always be to blame </p>
<p id="PfRrd3">When scurrilous charges are levied without names?</p>
<p id="IXTTyf">When the slings and arrows of ill rumor</p>
<p id="Ks2pwQ">Fly, ’tis Love always at who they’re aimed.</p>
<p id="FKOF4J"><strong>@BigZ666</strong></p>
<p id="yQH5OD">The Cavs suck. Wade is washed. Calderon should start</p>
<p id="vbZa7A">Which is a terrifying thing to say in our current age.</p>
<p id="ntoFmB">Trade everyone but the King and fire Lue to boot. </p>
<p id="rWTaz5">Tho calamity might fall like fate’s judgment </p>
<p id="91eQLQ">’Pon our ears, we must keep the Pick, for the King shall leave</p>
<p id="zxiaVP">Of that we know and fear. </p>
<p id="VCSjCo"><strong>@JamarioMoonNBA</strong></p>
<p id="aO7nyx">The defense is a shambles and the King </p>
<p id="d0yBHx">Is gazing west. To Los Angeles, with weather fair, </p>
<p id="uo82Tm">Far away from Gilbert’s chilly stare,</p>
<p id="0d0Xu1">Two sirens sing to our fair King. One clothed</p>
<p id="00pXCb">In royal purple and precious gold can offer up</p>
<p id="z1Xsb4">Sixteen rings. T’other in red and white and blue has </p>
<p id="EB18ti">Billions behind its name to wash its colors </p>
<p id="VoCm1G">Of the taint of shame. I fear King James will go. </p>
<p id="WnPp1o"><strong>@TheRealDavidBlatt</strong></p>
<p id="UQBsYG">I hope we don’t give up as many points</p>
<p id="BS08Op">As the Cavaliers did last night. Ah ha</p>
<p id="XXQeyN">Ha ha! Ah ha ha ha!</p>
<p id="I9w1SB"><em>Logs off.</em></p>
<h3 id="qbPwvj">Act II, Scene II</h3>
<p id="tuCexD"><em><strong>Quicken Loans Arena, Cavaliers defeat the Timberwolves</strong></em></p>
<p id="uTtIqf"><em>Enter King James and Isaiah.</em></p>
<p id="7SSxdj"><strong>Isaiah</strong></p>
<p id="THsZI0">A good shot, fair King. But did you</p>
<p id="9ticrJ">Not see me? I wish to celebrate our glories</p>
<p id="rhSYDk">As but my embrace was coldly turned aside. </p>
<p id="2CI5bo">Surely a mistake …</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="und" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/Cavsanada?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Cavsanada</a> <a href="https://t.co/TY8bOQBAf9">pic.twitter.com/TY8bOQBAf9</a></p>— Brennan Moore (@BrennanMoore7) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrennanMoore7/status/961449357521444865?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2018</a>
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<p id="17UTV9"><strong>King James</strong></p>
<p id="L0il5T">Who speaks? Ah, Isaiah, should I not have guessed</p>
<p id="EIjUTi">For who else speaks so much? Indeed though art</p>
<p id="1CMKN6">As full of words as a hen salmon is of</p>
<p id="jSnnfH">Eggs. A mob of sparrows could not match the</p>
<p id="V38RJ4">Chatter of your teeth and tongue. Your</p>
<p id="XisQYG">Tiny hands did not help to hang the banner </p>
<p id="7he6la">Which proudly flies above. Yet the flapping </p>
<p id="yCS3l6">Of your tongue outstrips that of said banner </p>
<p id="LSqYYJ">under highland winds. And now you say I did</p>
<p id="HWE9t8">Not embrace you? In truth I did not see you. </p>
<p id="IZqkAj">You are as air befouled; your contributions</p>
<p id="6cRJbc">Are invisible though impossible to ignore. </p>
<p id="TbDUgN"><em>Enter Wade wearing sunglasses, shorts, and a Hawaiian shirt, carrying luggage.</em></p>
<p id="7hExWd"><strong>King James</strong></p>
<p id="Jndp5Y">Ah, Wade. Well met. How goes it?</p>
<p id="7cQqGQ"><strong>Wade</strong></p>
<p id="1iYqr4">Excellent! My flight to Miami awaits. I thank </p>
<p id="Q0zozL">You for your leave. </p>
<p id="aPYIap"><em>Exit Wade. </em></p>
<p id="S6vAJD"><strong>Isaiah </strong></p>
<p id="2GZFXR">I just want to be where I’m wanted, King James. </p>
<p id="Um8mTZ">I don’t want to be traded. I’m tired of </p>
<p id="8ceq0h">Being traded. I want to be here. I </p>
<p id="gy9eGB">Like it here. It hasn’t been as planned. </p>
<p id="3JX6qS">But I definitely want to be here. We have </p>
<p id="PupHqm">A chance to win a championship and I </p>
<p id="nnQCcN">Want to be a part of it. </p>
<p id="B7yYJD"><strong>King James</strong></p>
<p id="V6Gct8">Nah. </p>
<p id="Hxxjg9"><em>Exit King James and Isaiah. </em></p>
<p id="ZGy0IU"><strong>Act III, Scene I</strong></p>
<p id="gRKqKC"><em><strong>A street in the Land, trade-deadline day </strong></em></p>
<p id="HHS2op"><em>Enter Windhorst.</em></p>
<p id="DksAyi"><strong>Windhorst </strong></p>
<p id="nyXvEe">Hear ye, hear ye, people of the Land. </p>
<p id="XP733p">Events which have no precedent in history</p>
<p id="xmQ0Aw">Today have come to pass. The almighty eye </p>
<p id="bdfSV4">Of god could not foresee the tumult of these days. </p>
<p id="AGZbl4">Isaiah the unwanted has been</p>
<p id="lWVE3P">traded to L.A. and Wade and Crowder and</p>
<p id="zJdfIg">And Rose and Frye are also on their way. </p>
<p id="PkFSom">In their stead, come Hill and Hood to </p>
<p id="pprvo2">Space the floor anew. And legacy Larry Nance </p>
<p id="iZTO1Z">The Younger comes to dunk on those unlucky few. </p>
<p id="z4B5o2">The darkness now has lifted. Koby Altman’s </p>
<p id="No4ANx">Job today is done. But as we know, the only </p>
<p id="lXLLJt">Count that matters are the rings when the season’s </p>
<p id="Zd0rl8">Done. </p>
<p id="b3xyaj"><em>Exit Windhorst. </em></p>
<h3 id="9NLVBZ">Act III, Scene II</h3>
<p id="esqk58"><em><strong>A room in the castle</strong></em></p>
<p id="KgRyFZ"><em>Enter King James.</em></p>
<p id="iSSwq7"><strong>King James </strong></p>
<p id="WCrtCQ">Mutinies and discord done, palace treason </p>
<p id="EM3ct4">Swept away. The villains of the season gone; </p>
<p id="2X8Znf">A King must have his say. And so I’ve done. </p>
<p id="EBdKXv">Will I stay? This Land where I was born </p>
<p id="SDJzuY">Is suffused with my blood and yet, I must</p>
<p id="KoBelR">Fly as I have done before if titles </p>
<p id="2b5q71">Cannot be mine. This is the excellent</p>
<p id="fK22Ue">Foppery of the world, that when we are</p>
<p id="orjpi2">Sick in fortune, we make guilty of our</p>
<p id="tcNaAO">Disasters the sun and moon and stars and </p>
<p id="43J6yx">Dan Gilbert and Kyrie. Get thee gone, </p>
<p id="N4Aj80">Whoremaster fate. But will I stay? But will I stay? </p>
<p id="qVzOjv">Who but god can say. </p>
<p class="c-end-para" id="3jera0"><em>Exit King James. </em></p>
https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/2/12/17002930/cleveland-cavaliers-trade-deadline-dramaJason Concepcion2018-02-09T15:45:15-05:002018-02-09T15:45:15-05:00Jason Concepcion Mourns at the Altar of the Fallen Kristaps Porzingis
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<p>Plus, Bill Simmons pops up on the desktop for a trade deadline take</p> <p id="xjGHLK">It’s the <em>NBA Desktop</em> trade-deadline edition. This week Jason Concepcion digs into the Cavs blowing it up, Isaiah Thomas going to the Lakers, and Giannis Antetokounmpo vs. Big Baller Brand. We also get trade spice from Bill Simmons, Tommy Alter, and John Gonzalez, and Tyler Parker vents about the Warriors’ statement jerseys.</p>
https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/2/9/16997164/bill-simmons-pops-up-on-the-desktop-to-talk-trade-deadlineJason Concepcion2018-02-09T12:41:40-05:002018-02-09T12:41:40-05:00NBA Trade Deadline Exit Survey
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<figcaption>AP Images/Ringer illustration</figcaption>
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<p>Our basketball staff on the Cavs’ overhaul, Phoenix’s Elfrid experiment, and who should have made a deal but didn’t</p> <h4 id="dsbcQO">Which team should have made a trade but didn’t?</h4>
<p id="79OBx2"><a href="https://www.theringer.com/authors/chris-ryan"><strong>Chris Ryan</strong></a><strong>:</strong> It’s hard to believe, amid all the chaos created by Koby Altman, that Sam Presti couldn’t have made a move to improve the Thunder. Maybe OKC is a player in the buyout market—a possible Joe Jesus destination—but you have to wonder whether the decision to not pick up Avery Bradley will come back to haunt Presti. Early on Thursday, Marc Stein <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSteinLine/status/961605162325499906">reported</a> that the Clippers were considering Danny Green <em>and</em> a first-round pick from San Antonio in exchange for Bradley, which felt steep. Maybe the price was too rich for the Thunder GM’s liking, but Bradley feels like the missing piece for OKC—replacing the injured Andre Roberson’s perimeter defense, and adding the ability to throw a ball through a hoop from varying distances (Andre can’t do that). </p>
<p id="YfWi5O"><a href="https://www.theringer.com/authors/haley-oshaughnessy"><strong>Haley O’Shaughnessy</strong></a><strong>: </strong>Technically Memphis made a trade at the deadline, but it didn’t make the right one. Memphis sat Tyreke Evans for four games while it received calls from <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/1/31/16956070/tyreke-evans-trade-rumors-memphis-grizzlies">half the NBA</a>, only to keep him on the roster. Here’s how to look like a genius: sign the offseason’s best buy-low, sell-high player. Here’s how to blow it: don’t get anything for his expiring contract from a hungry playoff team.</p>
<p id="L7WweZ"><a href="https://www.theringer.com/authors/justin-verrier"><strong>Justin Verrier</strong></a><strong>: </strong>The Pacers. This season is found money, but I would’ve loved to have seen them dive head-first into the Kemba Walker derby. This team, despite its moderate success, is clearly built more for the future and has too many holes for an all in move, but Walker, Victor Oladipo, and Bojan Bogdanovic could have formed the spiritual successor to Run TMC. </p>
<div class="c-float-left"><div id="BNDrPx"><iframe src="https://art19.com/shows/the-ringer-nba-show/episodes/c27eb4f0-3d7d-44b1-86f5-0ced8b68975b/embed?primary_color=%2367c385&theme=light-gray-blue" style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 200px;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="M9sgLW"><a href="https://www.theringer.com/authors/danny-chau"><strong>Danny Chau</strong></a><strong>:</strong> Memphis, which is one losing streak from slipping to the very bottom of the NBA standings, decided not to trade Evans, a coveted playmaker having the best season since his Rookie of the Year–award-winning season who is almost assuredly not re-signing with the team over the summer. The widely reported asking price was a first-rounder; the rest of the league wouldn’t bite. The Grizzlies will take their chances this offseason, hoping to use their entire midlevel exception to sign him long-term. But they won’t be the only interested parties. Bullyball shot-makers who can slide between three positions and hit 3-pointers at an above-average clip do not grow on trees. Evans may not have the reputation of a marksman, but he’s hit 38.2 percent of his 453 3-point attempts since the 2015-16 season. That’s good! And the Grizzlies, who are rebuilding, like it or not, probably should have swung for a trade that would have netted Emmanuel Mudiay and a second-round pick, or an expiring contract and multiple second-rounders—two offers reportedly on the table, <a href="https://twitter.com/ZachLowe_NBA/status/961703659594756097">according to Zach Lowe</a>. </p>
<p id="OvlIwG"><a href="https://www.theringer.com/authors/paolo-uggetti"><strong>Paolo Uggetti</strong></a><strong>: </strong>The Thunder. I’m legitimately frustrated by their inaction, especially given that they beat the Warriors by 20 two days before the deadline. The NBA needs another team at least semi-capable of giving the Warriors some trouble, and with Paul George playing like an MVP-caliber player again, I want to believe that the Thunder’s best can at least take the Warriors to six or seven games. It’s clear that Andre Roberson’s injury has left a void the size of the Panhandle in OKC’s defense, but Presti did nothing to shore up that deficiency. Just imagine Avery Bradley on this team. </p>
<p id="9k2wSe"><a href="https://www.theringer.com/authors/john-gonzalez"><strong>John Gonzalez</strong></a><strong>: </strong>The Grizzlies. Mike Conley has already been shut down for the season. They fired their coach. They’re in full free-fall/tank mode. They’ve lost five in a row and are tied with the Suns and the Magic for the second-fewest wins in the league. Meanwhile, they lucked into a coveted contract when they signed Evans to a one-year deal for $3.29 million. After all those disappointing seasons and injuries, Evans has been a monster. That should make for some pretty simple math: bad team + good asset = trade.</p>
<p id="2dZDHN">Except Memphis evidently had unrealistic expectations on what kind of return Evans should have yielded. According to Lowe, the Wizards would have given the Grizzlies <a href="https://twitter.com/ZachLowe_NBA/status/961699287418667014">two second-round picks</a> for Evans, while <a href="https://twitter.com/ZachLowe_NBA/status/961703659594756097">the Nuggets gave Memphis a choice</a> of Emmanuel Mudiay and one second or an expiring contract and two seconds. Memphis passed on both. I was also told they asked the Sixers for Dario Saric and Philly (unsurprisingly) balked. This shouldn’t have been that hard.</p>
<div class="c-float-left"><aside id="uA4DCm"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"The Lakers Don’t Have to Cling to Their Superteam Dreams","url":"https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/2/9/16993588/lakers-trade-deadline-lebron-james-paul-george"},{"title":"Which Traded Cavs Player Had the Most Depressing Run in Cleveland?","url":"https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/2/9/16993944/cleveland-cavaliers-dwyane-wade-derrick-rose-isaiah-thomas"},{"title":"Winners and Losers of the NBA Trade Deadline","url":"https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/2/8/16993852/nba-trade-deadline-winners-losers-cavaliers-lakers-suns-pistons"},{"title":"Isaiah Thomas Talked His Way Out of Cleveland","url":"https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/2/8/16993324/isaiah-thomas-cavaliers-lebron-lakers-trade"},{"title":"All the Trades That Didn’t Involve Cleveland","url":"https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/2/8/16992570/minor-deadline-trades-knicks-magic-nuggets"},{"title":"The Cavaliers Are a Brand-New Team — but How Much Better Did They Get?","url":"https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/2/8/16992492/cleveland-cavaliers-trades-future"},{"title":"A Ranking of the Cavs’ Deadline Deals","url":"https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/2/8/16992096/cavaliers-trade-deadline-trades-ranking"}]}'></div></aside></div>
<h4 id="qTDCgU">Who is the new Cav to keep an eye on?</h4>
<p id="W0XLZY"><strong>Chau:</strong> Rodney Hood is auditioning for his future in the league, and you’d be hard pressed to find a player better suited to drawing the best out of the 25-year-old than LeBron James. Hood shoots <a href="http://stats.nba.com/player/203918/shots-dash/">better than 38 percent from behind the arc in both spot-up and pull-up situations</a>, which gives him the flexibility to serve as both a high-functioning cog in LeBron’s machine and as a creator when James isn’t on the floor. With all due respect to J.R. Smith, Hood is almost the ideal wing of both LeBron James eras in Cleveland. After what feels like a lifetime of Jiri Welsches, Sasha Pavlovics, Anthony Parkers, and Dion Waiterses, the Cavs have a dynamic scorer worthy of being both a weapon in LeBron’s arsenal, and a potential core piece to their unknowable future. That’s not insignificant.</p>
<p id="rkCbCU"><strong>O’Shaughnessy: </strong>George Hill, who was having a quietly good season in Sacramento prior to the trade. (He was also reportedly extremely <a href="http://www.sacbee.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/ailene-voisin/article192868559.html">unhappy</a> with his role on the team, and played limited minutes.) The 31-year-old veteran has conference finals experience, can defend the perimeter, and is a spot-up shooter making 45.3 percent of his 3-pointers this season. Buy the stock now!</p>
<p id="ZCOEKx"><strong>Uggetti: </strong>The easy answer is Hood, or even George Hill, but give me Larry Nance Jr. He’s going to be good for a handful of dunks that will make LeBron’s jaw drop and populate highlight reels. Plus, he brings a level of athleticism that neither Tristan Thompson nor Kevin Love has exhibited in the past few months. And, he’s coming home! </p>
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<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Be8wJysl1fM/" data-instgrm-version="8" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50.0% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div>
</div> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Be8wJysl1fM/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">I’ll be forever grateful for everything that the @lakers organization, the fans, and my teammates have done for me! It’s been an unbelievable experience and I couldn’t be happier with where I started this journey! Thank you guys for the past 2 1/2 years! On to THE LAND I go.. #JustAKidFromAkron</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/larrydn7/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Larry Nance Jr</a> (@larrydn7) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2018-02-08T20:33:16+00:00">Feb 8, 2018 at 12:33pm PST</time></p>
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<p id="BBCuS2"><strong>Verrier: </strong>Jordan Clarkson. LeBron needs someone new to yell at, and it isn’t going to be <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2758504-kendrick-perkins-deletes-post-announcing-return-to-cavaliers">Kendrick Perkins</a>. </p>
<p id="omgVrJ"><strong>Gonzalez: </strong>Hood. He’s really good. He’s also really unreliable. Hood put 30 on the Pelicans the other night (on 12-for-14 shooting), and he’s a career 37 percent shooter from 3-point range. The Cavs can definitely use that kind of offense—provided Hood’s available. The 25-year-old missed a combined 58 games over his first three years in Utah because of injuries, and he was out for 15 of the Jazz’s 54 games this season. We’ll see if he’s the kind of player capable of helping them now and in the future, or one still prone to disappearing. </p>
<p id="ovEfTP"><strong>Ryan</strong>: The Homecoming Prince, Larry Nance Jr. Before the season is through, Nance will have a “I think Larry Nance Jr. killed a guy” dunk. </p>
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<h4 id="aObpPR"><strong>Which is the most heartwarming return: D-Wade to Miami, Larry Nance Jr. going home to Cleveland, or Tyreke Evans (presumably) back to playing for the Grizzlies?</strong></h4>
<p id="0s8l9w"><strong>Uggetti: </strong>D-Wade, and it isn’t close. Look at him in these Miami Vice unis: </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">WOW. This looks right. <a href="https://t.co/edGjXBIHoO">pic.twitter.com/edGjXBIHoO</a></p>— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) <a href="https://twitter.com/MiamiHEAT/status/961790780150034432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2018</a>
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<p id="nJGeQ3"><strong>Chau:</strong> Miami <em>loves </em>Dwyane Wade. I hope the Heat build him three statues one day.</p>
<p id="qUzMom"><strong>Gonzalez:</strong> Going off-menu on this one:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Biggest winner at the deadline <a href="https://t.co/Zi7KMekuFK">https://t.co/Zi7KMekuFK</a></p>— Jawn Gonzalez (@_JohnGonz) <a href="https://twitter.com/_JohnGonz/status/961675744635117573?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2018</a>
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<p id="B53r8u"><strong>O’Shaughnessy: </strong>Larry Nance Jr. was in borderline tears of joy after learning he was traded to the Cavaliers. No one has ever cried tears of <em>joy </em>after finding out he has to move to Cleveland. </p>
<p id="zuazsc"><strong>Ryan</strong>: Whatever makes Gabrielle happy makes me happy. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr"> 305 HOME!!!! Let's goooooooo HEAT!!!! Can't. Wait.</p>— Gabrielle Union (@itsgabrielleu) <a href="https://twitter.com/itsgabrielleu/status/961665217523601409?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2018</a>
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<p id="fkuRcv"><strong>Verrier: </strong></p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Strong expectation in Cleveland that one of the Cavaliers’ soon-to-open roster spots — barring any more trades — will be filled by Kendrick Perkins</p>— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSteinLine/status/961676130880237572?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2018</a>
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<h4 id="6zrzY6">What’s your favorite sneaky move of trade season?</h4>
<p id="XoCnUq"><strong>Chau:</strong> I don’t think Elfrid Payton is particularly good, but the Suns didn’t have to give up more than a second-round pick to acquire a top-10 2014 draft selection to shore up their point guard rotation, one of the most dismal depth charts in recent NBA history. Quick refresher in case you haven’t been paying attention to the Suns: Eric Bledsoe was traded to the Bucks; Brandon Knight has been missing in action since time immemorial; Isaiah Canaan suffered a season-ending leg injury; they’re currently starting Tyler Ulis, nearly the smallest player in the NBA, and his backup is Josh Gray, a point guard who paid $150 to participate in a G-League open tryout and got a 10-day contract out of it. Elfrid may have played a big role in Orlando’s sustained failures, but he’s still probably the Suns’ best bet. He’ll be a restricted free agent this summer, so there is plenty of incentive for Payton to perform, and he is coincidentally in the middle of his best shooting season as a pro. </p>
<p id="mVsSN4"><strong>Gonzalez: </strong>Nikola Mirotic to the Pelicans. Mirotic has more attitude than talent, but he’s playing pretty well this season after returning from having his face busted up by Bobby Portis. In 27 games so far, he has a 21.3 PER and a 61.4 true shooting percentage, both of which are career bests. At present, the Pelicans are clinging to the last playoff spot in the Western Conference. Maybe Mirotic helps them squeak into the postseason. But even if he doesn’t, he’s a goodwill offering to Anthony Davis that the organization is trying to remain relevant and put pieces around him even after the devastating injury to Boogie Cousins.</p>
<p id="qPsKaL"><strong>Verrier: </strong>James Ennis. The Pistons, even after acquiring Blake Griffin, are still trying to claw their way back into the top eight in the East. Hood was a popular option to fill out their suspect wing rotation before Detroit’s Central Division rival plucked him out of Utah first. But Ennis is an approximation of Hood’s production, without the injury risk. Ennis is a solid young 3-and-D option, and that’s important for a team currently relying on a wing rotation of a rookie, a player who can’t shoot, a streaky shooter, and a dude who failed to provide the requisite gravity for Griffin with the Clippers.</p>
<p id="DJK9iS"><strong>Uggetti: </strong>Greg Monroe. I don’t know if you can call adding a 6-foot-11 center “sneaky,” and this wasn’t a trade, but Boston’s signing of Monroe might pay off big come playoff time. I believe Brad Stevens can turn sawdust into a wooden chair at this point. He’s the new Pop. </p>
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<h4 id="ydUE5S">WTF are the Kings doing?</h4>
<p id="0aZFN3"><strong>Chau:</strong> I need an oral history on why they used the 13th pick in the 2016 draft on Georgios Papagiannis in the <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/961717195804995586">first place</a>.</p>
<p id="u8U7tW"><strong>Verrier: </strong>The Kings have had a lottery pick every year for an entire decade. Here’s the list (following draft-day trades, etc.): </p>
<p id="YMYEZ3">Jason Thompson<br>Tyreke Evans<br>DeMarcus Cousins<br>Jimmer Fredette<br>Thomas Robinson<br>Ben McLemore<br>Nik Stauskas<br>Willie Cauley-Stein<br>Georgios Papagiannis<br>De’Aaron Fox</p>
<p id="k2tOV2">And that doesn’t include trading out of an extra lottery pick last year to get two guys with lower ceilings. A truly historic run of futility. It’s like using a government bailout check for your business on exotic cheeses.</p>
<p id="cMXuq7"><strong>Gonzalez: </strong>This is the existential question of our NBA lifetime. </p>
<p id="88hLZr"><strong>O’Shaughnessy:</strong> Your guess is as good as mine. Who doesn’t put all their chips in on Malachi Richardson? </p>
<p id="pAxuI6"><strong>Uggetti: </strong>They’re putting themselves in a position to be two years away from being two years away from being two years away. Shouts to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgmILBHk1D8">Bruno</a>. </p>
<h4 id="FhRv3K">Who or what are you most interested to see going forward?</h4>
<p id="nmclhL"><strong>Gonzalez: </strong>Isaiah Thomas. Barely a year ago, IT was one of the most beloved players in Boston and the NBA. He was the King in the Fourth, an All-Star who was also among the handful of other names we mentioned for MVP votes when we were done arguing about Russell Westbrook, James Harden, LeBron James, and Kawhi Leonard.</p>
<p id="ARO3Ke">And now? Things went so badly for him in Cleveland that the Cavs hit the button on his ejector seat after just 15 games. That happens when you come off an injury and spend all your time <a href="https://twitter.com/PDcavsinsider/status/960013179291099136">questioning your teammates’ effort</a> while simultaneously playing <a href="https://twitter.com/_MilesMoon_/status/960025345264160769">hilariously awful defense</a>. I just can’t believe that he’s fallen this far, this fast. It will be fascinating to see if he can regain his form on the court in Los Angeles and/or rehabilitate his previously pristine image.</p>
<p id="Em4D0X"><strong>Ryan</strong>: What will Channing Frye’s impact on the L.A. podcast scene be?</p>
<p id="cmQSgl"><strong>O’Shaughnessy: </strong>The Isaiah Thomas–LaVar Ball showdown over playing time … should IT get any. Starting Thomas and Lonzo Ball together seems disastrous—neither can shoot, and neither is particularly explosive (anymore). Thomas’s agent <a href="https://twitter.com/MyNBAUpdate/status/961676923456794625">texted</a> ESPN’s Rachel Nichols that Thomas IS NOT COMING OFF THE BENCH, though that scenario (a) seems very likely, considering IT’s start to the season; and (b) makes sense for the Lakers, who are using this season to develop Lonzo and so <em>should</em> bring IT off the bench. </p>
<p id="qase2H"><strong>Uggetti: </strong>I’m very intrigued by how Devin Harris could help the Nuggets, as well as how Denver meshes when Paul Millsap returns in March. I think adding Harris was one of the other under-the-radar moves that will prove to be fortuitous. Denver desperately needed another point guard, and Harris, though 34, may bring the kind of savvy veteran presence that left with Jameer Nelson. </p>
<h4 id="KDHAxf">Are the Cavs the favorites in the East again?</h4>
<p id="yRM3Hi"><strong>Chau:</strong> No. As much as I think the transition for the Cavs’ entire herd of new players will be less turbulent than expected, there’s a lot to be said about the continuity of the Celtics and Raptors. It’s strange to say for a LeBron-led team, but I think the Cavs have the burden of proof this season. </p>
<p id="dvXXIF"><strong>Gonzalez: </strong>Yes. The Celtics and Raptors pose bigger threats to LeBron’s NBA Finals aspirations than he’s faced in a very long time, but the on-the-fly overhaul looks good on paper. They added a quality shooter in Hood, good defenders in George Hill and Larry Nance Jr., and instant offense for the second team in Jordan Clarkson. And, best of all, they got rid of Thomas and Derrick Rose, who were concrete weights around their ankles in every possible way. They got younger, faster, and better defensively. The subtractions were as significant as the additions. </p>
<p id="H8c2RZ"><strong>O’Shaughnessy: </strong>Ask me in a month. Until then, I’m riding with Terry Rozier’s Celtics. </p>
<p id="AGuqSE"><strong>Ryan</strong>: No, but they get a soft reset on their season, and can now boast a GM who does <a href="https://twitter.com/mcten/status/961781828632875009">post-deadline press conferences</a> like he’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpCjLN49RQc">Jon Hamm in <em>The Town</em></a>. The nice thing for Cleveland is that they are now allowed to be any number of teams: the best in the Eastern Conference, a quasi-rebuild, a wait-till-next-year chemistry experiment, or the most terrifying mid-tier seed in recent postseason history. </p>
<p id="IWgquq"><strong>Uggetti: </strong>They’re closer to favorites than they were before the deadline began, but I think it’s more fair to say they’re back on the same tier as Boston and Toronto. They’re still far below the “We can beat the Warriors” tier, which includes only the Rockets.</p>
<h4 id="tLkclj">Which teams currently in the top 10 in the West will get left out of the playoffs?</h4>
<p id="48K952"><strong>Gonzalez: </strong>The Clippers and Pelicans. Both teams have interesting (if weird) rosters right now, but I think the Jazz will steal that final spot. I like the way they’re playing lately. They’ve won seven in a row, and eight of their last 10. After a protracted slump, Ricky Rubio is playing some good basketball right now. Rudy Gobert looks like he’s finding himself again following multiple injuries this season. I’m not ready to give up on Jae Crowder yet (looking at you, KOC). Moving Hood could open up some minutes for Alec Burks, who is underrated offensively. And Don Mitchell—I call him Don—makes me swoon every time I watch him. </p>
<p id="iLr652"><strong>Uggetti: </strong>The Pelicans and Jazz. I’m not sure what exactly the Clippers are doing long-term by signing Lou Williams to an extension and keeping DeAndre Jordan at the deadline. But after adding Tobias Harris and Avery Bradley in the Blake Griffin trade, I think they have enough to get in the top eight. After that, well, <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/1/31/16955416/blake-griffin-los-angeles-clippers-trade">trust in Jerry West,</a> I guess. </p>
<p id="3UKSmd"><strong>O’Shaughnessy: </strong>Nuggets and Jazz. </p>
<p id="0eOPlY"><strong>Verrier: </strong>Pelicans and Clippers. </p>
<h4 id="hLy3Yz">Does any of this matter because the Warriors are amazing?</h4>
<p id="J2K856"><strong>O’Shaughnessy:</strong> The only moves that matter regarding the Warriors are those teams clearing cap space to steal away Klay Thompson in 2019. </p>
<p id="bFRJpY"><strong>Verrier: </strong>I’m now on record in the<em> Ringer</em> offices that the Rockets are going to win the title. A public shaming via a Fathead is at stake.</p>
<p id="n73Swy"><strong>Gonzalez: </strong>[<em>Extremely bored Steve Kerr clipping his nails at a press conference face</em>]</p>
<p id="DphQ4g">Nope. </p>
<p class="c-end-para" id="OngLwJ"><strong>Ryan: </strong>The fact we can derive this much enjoyment and interest out of the league, despite the fact the Warriors are 42-13 while driving with one hand on the wheel and one middle finger flipping off all refs is a testament to the strength of the NBA right now. It’s like having a rave during the last 10 minutes of <em>Rogue One</em>. The Warriors will win the title. Rodney Hood doesn’t change that.</p>
https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/2/9/16995832/trade-deadline-exit-survey-cavs-suns-grizzliesThe Ringer Staff2018-02-09T08:46:08-05:002018-02-09T08:46:08-05:00Let’s Make Some Cross-Sport Trades
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<p>Sports fans don’t just cheer for a team, they cheer for a region. So what if Cleveland fans could fix the Cavs with the help of the Browns? In honor of the NBA trade deadline, we dive into the imaginary world of cross-sport trades.</p> <p class="p--has-dropcap" id="lBCrOT">In 1972, Lakers owner Jack Kent Cooke tried to trade Wilt Chamberlain for a hockey player. Cooke, a man so much larger than life that he doubted he would die, hoped to kill two birds with one trade. Just five years after Cooke opened the “Fabulous” Forum, attendance plummeted for the L.A. Kings, his NHL franchise. Worse, the NHL itself was being threatened by the World Hockey Association, which was preparing to launch later that year. Rumors swirled the WHA was prepared to offer Blackhawks star left winger Bobby Hull $1 million to defect. Blackhawks owner Arthur Wirtz, like many NHL owners, didn’t take the WHA seriously, but Cooke was concerned that Hull would legitimize the league. </p>
<p id="WlrBf8">In addition to owning the Blackhawks, Wirtz was in the process of acquiring a majority stake in the Chicago Bulls, who were struggling to fill their arena. Cooke approached Wirtz with an outside-the-box idea: What if we swapped one of the best basketball players of all time for one of the best hockey players of all time? The aging Chamberlain would attract interest in the Bulls, Hull would bring hockey fans to the Forum, and Cooke could ensure a star NHL player didn’t legitimize the WHA. </p>
<p id="Mf4kzt">The deal never materialized—and may not have been legal if it had—but maybe Cooke was on to something. Our sports conversations are confined to individual leagues, but our allegiances are often spread across an entire region. The Cavs fans wondering how to keep LeBron James in Cleveland are likely the same Browns fans debating what to do with two top-four draft picks. Wouldn’t it make sense for Northeast Ohio to channel its inner Jack Kent Cooke and survey the landscape of the entire region? </p>
<p id="YFYnek">Imagine if the city of Cleveland could trade the Browns’ no. 1 overall draft pick to New Orleans for Anthony Davis. Or if Carolina could send Hornets point guard Kemba Walker to Indiana for Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton. Or if Houston could swap Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins for DeAndre Jordan. What if San Francisco sent Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner and catcher Buster Posey to Arizona in exchange for Devin Booker to the Warriors? What if this is a Galaxy Brain meme but it goes on forever?</p>
<p id="vW9dQh">Cross-sport trades aren’t happening in real life anytime soon, but February is the perfect time for hypotheticals that merge the three conversations happening in basketball, football, and baseball—<em>what should this team do?</em>—into one holistic sports conversation: <em>What should this place do?</em> </p>
<p id="kTQzN8">It’s easy to get lost in the cross-sports sauce, so before we begin, here’s the framework we’ve created that will guide this discussion:</p>
<h3 id="X7iJhj">The Rules:</h3>
<h4 id="CszzSF">Structure</h4>
<ul>
<li id="WWFlcd">Nothing about the individual leagues changes. The NFL, NBA, and MLB still have completely separate schedules, drafts, free-agency periods—everything. The only difference is that trades can include assets from other leagues.</li>
<li id="vkVUcl">For the purpose of this exercise, we’re pretending that each team’s ownership and front office is untouched, but that owners are now beholden to the local regional general manager. The regional GM—part public servant, part chairman of the board—is the ultimate decision-maker in trade talks (i.e., the Cleveland GM would be in charge of the Cavs, the Browns, and the Indians. The Arizona GM would oversee the Suns, Cardinals, and Diamondbacks). </li>
<li id="fx8jwL">The regional GM has one goal: Maximize the happiness of their fan base. It’s up to the RGM to define what happiness is and how to maximize it.</li>
</ul>
<h4 id="oYwOnk">Money Matters </h4>
<ul>
<li id="JPOkXC">Basketball teams still need to adhere to the salary cap. (You can check <a href="http://www.espn.com/nba/tradeMachine">the trade machine</a> to confirm cap numbers.)</li>
<li id="xZaN0m">NFL teams also must stay under the cap, and can cut players to do so. (I.e., the Seahawks can save $11 million by cutting Richard Sherman. Cap numbers are available on <a href="http://www.spotrac.com/">Spotrac</a>. We’ve also created a cheat sheet for creating NFL cap space, <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Y61B7KHj4LugPZB84Z5lc_1d9ZlEKsrnvbki_XhivNY/edit#gid=0">available here</a>.)</li>
<li id="qz324m">MLB teams don’t have a cap, but salaries aren’t irrelevant. Nobody’s paying Albert Pujols $28.5 million per year out of the goodness of their heart.</li>
</ul>
<h4 id="odabS5">The Smell Test </h4>
<ul>
<li id="YpafG8">There must be an internal logic for all involved parties. Trades can’t be ridiculously one-sided, defy common sense, or potentially spark civil unrest. </li>
<li id="0GmbiG">
<em>Economics</em>: Age, price, and contract length are all key factors. Good quarterbacks and NBA superstars are more valuable than everything else.</li>
<li id="zbzLtl">
<em>Championships</em>: The only metric that matters. Does the deal put each side closer to a title (or multiple titles)? </li>
</ul>
<h4 id="hpR9iL">Priorities!</h4>
<p id="Wo5Cq7">The real-life desires of the fan base must be taken into account. Some regions require more balance than others. Dallas will gladly let you gut the Mavs and Rangers to pursue a Super Bowl for the Cowboys. On the other hand, Philly fans won’t let you blow up the Sixers or the Eagles no matter what the return is. A good rule of thumb: If fans would burn down city hall, no deal. (Yes, this allows for some teams to be really bad, but there are already lots of bad teams. At least now fans can get something out of those bad teams besides misery.)</p>
<h3 id="yA7i5f">The Regions</h3>
<p id="WIIyhr">Listed below are the regions. (For our sanity, the regions aren’t changing. We apologize in advance if we offended you.) Also listed is an incomplete list of each region’s assets, which is not a list of the best players, but rather the players that can be mentioned in trade negotiations with a straight face. The asset list is not all-encompassing—it’s more to jog your memory.</p>
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<p id="CucpFd">Some explanations for the hard decisions on regional groupings:</p>
<ul>
<li id="mw6Mjv">The Angels, Clippers, and Chargers are all little-brother franchises. This was an easy decision.</li>
<li id="J3FEqe">Jets and Mets are a traditional pair, and they both rhyme with “Nets,” so this was also an easy decision.</li>
<li id="vzgB1P">The Thunder have an official partnership with the Royals, making them Kansas City–eligible.</li>
<li id="f7hW8Q">After consulting with a number of Florida experts, the Orlando Magic were aligned with Tampa Bay, not Jacksonville.</li>
<li id="WY2jE0">Forced to pick between San Francisco and Oakland, the Warriors chose San Francisco. Therefore, so did we. Don’t blame us, blame Joe Lacob.</li>
<li id="t6mN8V">Teams left out of this exercise: Jacksonville Jaguars, Chicago White Sox (bounced by the Cubs), San Diego Padres, San Antonio Spurs, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, Utah Jazz. We’ll pour a 40 out for you.</li>
</ul>
<p id="1h37vK">With those rules and regions in place, we asked <em>The Ringer</em> staff to churn out some hypothetical trades.</p>
<h4 id="fMEsQi"><strong>Detroit receives: Lou Williams, Tobias Harris, and Boban Marjanovic</strong></h4>
<h4 id="3bbAvG">
<strong>Los Angeles (Group B) receives: Michael Fulmer, Glover Quin</strong><strong> Jr.</strong><strong>, and Darius Slay</strong>
</h4>
<p id="qEDo5N"><a href="https://www.theringer.com/authors/shaker-samman"><strong>Shaker Samman</strong></a><strong>: </strong>Everyone wins here. The Angels get a young ace who can anchor their rotation for years to come, the Chargers get two established defensive backs who can bolster their secondary, and the new-look Pistons get some shooting in the form of Lou Williams. But more importantly, Boban returns to Detroit. Originally, this trade didn’t involve Slay or Harris, but after realizing that would mean splitting up Harris and Marjanovic, I had no choice but to pull Tobias back to Detroit. The Pistons would have to dump some salary elsewhere to make the money work, and the Lions would be cementing themselves to a future of mediocrity, but look at these two dance! Can you really bear the thought of tearing them apart?</p>
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<h4 id="rvD06q"><strong>Los Angeles (Group B) receives: Marcus Stroman, Russell Martin, and Matt Martin</strong></h4>
<h4 id="5K85dL"><strong>Toronto receives: Hampus Lindholm and Brandon Montour</strong></h4>
<p id="gFLJDO"><a href="https://www.theringer.com/authors/michael-baumann"><strong>Michael Baumann</strong></a><strong>: </strong>The Toronto Maple Leafs are the most culturally important team in Canada’s biggest city, and they haven’t won a Stanley Cup since 1967; in fact, no Canadian team has taken the Cup home since 1993. While I—and most American hockey fans—find that fact hilarious, it also means that if the Leafs won a title it’d make the collective relief and joy we just saw in Philadelphia look like a church picnic. The Leafs have a great core of young forwards, led by Auston Matthews, but they’re thin on the blue line. </p>
<p id="zyscQX">Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Angels are scrambling to get back to the playoffs before Mike Trout leaves via free agency, and they’ve got a good team, but they don’t have a good catcher and they can use some help in the rotation. The Blue Jays’ window for contention is closing, to great consternation in Toronto, but hitting the rebuild button would be worth it if the Leafs got closer to a title. Lindholm and Montour would reinforce the blue line, and Lindholm, 24, is under contract through 2021-22. Sending checking-line winger Matt Martin the other way would allow the Leafs to stay under the salary cap. The Leafs would solve what’s probably their biggest issue, while the Angels would greatly increase their chances of catching the Astros in the AL West, while both Toronto and Anaheim weaken teams of lesser local importance.</p>
<h4 id="D3FFKW"><strong>Philadelphia receives: Mike Trout, Avery Bradley</strong></h4>
<h4 id="BEtvOu"><strong>Los Angeles (Group A) receives: Markelle Fultz, Dario Saric, future Sixers first-round pick, Rhys Hoskins, Sixto Sanchez, and Sean Couturier</strong></h4>
<p id="f4e2eU"><a href="https://www.theringer.com/authors/john-gonzalez"><strong>John Gonzalez</strong></a><strong>: </strong>Let’s start with the L.A. side. The Clippers, who are evidently trying to rebuild on the fly, take a shot on the no. 1 overall pick from last year’s draft, add a useful piece in Saric, and a valuable draft pick. The Angels add Hoskins and the Phillies’ top prospect in Sanchez. As for the hockey component, I will quote my super-helpful colleague Mike Baumann, who was instrumental in helping me craft this trade: “The Ducks are getting old” and have “little forward depth and their best forwards are getting into their mid-30s.” (Which I totally knew. They call me Johnny Hockey Pucks in the office.)</p>
<p id="TeR5qL">As for the Philly side, it’s pretty obvious. Philadelphians love Trout so much that I basically had to pepper-spray Baumann so I could write this hypothetical trade. (Google “Mike Trout Philly fans” and watch your computer burst into flames.) Trout <a href="http://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/video/mike-trout-i-love-going-eagles-games-and-being-fans">attended Eagles games so often</a>, I’m fairly certain he’ll get his own ring. Trout, who is actually from South Jersey, is nevertheless adored and accepted by the faithful as “a real Philly guy”—the highest honor our area bestows. (We also proudly acknowledge people for eating <a href="https://deadspin.com/a-tamer-wing-bowl-as-eagles-fans-rest-up-for-super-bowl-1822650854">a gross amount of chicken wings</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/_JohnGonz/status/959101186379935744">wearing sweatpants outside</a>.) It’s every Philly fanboy’s fantasy.</p>
<h4 id="UPMJtt"><strong>San Francisco receives: Stefon Diggs and Latavius Murray</strong></h4>
<h4 id="CVHomU"><strong>Minnesota receives: Klay Thompson</strong></h4>
<p id="ARJBJA"><a href="https://www.theringer.com/authors/megan-schuster"><strong>Megan Schuster</strong></a><strong>: </strong>I’m going to start this off on an honest note: I am the rare kind of Minnesotan who is not a Vikings fan but <em>is</em> a Wolves fan. With that said, I tried to keep this trade as fair to Minnesota’s football team as possible while also achieving my own self-serving ends. The ball-dominant Timberwolves need more outside shooting—they attempt the second-fewest 3-pointers per game in the NBA, and are making those at just a 35 percent clip—so why not go out and get the expert? That’s why I’m shipping receiver Stefon Diggs (an excellent target for <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2017/12/22/16808678/jimmy-garoppolo-san-francisco-49ers-three-starts">America’s New Favorite Quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo</a>) and running back Latavius Murray (love that Bay Area payback) to San Francisco in exchange for Klay Thompson. Imagine this starting lineup: Jeff Teague, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Jimmy Butler, Karl-Anthony Towns. Who says no? (Probably the Warriors.)</p>
<h4 id="3L479n"><strong>Carolina receives: T.Y. Hilton</strong></h4>
<h4 id="6wWECx"><strong>Indiana receives: Kemba Walker</strong></h4>
<p id="rTDHOp"><a href="https://www.theringer.com/authors/riley-mcatee"><strong>Riley McAtee</strong></a><strong>:</strong> The Colts were rumored <a href="http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/10/29/talk-of-a-possible-t-y-hilton-trade-intensifies/">to be shopping Hilton</a> before the NFL’s October trade deadline, and similar rumors have <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/1/19/16910152/kemba-walker-charlotte-hornets-trade-tanking">floated around the Hornets</a> and Walker for a month. So let’s put the rumors to bed and make something happen. The Pacers get a solid point guard to pair with Victor Oladipo, and the Panthers finally give Cam Newton someone to throw to. </p>
<h4 id="1rBCLW"><strong>Cleveland receives: Carson Wentz, Markelle Fultz, J.J. Redick</strong></h4>
<h4 id="gA6OEU"><strong>Philadelphia receives: LeBron James</strong></h4>
<p id="X9hEOr"><strong>Danny Heifetz: </strong>In the summer of 2010, Cleveland let the most valuable chess piece in modern sports history leave for virtually nothing. With LeBron once again a free agent this July, Cleveland can ensure history doesn’t repeat itself by filling the quarterback-sized hole in its heart (and undoing the initial draft swap that sent Wentz to Philly in 2016). LeBron has said he won’t waive his no-trade clause, but considering this Cavs squad will have to wear name tags throughout the playoffs, it makes more sense for LeBron to get an early start on ring-hunting with his next team than to waste one of his apex seasons. </p>
<p id="7Tt6Uh">No other destination for LeBron’s next act offers the tantalizing foundation for a dynasty that the 76ers do. And if an NBA title is on the table, Philly fans should drop Wentz faster than Brady fumbled the ball on the penultimate drive of Super Bowl LII. A trio of LeBron, Ben Simmons, and Joel Embiid is such explicit basketball porn that Reddit might require you to click “Yes, I’m 18” before streaming Sixers games. The Cleveland Browns get a starting quarterback. The Philadelphia 76ers complete the Process. This is what Sam Hinkie died for.</p>
<p id="v7k4TK"><em>An earlier version of this story’s chart placed Anze Kopitar in the incorrect region. He belongs in Los Angeles A, not Los Angeles B, since he plays for the Kings, not the Ducks.</em></p>
https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/2/9/16989122/cross-sport-trades-deadline-lebron-cleveland-brownsDanny Heifetz2018-02-09T08:41:50-05:002018-02-09T08:41:50-05:00PSA: Don’t Burn Jerseys
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<p>‘Black-ish’ actors Deon Cole and Jeff Meacham offer solutions to reduce this sad epidemic that has spread across the NBA fan community</p> <p class="c-end-para" id="tShTcm">Around the NBA trade deadline and free agency, emotions can become heated and feelings of betrayal can arise, leading more and more people to burn jerseys. <em>Black-ish</em> actors Deon Cole and Jeff Meacham share a couple of solutions and alternatives to reduce jersey-burning.</p>
https://www.theringer.com/video/2018/2/9/16994634/psa-dont-burn-jerseysThe Ringer Staff2018-02-09T06:30:02-05:002018-02-09T06:30:02-05:00The Lakers Don’t Have to Cling to Their Superteam Dreams
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<p>Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka got exactly what they needed out of the trade deadline. They will have the space to offer two max contracts this offseason, but even if they don’t sign stars right away, the team is in good shape moving forward.</p> <p id="5CDP0Z">The Lakers are back in the star-chasing business. After trading Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. for the expiring contracts of Isaiah Thomas and Channing Frye and the Cavs’ 2018 first-round pick on Thursday, they can now clear enough salary cap space for two max contracts this summer. Those will almost certainly be offered to the team’s two likeliest targets: LeBron James and Paul George. That’s been Plan A ever since Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka took over in Los Angeles. What’s interesting is that over the past year, the Lakers have also set up a viable Plan B: an intriguing young core that can insulate the team from what might <em>not</em> happen in free agency. </p>
<p id="Rs6g3H">Thomas could end up being the least important piece they acquired Thursday. He’ll be a free agent at the end of the season and he hasn’t looked anything like the player he was in Boston since coming back from a devastating hip injury. He will have time to rebuild his value in Los Angeles over the next few months, but the Lakers don’t need an older point guard who wants a lot of money, dominates the ball, and has to be protected on defense. Thomas doesn’t fit with the young and versatile roster they currently have, and he wouldn’t help lure LeBron either, given how things ended in Cleveland. </p>
<div class="c-float-left"><aside id="K9jh99"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Isaiah Thomas Talked His Way Out of Cleveland","url":"https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/2/8/16993324/isaiah-thomas-cavaliers-lebron-lakers-trade"},{"title":"Winners and Losers of the NBA Trade Deadline","url":"https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/2/8/16993852/nba-trade-deadline-winners-losers-cavaliers-lakers-suns-pistons"},{"title":"Two-Hour NBA Trade Deadline Extravaganza","url":"https://www.theringer.com/the-bill-simmons-podcast/2018/2/8/16993092/bill-simmons-podcast-nba-trade-deadline"},{"title":"All the Trades That Didn’t Involve Cleveland","url":"https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/2/8/16992570/minor-deadline-trades-knicks-magic-nuggets"},{"title":"A Ranking of the Cavs’ Deadline Deals","url":"https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/2/8/16992096/cavaliers-trade-deadline-trades-ranking"}]}'></div></aside></div>
<p id="mxyzFG">The best part about the trade for Los Angeles is that it was able to clear long-term salary while adding a first-round pick instead of subtracting one. Most of the pre-deadline rumors the Lakers were involved in had them including future assets to unload Clarkson’s contract. The deal they made allows them to clear the runway for LeBron and George without sacrificing their ability to make other moves. The Cavs pick will likely end up somewhere in the 20s, but the Lakers’ new front office has shown a knack for finding talent late in the draft. Both Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart, the no. 27 and 30 picks in last year’s draft, look like steals.</p>
<p id="9PPILy">While most of the conversation around the Lakers this season has revolved around the summer of 2018 and the Ball family drama, their young players have quietly taken a step forward. Los Angeles has a 12-4 record over the last month, and it’s been playing an exciting brand of basketball that bodes well for its future. Lonzo has missed most of that time with an MCL injury, but even he had started to turn the corner before getting hurt. The Lakers’ young pieces fit well together. </p>
<p id="G6L72w">Ingram, the no. 2 overall pick in the 2016 draft, <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nba/2017/12/14/16773962/nba-sophomore-season-brandon-ingram">is coming along nicely in his second season in the NBA</a>. His numbers have skyrocketed across the board from his up-and-down rookie campaign: He is averaging 15.9 points (on 45.8 percent shooting), 5.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists a game. At 6-foot-9 and 190 pounds with a 7-foot-3 wingspan, Ingram has freakish physical dimensions for a wing, and he towers over almost everyone he faces on a nightly basis. He just turned 20 in September, so he’s younger than rookies like Josh Jackson. He’s only going to get better as he fills out his frame. </p>
<p id="qjS4RO">Ingram has shown even more flashes over the past week. Lakers head coach Luke Walton cycled through several lineups in Lonzo’s absence, and he seems to have found something by moving Ingram to point guard and inserting Hart into the starting lineup. Ingram is not an elite athlete, but he’s long enough to stay in front of much smaller guards on defense and he can shoot over them like they aren’t even there. He has a great feel for the game for a younger player and the ability to pick apart a defense off the dribble. Ingram has legitimate point-forward ability: </p>
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<p id="ewPWIk">Hart has been just as good in a bigger role. In 13 games as a starter this season, he is averaging 11.6 points (on 49.6 percent shooting), 6.5 rebounds, and 2.1 assists a game. At 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds with a 6-foot-8 wingspan, the 22-year-old already has an NBA-ready body, and <a href="https://www.theringer.com/2017/3/2/16045690/villanova-has-two-players-every-team-in-the-nba-needs-83460b1a4bd4">he was prepared to contribute immediately after four seasons at Villanova</a>. Hart checks every box for a 3-and-D wing. He spaces the floor (he’s shooting 38.7 percent from 3 on 2.5 attempts per game), slides among all three perimeter positions on defense, and makes good decisions with the ball (he is averaging twice as many assists as turnovers). Thomas will take his spot in the starting lineup for now while Lonzo recovers from his MCL injury, but Hart looks like a long-term building block on the wing.</p>
<p id="9dPrGU">Lonzo, Hart, and Ingram could form an interchangeable perimeter unit on both sides of the ball. Lonzo struggled under a harsh spotlight in his first few months in the NBA, but it’s too soon to give up on him. His 3-point shot is the key to his ability to succeed at this level, and <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nba/2017/12/7/16744356/lonzo-ball-los-angeles-laker-shot">it’s taken him time to get comfortable with it</a>. While he may not be a 41.2 percent 3-point shooter like he was in college, he wasn’t going to keep shooting 24.5 percent from 3 like he did in his first 20 games with the Lakers, either. He has shot 36.1 percent from 3 over his last 15 games, opening up the rest of his game.</p>
<p id="P0zcb2"><a href="https://www.theringer.com/2017/9/26/16363942/lonzo-ball-lakers-luke-walton-warriors">What makes Lonzo unusual is his ability to impact the game without taking a lot of shots</a>. He does many different things to help his team win, and he’s averaging 10.2 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 7.1 assists a game as a rookie. Lonzo is a gifted passer who can create tempo by grabbing defensive boards and pushing the pace, and he facilitates ball movement without needing a ton of plays run for him. His size (6-foot-6 and 190 pounds with a 6-foot-8 wingspan) has also made him surprisingly effective on defense for a young player. Los Angeles can mix and match Lonzo’s, Hart’s, and Ingram’s assignments on defense and then run the free-flowing “everybody eats” offense that has made Washington so effective with John Wall out. </p>
<div id="Six03O"><iframe src="https://open.spotify.com/embed-podcast/episode/7pGrSRfVZSJw47F3Fllahm" style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 232px;" allowfullscreen="" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div>
<p id="58RH87">Kuzma has not been starting over the last month, but he is still the Lakers’ power forward of the future. <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/1/3/16844192/los-angeles-lakers-kyle-kuzma-rookie-sensation-feature">The rookie sensation has been one of the most impressive players from last year’s draft</a>, averaging 15.7 points a game while shooting 36.1 percent from 3 on 5.2 attempts. He is a 6-foot-9 walking mismatch who can also spread the floor. Kuzma can take bigger defenders off the dribble and score over the top of smaller ones. He and Ingram could develop into a devastating offensive tag team at the forward positions. While he still has a long way to go on defense, he has the athletic ability to be at least passable on that end of the floor. </p>
<p id="8p1yfm">Julius Randle is the one young player in Los Angeles whose future is still unclear. While his inability to space the floor and protect the rim makes it difficult to fit him in a starting lineup, he would be a fantastic sixth man. Randle dominated second-unit big men when he was in that role earlier in the season, and he can create offense for others when he’s double-teamed. Given how the market is looking at the moment, the Lakers probably won’t have to commit to him long-term. L.A. will need to waive his qualifying offer this offseason to clear cap room, but he has shown enough this season to be worth bringing back if the team strikes out in free agency. </p>
<p id="WIQjON">Put it all together and the Lakers have a well-rounded five-man core with a lot of room to grow. Ingram and Kuzma have the chance to be primary offensive options, while Ball and Hart should become elite role players in time and Randle could develop into a perennial Sixth Man of the Year candidate. The only thing they are missing is a shot-blocking big man at center. They can roll the dice on an athletic 7-footer like Mitchell Robinson or Brandon McCoy with Cleveland’s pick or take a chance on someone like Nerlens Noel in free agency. Brook Lopez and Frye are good placeholders at the position in the interim: Their ability to open up the floor as stretch 5s will give everyone else more driving lanes to attack the rim.</p>
<p id="egpoql">All of this speculation may be for nothing. LeBron and George might decide to team up in Los Angeles this summer, and the franchise could sell off most of its youth movement in an attempt to win now. LeBron has not shown much interest in playing with young players over the course of his career, and he’s unlikely to show any more patience now that he’s a 33-year-old with more than 50,000 regular-season and playoff minutes on his body. The nice thing about what the Lakers have done is they will still be in a good position to strike in free agency in 2019 if LeBron doesn’t come. They may be better off if he doesn’t.</p>
<div id="oMeL56"><iframe src="https://open.spotify.com/embed-podcast/episode/3jYbiQ3kPJENdK0ejXYM7z" style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 232px;" allowfullscreen="" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div>
<p id="NraV4B">LeBron and George by themselves wouldn’t be enough to knock off Golden State, and it will be hard for Los Angeles to put together an adequate supporting cast around them. The Lakers could count on either veterans getting paid near the minimum or young players still figuring out who they are in the NBA. LeBron is not on the same timetable as the core L.A. has assembled. Randle is 23, Kuzma and Hart are 22, and Ingram and Lonzo are 20. They will need years of grooming and development before they are ready to compete against elite teams in the playoffs. They will be entering their primes just as LeBron is leaving his. The plan should be to surround their youth with younger stars.</p>
<p id="yDxrAR">It doesn’t matter what stars will be available in future summers, whether it’s Klay Thompson and Kawhi Leonard in 2019 or players we aren’t even talking about yet. Stars want to play in Los Angeles, but not until there is a team promising enough to contend. Cap space doesn’t attract free agents. Winning games does. The Rockets didn’t have any space this summer, but Chris Paul still wanted to play for them. Once they received his commitment, they were able to work out a trade to acquire him.</p>
<p class="c-end-para" id="LK4pvW">The one thing the Lakers couldn’t do while chasing LeBron was hamstring the rest of their team in the process. The most impressive part about the moves they have made over the past year isn’t that they are now in position to offer him and a costar max salaries. It’s that they have hope for the future, even if he says no. The Lakers will look a lot more appealing to free agents in 2019 and 2020 than they will in 2018. They are offering a blank slate now. They can offer a chance to be part of a team on the rise a year from now. Plan A looks better now, but Plan B may have more upside.</p>
https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/2/9/16993588/lakers-trade-deadline-lebron-james-paul-georgeJonathan Tjarks2018-02-09T05:10:01-05:002018-02-09T05:10:01-05:00Which Traded Cavs Player Had the Most Depressing Run in Cleveland?
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<p>In memoriam of the very, very sad half-seasons of Dwyane Wade, Derrick Rose, and Isaiah Thomas</p> <p id="WLD5b7">The Cavaliers settled all family business before Thursday’s trade deadline, making three deals to revamp the roster in hopes of assembling an actual contender instead of a sullen squad of LeBron hangers-on <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/2/7/16985968/cleveland-cavaliers-lebron-james-orlando-magic">incapable</a> of beating the Orlando Magic. Whether it works is yet to be seen, but the Cavs did succeed in jettisoning three former All-Stars who weren’t working out: Dwyane Wade, Derrick Rose, and Isaiah Thomas. </p>
<p id="BHvN8t">All three players were disappointments: It was clear that none were capable of starters’ minutes on a team with title hopes. And while James has often kept around vets for their mind-sets and kinship, apparently none were willing to be an inspirational buddy at the end of the bench. Which had the most depressing season in Cleveland?</p>
<h3 id="0LLK9B">Dwyane Wade</h3>
<p id="3JyFbK">Wade was traded for literally nothing—a “<a href="https://twitter.com/NBATV/status/961666514284957696">heavily protected</a>” second-round pick in the 2024 draft. (Hey, can I have that bag of chips? I’ll give you a coin in three weeks, and the coin isn’t allowed to be a dollar, quarter, or dime.) The trade is a favor to Wade—he’s going to Miami, which is now home. But still: Dwyane Wade, 12-time All-Star, is worth next to nothing now, which is sad.</p>
<div class="c-float-left"><aside id="h7CNce"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"The Cavaliers Are a Brand-New Team — but How Much Better Did They Get?","url":"https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/2/8/16992492/cleveland-cavaliers-trades-future"},{"title":"A Ranking of the Cavs’ Deadline Deals","url":"https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/2/8/16992096/cavaliers-trade-deadline-trades-ranking"},{"title":"All the Trades That Didn’t Involve Cleveland","url":"https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/2/8/16992570/minor-deadline-trades-knicks-magic-nuggets"},{"title":"Isaiah Thomas Talked His Way Out of Cleveland","url":"https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/2/8/16993324/isaiah-thomas-cavaliers-lebron-lakers-trade"},{"title":"Winners and Losers of the NBA Trade Deadline","url":"https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/2/8/16993852/nba-trade-deadline-winners-losers-cavaliers-lakers-suns-pistons"}]}'></div></aside></div>
<p id="1Yizeq">Wade is playing somewhat reasonable basketball this season, averaging 11.2 points per game on 45.5 percent shooting. But that’s a huge drop-off for him: His previous career-low in scoring was 16.2 points per game in his rookie season. This was also the first time he’s regularly come off the bench—he has about four times as many games off the bench this season (43) as he did in his first 12 seasons (11). But it’s not just a playing-time thing: He’s posting the second-lowest field goal percentage of his career and the lowest free throw percentage, and he’s averaging the fewest points per 100 possessions of his career. Before the deal, the Cavs were planning on <a href="http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/22369557/cleveland-cavaliers-trade-dwyane-wade-back-miami-heat">giving new acquisition Jordan Clarkson and youngster Cedi Osman most of Wade’s minutes</a>. </p>
<p id="uLqxyY"><strong>How depressing was this? </strong>This was supposed to be a celebration of one of the NBA’s most famous friendships: Wade began the season <a href="http://ftw.usatoday.com/2017/09/lebron-dwyane-wade-cavaliers-practice-wine-snapchat-together-brothers-cheers-cleveland-nba">drinking wine at LeBron’s house</a>, toasting to their reunion. Wade and James are still pals—LeBron issued his approval for Wade’s Miami return via an <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Be8iiedBm59/?utm_source=ig_embed">IG post</a>. But it’s sad that LeBron, at some point, had to admit that to win a championship, his best bud would have to ride the pine in favor of <em>Cedi Osman. </em></p>
<div id="eg2peB"><iframe src="https://open.spotify.com/embed-podcast/episode/7pGrSRfVZSJw47F3Fllahm" style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 232px;" allowfullscreen="" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div>
<h3 id="FPuP4c">Derrick Rose</h3>
<p id="mTfHuS">Rose might be neither interested in nor capable of playing basketball. He was already a shell of his former self when he averaged 18.0 points per game for the Knicks last season. This season, he’s down to just 9.8 points per game. Now he’s been traded to the Jazz, who will <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/961671449282076672">cut him.</a> </p>
<p id="DOaKDe">For the second straight year, Rose left his team during the season—last year it was<a href="http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/18440024/new-york-knicks-derrick-rose-unexplained-absence-returns-team"> just for a game</a>; this year it was for about two weeks. He was dealing with an injury, but, like, <em>you’re not just allowed to leave your team because you’re injured! </em>He reportedly left to <a href="http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/21540075/derrick-rose-away-cleveland-cavaliers-evaluating-future-nba">re-evaluate his future</a>. Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said he wasn’t sure whether Rose <a href="http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/21694513/derrick-rose-apologizes-cleveland-cavaliers-teammates-nearly-two-week-absence">actually rehabbed his injury while he was absent</a>, and noted that Rose’s apology upon returning to the team was “not particularly emotional.” It’s likely that Rose is only continuing to stay under NBA contract because he’d lose the $80 million-plus remaining on his <a href="http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/21542026/derrick-rose-retired-walk-away-remaining-seven-years-80-million-adidas-deal">monstrous Adidas deal</a> if he retired. </p>
<p id="q7EP8V"><strong>How depressing was this? </strong>No more or less depressing than anything that’s happened with Rose, on or off the court, since the ACL tear that turned him from an MVP to just another NBA player. The good news is Rose apparently got married during his time off from the team. Congrats to the happy couple. </p>
<div id="SQ3BHT"><iframe src="https://open.spotify.com/embed-podcast/episode/3jYbiQ3kPJENdK0ejXYM7z" style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 232px;" allowfullscreen="" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div>
<h3 id="5yFDdp"><strong>Isaiah Thomas</strong></h3>
<p id="tQA8v9"><em>Sports Illustrated</em> summarized the Isaiah Thomas Era in Cleveland with a perfect video:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Here’s a tribute to Cleveland Cavaliers legend Isaiah Thomas... <a href="https://t.co/Tx8XBJYI0V">pic.twitter.com/Tx8XBJYI0V</a></p>— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) <a href="https://twitter.com/SInow/status/961679366370549760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2018</a>
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<p id="v2F6pB">I think Thomas just played the worst extended stretch of basketball in recent memory. He shot 36 percent from the field while making <a href="https://twitter.com/statmuse/status/958750487699865600">the Cavaliers worse defensively than any player has made any team in the past 25 years</a>. The Cavs were minus-146 with Thomas on the court over his final 13 games with them. He was bad enough that <em>LeBron James </em>had a negative plus-minus over a stretch of about a month. The Cavs were 24-12 when he played his first game in January; they are 7-10 since. Thomas always had defensive problems but they were worse this season, and his dynamic scoring from last season disappeared. It turns out being tall might be helpful for basketball players.</p>
<p id="svjjkI">But somehow, he was just as bad off the court. Thomas <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2755614-report-isaiah-thomas-led-charge-against-kevin-love-in-cavs-team-meeting">tried to get the team to turn on Kevin Love</a>, <a href="https://247sports.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/Bolt/WATCH-Isaiah-Thomas-questions-Cleveland-Cavaliers-effort-versus-Houston-Rockets-114631874">called out his teammates’ effort</a>, said <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2755155-isaiah-thomas-cavs-dont-trust-each-other-celtics-tried-harder-defensively">nobody on the team trusts each other</a>, and said that the <a href="http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/22359661/coach-tyronn-lue-does-not-agree-isaiah-thomas-criticism-cavs-make-game-adjustments">coaching staff doesn’t make in-game adjustments</a>. It was clear his teammates hated him:</p>
<div id="WpYvBS">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr"> @ IT small ass and LeBron ignoring him <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/tension?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#tension</a> <a href="https://t.co/MG6KIl6QtG">pic.twitter.com/MG6KIl6QtG</a></p>— (浪人 (@LordBalvin) <a href="https://twitter.com/LordBalvin/status/961446601834278912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2018</a>
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<p class="c-end-para" id="UMiMlo"><strong>How depressing was this? </strong>Massively. With the Celtics last season, Thomas was one of the best players on one of the best teams in the NBA. This season, he is virtually unplayable. Last season, Thomas was one of the most likable players in the NBA—his size and low draft position made his late-career surge particularly fun. This season, he was a caustic complainer, throwing as many people as he could under the bus. Wade and Rose both had sad half-seasons, but they were somewhat predictable considering their career arcs. I don’t know where Thomas’s staggeringly bad season came from, but I will never forget it. </p>
https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/2/9/16993944/cleveland-cavaliers-dwyane-wade-derrick-rose-isaiah-thomasRodger Sherman2018-02-08T22:29:59-05:002018-02-08T22:29:59-05:00Winners and Losers of the NBA Trade Deadline
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<figcaption>Getty Images/Ringer illustration</figcaption>
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<p>The Cavaliers started fresh, the Lakers made a play for the future, and the Grizzlies … did what, exactly?</p> <p id="k3XUqI">What a day. The Cavaliers blew it up, defining what was a fascinating NBA trade deadline. Here are my winners, losers, and key takeaways on what did and didn’t happen on Thursday.</p>
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<h3 id="7iDJ0G">Winner: Cleveland Cavaliers</h3>
<p id="TGsUSN">The Cavs’ front office deserves a ton of credit for its creativity and courage in overhauling the roster. <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/2/8/16992492/cleveland-cavaliers-trades-future">As <em>The Ringer</em>’s Jonathan Tjarks detailed</a>, the three prominent guards they dealt — Isaiah Thomas, Derrick Rose, and Dwyane Wade — were part of the problem defensively, while the additions — Rodney Hood, George Hill, and Jordan Clarkson — should all help on that end. Larry Nance Jr. is an upgrade over Tristan Thompson, and though the Cavs lost Jae Crowder, they already have Jeff Green, who has been better than Crowder. Rookie Cedi Osman is also ready for a more significant role. All of the NBA execs I talked to after the deadline thought this team got better on paper.</p>
<p id="syKrBd">The Cavaliers play only three games over the next 13 days, giving coach Tyronn Lue and the staff plenty of time to integrate the new blood and prepare the team to reintegrate Kevin Love once he returns from his broken left hand. There are no guarantees it’ll work. If Hood, Hill, Clarkson, and Nance are supposed to save your season, you’re asking for a bit much. Hood and Hill are also injury prone, but they’re still better than what the Cavs had.</p>
<p id="hNzhh4">These deals are also wins for future seasons, too. Though the Cavaliers gave up their own first-round pick in the deal with the Lakers for Clarkson and Nance, they retained the coveted 2018 Nets first-round pick. So they still have the ability to add either a high-end prospect in a talented lottery class, or deal the pick if the right opportunity comes their way in June. They also added players who can be part of their core in the years ahead, with or without LeBron James. Clarkson, Nance, and Hood are all 25. Osman, who joined the team over the summer, is 22. If LeBron stays, that’s swell. But if he leaves, Cleveland won’t be left with one of the most hopeless rosters in basketball, as it was the last time LeBron left and was prepared to be again. Instead, the Cavaliers have finally started to build a roster with an eye toward the future.</p>
<aside id="kIB20q"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"The Lakers Don’t Have to Cling to Their Superteam Dreams","url":"https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/2/9/16993588/lakers-trade-deadline-lebron-james-paul-george"},{"title":"Which Traded Cavs Player Had the Most Depressing Run in Cleveland?","url":"https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/2/9/16993944/cleveland-cavaliers-dwyane-wade-derrick-rose-isaiah-thomas"},{"title":"NBA Trade Deadline Exit Survey","url":"https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/2/9/16995832/trade-deadline-exit-survey-cavs-suns-grizzlies"},{"title":"Isaiah Thomas Talked His Way Out of Cleveland","url":"https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/2/8/16993324/isaiah-thomas-cavaliers-lebron-lakers-trade"},{"title":"All the Trades That Didn’t Involve Cleveland","url":"https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/2/8/16992570/minor-deadline-trades-knicks-magic-nuggets"},{"title":"The Cavaliers Are a Brand-New Team — but How Much Better Did They Get?","url":"https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/2/8/16992492/cleveland-cavaliers-trades-future"},{"title":"A Ranking of the Cavs’ Deadline Deals","url":"https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/2/8/16992096/cavaliers-trade-deadline-trades-ranking"}]}'></div></aside><h3 id="Se9iif">Winner: Los Angeles Lakers</h3>
<p id="zpFaBD">There were <a href="https://twitter.com/KevinOConnorNBA/status/961621402397757441">rumblings</a> hours before the deadline that the Lakers were using Nance as a sweetener to dump Clarkson, who is owed nearly $26 million over the next two seasons. But the Cavs stepped up and it all worked out perfectly for the Lakers — they got a first-round pick <em>and </em>the expiring contracts of Isaiah Thomas and Channing Frye. The Lakers now have only $34.6 million in guaranteed salaries this upcoming offseason, when James and Paul George can become unrestricted free agents. There is still more work to be done, including stretching Luol Deng’s albatross contract, but the front-office team of Rob Pelinka and Magic Johnson cleared the way toward cap space for two max free agents.</p>
<p id="ZtCBrr">The Cavaliers also made themselves a more appealing place for LeBron to stay in the process, but that’s OK. The Lakers also increased their savings for the summer after this one, when Kawhi Leonard, Klay Thompson, and Jimmy Butler are expected to hit the market. Los Angeles will always be a prime destination, and now the Lakers have the requisite finances to welcome in the ones who want to help bring back the glory days.</p>
<h3 id="HJnH6B">Loser: Rob Pelinka</h3>
<p id="wIOCyK">Pelinka and Johnson were asked whether they had substantive conversations that would’ve allowed them to deal Deng. Magic chuckled, flashed his billion-dollar smile, turned to Pelinka and cracked, “We wish, huh?”</p>
<p id="OI64Da">Pelinka was screaming internally.</p>
<div id="syCfZp">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Magic Johnson was asked by <a href="https://twitter.com/billoram?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@billoram</a> if there were any substantive conversations about Luol Deng during the trade deadline, and his initial response is AMAZING! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LakeShow?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LakeShow</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Lakers?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Lakers</a> <a href="https://t.co/IWNU76YGx0">pic.twitter.com/IWNU76YGx0</a></p>— Shahan Ahmed (@shahanLA) <a href="https://twitter.com/shahanLA/status/961705680980750336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2018</a>
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<h3 id="xWjJwF">Winner: Western Conference Favorites</h3>
<p id="DLFqUU">The Rockets and Warriors stayed out of the action, yet came away winners considering Avery Bradley didn’t land on the Spurs or Thunder. Both Western Conference foes had pursued the Clippers guard before the deadline, but the price was too steep, according to multiple league sources. The guess is that the Clippers were seeking a first-round pick for Bradley, a pending unrestricted free agent, which would’ve been tough for the Thunder, <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/2/7/16982458/oklahoma-city-thunder-paul-george-avery-bradley">whose earliest available first is in 2022</a>.</p>
<p id="BAzOVp">Bradley is one of the NBA’s prime perimeter defenders, one of the few talents capable of containing Stephen Curry and Chris Paul. One of those teams may see Bradley in the first round, but the Clippers aren’t true threats. The path to the NBA Finals is now a little bit clearer for Golden State or Houston.</p>
<h3 id="g3NsIf">Losers: Ex-Lottery Picks (and Their Teams)</h3>
<p id="KBVW2Q">Not only was Elfrid Payton, the no. 10 overall pick in 2014, dealt for a second-round pick, but the Nuggets traded Emmanuel Mudiay, drafted seventh in 2015, in a three-way trade for 34-year-old point guard Devin Harris. The Kings also flat-out cut Georgios Papagiannis, the no. 13 pick in 2016. The Magic regime that selected Payton is gone, and the Kings’ front office has been overhauled, but it’s typically never a good sign when a player is being cut loose before the end of his rookie contract.</p>
<div id="MwlTQ0"><iframe src="https://open.spotify.com/embed-podcast/episode/7pGrSRfVZSJw47F3Fllahm" style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 232px;" allowfullscreen="" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div>
<h3 id="M2ihZQ">Winner: Detroit Pistons</h3>
<p id="n9Y0Mw">The Pistons <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/1/29/16948856/blake-griffin-detroit-pistons-los-angeles-clippers-trade">shocked the basketball world</a> by trading for Blake Griffin on January 29, and then they made some quiet yet quality additions on Thursday. They first acquired veteran point guard Jameer Nelson, who can fortify the bench, and later snatched swingman James Ennis from the Grizzlies for big man Brice Johnson and a second-rounder. Nelson and Ennis aren’t exactly big-time acquisitions, but the Pistons are going all in, and every bit helps.</p>
<h3 id="5JB3OK">Winner: Phoenix Suns</h3>
<p id="1ks5Nf">The Suns entered the trade deadline three years ago with a trio of point guards: Goran Dragic, Isaiah Thomas, and Eric Bledsoe. All three are gone now, and with Brandon Knight still missing in action, Tyler Ulis still short, and Isaiah Canaan sidelined, Phoenix’s point guard cupboard is completely depleted. Now they have Payton.</p>
<p id="Tf4J9G">I know what you’re thinking: “But Payton wasn’t good in Orlando.”<em> </em>That’s true, but he’s played for four coaches over four seasons. <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nba/2017/12/13/16770286/nba-victor-oladipo-indiana-pacers">Look at former teammate Victor Oladipo</a>, who found his way with the Pacers at age 25. Sometimes all it takes is time and the right situation. Payton probably won’t blossom like Oladipo, who made his first All-Star team this season, but there’s no risk here for the Suns. They gave up only a second-rounder from their endless pile of them, which is a cheap price to pay for a point guard who turns 24 later this month and has shown flashes over his time with the Magic.</p>
<p id="vMGHTZ">The Suns haven’t exactly been a model of stability, either. But for two months, Payton will get an opportunity to show what he can do next to Devin Booker and Josh Jackson. Payton’s solid playmaking and defense can at least be useful off the bench. If the restricted-free-agent-to-be shows he can be the long-term starter, there will be less of a need to draft a point guard like Trae Young or Collin Sexton, meaning the Suns can divert their attention to others in this year’s <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nba-draft">loaded draft class</a>.</p>
<div id="epc21B"><iframe src="https://open.spotify.com/embed-podcast/episode/3jYbiQ3kPJENdK0ejXYM7z" style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 232px;" allowfullscreen="" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div>
<h3 id="Hj3lnd">Loser: Memphis Grizzlies</h3>
<p id="JieFjw">ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Wednesday night that the Grizzlies “refuse” to discuss deals for center Marc Gasol. That’s nice. I get it. I really do. Gasol is their franchise center, the cornerstone of their most successful era ever. Maybe I have a machine mind and a machine heart, but Gasol is a 33-year-old who has declined significantly this season, underwent major foot surgery just two years ago, and is owed $49.7 million over the next two seasons.</p>
<p id="LuFb72">The team apparently views guard Tyreke Evans as part of the core, too. Evans is currently averaging an efficient 19.5 points per game and will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. According to multiple reports, the Grizzlies’ demands for Evans were too significant. The Grizzlies should’ve come away from the deadline with something, but, outside of moving Ennis to Detroit, they ended up with virtually the same team they started the day with.</p>
<h3 id="QaFc68">Winners: Teams Probing the Buyout Market</h3>
<p id="iW1T1v">Though the Grizzlies turned down decent offers to keep him, Evans is at the top of a long list of players who could now be bought out.</p>
<p id="CxOvpU">Veteran wings Tony Allen, Joe Johnson, and Marco Belinelli are all likely to hit the market. Minnesota’s Shabazz Muhammad has also been rumored as a buyout candidate. Mavericks center Nerlens Noel could use a change of scenery, and veteran Boris Diaw (who has an opt-out clause in his contract with France’s Paris-Levallois to sign with an NBA team) has reportedly been in contact with multiple playoff teams. The Celtics, Warriors, Raptors, and Rockets are all teams to watch when players hit the market.</p>
<h3 id="cIm6Ox">Losers: Guards Entering Free Agency</h3>
<p id="lz1JX0">Lou Williams’s <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/2/7/16987134/lou-williams-contract-extension">new three-year, $24 million contract</a> isn’t <em>bad</em> considering the upcoming <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/2/5/16972634/trouble-nba-max-contracts">market correction</a>. But, man, the precedent it sets is awful for younger guards about to become free agents, including Bradley, Will Barton, and Marcus Smart. If Williams is making $8 million annually, what’s Smart getting? Five million? Is Barton getting … $6 million?</p>
<p id="H13psC">Those numbers are criminally low. But for teams, the deals will become even more valuable on the trade market, especially with so many of the bloated contracts from the summer of 2016 still in place. Williams’s agent, Wallace Prather, got his client a deal that suits the current climate, but in the process, he jump-started a chain of events that should lead to a lot of guys being disappointed in July.</p>
<h3 id="6utyAz">To Be Determined: Ex-Celtics</h3>
<p id="mINugF">Jae Crowder has looked more like the Jae Crowder we knew before Brad Stevens blessed him in Boston, and Thomas is clearly not back to the level he was at prior to his major hip injury. Now both former Celtics-turned-Cavaliers will get new chances in new situations. Crowder was sent to Utah, where he’ll play for Jazz coach Quin Snyder, the Stevens of the West. Snyder has a knack for maximizing the talents of his role players, so the hope is that Crowder can return to his 3-and-D ways (though they were overrated to begin with).</p>
<p id="Jh2pNa">Thomas’s situation is far dicier. ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne reported on <em>The Jump </em>that Thomas is likely to come off the bench. Rachel Nichols followed up by saying that Thomas’s agent, Aaron Goodwin, told her, in all capital letters, that “HE IS NOT COMING OFF THE BENCH.” Goodwin later told <a href="http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2018/02/cavaliers_trade_isaiah_thomas.html">Cleveland.com’s Joe Vardon</a> that Thomas is a “ball-dominant player,” and it wasn’t working in Cleveland since LeBron holds the ball so much. As a result, he said he had conversations with the Cavs front office about how it wasn’t beneficial for Thomas to remain in Cleveland. It certainly wasn’t, and now he’s gone.</p>
<p class="c-end-para" id="GiEkH5">Thomas still isn’t healthy and has only two months to prove his worth before he becomes a free agent. The Lakers should at least give him more time with the ball. But as we learned this trade deadline, change isn’t always good.</p>
https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/2/8/16993852/nba-trade-deadline-winners-losers-cavaliers-lakers-suns-pistonsKevin O'Connor