The NBA Trade Deadline already passed, and it was one of the most exciting ones of the past few years. It is quite early to determine winners and losers here, but here are three things we already learned from this year’s Trade Deadline.
The Cavaliers got a lot better, but that might not be enough
The Cleveland Cavaliers made a big roster overhaul. They parted ways with Isaiah Thomas, Derrick Rose, Jae Crowder, Iman Shumpert, Dwyane Wade and Channing Frye, but added George Hill, Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr. and Rodney Hood. On paper, it seems they got rid of six players while adding just four. But it’s far more than that. Despite the fact some big names left, there’s an argument to be made that they got better after all their deadline moves.
Rose and Thomas were not working at the PG role, and Clarkson should represent an upgrade while making Calderon the backup at the position. Hood and Hill add depth in the SG role, but each of them had unique strengths. Hood is a slasher that can become an effective shooter from the perimeter, while Hill will be a defensive upgrade. The veteran can play both guard roles as well, so he gives them positional versatility. And Nance Jr. can add toughness, size, and scoring off the bench.
Will their moves pan out? It’s hard to tell. But they did what they had to do in order to save a roster that was getting more and more dysfunctional.
Expect several names to be available in the coming days
Several players were on the move today, but many others could be available in the coming days. For instance, Thomas already said he is not willing to come off the bench, and that he would seek a buy-out in case the Lakers plan to have him off the bench. But he is not the only player who could find a new team as a free agent.
Names like Rose, Avery Bradley, Joe Johnson, and others could be up for grabs in the coming days. As such, we must watch the market really close to see what happens. Several contending teams could use an upgrade or two, and the market is not over even if the trade deadline already passed.
The Lakers were the big winners of the Trade Deadline
One would think the Cavaliers were the winners based on their roster overhaul, but no. The real winners here were the Lakers. They got some good players in return, traded two players that were not going to help the team in the long run, and kept Julius Randle. But more importantly, they added a superstar in Isaiah Thomas while maintaining their flexibility for the upcoming free agent class.
The Lakers added Thomas and Frye from the Cavs, but both players are on expiring contracts. But they are not worried about what they can do this season. This trade was all about to create salary cap, and they did it in a big way. Following today’s trade, the Lakers could now have up to $70M in salary cap space this summer. That’s enough to sign BOTH LeBron James and Paul George to max contracts. And if we add Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram to that, then the Lakers could become a playoff team as soon as next season.
They made this move for the future, and it should pay off big time sooner than later.