Cavaliers Trade Isaiah Thomas to Los Angeles Lakers
Cleveland Cavaliers Agree to Trade with Los Angeles Lakers
ESPN Insider Adrian Wojnarowski has reported that the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers have agreed to a trade that will send Isaiah Thomas, Channing Frye, and Cleveland's 2018 protected 1st Round Pick to LA in exchange for Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr.
The trade comes less than twelve hours after Isaiah Thomas said he did not want to be traded this season and wanted to play out the rest of his season in Cleveland. Unfortunately for Thomas, he will not get that option as he will be packing his bags for LA shortly. The Lakers get two players in the final years of their contracts and should allow the Lakers to pursue at least one and possibly two max players this summer. It's highly unlikely that the Lakers will sign Thomas to a long-term contract after the season like he had hoped to, so Thomas will likely be looking elsewhere for his Brinks truck type pay-day.
The trade also likely signals that this will be LeBron's final year in Cleveland as the Cavs bring in two promising young players that are most likely a couple years away from their primes. With the trade, Cleveland receives two players that actually have higher player efficiency ratings than the guys going out and this could potentially be a deal that helps Cleveland both this year and into the future. Isaiah Thomas has been a disappointment so far this season and adding some youth and athleticism (not to mention much needed defensive help) will aid the Cavs as they make a push for another Eastern Conference title. Both Nance and Clarkson give this aging Cavaliers team some much needed youth and both will likely play meaningful minutes on this Cleveland squad.
The trade also paves the way for the Lakers to return to relevance next year as they will be able to pursue both LeBron James and Paul George in the offseason. With room for these two players and a young core that includes rookies Lonzo Ball and Kyle Kuzma, the Lakers could compete for a top spot in the Western Conference next season. Paul George has made his desire to return to his hometown LA well-known and LeBron James currently owns two homes in the Brentwood area. Both will almost assuredly be Lakers next season.
If you enjoyed this article, please consider following @brandonp here on Steemit and get articles like this directly to your feed.. If you're interested in seeing more great NBA related content, please sign up for Swish Weekly (https://mailchi.mp/dfef9429318a/swish-weekly-signup) to receive a weekly email with a curated list of the best content from all around the web. Don't forget to upvote and resteem to keep the quality content flowing here on Steemit!
They blew the whole thing up!! The chemistry must have been really bad for it to be this extreme. I will say this...they got a bit younger and athletic.
Its gonna take a little time for all these pieces to click together.
: )
They certainly did. I obviously didn't get things completely right in my previous piece about the Cavs blowing it up (https://steemit.com/nba/@brandonp/should-the-cleveland-cavaliers-blow-it-up), but they did go with the same strategy that I mentioned. They needed to get younger, more athletic, and remove some dead cap space. I don't think this necessarily moves them into the favorite to beat the Warriors position, but it definitely helps.
I guess thomas just stopped in for a sandwich, I guess there was little/no cleveland chemistry. Now ball and thomas will have to get along for a few months hearing the "stay in your lane" from lavar (who claimed he could beat m.j. and so I assume isiah too?)
I think that if this shows anything, it's that Brad Stevens is a god damn genius. Isaiah hasn't been able to replicate his numbers in Boston last year and I can only think that it has to do with the system. IT is clearly a system guy that needed the offense run around him. That doesn't work when LeBron is on your team.
I honestly wouldn't be too surprised if the Lakers just cut Thomas or shut him down for the year. There's no real reason to run him out there when he isn't in their future plans and every minute he plays is less time for their young guys.
The only thing I like about this on LA's side is the draft pick (not yet sure the status of it being protected) Thomas is a defensive disaster and Clarkson is underrated and improving. Hopefully they'll just shut IT down or trade him again. Sorry to see Larry Nance go too but maybe now they keep Randle?
I think getting out of the Clarkson contract was huge for them. You can't pay a 6th man $13 M a year to jack up ill-advised shots on a young team.
As for Randle, I don't think they'll keep him either. If they let him walk after the season, they'l have room fro two max contracts and I think they are going to do whatever they can to lure Paul George and LeBron to LA with that.
Ok thanks @brandonp..I guess LeBron could handle Randle's minutes pretty well!
Wow! I just read an article yesterday saying that Isaiah Thomas wants to stay in Cleveland. Well what a turn of events for Cleveland and good news for a young Lakers organization.
Definitely sucks for Thomas to get traded again, but the Cavs needed to switch things up and Thomas wasn't getting it done.
No I agree! I know they only scored 9 points in the 4th against the Magic in their recent loss. But the Won yesterdays thriller against the T-wolves with Lebron sick block in OT.
I am sure the Lakers are thrilled to pick up Thomas.
They don't have vision about future...
I disagree. I think that if anything, this shows that the Cavs actually are thinking about their future. They kept the Nets pick which was their most valuable young asset and got far younger. I don't see how this constitutes "not having vision about the future" as you say.
Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. will help them to become NBA champions sure...
And they are very young, future is in front of them. Yea right...
Lakers made better deal in my opinion.
This is like they joke with Isaiah Thomas. :/
I knew IT was not happy in Cleveland, but I did not see this trade coming at all! I like the trade for the Cavs though.. This is definitely some much needed youth the Cavaliers needed!
Definitely agree and honestly, I didn't think they would move IT either, but I think they are better for it. Nance Jr. adds some much needed rim protection and can switch across multiple positions.
I have become a big Nance fan since watching the NBA more this year than in the past! I think the Cavs are definitely struggling, but will get it together when the playoffs come. Yes they are aged, but they still have arguably the greatest player on the planet!
fun post! the Cavs had to do something, lets see what this gives them,
just posted my predictions an hour ago
https://steemit.com/nba/@heyitshaas/trade-deadline-trades-the-could-happen-in-the-nba-haas-picks
1000% LeBron will be playing in L.A. next year. As much I would hate the move because it’s truly a “LeBron” move, it will be interesting to see Golden State and the Lakers going at it and only one being in the Finals. I just feel bad for the team that comes out of the East.