Brendan Haywood could be a key asset for Cleveland Cavaliers

On draft night,the Charlotte Hornets dealt center Brendan Haywood and the 45th-overall pick, which was used on former Stanford Cardinal power forward Dwight Powell, to the Cleveland Cavaliers for swingman Alonzo Gee.

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On the surface, it seemed like a small deal but it would wind up really paying off for the Cavaliers.

As Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors points out, the Cavaliers could use his ungauranteed money to make a major deal in the future, perhaps even in a sign-and-trade.

"Well, this piece I wrote a while back might be the cause of some of that obsession (http://www.hoopsrumors.com/…). I think there’s a very good chance they wind up using it. Any trade depends on the cooperation of another team, of course, but Haywood’s contract represents a de facto trade exception. It allows the Cavs to acquire a player on an eight-figure salary in exchange for someone who has an eight-figure salary but isn’t really worthy of it. Other teams would have motivation to participate in such a deal because they could get rid of Haywood’s non-guaranteed salary and clear cap space. So, Haywood is a nice trade chip to have."

Haywood did not play in the NBA last season and last suited up for the Charlotte Bobcats (Hornets) in the 2012-2013 season. He played in 61 games, putting up 3.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 0.8 blocks per game while shooting 43.1% from the field and 45.5% from the free throw line. In his 12-year NBA career, the former North Carolina Tar Heel has averaged 6.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game while shooting 52.8% from the floor and 58.7% from the free throw line.

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