Cleveland Cavaliers reportedly trade Keith Bogans to Philadelphia 76ers

The Cleveland Cavaliers have traded newly-acquired NBA veteran Keith Bogans to the Philadephia 76ers, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein:

Bogans was a Cav for little more than 24 hours, as he was acquired from the Boston Celtics on Thursday night in exchange for the non-guaranteed contracts of Erik Murphy, Malcom Thomas and John Lucas III, and rookie forward Dwight Powell, whom the Celtics will likely keep.

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The idea was, at the time of the Thursday trade to acquire him, Bogans was a respected vet and a good locker room guy, but the Cavs were really more interested in using Bogans’s contract as a trade chip, as his contract is non-guaranteed both this year and next year, for slightly more than five million dollars each season.

Apparently Cleveland has already found a trade for Bogans it likes, and the Cavs will send him and a second-round pick to the 76ers to create the $5.3-million trade exception (the amount Bogans is scheduled to make this season). It’s not clear if the 76ers plan to keep Bogans, but Philly GM Sam Hinkie has been coveting assets such as second-round picks and non-gaurenteed deals like Bogans, and this trade allows him to acquire both, while the Cavs can stay under the luxury tax and preserve their trade asset as a trade exception. It’s another wacky NBA trade that has very little to do with basketball, and more with making it easier for the Cavs to maneuver payroll going forward.

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