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Cleveland Cavaliers acquire J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert in three-way deal

By Josh Hill

Dec 23, 2013; Orlando, FL, USA; New York Knicks shooting guard J.R. Smith (8) during the first half of the game against the Orlando Magic at the Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Foldy-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 23, 2013; Orlando, FL, USA; New York Knicks shooting guard J.R. Smith (8) during the first half of the game against the Orlando Magic at the Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Foldy-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Cleveland Cavaliers needed to make a trade to spur some change, and that came on Monday night when they traded Dion Waiters to the Oklahoma City Thunder. 

After a slow start to the season that still hasn’t seen the Cleveland Cavaliers win more than 19 games, the team has gone ahead and made a trade that everyone knew they had to make. With little to offer interns of assets, the Cleveland Cavaliers plucked Dion Waiters off their bench and plugged him into a trade that sends him to the Oklahoma City Thunder in a three-way deal involving the New York Knicks.

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There had been rumors of a Dion Waiters trade for weeks, as his hot-and-cold play of late had both frustrated Cavaliers fans while also giving them hope he could boost hist trade value. Cleveland has been in need of both point guard depth and a rim protector, which is what prompted the three-way trade on Monday night.

It’s not just Dion Waiters involved in the trade, as Lou Amundson and Alex Kirk are both on the move.

The beef of the deal is J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert moving to Cleveland, as they’ll fill an immediate need for backcourt depth now that Waiters is gone and Kyrie Irving is fragile. Even before Irving was injured, the Cavaliers needed to find backcourt depth and they’ve found that in Shumpert and Smith.

Shumpert will likely play shooting guard next to Kyrie Irving, which may end up being the lethal combination the Cavaliers need to turn their season around and get their NBA Finals hopes back on track.

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