NBA Trade Deadline 2017: 5 trades that should have happened
4. Patrick Beverley for Iman Shumpert
Of every deal mentioned here, this might be the least noteworthy of the bunch. While that may be so, that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t have been a smart move for the both the Cleveland Cavaliers and Houston Rockets to make this trade happen. According to a report from Marc Stein, the trade was indeed on the table and discussed. However, it ultimately fell through because of the Rockets’ unwillingness to trade Beverley.
The Cavs have been searching all season for what they’ve termed a playmaker in their backcourt to come off of the bench, a need heightened due to J.R. Smith’s injury. Beverley is the best possible version of that as he not only switches the tone at point guard from Kyrie Irving with his stifling, gritty defense, but he also is a quality offensive player capable of running an offense effectively. What’s more, the Cavaliers simply haven’t found the right niche for Shumpert and would likely be better off starting Kyle Korver and giving Mike Dunleavy or Jordan McRae spot minutes in the guard rotation until Smith’s return.
As for Houston, it’s understandable as to why they’d not want to part with Beverley. He’s a tremendous asset that does a lot for their backcourt. However, while he fits the bill of the playmaker that the Cavs need, that’s not as much the case with the Rockets. Especially with a shallow guard rotation behind James Harden and Eric Gordon, it would make more sense to add Shumpert to that rotation than it does to keep Beverley.