NBA Trade Grades: Cavaliers deal Isaiah Thomas to Lakers
It’s wasn’t quite LeBron James to Los Angeles, but the Cleveland Cavaliers did trade their second best player to the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday.
The Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers pulled off a semi-blockbuster at the trade deadline. Desperate to make a move and spark a playoff run, the Cavaliers traded Isaiah Thomas, the center of a lot negative publicity in the last month, to the Lakers in exchange for Larry Nance Jr. and Jordan Clarkson. Along with Thomas, the Lakers will receive Channing Frye and Cleveland’s 2018 first-round pick. Mark that down. It’s Cleveland’s first-round pick. Not Brooklyn’s.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski had the initial talks and Cleveland’s return while The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor first reported that Thomas was headed to Los Angeles. Here’s the full trade:
Cleveland Cavaliers
When the Cavaliers traded Kyrie Irving to Boston in the offseason, most thought they ended up with a great return. Brooklyn’s first-round pick, a 3-and-D wing in Jae Crowder, and Thomas, the most clutch player in the NBA last season. Thomas’ hip injury kept him out of action until January, but that was a known part of the deal.
His return was anything but sweet for the Cavaliers. He didn’t have the same explosiveness, remained a major liability on defense, and caused problems in the locker room. His finger pointing at Kevin Love and criticism of “not playing together” seemed to be the final straw. In a home game against the Timberwolves on Thursday night, he was boo’d when re-entering the game in the fourth quarter.
Despite his offensive talents, the locker room discord appeared to be too much for the Cavaliers organization.
In Jordan Clarkson, the Cavaliers are getting a similar microwave scorer. He’s not as good offensively as peak Isaiah Thomas, but he can create his own shot and get teammates involved. Defensively, he’s taller than Thomas, which already works to Cleveland’s advantage. Larry Nance Jr. is the kind of guy the Cavaliers need right now. On a team that looks lifeless on most nights, he’ll bring energy and effort off the bench. He’s a very good rebounder who can play multiple positions.
The loss of Thomas is addition by subtraction for Cleveland. The loss of Frye might be taken harder in the locker room as he was well liked.
Grade: B
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers wanted to get out of Clarkson’s contract, which paid him $13 million up to 2020. They’re loading up for the 2018 and 2019 offseason, hoping to land a free agent or two. Thomas and Frye are both on expiring deals and who the Lakers can let walk at the end of the season.
Knowing the motives of Los Angeles, it’s obvious why they did this deal. The team is not in a position to win this season, although a double-scorned Thomas may help them win more games than Clarkson and Nance Jr. They don’t have their 2018 first-round pick, so they have no incentive to tank.
Thomas may cause issues in the locker room, especially if he takes shots away from LaVar Ball’s son. He was never looked at as a problem off the court in Boston, but this last month has certainly changed his reputation. Adding Frye gives them a nice veteran presence on the youngest team in the league.
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Nance Jr. might be the tough one to swallow. Only 24-years-old, he still has upside. His effort on a nightly basis carried the team through rough stretches.
Getting the Cavaliers first-round pick, which will likely be in the mid-to-late 20’s, at least gets them on the board in the 2018 draft.