http://www.espn.com/nba/insider/sto...-williams-george-hill-solve-cavs-problems-nba Three major trade targets: Can they help the Cavs? January 23, 2018 Is a trade the solution to the Cleveland Cavaliers' problems? Even before Saturday's 148-124 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Cavaliers had been linked to several veterans in possible trades before next month's deadline. Though Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue downplayed the need for a trade, telling reporters before the game, "I like the group that we have," the result won't quiet trade talk. So let's take a look at how three of the reported targets might help the Cavaliers. George Hill | G | Sacramento Kings Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports first reported last week that Cleveland is interested in Hill, who has been marginalized in Sacramento as the Kings focus on developing their young talent. Hill's appeal is easy to see. At 6-foot-3, he's Isaiah Thomas' opposite in terms of frame -- big for a point guard, with long arms that allow him to defend bigger players on switches and block passing lanes. Hill can play either guard spot, which would allow him to play alongside Thomas or replace him in bigger lineups. Because Hill appears unhappy on a rebuilding team and Sacramento has already moved rookie point guard De'Aaron Fox into the starting lineup, it's possible the Cavaliers might able to get him in exchange for cap relief without giving up draft picks. For example, a package of Channing Frye and Iman Shumpert for Hill would save the Kings almost $8 million next season, as well as the $1 million Hill is guaranteed in 2019-20. Getting the version of Hill who ranked seventh among point guards in ESPN's real plus-minus (RPM) last season with the Utah Jazz for that kind of offer would be an enormous coup. The question is whether that player still exists. Hill dealt with recurrent toe injuries that sidelined him after Game 1 of the Jazz's playoff loss to the Golden State Warriors, which might have limited his market in free agency. Utah chose to replace Hill by dealing for Ricky Rubio, and after most of the top free agents were gone, Hill signed in Sacramento for what looked at the time like a team-friendly deal with minimal guarantee on the third season of the contract. So far this season, Hill hasn't been the same player. His usage and assist rates have fallen off dramatically, which can't be blamed entirely on playing with Fox. Even as the lone point guard on the court, Hill has averaged just 4.7 assists per 100 plays, according to NBA.com/Stats, down from 6.2 last year. And his usage rate is below average both with and without Fox. Worse yet, Sacramento is allowing 4.6 more points per 100 possessions with Hill on the court. Perhaps Hill's effort would be better on a contending team. And on the plus side, he's still shooting the 3 well (a career-high 45.2 percent, which would lead the Cavaliers). So if the price is only cap flexibility and Cleveland doesn't need those contracts to make other deals before the deadline, acquiring Hill might make sense. Lou Williams | G | LA Clippers Over the past month, Williams has been one of the league's best scorers, mounting a late bid for his first career All-Star berth. Since Williams is also in the final year of his contract, it's no surprise the Cavaliers would inquire about him, as reported by Marc Stein of the New York Times. Yet Williams wouldn't really fill an obvious need for Cleveland. About the one thing that has gone to plan so far for the Cavaliers is the success of their second unit once Dwyane Wade agreed to come off the bench. A reserve corps led by Wade, Jeff Green and Kyle Korver has allowed Cleveland to outscore opponents by 2.2 points per 100 possessions with LeBron James on the bench according to NBA.com/Stats, the best net rating ever for a James team when he sits -- better even than the Miami Heat, who boasted a prime Wade opposite James. While those results shouldn't preclude the Cavaliers from upgrading their bench, they reduce the need for Williams, who has made a career of scoring efficiently against second units. Of course, it's possible Cleveland could view Williams as insurance for Thomas, since he has been plenty effective as a starter for the Clippers, too. Playing opposite James, Williams could be a huge upgrade on the production the Cavaliers have gotten from their point guards thus far with Thomas first sidelined and now less than 100 percent. Amazingly, Williams is averaging both more 3-pointers (3.0) and free throws (5.5) than any Cleveland player is managing in either category. The question remains of how likely it is Thomas' health will allow him to get back to an All-Star level of play -- and whether Williams is needed. DeAndre Jordan | C | LA Clippers In last week's piece considering the merits of Cleveland trading the Brooklyn Nets' first-round pick, I noted that Jordan might not be the kind of upgrade in terms of rim protection the team is seeking. At the same time, Jordan would fill a need on the defensive glass. Though their rebounding is not as problematic as their shot defense, the Cavaliers have dropped to 27th in defensive rebounding this season after moving away from playing traditional big men Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson together. As good as Love is on the defensive glass, he hasn't gotten much help from teammates. Jordan is more capable of being a one-man defensive rebounding anchor, ranking third in the league by pulling down 35.8 percent of available defensive rebounds. (Love is at 28.6 percent.) Of course, Lue would also have the option of playing Jordan and Love together as a duo that could prevent nearly all second chances. Is improving on the defensive glass worth the price for Jordan? I'd still say no if it means giving up the Brooklyn pick.
Would Cleveland give up the Brooklyn pick for the following trade? Tristan and Jr Smith for Lou Williams and DeAndre ? It’s an “all-in” move. Makes hem better defensively and more explosive offensively. They shed a lot of salary and gain an insane amount of cap flexibility. Isiah, dj, lebron, Lou, Frye, wade, rose, calderon, green would all be expiring. If lebron walks, your in a great spot going forward because you let everyone walk and have GREAT salary projections going forward. You have Love, Crowder and Korver you can target in trades for assets. Your only bad contract left is Shumpert who would be set to be an expiring contract. You set course for he tankapalooza. Yeah, you lose the Brooklyn pick but that isn’t looking as great as it once was. It’s about 8th now and likely to get worse when tanking teams go all out and Brooklyn elects to stay competitive. I would probably do it if I were LAC
Lou Williams wont do anything for Cleveland. He wants to dribble around and get up as many points as possible. LeBron wont be able to create looks for him (Harden couldn't) because that's not his game. And trying to accommodate Lou Williams will make it even tougher for IT to fit in.
Why would Clips want 2 more years of TT at 18 million a year. To me it's obvious he doesn't deserve that much money and Cavs gave him that much money since LBJ was adamant about paying him. He also plays the same position as Blake, are you paying that much to be a bench player? JR has another 2 years for 15 milly. Why would they give up that flexability? All for a pick that's losing it's value? I just don't see it.
TT is a center in this NBA. They move 2 guys expiring and cash in on value before ultimately having to face losing them for nothing or overpay and continue to be stuck in mediocrity. The Brooklyn pick isthe highest asset available at a time when 1st rd picks are worth the lost they have ever been worth. Deandre and Lou by themselves just aren’t worth the Brooklyn pick. Maybe JR and TTs contract is too much so you could swap jr with shump to add for flexibility in the trade for lac. But ultimately deandre nor Lou will fetch the Brooklyn. Lac looks to be deciding on a rebuild or at least a quick retool. Both together aren’t worth the Brooklyn. But, if you agree to take on a bad contract or 2 maybe you can finagle he Brooklyn pick.
If i'm the Clippers i'd do it in a heartbeat, both are going to get paid and while good players, there's a good chance they're not worth what they'll probably get next summer, and nobody knows if they would be williing to stay there. As for the Cavs well, if they don't think Lebron is staying they should never trade that pick, even if Lou and DJ are definitely a good package (i'd say almost worth a top 10 pick), they're both kinda old, expiring (and i don't see Lou resign in Cleveland even with Lebron staying there, maybe DeAndre would, who knows...)...in the end i think you just don't risk to throw away that pick for them when you have Thomas and Thompson.
Yes he's a severly undersize center if he plays that position for LAC but he's not a very good center for 18 million and stuck with that contract for 2 more years. If LAC is going to rebuild, what is the point of having TT. Shump instead of JR would make the deal better though. I don't know I don't get caught up in draft picks especially if it's for the 8th pick. This year it was Ntilinka who is a nice solid defensive guard, but nothing game changer. IMO I wouldn't trade my expiring contracts to get caught up into more salary for a team that won't win with Blake, TT, Teosodic, Bev and JR/Shump. I would maybe try to sign someone with the cap space they'll have IMO
It’s not about receiving TT the player but rather TT the bad contract because it could net the the Brooklyn pick. And while the 8th pick is hit or miss it’s still the only way to get young high end talent.
Wojnarwoski: "[Cleveland] wants to get something done before Feb. 8th, long before. They want to get something done soon..They continue to talk to Sac about Hill. They've checked in with Charlotte about Kemba Walker."
I understand but why not try to sign a FA with their cap space? PG has always been linked to LA and he was a Clippers fan growing up. They don't have the storied franchise like Lakers but they do have the same city. There's a ton of great talent that's going to be a FA in 2018. Why choose to be stuck with TT and that 8th pick which has a high chance of just being a role player. If they don't land a FA, trade away blake and get assets and then clear out the roster. If they do the trade, they have this in between situation of having good players but not really good enough to win it all and just stuck being mediocre with their salary all tied up. At least that's my thinking in this and we don't know what Doc is thinking but he is a pretty terrible GM so who knows
Any chance these guys are bought out if traded to Sacramento? Haven’t watched Cleveland a lot this year so don’t know if any of those guys could gelp our squad.
Frye perhaps, but Shumpert has a player option for next season. Man, the Kings are such a mess. You just signed Hill to that contract! And now it looks like they may be treating it like dead weight. If it happens though, let's see what else they get.
I like Frye as a buyout candidate but I just feel like we are targeting defense at the backup backup 5. Sure he makes a decent backup stretch 4, but ariza and tuck do fine in that backup role. I’d like better but wouldn’t be opposed either
My guess is they're ready to start developing Fox into a starter. Maybe they feel as if Fox has learned everything he can from Hill, but it's the Kings, who knows what they're doing.
